Just something to think about. When Moses presented to Israel the needs required to build the tabernacle and all of its contents including the arc of the covenant God placed it upon the people’s heart to give. The people gave daily. They gave so much gold, silver, wood, gems and other needed things that the workers came to Moses and said that they already had more than enough to finish the work. Scripture says that Moses then asked the people to stop giving and the people of Israel were restricted from giving to the Lord. Exodus 36:2-6.
Where did all of this wealth and materials come from? If you go back to the exodus of Israel from Egypt you will find that they were told to ask their Egyptian neighbors for their wealth and it was given to them. You see...God had already placed into the hands of His people the provision needed to accomplish all that He had in mind for them to do. I could stop and preach here for a while but I actually want to go in a different direction. Before Israel knew what the material (gold, silver, cloth and precious gems) were for what did they do with it? What did they do out of their own flesh and desire?
In Exodus 32 we read that while Moses was on the mountain talking with God that the Israelites asked Aaron (the priest) to make a god to lead them. Because Moses was taking so long and they did not know what had happened to him they became impatient. Aaron said to break off the gold that hung on their earnings and he fashioned a large golden calf out of that for them to worship. Earnings and jewelry of this type were something that the Israelites would have obtained while in Egypt or gotten from the Egyptians as they exited. So while waiting for God to lead them they were reveling in the things of Egypt and created a golden calf to worship. It should also be noted that in Egypt the livestock and animals were worshiped. I also want to point out that in some rabbinical studies we find that throughout history the Jewish people saw a cow as a symbol of power. So while waiting for God they became impatient and returned to the lifestyle of the ungodly from whom they had been delivered and built for themselves an image of power to follow.
All to often when God brings increase into our lives we immediately look to see how we can increase ourselves. We are almost immediately tempted to go out and buy useless objects that we suddenly feel that we will die without. I am not saying that it is wrong to increase yourself or that God does not want to increase you. What I am suggesting is that when God brings increase we should seek Him and find out if there is a greater purpose or need in the distance that He is preparing us to provide for. Might it be possible that at times God is placing the wealth of the world into our hands to then further His kingdom and instead we are wanting to buy a new shinny object to hold and worship? Like I said, just something to think on.
