Exercise Your Freewill : Give Freely

Exodus 25:1-2

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,“Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution”. See what a great privilege was given to the children of Israel to come and contribute to the building of the place where God was to dwell. Notice that there is no commandment given; it was completely voluntary, and the desire was to come from the heart. This is a principle we find throughout the Bible; God calls, and we make the decision to serve.

Notice the word for contribution. It is used here for the first time in the Torah. The Hebrew word is תְּרוּמָה (tĕrûmâ) from the word רוּם (rûm) meaning to rise up, to lift very high. While these contributions were for the building or for the maintenance of this earthly Tabernacle, the place for God to dwell in, these voluntary offerings were also being received on a higher plane, even into the heavenlies, going from man’s heart to God’s heart. And we will get to see the way God responds to Israel’s and our donations and contributions.

This word teruma became the name for the Heave Offering; heave is what is lifted or raised up. This offering was made when the Israelite would take their contribution, their tithe, lift it up to God and then offer it. For instance, right at the beginning of the harvest, to acknowledge that the produce was a gift from the Lord, they would take the first of the harvest and hold it high up, thanking God for it and offering it back to Him. We can do the same when we give our offerings. One thing I can tell you is that God is touched when you offer Him your tithe; see how He calls it in vs.2, a contribution for Me….My contribution.

When the Lord made this appeal to Isreal, she responded to this call so enthusiastically, she was so generous, that Moses told them to stop giving. He even had to issue an order: see Exodus 36:6-7, So Moses issued a command, and a proclamation was circulated throughout the camp, saying, “Let no man or woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary.”  It’s important to recognize this because we so often hear of the sins of Israel, but the Bible is fair in also bringing out one of many good sides to this nation.

And this is where we are going to see how the Lord so blesses those who willingly give. It did not take much time; it was almost immediate. After listing the many items to be built, we come to Exodus 31 where we are told that the Lord chose one person, an example for everyone, and He began to greatly bless that individual. We had already, in past messages, spoken about this man. His name is Bezalel. Do you remember him?

And see how the Lord directs our attention toward this man. But notice that as we move through chapters 25, 31 and 35, there is no strict chronology in these events. In Exodus 31:1-2 it reads, “Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.”  This verse is a symphony of lights and colors, as if to celebrate those who came with a willing heart to serve. The name Bezalel means the shadow of God or under the protection of the Lord. The name Uri mean light, from the Hebrew word or.

The name Hur designates pure white linen, like the linen curtains throughout the Holy Place. And the name Judah means praise. And so, we have this one person, Bezalel, who is under the shadow of God, like a bright light shining, who is endowed with holiness and who praises God. This describes those who answer the call of God: When we do, we walk under His shadow, and at the same time, work on our sanctification. We become a light unto others and through all this we praise and glorify Him.

Next, we will see how the Lord blesses the one who brings his terumah. Let’s read Exodus 31:3, “I have filled him [Bezalel] with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship”. First, we see how the Lord filled him, as when one fills a jar with water. The word for fill is מָלֵא (mālēʾ). From this word we get מִלֻּאָה (millūʾâ) which describes placing a jewel in an open setting; this open setting is the individual, and the jewel or gem is what the Lord sets into it. This same word is used for the setting of the 12 stones on the Breastplate of the High Priest. So, the Lord blesses us with great divine gems. First, we have the Spirit of God, Rûaḥ ʾElōhîm. Second, one is blessed with wisdom. Third, with understanding. Fourth, with knowledge and fifth, with all kinds of craftsmanship. See how generous God is? And especially so when one recognizes who is endowed with these same attributes. This is the divine person, Messiah Himself, according to Isaiah 11, and being in Him, we too partake of these blessings. From the Targum, written by rabbis before the coming of Yeshua, we read: And a king shall come forth from the sons of Jesse, and the Messiah shall be exalted from the sons of his sons.

And what would His attributes be? The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Isn’t it wonderful what the Lord is ready to impart on the ones who willingly give themselves to God, those almost same attributes as those of Yeshua?

Click Here for the Teaching: Exodus, Sermon 25 : Called to Contribute