Unrestrained Giving—Kellyville SDA Church, Australia
An excellent way to present the offertory appeal in your local church. Based on Exodus 36:6, this Kellyville Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia's video focuses on extraordinary giving, referring to the generosity of the children of Israel in the wilderness. “And Moses gave a commandment, ...‘Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.’ So the people were restrained from bringing.”
They gave so much that Moses told them not to give anymore. What would happen to our world if we imitate them?
Watch the puppet show here: https://youtu.be/Z5m3lcZxP-c and read the script to the show below.
Video Script
Chene |
Ash, I’ve been doing some research on giving lately because it’s such an important part of our Christian life. |
Ashlii |
Sure is. There are more than 2,000 verses on money in the Bible. More than four times the number of verses on prayer and faith. |
Chene |
So, God has so much to say about giving that it must be important for us to understand what He’s saying. |
Ashlii |
When you think about it, Chene, the Bible is really a book about giving. For God so loved the world that He gave . . . and gave . . . and gave. And so, we are also asked to give. To give generously, to give consistently, and with compassion. So, how’s your research on giving going? |
Chene |
I’ve learned so much about how God wants us to live generous lives, but I’ve just found this story that has me perplexed. |
Ashlii |
Why’s that? |
Chene |
Well, in all the Bible stories we are asked to give. But in this story, Moses tells the children of Israel to stop giving. |
Ashlii |
What? Moses tells the people to stop giving? It must be a fairy tale. |
Chene |
No, it’s a true story. It says in Exodus 36 that “Moses gave an order, and they sent this word throughout the camp: ‘No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.’ And so the people were restrained from bringing more” (verses 6, 7). |
Ashlii |
It can’t be right. Sounds like a fairy tale to me. The people were “restrained” from giving. Never, ever heard of anything crazy like that. |
Chene |
That’s right—restrained! The children of Israel were committed to giving, to unrestrained giving. So much so that they had to be restrained, to be held back. It’s almost as if Moses had to tie them up so they wouldn’t give. |
Ashlii |
Moses must have been a super fundraiser! Arm twister? Or maybe he offered a prize for the best donation. |
Chene |
All he said was, “If you’re willing to give, come and support our special project.” |
Ashlii |
That’s all? “If you’re willing . . .”? “If you have willing hearts . . .”? So, what was the special project then? |
Chene |
God told Moses: “I want the people to build me a sanctuary, so I can live among them.” Then God gave Moses the plans and specifications to build the sanctuary and all the furniture. |
Ashlii |
I get it now. The children of Israel wanted to give to God to build His sanctuary. It meant so much to have His presence in their camp. |
Chene |
There’s something that still doesn’t make sense. How would slaves from Egypt have gold jewelry; blue, purple, or scarlet yarn; and fine linen? Where did they get it all from? |
Ashlii |
Remember they were slaves in Egypt, and Moses asked Pharoah if they could leave, but Pharoah was a tough man and didn’t want to lose his workforce. So, he said, “No way, Moses. No way.” |
Chene |
Then the 10 plagues came, and with the last plague, the firstborn males in Egypt died. Finally, Pharoah said to Moses, “Get out, you and your Israelites. Go worship the Lord, as you asked.” |
Ashlii |
Then it says in Exodus that before the Israelites left Egypt, they asked the Egyptians for silver and gold things and clothing. God saw to it that the Egyptians “liked” the people and so readily gave them what they asked for. |
Chene |
The Bible says that “they picked those Egyptians clean!” Don’t you love it? After all those years of slavery, they were rewarded with all those valuable things. |
Ashlii |
Let’s just recap this story. The children of Israel gave generously for the construction of the sanctuary. |
Chene |
But they gave only from what God had already provided to them. (This is the most important part of the drama.) |
Ashlii |
When God gives us a plan or a project, He provides the resources for us to give before He gives us the plan and before He asks us to give. |
Chene |
I never thought of it that way before. God provides the resources for us to give before He gives us the plan and before He asks us to give. The Israelites must have recognized that God’s gracious hand was upon them. God provided for them, and that was the cause of their unrestrained giving. And that’s why Moses had to tell them to stop giving. |
Ashlii |
That’s a lesson we all must learn as well—God provides before He asks us to give. |
Both |
Now that’s a divine perspective! |
