Numbers 7:56-61: a reflection

56one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense; 57one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 58one male goat for a sin offering; 59and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 60On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, 61gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

In the long account of the tabernacle's dedication, leader after leader from the twelve tribes brings his offering, and a striking thing about these offerings is that they are all identical: each leader brings exactly the same gifts, the same silver platter and bowl, the same golden ladle of incense, the same animals. No leader brings more than another, or less; no one tries to outdo the rest, or is outdone. Each gives equally, and each is recorded equally, day by day, with the same care. There is no rivalry here, no competition to give the most or the most impressive; each simply brings his equal offering, and each is honored the same. The giving is without rivalry, each equal to the others, none competing, none outdoing. This is a quiet picture of giving free of the competition and comparison that so often creep in: each gave his equal share, and each was equally honored, without rivalry.

Notice what is absent from these offerings: rivalry and competition. Each leader brought the same gift, no more and no less than the others; there was no jockeying to give the most, no attempt to outshine, no comparison of one gift against another. Each gave equally, and each was recorded and honored equally. This is a quiet but telling thing, for giving so easily becomes a matter of comparison and rivalry, of wanting to give more than another or being ashamed to give less, of measuring our offering against someone else's. But here each simply brought his equal share, without competing, and each was honored the same. There is a freedom in giving that is free of rivalry, that does not compare or compete, that simply offers its share without measuring against others. To give without rivalry, without comparing or competing, is a better way than giving shadowed by the wish to outdo or the fear of being outdone. Giving free of comparison is giving at peace.

That is worth taking to heart, for we do well to give without rivalry or competition, free of comparing our offering against others'. We can let rivalry and comparison creep into our giving, wanting to give more than another or being ashamed to give less, measuring our offering against someone else's; but the leaders each brought their equal share without competing, and each was honored the same. There is a freedom in giving that is free of rivalry, that simply offers its share without comparing or competing. Do not let rivalry or comparison shadow your giving; give your share freely, without competing, as the leaders each brought their equal offering. Give your share freely and without rivalry or comparison, not competing to outdo others or ashamed of giving less, as the leaders of Israel each brought the same offering to the dedication and each was honored equally; for giving so easily becomes shadowed by comparison and the wish to outdo or the fear of being outdone, but there is a freedom in giving that simply offers its share without measuring against others, and to give without rivalry, at peace, is a better way than giving darkened by competition.

Lord, in the long account of the tabernacle's dedication, leader after leader from the twelve tribes brings his offering, and a striking thing about these offerings is that they are all identical: each leader brings exactly the same gifts. No leader brings more than another, or less; no one tries to outdo the rest, or is outdone. Each gives equally, and each is recorded equally, day by day, with the same care. There is no rivalry here, no competition to give the most; each simply brings his equal offering, and each is honored the same. Show me what is absent from these offerings: rivalry and competition. Each leader brought the same gift, no more and no less than the others; there was no jockeying to give the most, no attempt to outshine. Each gave equally, and each was honored equally. This is a quiet but telling thing, for giving so easily becomes a matter of comparison and rivalry, of wanting to give more than another or being ashamed to give less. But here each simply brought his equal share, and each was honored the same. There is a freedom in giving that is free of rivalry, that does not compare or compete. Take that to my heart, for I do well to give without rivalry or competition, free of comparing my offering against others'. I can let rivalry and comparison creep into my giving, wanting to give more than another or being ashamed to give less; but the leaders each brought their equal share without competing. There is a freedom in giving that simply offers its share. Keep me from letting rivalry or comparison shadow my giving; help me give my share freely, Lord, without competing, as the leaders each brought their equal offering and each was honored the same.