Sermon #114                                                                                                                                   Exodus Series

 

      Title:                                 Doing Things GodÕs Way

 

      Text:                                 Exodus 36:1-39:43

      Subject:               The Gifts and Obedience of the People

      Date:                                Tuesday Evening — December 1, 1112008

      Tape :                   Exodus #114

      Readings:           Allen Kibby and Dave Burge

      Introduction:

 

Doing Things GodÕs Way — That is my subject. If we would worship and serve the Lord our God, the true and living God, we must worship and serve him in the way he prescribes. — Ask Uzza!

 

We either do things GodÕs way, or all that we call worship and service to the Lord is but will worship and a vain show of religion. — Doing Things GodÕs Way. May God the Holy Spirit be our Teacher.

 

We will begin in Exodus 36. My text will actually be Exodus 36-39. In these four chapters God the Holy Spirit tells us how the Tabernacle was actually constructed by the children of Israel under the direction of Bezaleel and Aholiab. We have seen in the earlier chapters of Exodus what the Lord revealed to Moses in the mount and how Moses conveyed GodÕs revelation to his people. There is no need to go over all the types again; but these chapters are not redundant repetitions. They were not written just to fill up space. These chapters, like all the Book of God, — Òwere written for our learning and admonition, that we through patience and consolation of the Scriptures might have hopeÓ(Romans 15:4).

 

Remember, the Tabernacle in the Wilderness was intended by God to portray and typify three things:

1.    The Person and Work of Christ.

á      His Glorious Person

á      His Perfect Obedience

á      His Blood Atonement

á      His Acceptance

2.    The redemption and salvation of GodÕs elect by ChristÕs obedience unto death, by ChristÕs righteousness and satisfaction.

3.    The whole Church of God, built by Christ and upon Christ, as one habitation of God through the Spirit.

á      The boards of shittim wood, overlaid with gold could not be set in their place except in the divinely prescribed order.

á      These boards, representing sinners saved by grace, surrounding the mercy-seat, around the throne of God.

á      The boards were all standing up, fixed upon sockets of silver (blood atonement). — ÒWherein ye stand!Ó

á      Each board had two sockets (righteousness and satisfaction).

á      The boards were all coupled together.

á      They were held in place by the bars surrounding them, which appear to represent the attributes and promises of God.

á      They were all shot through with the middle bar, which no one could see but the one who put it through them. — That middle bar is ÒChrist in you, the Hope of Glory

 

LetÕs read just a few verses from these four chapters that show us the direction of the message they contain. I urge you to read all four chapters before you go to bed tonight, or as soon as you can, while the message is still fresh on your mind. We will begin reading at Exodus 36:1.

 

Ò1 ¦  Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.2  And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:3  And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.4  And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;5  And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.6  And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.7  For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.Ó(Exodus 36:1-7 )

 

Exodus 39: 32

 

 ÒThus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.Ó(Exodus 39:32 )

 

Exodus 39:42

 

 Ò42  According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.43  And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.Ó(Exodus 39:42-43 )

 

Generosity

 

What a picture of devotion and generosity this is! These men and women and their rulers, all the children of Israel are here held before us as examples of consecration to God in performing the work of the sanctuary! No effort was needed to move the hearts of the people to give. No appeals were made. No impressive arguments were given. Nothing was promised. Nothing was threatened.

 

Oh! no; their Òhearts stirred them up.ÓThe streams of voluntary devotion flowed from within. ÒRulers,ÓÒmen,ÓÒwomenÓ— all felt it to be their sweet privilege to give to the Lord, not with a narrow heart or niggardly hand, but after such a princely fashion that Bezaleel and Aholiab told Moses that they had enough and too much.

 

Implicit Obedience

 

Not only did the children of Israel give generously, with open hearts and open hands, their obedience was implicit. They did everything exactly as the Lord commanded Moses (Exodus 39:42-43). — We read Òaccording to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work. And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them

 

The Lord God had given the minute, detailed instructions concerning the entire work of the Tabernacle. Every pin, every socket, every loop, every buckle, was to be made exactly as God said. There was no room for manÕs vote, manÕs reason, or manÕs common sense. Jehovah did not give a general outline and leave it for the children of Israel, or even Bezaleel, to fill in the details. He left no place for any man to enter an opinion, let alone a regulation. None! ÒSee, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mountÓ(Ex. 25:40; Ex. 26:30; Heb. 8:5).

 

ÒAnd look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.Ó(Exodus 25:40 )

 

 ÒAnd thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.Ó(Exodus 26:30 )

 

 ÒWho serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.Ó(Hebrews 8:5 )

 

This left no room for human device. If man had been allowed to make a single pin, that pin would have been made wrong and out of place in the Tabernacle of God. We see what manÕs Ògraving toolÓproduces in Exodus 32. There is no place for it in the worship and service of God!

 

In this matter, the children of Israel did just what they were told — nothing more — nothing less. God the Spirit constrained them to do exactly as they were instructed, that we might have in their obedience an example to follow. There are many things in the history of Israel we must earnestly seek to avoid — their impatient murmurings, their legal vows and their idolatry. But that which is before us here in their giving and in their obedience is utterly exemplary. Blessed are they who follow the example.

 

The tabernacle was, in all respects, according to the divine pattern, and, therefore, it could be filled with the divine glory. There is a volume of instruction in this. We are too prone to regard the Word of God as insufficient for the most minute details connected with His worship and service. This is a great mistake, a mistake which has proved the source of much evil and great errors in the professing Church. The Word of God alone is and must be our only rule of faith and practice. It is sufficient for everything (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

á      Doctrine

á      Salvation

á      Obedience

á      Life

á      Worship

 

Ò16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.Ó(2 Timothy 3:16-17 )

 

Taking the example set before us in these chapters, I want to call your attention to four things; and I will send you home.

 

The Givers

 

First, look at the givers. Those who brought the gifts were all the congregation of the children of Israel: men, women and rulers, young and old, rich and poor, the well-known and the unknown.

á      A Chosen, Covenant People

á      A Redeemed People

á      A People to Whom God Revealed Himself in Saving Grace

á      A People Willingly Obedient to The Lord

 

The Users

 

Next, let me say just a word or two about Bezaleel and Aholiab, the men who were appointed by God to use the things the children of Israel brought for the service of God. These two men, while typical of the Lord Jesus, as I showed you a few weeks ago, also represent GodÕs servants, pastors and gospel preachers, appointed by the Lord to be overseers in his house.

á      They were filled with the Spirit of God (35:31).

á      They were specifically gifted of God with wisdom and understanding to perform the work.

á      God put it in their heart to do the work (35:34).

á      The Lord made it obvious to all Israel that they were the men he had chosen for the work.

á      They were truly the servants of God. — They wanted nothing but to serve him as he had ordained. When they had all that they needed to do the work, they refused to take any more!

 

The Gifts

 

Third, there is much to be learned from the gifts themselves, the gifts the children of Israel brought, the gifts God received and used for his glory.

 

The gifts varied greatly: Gold and Oil, Silver and Spices, Precious Stones and Wool, Brass and GoatsÕ Hair, Wool and Linen, Dyes for Blue and Purple and Scarlet, and Onyx Stones.

 

The gifts all came from people with willing hearts, happy to give; from people who knew that what they brought to the Lord was not theirs, but his.

 

ÒTake ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,Ó(Exodus 35:5 )

 

 ÒAnd they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORDÕS offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.Ó(Exodus 35:21 )

 

The Word of God supplies us with an abundance of instruction about this matter of giving. All of 1 Corinthians 9 and 2 Corinthians chapters 8-9 am taken up with this subject. But there are no commands given to the people of God, anywhere in the New Testament, about how much we are to give, when we are give, or where we am to give. Tithing and all systems like it are totally foreign to the New Testament. Giving, like all other acts of worship, is an act of faith and grace. It must be free and voluntary, or it is unacceptable. However, there are some plain, simple guidelines laid down in the Scriptures for us to follow. Here are ten things revealed in the New Testament about giving. —

 

1.    Our giving should be planned (2 Cor. 9:7).

2.    Our giving must be free, voluntary, unconstrained (2 Cor. 9:7).

3.    Our giving must be motivated by love and gratitude towards Christ (2 Cor. 8:7-9).

4.    Our giving must arise from a willing heart (2 Cor. 8:12).

5.    Every believer should give to the work of the gospel according to his personal ability (1 Cor. 16:2).

6.    Every believer should give a portion of his goods for the cause of Christ (1 Cor. 16:2).

7.    Our gifts for the gospel should be liberal and sacrificial (2 Cor. 9:5-6; Mark 12:41-44).

8.    We are to give as unto the Lord (Matt. 6:1-5).

9.    This kind of giving is well-pleasing to God (2 Cor. 9:7; Phil. 4:18; Heb. 13:16).

10. If we am willing to give, God will supply us with the ability to give (2 Cor. 9:10: Luke 6:38; Phil. 4:19).

 

The Result

 

Fourth, because the children of Israel were stirred up in their hearts by the Spirit of God, stirred up by the knowledge of what was to be represented in the Tabernacle, the Priesthood, the Sacrifices and the Services of the Sanctuary, they devoted themselves to doing the work, giving whatever and all that was needed. — ÒThe stuff they had was sufficient for the workÓ(36:7). AndÉ

 

ÒThus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.Ó(Exodus 39:32 )

 

 Ò34 ¦  Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.35  And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.Ó(Exodus 40:34-35 )

 

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

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