More than enough

In the Feb 13 reading of Exodus, Moses stopped taking donations for the tabernacle once the church had enough to do the work The Lord set out for them. From the ESV:

⁶So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, "Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing, ⁷for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.


Amazing!

1. In the earlier verses, there is no tithe or amount of giving required, the offerings were made by "everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him." It's pretty incredible that without even being really asked or reminded, the people give so abundantly that there is more than enough to get this huge feat accomplished for The Lord! As Piper encouraged us in Desiring God, that is how our giving should be. From the heart, without obligation, abundant.

2. Moses instructs the people to stop giving, in spite of what that could have meant for him or the tabernacle. Why not let them continue to give? He or the church would have multiplied their wealth in the receipt of additional gold, silver, precious stones, fine fabrics.
I believe he was building the tabernacle to follow God's commands only and not about to turn this Christian operation into a secular one! He also evidently had faith, as we should, that God will provide for His work to be done. If this task was the extent to which he knew God's plans, he would not collect beyond what was needed for those plans.

Are we, in our churches and personal lives, ceasing collection once we have enough or more than enough to do God's work? That's the only thing we are here for after all!

PS- If anyone is behind on the daily reading, I encourage them to play catch up in this way so we can all stay in sync- I'm still doing the daily reading for the current date, but I have a bookmark if I miss a day to go back and read it. This is helping me not give up when I get behind also :)