“Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, ‘This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze… Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded.’ And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. Then Moses said to the people of Israel, ‘See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship… And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan.’ ” (v4-5,10,21,30-31,34)
The entire nation of Israel (all 2.4 million people) is rallied together to assemble the tabernacle, its furnishings, its courtyard, and the priestly garments, and every person had a unique role to play. Some were moved by the spirit to donate materials (v5-9,21-24,27-29). Others were empowered by the Holy Spirit for craftsmanship (v10-19,25-26,30-35). Regardless, God called everybody into offering something for this grand and holy work.
I know I’ve mentioned this at least once before, but one of my favorite topics is the calling, equipping and service of the church. I firmly believe that every single person who calls Jesus their Lord and savior has something special and meaningful to offer the body of Christ, whether they realize it or not. Anything God calls them to contribute (eg. materials, skills, support, finance, etc.) helps build the kingdom of God and benefits the church as a whole. Regardless of how much money we have or what our resumes say, God has called you and I for a purpose, and each of us has at least one way (often more) to contribute.
The people of Israel responded to God’s call to help build His kingdom here on earth, just as the disciples responded to Jesus’ call to help build His kingdom here on earth: “And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ ” (Mt 4:19) “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ ” (Mt 28:18-20)
Whether we’re helping build something physical (such as a tabernacle) or something that’s immaterial (such as making disciples) God’s kingdom is being built, one contribution at a time.
You might be thinking to yourself as I often do “I’m already contributing, I don’t need to do more” and that’s possibly true. In my experience however, God often calls me to different contributions in different seasons – maybe it’s serving at a one-time event, or maybe it’s something I’ve been doing consistently for many years – He will make changes to our calling(s) as we grow and mature in our walk with Him. It’s incredibly rare (in my experience) for someone to be called to the same thing for their entire life (though if that’s the case for you, please stick with it).
What I’m getting at is roughly monthly I will pray for guidance as to whether or not I’m fulfilling God’s current calling(s) in my life – often the answer is “yes”, though sometimes the answer is “here’s something in-addition-to/in-place-of what you’re currently doing”. If you haven’t talked to God about your calling(s) recently, I suggest trying to do so – it’s entirely possible you’ll get a confirmation, though you may be surprised as to where He may lead you.
I’ve had many different callings over the years, and I know some more changes are on the horizon – it can be a little daunting at first, though God is faithful to provide the wisdom, strength and skills necessary, so there isn’t anything to fear. Remember, God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called, and He won’t ask us to do something and then fail to provide the resources to do it.
Father God, Almighty Lord, Sovereign One Most High, holy and righteous is Your name. We come before You today as Your humble servants, ready and willing to help build Your kingdom in accordance with Your will. Please give us today the guidance and strength we need to fulfill that to which You are calling us, and grant us mercy if we have neglected to hear Your leading. We trust in Your constant grace and presence of Spirit to empower us along the journey of Your will, and we praise You for being glorified by the works of our hands and mouths here on earth. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
~ Conqueror in Training