Exodus 36:6-13: a reflection

6Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman make anything else for the offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing. 7For the stuff they had was sufficient to do all the work, and too much. 8All the wise-hearted men among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet. They made them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman. 9The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains had one measure. 10He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11He made loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain from the edge in the coupling. Likewise he made in the edge of the curtain that was outermost in the second coupling. 12He made fifty loops in the one curtain, and he made fifty loops in the edge of the curtain that was in the second coupling. The loops were opposite to one another. 13He made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps: so the tabernacle was a unit.

As the tabernacle is being built, something remarkable happens: the people bring so much for the offering that Moses has to command them to stop. The material they had brought, the text says, was more than enough for all the work; and so the people were restrained from bringing more. It is a rare and beautiful problem: the generosity of willing hearts was so great that it had to be held back, the givers told they had given more than enough.

Notice the extravagant generosity on display: the people gave so freely that they had to be told to stop. This is the opposite of the usual problem, of reluctant giving that must be coaxed and urged; here the giving overflowed, so abundant that it exceeded the need, and had to be restrained. The willing hearts of the people poured out their offerings so freely that Moses had to command them to bring no more. Such is the generosity of a truly willing heart: it gives abundantly, even to overflowing.

That extravagant generosity is a beautiful picture of what a willing heart looks like, and a challenge to our own giving. Our giving is more often reluctant, needing to be urged, held back not by too much generosity but by too little. But these people gave so freely that they had to be restrained; their willing hearts overflowed. Let your giving to God be marked by such willing generosity, that it overflows rather than needing to be coaxed. Do not be among those whose giving must always be urged and coaxed; ask God for a heart so willing that your generosity overflows, like the people who had to be told to stop bringing. A heart truly willing gives abundantly; may yours be so willing that your generosity, like theirs, runs to overflowing, given gladly and freely to God.

Lord, as the tabernacle was built, the people brought so much for the offering that Moses had to command them to stop, for the material was more than enough; their willing hearts poured out their offerings so freely that the giving had to be restrained. Let that extravagant generosity challenge my own giving. My giving is more often reluctant, needing to be urged, held back not by too much generosity but by too little. But these people gave so freely that they had to be restrained; their willing hearts overflowed. Let my giving to you be marked by such willing generosity, that it overflows rather than needing to be coaxed. Keep me from being among those whose giving must always be urged and coaxed; give me a heart so willing that my generosity overflows, like the people who had to be told to stop bringing. A heart truly willing gives abundantly; may mine be so willing that my generosity, like theirs, runs to overflowing, given gladly and freely to you, Lord. Make my heart generous and willing.