“Willing Givers” – FBC Morning Light (2/7/2025)

Well, good morning. I'd like to encourage you today from the book of Exodus, chapter 25, with a few thoughts that I hope will be of benefit to you for the journey ahead today. Think back on what God has done for the people of Israel in bringing them out of Egypt.

Remember the night that he brought them out, before they left, he told the people of Israel to go to the Egyptians and essentially plunder them, not forcibly, but just ask from their Egyptian neighbors for stuff, for gold, silver, jewels, whatever.

The people of Egypt gave it willingly, said, take this and get out of here, we don't want you around anymore. God so worked in the hearts of the Egyptians that they willingly just gave all kinds of stuff to Israel and sent them out.

They basically plundered the Egyptians, is the way the Scriptures speak of it. Then God did all kinds of things, has done all kinds of things for the people already in Israel. He brought them through the Red Sea, he turned bitter water to sweet water, he gave them food from heaven, he gave them water from a rock.

Now God is giving instructions to Moses, he's about to give instructions to Moses in the building of this tabernacle structure. Given the fact that all God did for the people of Israel, he could have legitimately demanded that they give half of everything that they took from the Egyptians for the use in the building of this tabernacle.

But that's not what he did. That's not how God approached it. Materials were needed for this tabernacle, bunches of materials. Verses 3 -7 talk about different stuff that's needed for the building of this tabernacle.

Gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, goat's hair, ram skins, badger skins, acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and the breastplate.

All these materials were needed for the building of the tabernacle and the clothing that would be worn by the priests and so forth. God could have legitimately demanded that people give it, but that's not what he did.

Verse 2, the Lord tells Moses, speak to the children of Israel that they bring me an offering from everyone who gives it willingly with his heart, you shall take my offering. He doesn't demand it. He gives an opportunity for people to give, and allows them to give from their heart because they want to, out of a response of love and appreciation for all that God has done for them and given to them.

The thing is that when you come to the New Testament period, as believers in Christ, there isn't much that's changed. God doesn't lay down in the New Testament any command or demand of a certain amount of money from us, or a certain percentage of our income to give to God, and all the rest of that.

It's not there as a demand. It's nowhere. But what you do see is that God wants us to give, and he gives us opportunity to give. You're part of a local church, and I hope you are. That church needs funds to function.

Missionaries need funds to do their work on the field that God's called them to. These things are needful. How are they funded? They're funded by the giving of God's people. But God doesn't give us a prescription that specifies, okay, now you need to give 10 of this amount of your income, you need to give 5 of this amount for this purpose, and another 5 for this purpose.

He doesn't do that. What he does is emphasizes the same thing that he emphasized to the people of Israel in the Old Testament. We see this in 2 Corinthians 9, when Paul's writing to the Corinthian church and encouraging them to give to the needs of the people in Jerusalem, and he says in verse 7, so let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver, and indeed he does.

You know, through the years I've had people from time to time ask me, well, okay, I know I'm supposed to give money to the church, it's really kind of an obligation for a church member, but how much do I have to give?

Do I have to tithe? Is it necessary for me to tithe, give 10 of my income? Well, I always reply the same way. God wants you to give with a willing and cheerful heart. Should you give a tithe? Well, I would suggest that, generally speaking, that 10 is a good benchmark, that's a good starting point.

On what basis? You go back to the Old Testament, and there was tithes and so forth that were eventually, to the people of Israel, demanded of them. It just seems to be a good starting point. If you've never given to the work of the Lord, and it's all new to you, then establish that 10%, and you want to give, and you want to give cheerfully, then establish that 10 as a goal.

Maybe you have to work toward it, because of how you have so tied up your finances, and it's going to take some time before you can work to that point. Well, whatever the case, the emphasis here, the emphasis is, God wants us to give because we want to give.

He wants us to give with a cheerful, willing heart. I hope, as you put money in an offering plate, or even give online, or however you give to the work of the Lord, I hope you do so because you want to, and you do so gladly.

Father in heaven, give us that kind of a heart in our giving, we pray, and we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, listen, have a good rest of your day, and I trust the Lord will bless you. Good day.