Exodus 38:21-31: a reflection

21These are the amounts of materials used for the tabernacle, even the Tabernacle of the Testimony, as they were counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. 22Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. 23With him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a skillful workman, and an embroiderer in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen. 24All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 25The silver of those who were counted of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary: 26a beka a head, that is, half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for everyone who passed over to those who were counted, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty men. 27The one hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil: one hundred sockets for the one hundred talents, one talent per socket. 28From the one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their capitals, and made fillets for them. 29The bronze of the offering was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels. 30With this he made the sockets to the door of the Tent of Meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it, all the vessels of the altar, 31the sockets around the court, the sockets of the gate of the court, all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins around the court.

This passage records the accounting of the materials used to build the tabernacle, the gold, silver, and bronze. And it notes where the silver came from: from every man who was counted, each giving the same half shekel. The great work of building God's dwelling was not funded by a few wealthy donors, but by the contributions of the whole community, each person having a part, each giving his share.

Notice that the tabernacle was built by the gifts of all. Every man who was counted contributed his half shekel; the whole community had a part in building God's house. It was not the project of a few, with the rest watching; it was a work in which all the people shared, each contributing, so that the finished tabernacle belonged, in a sense, to everyone, built by the gifts of the whole community.

That points to a truth about God's work: it is meant to be shared in by all, each contributing their part. We can imagine that God's work is for a few special or wealthy people to accomplish, while the rest merely look on; but the tabernacle was built by the gifts of all, each person's contribution having a place in it. Your part in God's work matters, however small it seems; the whole is built up by the contributions of all, each giving what they can. Do not think your contribution to God's work too small to count, or leave the work to others as though it were not yours to share in. Give your part, as every Israelite gave his half shekel; God's work is built by the gifts of all, and your share, joined with others', helps build what God is doing. Have a part, and give it gladly.

Lord, the tabernacle was built from the gifts of the whole community, the silver coming from every man's half shekel; your dwelling was funded not by a few, but by the contributions of all the people, each having a part. Show me the truth in that about your work: that it is meant to be shared in by all, each contributing their part. I can imagine that your work is for a few special or wealthy people to accomplish, while the rest merely look on; but the tabernacle was built by the gifts of all, each person's contribution having a place. My part in your work matters, however small it seems; the whole is built up by the contributions of all. Keep me from thinking my contribution too small to count, or leaving the work to others as though it were not mine to share in. Help me give my part, as every Israelite gave his half shekel; your work is built by the gifts of all, and my share, joined with others', helps build what you are doing. Give me a glad part in your work.