nd Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying: `Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze . . . All who are skillful among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded . . . `" Then Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work. And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, and they spoke to Moses, saying, "The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do." So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, "Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary." And the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done indeed too much (Exodus 35:45, 36:27).
Here we see the first example, recorded in Scripture, of a church building fundraising project. We should notice right off the dramatic difference between this and most building programs today: the people gave too much.
This account should shock us for two reasons: first, that the people's giving was too generous; and second, that those in charge of the project saw a problem in having too many resources at their disposal. How many times have you heard an announcement like this from a pulpit: "I know it's only July, but we've already met our budget for the year. We won't take another offering until next year." Such a statement would so startle us that we probably wouldn't believe it.
What a blessing it would be for the church to have too much money! Imagine having a pledge return campaign instead of a pledge drive! Such should be the kind of problem found in a church full of hilarious givers. (Our word "hilarious" comes from the Greek word that is rendered "cheerful" in this passage He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:67).
In our giving to the church, do we remember that we are giving to that by which God reveals His manifold wisdom to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Eph. 3:10)? Do we give to the body against which the gates of Hades do not prevail (Matt. 16:18)? Do we see the money and services we give as our best offering to the bride of Christ? If we honestly ask questions like these, we should find ourselves giving exuberantly. We would also better understand the churches of Macedonia, who, amidst poverty and affliction, joyfully gave beyond their ability (2 Cor. 8:14). They gave enthusiastically in their ministry to the saints. That this is so foreign to us reveals our problem. Paul held up the giving of the Macedonian churches as an example to the Corinthians, and we need the same exhortation today: see that you abound in this grace also (2 Cor. 8:7). Woe to us who sow sparingly!
At this point a word of caution is warranted. There are charlatans out there who see the gospel as a means of financial gain. Many are even well known and thus taint the witness of the church. Their prosperity is at the expense of their supporters, people who do not follow Paul's admonition to Timothy: From such withdraw yourself (1 Tim. 6:5). Because of their foolish handling of money, supporters of charlatans are as culpable as the charlatans themselves.
If the church were healthy, the problem that would follow the announcement of a true need should not be the raising of enough money, but rather that of not raising too much money. And yes, it is possible for a good, Bible-believing ministry to take in too much money. Even if the elders would use the money productively, and even if they are held scrupulously accountable, they can still have too much money. There comes a point when enough has been given.
God has appointed other places where money should go, and the church must not draw money away from them. An important place is the family. If his children have no food, a father must tend to them first (1 Tim. 5:8). The Bible also teaches that A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children (Prov. 13:22). I have heard some say that the church should be included in one's will. If a man tithes faithfully during his life, then the church has already received plenty of his resources it should not be remembered in his will (unless his children are unfaithful). The inheritance he leaves to his children and grandchildren brings glory to God.
Another important place where money must go is the marketplace. If it is done biblically, then hard labor, investment, and productivity can bring great glory to God. An example from Paul's life illustrates how this can be so. While in Corinth, Paul declared the testimony of God in his resolution to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:12). We know that this resolution must have extended to "secular" work making and trading tents (Acts 18:3). His example is good to follow: spend your resources wisely and diligently in the marketplace.
Oftentimes storing up "treasures in heaven" means spending money somewhere outside the church. Moses certainly understood this and thus stopped Israel from giving to the work of the tabernacle. But unfortunately, the financial problem Moses had, we do not have. All too often, the most faithful ministries are those that have to struggle the most to stay afloat.
