Exodus 35:20-21: Then the whole community of the people of Israel withdrew from Moshe’s presence; and they came, everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit made him willing, and brought Adonai’s offering for the work on the tent of meeting, for the service in it and for the holy garments.
Passages from Exodus 35-36 stirred my heart deeply this morning! This word willing continued to pop up over and over, until I began to feel the desire of God's own heart, to find people who give and serve willingly.
The word willing in Exodus 35:21 is Strong's 5605, the Hebrew word "nadab." It means literally, to be willing, to willingly offer oneself, volunteer, give a freewill offering.
I confess I was quite surprised to find Hebrew word nadab, since there was a certain man in the Torah (Exodus 6:23) whose name was Nadab, and whose offering was unacceptable to God! In fact, my bible commentary says, "Nadab, firstborn of Aaron, was killed with Abihu for offering unauthorized fire." Wow! The firstborn son of Aaron, Israel's High Priest, brother of Moses! You would think this man, whose name literally means "willing, freewill offering," would have deeper understanding of what YHVH, His God, desired! But it is the same problem many of us suffer from today. Either we give of ourselves grudgingly, or we give what we think God wants, when really it is a mixture of the holy and the profane.
IT IS ALWAYS A HEART CONDITION!
Let's read on about how YHVH directed the children of Israel, through Moses, in the building of the tabernacle: "And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goat hair. All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to YHVH freewill offerings for all the work that YHVH through Moses had commanded them to do." (Exodus 35:26, 29) Here we see a people working together in cheerful unity, with willing hearts, giving of themselves in all the ways the Holy Spirit has gifted them!
Exodus 35:30, 34-35: "Then Moses said to the Israelites, 'See, YHVH has chosen Bezalel, son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts... and he has given both him and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers...
Exodus 36:2-3: "Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom YHVH had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning."
What extraordinary examples we have here of the way our God desires for us to serve Him! He alone gives skill, talents, gifts and knowledge! Freely He gives these gifts through His Ruach, and freely,willingly we should be giving them back to Him, with all that our hands and hearts find to do. Bezalel means "God's shadow" and Oholiab means "the tents of his father." Even in their names we are inspired to see God's message to us: "Abide in the shadow of El Shaddai, stay under the covering of your Father, and be willing to receive the gifts I so lavishly pour out on you, and willing to offer them back to Me freely, morning after morning!"
Nadab and Abihu made the same mistake that Cain made when he brought an unacceptable offering to God. They did not inquire of Him what He desired! These were men who had been taught Torah, however, and so they probably knew what was acceptable to God and what was not, but they were not concerned about His heart, nor operating in His Spirit. They were operating in the flesh. That is why we must embrace the importance of keeping the Sabbath on YHVH's day - the seventh day - and keeping His appointed feasts, instead of feasts mixed with pagan traditions. People say to me, "Well, God knows my heart!" But my response is, "Do you know His heart?"
We must become a people, like these Israelites, whose hearts are stirred to give and serve willingly, with freewill offerings that please Him! Abide in the bezalel and the oholiab, joyfully receive whatever gifts and knowledge God chooses to give to you, and then do as the Israelites did, and give until "the people were restrained from bringing more because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work!" (Exodus 36:7).
Shabbat Shalom!
