Exodus 36:2-7 (ESV)

And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.” So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.

This all sounds wonderful – until you read between the lines. The people are very generous, and this is glorifying to the LORD, but something’s wrong. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning. It’s too much, and Moses has to put a stop to it.

So he gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” The troubling word here is “do.” The NIV has this as, “No man or woman is to make anything else …”

The contributions that are now being refused are not gold and silver – those things came in quickly – they’re gifts people took time to make special just for the tabernacle.

These gifts are a labor of love, and many of them are finished or almost finished. The command to stop can’t be easy to hear. Remember, the call was for people with skill to help out. Now, many folks who thought they had something to contribute are being told, “We don’t need you.”

At least it’s not personal; the need has simply been filled. Still, hearing this has got to be deflating.

This dovetails nicely with yesterday’s lesson. If you’re going to take responsibility for managing a task, think about the people you’re managing. That’s why people in these roles are called under-shepherds. They’re shepherding people.

Today’s passage is a profound example of how this can be tricky. People love to contribute their time and talents, but feelings can be hurt. Never casually ask someone to put their heart into something.

The incredible truth is that the impact you have on the people you’re shepherding is often more important than the project you’re leading them in. Jesus died to sanctify people, not to get new speakers in the sanctuary (or whatever the project is).

Get to know the people you’re leading. Do lunch, or some other nothing activity, with them just to form a personal connection. Figure out what their gifts are and scheme on how you can get them to grow.

You have to earn the right to be a nudge.

The weekly study guides, which include all six devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies