Exodus 36:3 - 38

We looked at Exodus 36:1 – 2 when we looked at Exodus 35. We start this section in verse 3. Chapter 36, aside from the first two verses, can be divided into two sections. Section one deals with a problem that many pastors would love to have, that of excessive contributions. The second deals with the construction of the tent.

I don’t know a pastor out there, especially in the middle of a building project, which would not want to be in the position Moses and the craftsmen were in. We see that in verse 3 that every morning people continued to bring freewill offerings every morning. The offerings had gotten so numerous that the craftsmen had to stop working and go tell Moses to tell the people to stop. It was not until Moses said something that they stopped. What a moving and listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

The second section describes the construction of the tent. Verse 8 to the end of the chapter corresponds with Exodus 26:1-37 where we see God describing how the tent is to be constructed. The craftsmen here proceed to construct the tent just as the design was given to them by God. When you consider the detail that was put into this it was no small feat. The size was very large. It took men gifted by God to not only build this but to understand God’s guidance and design.

The Application

Two things that we can see in this chapter. 1. The freewill offerings that the people gave. How many times have you been told to put a certain amount into the offering and you were more concerned about how much money you would have left. We should be giving with a joyous heart. We need to be listening to what God wants us to give not what we want to give to him.

2. Following God’s directions. God gives us directions in his word and specifically for our lives. When we follow God’s directions for our lives we can’t go wrong.