Exodus 26: 15- 20: “And for the tabernacle you shall make the boards of acacia wood, standing upright. Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the width of each board. Two tenons shall be in each board for binding one to another. Thus you shall make for all the boards of the tabernacle. And you shall make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side. You shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under each of the boards for its two tenons. And for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, there shall be twenty boards.
It would take me all day to read the details God gave Moses concerning the building of the tabernacle. I learned two things while reading about the tabernacle construction plans: 1) God provides a very detailed vision of what is to be built so the tabernacle is worthy of His Presence and 2) it takes a master craftsman to understand those detailed plans to actually build it.
Today is Building Fund Sunday. Today we unveil the plans for the new addition to our sanctuary. Although I learned to draw plans at a very young age and have constructed many things over my lifetime, I am far from a Master Craftsman.
If you think about it, Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s house during a time of great construction. He knew how to build. He knew what detailed plans should look like and how the vision is formed. He understood the management required to build the pyramids and sphynx we can still visit today. He had the capacity to understand God’s detailed instructions.
We have followed a biblical example in developing the plans for the new addition. God gave a vision to Pastor Craig for expanding our building. Pastor Craig passed that vision onto a building committee comprised of experts in building. They used their expertise to provide the details we need to build that vision. They have translated that vision to detailed architectural plans, cost estimates and time tables. The committee will reveal all that information today at the end of the service.
In Exodus 36:3 And they (the master craftsman) received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary.
The people were so excited to give, we read in Exodus 36:5 and they (the master craftsman) spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do.”
I believe the building committee will have to say the same.
#offeringthoughts
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