The Big Ask

Ex 25:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering." (NKJV)

 

I wonder if Moses was afraid to ask people for money? I know that this is tough. My wife had a meeting with some women last night about our ladies ministry in church and she was talking about raising funds. One of the women said: "Don't put me in charge of that. I don't want anything to do with fund raising." Why is that? Because asking for money is hard. And why is it hard? Because we are so consumed with keeping it for ourselves. This is such a sensitive subject that we very rarely talk about it.

 

But look at this. God told Moses to "speak to the children of Israel that they bring Me an offering". The word for speak there means "speak, declare, converse, command, warn". This was not an option for Moses. God wanted him to open his mouth and challenge people to give. Now it wasn't necessarily money that they gave back then. It was gold, silver, bronze, thread, linen, skins, wood, oil, spices, precious stones. It was things that they would want to hang on to…but it did not matter. God was getting ready to build a place for Himself to dwell and the challenge needed to be made.

 

The response: Willingness from the heart. How cool is that? People were motivated from the inside, from their inner man, and they responded and gave. Moses was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights and a lot of things happened on the ground during that time (which is coming) and when he came down and challenged the people to give, they responded generously with a willing heart. "Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord's offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting…" 35:21 "They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought…" 35:22; "The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women who hearts were willing…" 35:29

 

I love how this is echoed in the NT. "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Cor 9:7 There is that heart thing. There is that inner man motivation.

 

Why did they respond this way? Because Moses asked. Because Moses spoke. Because Moses challenged, Moses probably shared the vision of what God showed him…and God moved in hearts.

 

We can't be afraid to ask. We can't be afraid to challenge. We can't be afraid to converse. We can't be afraid to warn. Just speak and watch God move.