A few years ago during Vacation Bible School, the children at our church were invited to bring boxes of crayons as their offering. Each day during the gathering time, the children would bring their crayons to the front of the fellowship hall and place them in a large basket.

Midweek, in the basket, we noticed a blue plastic container filled with crayons. The container was covered in stickers, and had the name Ricky scribbled across the top in marker. Ricky had been at VBS all week. He was part of a  family of Latino immigrants who spoke little English and lived on money they earned through minimum wage jobs.

As such, they did not have the resources to purchase crayons for the offering, but Ricky wanted to give. Sacrificially, he brought his own crayons and placed them in the basket. No one prompted him to do this. In his heart, he wanted to contribute and he did. Through this act, he reminded us all that every person can contribute to the work of the Lord.  

This lesson is about Moses calling the Israelites to give an offering for the tabernacle along with their building expertise for the tabernacle’s construction. The emphasis of this lesson is on contributing to God’s work; through it adults are encouraged to contribute freely and wholeheartedly to God’s work.

When Moses came down from the mountain, he called the entire community, young and old, men and women together. Then, following God’s instructions, Moses invited the people to bring all the materials needed to build the tabernacle. Everyone with a willing heart was invited to contribute to the offering.

The Bible tells us, “All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord” (Exodus 35:22).

Ironically, just a few chapters earlier, the people brought their gold earrings and laid them at Aaron’s feet so he could fashion a golden calf for them to worship. Now, their gold will be used for God’s purposes, to make the tabernacle beautiful. It will be used to overlay the Ark of the Covenant and the winged cherubim that surround it. It will be used to make the lampstand (or menorah), to cover the altar of incense, and the table that will hold the bread of the presence.

The people gave generously. In fact, the people gave so much Moses finally asked them to stop. But this project required more than financial contributions. It took the time and talent of many skilled artisans to build the tabernacle.  

To lead this work, God gifted and called a master craftsman named Bezalel. In the next few chapters of Scripture, we learn that Bezalel built the Ark of the Covenant out of acacia wood, sculpted the two winged cherubim, crafted the lampstand out of gold and then built the altar for burning incense.

Bezalel was a gifted artist. Scripture describes Bezalel this way: “He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts” (Exodus 31:3, 35:31). This passage is the first instance in the Bible that the phrase “filled with the Spirit of God” is used. Bezalel was a man who worked with his hands. He was a sculptor and carpenter, and he was filled with God’s Spirit.

This phrase is not used of Abraham or even Moses, two spiritual giants of the Old Testament. Maybe, it is because Bezalel so willingly offered his time and talent to build the tabernacle that God reserved these words of praise for him. Surely, God valued the work of this artisan as much as God valued the spiritual leadership that Moses provided.       

At this moment, Moses who has been the most significant figure in Exodus takes a back seat to the artisans. He still is involved, but he does not have the skills necessary to do the work of constructing the tabernacle. He is a religious leader, not a craftsman. He knows how to lead the people, but he does not know how to spin yarn or sculpt cherubim.

This passage beautifully illustrates how God calls and equips each person to their particular work. All the Israelites were invited to give their time, material possessions and talent to God’s glory by contributing to the building of the tabernacle. Moses was called to lead the people, and Bezalel was called as an artisan.

The women had an opportunity to participate, for “Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun—blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen” (v. 25). Oholiab is called to teach others how to weave and embroider.

Later, Aaron and the other Levities are called as priests. In God’s kingdom, everyone has a purpose and each person’s gifts can be used to contribute to God’s work in the world. This was true for the Israelites and is for us today.  

So, how do you contribute? At our church, a senior adult on a fixed income washes the welcome center windows each week as an act of service, a formerly homeless woman volunteers her time in the church kitchen and children bring crayons for children in need in another part of the world. All of these individuals have different levels of skill and abilities, yet they are contributing.

Do not be left out of God’s plan. Take time to think about what talent or skill God might want you to use for his glory. Then, do not hold back. Do not miss the chance to participate in God’s work in the world.

Most ministers will use the words “in the presence of God” at some point during a wedding ceremony. Because of their familiarity, those words seem to have lost their impact. This is not just a phrase, a throwaway line. They may be the most important words spoken during the uniting of two people in marriage. In the final analysis, it is “the presence of God” that makes marriage a sacred institution.

Male and female (Genesis 1:26-28)

Genesis provides the account of the creation of mankind. The first reference to the creation of man occurs in Genesis 1:26-28. This initial reference is made in the same context as the creation of the balance of the universe, i.e. a declaration of the completed act. This statement of creation includes the completed act of the creation of both male and female.

Chapter 2 provides a more in depth account of the creation of man (v. 7). It should be noted this is the account of the creation of the male only. The story of the creation of the female occurs later in chapter 2 (vv. 20-23).

Mankind, both male and female, was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Because of the complexity of the nature of God, it is difficult to express the meaning of being created in the image of God. However, it is safe to assume being made in the image of God includes the inclination toward relational expression. God created humanity so he could enjoy fellowship with his creation. Likewise, man was created to enjoy fellowship with God. The balance of this lesson will deal with the relationship between God and man and male and female.

After God created mankind, male and female, he gave them roles to fill in the newly created world. God’s instructions could be broken down into two tasks: First, God said, “be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth” (v. 28). As with the balance of creation, God had given mankind the ability to reproduce. Through the union of the man and woman would come the population of the earth. God also instructed them to, “subdue” and “rule over” the earth (v. 28). Such a charge is an obvious indication of man’s superiority in the created order.

Something’s missing in paradise (Genesis 2:7, 15-20)

As indicated earlier, chapter 2 provides the detail to the creation of man. After man had been formed from the dust of the ground and God breathed life into him  (v. 7), God addressed the relational need of his creation. God knew man needed a “helper” (Genesis 2:20).

Much has been made of the relationship God intended with the creation of the female. Some have intimated the female was inferior because she was created after the male and from a part of him. Others suggest God created the male to be the federal head of the human relationship. Extreme care should be exercised when assigning labels of inferiority and superiority.

Clearly the woman was created to complete the male. God carefully had examined the man and found him to be incomplete. God determined man alone was “not good” (v. 18). Because of his relational nature, man needs a companion to be complete. It is difficult to relegate the woman to an inferior position when it was the man’s need that led to her creation. The relationship between the man and the woman was intended to bring completion and fulfillment to both male and female. The woman completed the man, and the man completed the woman.

Caution must be exercised when discussing the idea of completion in terms of the creation of male and female. While God intended for the relationship between a man and a woman to be fulfilling to each, he did not intend for it to be a necessity for the completion of the person. Those who never experience the intimate relationship God intended between a man and a woman should never consider themselves to be flawed, unfulfilled and incomplete. To intimate inferiority of an unmarried person would be to pronounce the Lord Jesus was somehow inferior.

While he was sleeping (Genesis 2:21-22)

It is not until the creation of the woman that the man has a name. Finally, the man is given the name Adam (v. 20). The name Adam is taken from the Hebrew word for dirt, a description of the source of his make up. The woman’s name, Eve, does not appear for some time yet. The female is given a descriptive name, woman, “for she was taken out of man” (v. 23).

It is also worth noting that it is not until the end of the story of creation that the relationship between Adam and Eve is described as being a bond between a man and “his wife” (v. 24). At the same time, the terms of their intimacy is defined, “they will become one flesh” (v. 24).

Conclusion

It is from the historical account of the creation of man and woman marriage is defined. Marriage is intended to be the relationship between a man and a woman brought together through God’s design and plan. Theirs is to be a relationship through which each feels completed and fulfilled. In the intimacy of their relationship, there is no need for feelings of superiority and inferiority, for each deems the other the better half. It is God’s ultimate design for one man and one woman to live within the confines of a unique relationship with one another for a life time.

Scripture is full of stories of our attempts to turn from God and of God’s attempts to restore and maintain fellowship with us.

The golden calf incident in Exodus 32 probably is one of the most notorious accounts of sin and rebellion in the entire Bible. This lesson is about the Israelites’ idolatry during Moses’ absence and Moses’ pleading with the Lord to forgive them. The emphasis is on the Lord’s gracious willingness to forgive his people.  

After 400 years in Egypt, the children of Israel are on the march to the Promised Land. They are living in tents and eating manna. They have been led through the desert by a visible sign of God’s presence—a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night.

Now, the people are encamped at the bottom of Mount Sinai. Moses, their leader, is up on the mountain meeting with God. At first, the people seem to do okay without Moses. They make it 40 days. After that, they begin to get antsy.

You see, up to this point, Moses, their primary mediator with God, has been with them every day. This is the first instance we know of where Moses goes up the mountain and stays 40 days. When the people realize Moses is taking forever to come down off the mountain, they gather around Aaron and say, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him” (Exodus 32:1).

Aaron, who is Moses’ brother and the second in command, quickly gives in to their request. He begins collecting the people’s gold jewelry to make an idol. He takes the gold, melts it down and then shapes it into the image of calf.

This process takes some time. Maybe even a day or two. Aaron and the people have plenty of time to change their minds. At any moment, someone can speak up, “You know I do not think this is a good idea.” “Remember just 40 days ago Moses gave us the 10 commandments? If we make this golden calf, we are going to break at least two of those rules: you should not have any other gods before me and you should not make for yourself an idol.”
 
At any moment, they can turn back. They have plenty of time to change their minds. This seems to be the way most sin works? We know what we should do. We hear the still, small voice of Christ whisper to us. And yet we choose to ignore it.

It is like what the Apostle Paul says in Romans, “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:14-15).  

The funny thing is, God knows this about us. God says to Moses, “I have seen these people … they are a stiff-necked people” (Exodus 32:9). In other words, these people are stubborn and hard-headed people! They are quick to turn away from what God commands.  

Why do the people want this calf of gold? Partly, it is a matter of the absence of Moses. Moses is their leader and closely associated with God’s presence—without him they feel lost. Also, the people have been living in Egypt 400 years. In Egypt, everybody worships idols. It is easier to believe in a god that can be seen and touched. So, they fashion God into an image they can control, an idol they can pick up and carry around.

Truthfully, we are all guilty of shaping God into what we want God to be. If you peruse any Christian bookstore you will encounter Jesus as a political revolutionary, an environmentalist and a Jewish rabbi. The Israelites want a more manageable, less mysterious version of Yahweh. This God who brought plagues on Egypt, parted the Reed Sea, showed up in a pillar of fire and enveloped the mountain in smoke and then, demanded holiness and obedience. This God is scary, a powerful force. A little golden calf, now that seems less intimidating. They can take the calf out when they choose, on their terms and then, put it away.         

I love how Psalms describes the golden calf incident, “At Horeb, they made a calf and worshipped an idol cast from metal.   They exchanged their glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass” (Psalm 106:19-20).

Today, we do not usually create idols made out of gold. But we do trade our lives of glory in Christ for meaningless things. We trade a day that could be spent doing ministry for trips to the mall or a game of golf. We trade time that could be spent with our families for television and video games. We trade our spouses of 20 years for a moment of pleasure with someone new and exciting. We trade the gift of the Sabbath for a 60-hour work week. We trade Sunday morning worship for soccer tournaments or 50 minutes more sleep. We exchange the glory of God for an image of a bull, which eats grass.  

Thankfully, we serve a God who knows our weakness and is willing to forgive us when we fail him. This lesson invites us to think about how we faltered in our faith and to seek God’s forgiveness, just as Israel did.    

Abram’s faith does not know the destination (Genesis 11:27-12:1)

To be sure, God knows the destination, but it is not shared with Abram. Instead, the instruction is for Abram to “go to the land I (God) will show you” (Genesis 12:1). Abram’s faith led him not to the place he was led but to the one doing the leading, not to Canaan but with God. The essence of faith is to trust the one giving the instructions, not the instructions themselves. It is the giver of the word, not the word itself, who inspires Abram’s faith.

God has specific calls for each of us. They just are not the same calls. For some, God's call has to do with where we put down our roots, for he has people there whom we must meet and to whom we must minister. For others, the call is unique to a specific task, for he will take our labors and do divine things with them. For others, the call has to do with how we serve him, and we can do that in any of a number of places.

The Apostle Paul gets a specific call that guides his every step for the rest of his life. Abram, on the other hand, hears a very nonspecific call: “Leave here, and go to a place I will show you.” Abram is told neither where he is going nor what he will do when he gets there. For every Jonah who gets a specific call to Ninevah, there are many who resemble Matthew (“leave your booth”), Andrew (“leave your nets”), Moses (“go talk to Pharoah, and I will tell you what to say when you get there”), Peter (“walk like you see Jesus walking”), Esther (“be in the right place for such a time as you are needed”) or the many disciples of Jesus who simply hear “follow me.”

Abram’s faith is grounded in belief (Genesis 15:1-6)

No doubt, faith without works is dead. Of course, our faith manifests itself in the “practices” of our faith—both service of others and service of God in worship, Sabbath-keeping, prayer and the like.

Before the works and the practices, though, comes the belief. If Abram does not first determine that what God is telling him is true and correct, nothing else happens. Abram looks up into the sky and counts the stars, and he believes that his offspring will be that numerous—despite the obvious hindrances of his own age and the age of his wife, despite his history of having no offspring, despite Sarai’s barrenness.

Why did God credit Abram’s belief as righteousness (15:6)? The answer is found in the nature and extent of Abram’s belief. After all, even the demons “believe” in God (James 2:19), so mere assent is clearly not the touchstone. Abram’s belief is more than mere assent, more than an acknowledgement that God has spoken to him. Abram’s belief is that what God has said is true, good and possible. Abram’s belief is the basis for the rest of Abram’s life. Because of this belief, Abram leaves the settled land of Haran, the place his father had taken him, and sets out for unknown country.

Paul argues the key to Abram’s faith is trust in God. Yes, Abram acted, but his actions are not what is credited to him as righteousness. It is his belief, because he trused God was right and good (Romans 4:1-5). The people in Galatia had seen Jesus crucified—they had that knowledge—but they needed more. They needed not just to acknowledge facts and then to perform their works; instead Paul urged them to believe God just as Abram had. Then they would be judged righteous just as Abram was (Galatians 3:1-7).

Abram’s faith is matched by more promises from God (Genesis 17:1-8)

God’s covenant with Abram is repeated, and as Abram demonstrates his faith, God deepens the covenant and expands its signs. As always, when our relationship with God grows, God demands more from us and gives more to us.

First, God demands Abram walk blameless before him (Genesis 17:1). Mirroring language used earlier about Enoch (Genesis 5:22) and Noah (6:8-9), this description of what Abram is to do and be comes chapters after the covenant is extended to him. Critically, God’s call for Abram’s pure actions comes after Abram’s belief has been credited to him as righteousness; in other words, while God wants us to be blameless, he first seeks our faith.  

There is an order to things. God’s promise comes first in chapter 12; it is repeated in chapter 15. Along the way, Abram’s adventures with Pharoah in Egypt, with Lot in the Negev, with the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, with Melchizedek, and with Hagar and Ishmael all pass without God’s calling Abram to a blameless walk. Though it all, Abram “believes” God.  

Only in chapter 17, with the third expression of the covenant, when Abram’s faith has been demonstrated repeatedly, does God call on Abram for blamelessness. The time has come. Faith has been established. Twenty-four years after first asking for Abram’s faith, God now demands blamelessness. As our relationship with God grows, God expects more of us.

This demand for blamelessness is matched by new promises from God. Abram becomes “Abraham,” literally the “father of many nations” (Genesis 17:5). The covenant is explained as being multigenerational, without a foreseeable end (v. 7). More importantly, the promise that God “will be their God” (v. 8) signifies God’s relationship with the descendants of Abraham. And of course, the descendants of Abraham are not genetically or racially determined, for God could raise those up out of the stones (Luke 3:8); the descendants of Abraham are those who “believe” (Galatians 3:7).

It is the faith of Abraham that signals the eternal covenant with God, and God honors that covenant with all who show their kinship with Abraham through their faith.

At the end of Exodus 24, God calls Moses to come up on the mountain and meet with him. The glory of the Lord then engulfs the mountain. To the people below, it looks like a blazing fire. Moses walks up the mountain, into the cloud covering it and stays 40 days and 40 nights.

The Bible does not say exactly what goes on during Moses’ stay on the mountain. Except, we know God speaks and Moses listens. The topic must have been important. After all, it took 40 days for God to convey the message to Moses.

What does God talk about for all this time? For 40 days and 40 nights, God gives Moses very specific instructions about how to build the tabernacle, a portable worship space. Basically, God spends 40 days talking with Moses about how the Israelites are to worship him. God gives precise directions about everything from what materials should be used to build the temple, to how the priests are to be consecrated.

This lesson is about the design of the tabernacle and Israel’s worship practices. Through this lesson, adults are encouraged to participate regularly in congregational worship today.
 
In Exodus 25-31, God speaks with Moses and reveals his will. God wants to live among the Israelites, but for God to do so the people have to prepare a holy place for him to reside. The Israelites are to build a tabernacle. The Hebrew word for tabernacle is miskan it comes from the verb sakan, which means “to dwell or to sojourn.” God will dwell in their midst and be at home with them.

However, within this passage there is a measure of contingency. God only will dwell among the people if they are willing to prepare a proper house for him to inhabit. It is not that God needs a house. No, instead, it is that God desires his people work to make a home for him.  

God’s gracious offer to live among the people is to be initiated through an offering of materials, which will be used to build and furnish the tabernacle. God says to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give” (Exodus 25:3).

The gentleness with which God speaks is surprising. There is no hint of coercion behind these words. The people are not bullied or really even commanded to give. Instead, they are invited to respond. The beauty behind this invitation is that their response will help to usher in the presence of God. If they give offerings for the tabernacle, and help to build it, God will come and live among them.  

For ex-slaves, the items God requested for the tabernacle—gold, silver, rich fabrics, and dyed ram skin—would be a costly offering. After all, what assets did they have? They were ex-slaves with few possessions, no land and no permanent residence. Any material possessions they had most likely came from plundering their Egyptian neighbors when they left Egypt.

Because of their poverty, I imagine it was difficult for them to let go of the few material possessions they had. This is why God invited the people to give. God wanted them to respond out of love and devotion. The people had to think it over and make up their own minds about what they would give. The gifts Israel brought would be part of their worship experience, an offering made in grateful response to the God who freed them from slavery and delivered them from the Egyptian army at the Red Sea.  

Today, Christian worship services take on a variety of forms and include everything from burning candles for ambiance, to lighting incense to engage the sense of smell, to performing dramas for those who like to see the Bible come to life, to video testimonies, Christian rap music or a violinist playing a solo. Christians seem to believe God can be worshipped in any way, and this may very well be true.

However, one key lesson that we can learn from this passage of Scripture is that God takes worship seriously. After all, God spent 40 days talking with Moses about worship and took great care to instruct the people about how to worship him.

If it is this important to God, then believers today must make cooperate worship a priority. As author Philip Yancey said, “Church exists primarily not to provide entertainment or to encourage vulnerability or to build self-esteem or to facilitate friendships but to worship God; if it fails in that it fails.”

Worship is the primary response of believers to God. And this passage invites us to image a world where God is fully and gloriously present with his followers in worship, if only they will create a space for God to dwell. God desires to tabernacle with his followers even today. So, we are left with the question: What will we do to create a space for God to dwell, both in our heart and in our churches?

Why would God destroy creation?

It is at best cheap and naïve—and at worst dishonest—to try to avoid the initial question raised by this story: Why would a loving God choose to destroy a creation he had called “good”? A creation that included human beings made in God’s image. To the cynic and the postmodern relativist, the easy answer is God either must have been shocked by their behavior into a great sense of regret and revenge, or God must not have loved the people all that much in the first place. The prior reaction denies the omniscience of God; the latter denies agape. There must be another explanation.

Verse 5 offers the best clue. Notice the superlative description of the evil of humankind, repeated three times as Hebrew writers did (and do) to demonstrate the highest level of emphasis. Every inclination of human thought was only evil all the time. This was not a world where men and women struggled with sin and tried but failed to please God. Instead, these were creatures so bereft of goodness and obedience as to have become objects of God’s wrath.

It is not popular to view God’s wrath as a side of God’s love, but Scripture repeatedly talks about it. Wrath is not that God does not love sinners or that he would simply prefer that we not sin; he literally cannot coexist with it.

God is holy (again repeated three times in Isaiah 6, where God is “holy holy holy”), and holiness has, as its base, the concept of purity. God’s purity by definition cannot reside with those whose every inclination is only evil all the time. Because “wrath” in human terms implies an emotion of anger, we lose sight of the fact that the wrath of God is not human but divine; God’s wrath defines the state of separation from God of those who have abandoned holiness. The wrath of God is the purest form of love, for it models what God’s creatures should be, utterly repulsed by sin.

Verse 6 tells us, depending on the translation, that God “repented” or “was grieved” or “regretted” the creation of humans. Just as some biblical writers anthropomorphically describe God with human physical characteristics like fingers and eyes, other writers anthropopathically describe God with human feelings.

We cannot let this literary device fool us into lowering our understanding of God—God did not wake up one day in surprise and decide that creation of humans was a mistake. No; instead, humanity’s perversion and evil reached a point where God literally could not abide it anymore.

Grace comes in the midst of a flood

Grace is planned before the first raindrop falls, when God talks to Noah, giving him precise instruction as to how to avoid the coming catastrophe.  

The provision of grace to Noah can be broken down into recognizable acts of God.  

•    Noah is known. God sees Noah, recognizes Noah’s faithfulness and makes gracious provision for him. Our love for God and our lives of blamelessness amidst the hordes are not unnoticed by God.  

•    A way of escape is planned. Just as God’s command to Adam and Eve in the garden may not have made immediate sense to them, the word to Noah—build something called an ark in the middle of the desert that had never known rain, much less a flood—could not have been reasonable in any human sense to Noah; still, it was the word of the Lord, and Noah was a blameless and upright man.  

•    The future of all of mankind was secured. You and I would not be here now but for the gracious provision for those in the ark. What may have seemed, in the short term, to be a destruction of humanity was in fact a manner of provision for millions of future generations through the life and work of one blameless man.  

•    The act of grace is secured by God’s promise. The rainbow may be explained by a physicist with a prism, but its meaning as a sign of God’s gracious covenant is clear to all who know God.

God sends arks of grace

Sinful society has so separated itself from God that it is on the road to destruction, yet God sends grace. Just as naked Adam and Eve were given clothes, just as Cain received his mark, now Noah and his family receive building instructions for an ark. Following those instructions faithfully, Noah finds himself with the only salvation available.

Floods come to us for all sorts of reasons.

•    We cause them. Often, every intention of our heart is only evil all the time. We get what we deserve. Our sins find us out.  

•    Others cause them. Sometimes, we have been blameless, but the sins of others catch us up in the storm, bringing us disease, destruction, divorce, disappointment or disloyalty. Wars rage over issues that have nothing to do with us, yet we are caught in the crossfire.  

•    Nature causes them. We may never understand this side of heaven why the tornado or the hurricane comes, why the cancer strikes the healthy teenager, why psychosis attacks the brilliant mind.  

•    God allows them. For some storms, there is no explanation for us. We can struggle with the questions of why an omniscient, omnipotent, all-loving God can allow them; whether we find an answer or not, God allows the storms.

The lesson is that arks—just like the storms—come to us in all sorts of ways.  

•    Sometimes, we build them.  We hear a word from God, and we understand his instructions. Faithfully following, we find ourselves positioned to ride the storm out, rising above the waves.  

•    Others build them for us. God works through the church, through our friends, through the prayers of those whom we have never met. Through driving rains, we see the hands of rescuers that reach out to us, lifting us out of the rushing tide.  

•    Though we often miss them, some arks come to us naturally. The hands of the doctor, the calm of the southern wind, the mutation that fights the disease—God’s grace often is extended to us in ways that have no explanation beyond nature taking its course. It was, after all, a great rush of wind that parted the Red Sea.  

•    God simply intervenes. The word “miracle” has gone out of style for some, but we cannot ignore the arks that come without explanation other than the grace of God.

To be sure, grace does not come to all in the same way. Some are saved from the storm; others are protected through the storm; still others are taken by the storm, only to receive the ultimate healing of the grace of God through eternity.

Ministry costs money. It always has, and it always will. To accomplish his work, God established a plan of support. Through the ages, God has relied on the faithful giving of his people to complete his plans. The Apostle Paul, writing to the believers in Corinth, outlined giving that honors God and carries on the ministry of the church.

Giving demonstrates sincerity (2 Corinthians 8:8-11)

Apparently, the church at Corinth had been involved in a special offering for believers in Jerusalem the year before Paul wrote his letter. Now Paul encourages them to complete the task (2 Corinthians 8:11). By doing so, they would show their sincerity. A proper gift to God’s service must be given with a sincerity of heart for God to bless the gift. Continuing the pattern of giving until the task was completed showed sincerity.

Paul also intimates the example of Jesus should cause giving for the right reason. No one could ever match the gift God gave when he allowed his Son to become a human, come to the Earth and die for our sins. Yet when one views the cross and considers the gift of God, it should inspire a desire to be obedient in all things.

If Jesus was willing to give his life as a ransom, then believers should be willing to give for God’s purposes to be realized. Paul’s appeal is grace (v. 9). Here Paul uses an interesting word—know (v. 9). There are two Greek words that translate to the English word “know.” The word used here signifies experiential knowledge. When one experiences “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 9), they are better prepared spiritually to give back to God’s work.

While not in the text, a word of caution would be in order. In this day of televangelists, scammers and schemers, there is a place where one can give to God’s work. It is the local church. The heart of Christian giving is the local church.

Giving meeting needs (2 Corinthians 8:12-15)

God’s plan for giving always has been equitable. The genius of the tithe is the percentage, proportional aspect of the gift. In like fashion, Paul encourages the Corinthian believers to give knowing, “the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have” (v. 12). This concept of giving is illustrated by the story of the widows two coins (Mark 12:41-44). Her gift was small, but it was all she had, and Jesus deemed it the greatest gift of all.

The modern church has much in common with the early church. As it was when Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, the world is full of need. In recent days, the news has been filled with stories of people whose lives were destroyed by earthquakes, flooding and other natural disasters. People in many places throughout the world will go to bed hungry tonight. God’s people are expected to respond to needs everywhere. Baptists know as they give through their local church some of their gift goes to meet needs at home and abroad.

Giving benefits the giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-11)

Paul describes the characteristics of a generous believer; “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (v. 7). True Christian giving involves direction from God’s Spirit, a gift given from free will and a gift given with great joy. The word “cheerful” (v. 7) has been accurately translated hilarious. Joy comes from giving.

God also promises he will reward giving. Paul says, “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need” (v. 8).

A word of caution is important at this time. There is a movement that is becoming very prevalent, particularly in the American church. This movement has been labeled “prosperity teaching.” The basic tenet says the person of faith always will meet with God’s approval, and God will reward the faithful by supplying their every material need or want.

Nothing could be any more foreign to the New Testament church. Christians who give may live a life of poverty, the Jerusalem believers did. God grants spiritual blessings and often physical blessings to those who give liberally and hilariously.

Giving in the strictest Christian sense should never take place because of the promise of reward. Giving is an act of discipleship. Christians should give out of obedience to God, to meet the needs of those who are less fortunate (physically and spiritually) and as the fuel that drives all ministry in God’s name.

Conclusion

The grace of giving may be lost on some believers today. A 2007 LifeWay survey of adults who attend church once a month indicated 53 percent of Protestants give 10 percent or more of their pretax income to charities, churches or ministries. While those numbers my appear to be acceptable, nearly one of two Christians fail to experience the joy that comes from giving. The church must never shy away from encouraging giving. It still is God’s plan for reaching the world.

Clearly all Christians are called to be involved in some aspect of ministry through their local church. Ministry is not reserved strictly for the vocationally called. As with every aspect of life, there is a right way and a wrong way to do ministry.  Often the determining factor between the two is motivation. In 2 Corinthians 5:1 through 6:2, the Apostle Paul describes three proper motivations for ministry: accountability, love and purpose.

Accountability (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)

An underlying aspect of accountability is behavior acceptable to the one observing accountability. A child who joyfully cleans up his room does so, not only to avoid punishment, but to please his parents. In like fashion, Christians perform ministry to please God. Scripture indicates God’s ability to look beyond words and actions to see directly into the heart.  Regardless of the perceived motivation behind an act of ministry God always sees the real reason. How happy he must be to see his children ministering because they want to please him.

Beyond the motivation of pleasing God is a secondary aspect of accountability. Paul says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each mat receive what is due him for the things done in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). One day, every act will appear for review before the eyes of God. While nothing escapes the eye of God as an event unfolds in real time, it is the recounting of those events when standing in the celestial presence of God that encourages accountability. No one wants to receive failing grades for omission or commission while standing in the very presence of God.

Many in the modern church seem to downplay the idea of accountability. A 2007 LifeWay Research survey indicated only 37 percent of respondents agreed strongly with the statement, “One of the main reasons I live my life the way I do is to please and honor God.” Ministry without accountability may be ministry performed for wrong reasons.

Love (2 Corinthians 5:11-15)

The word “gospel” has been rightly translated “good news.” Fully understanding this good news lends to a greater sense motivation when performing Christian ministry. The gospel is the story of God’s love. Man was made for God’s enjoyment. Sin broke the fellowship God so desperately desires to have with man. Yet God was not willing to be separated from man and he provided a means of reconciliation. He allowed his own Son to come and die for the sins of all mankind. The good news is simply this: In Christ man has been reconciled to God.

It is the love of Christ that should compel believers to perform acts of ministry. Paul says the love of Christ should, “compel” (2 Corinthians 5:14) believers to perform acts of ministry. Compel is an interesting word choice of words. It carries the connotation of lacking the ability to make any other choice. The Christian who properly understand the love of Christ cannot resist the urge to love others in a similar fashion.

Of all the motivations for ministry perhaps none is as pure as love. Extending love to another because of love received from another is a high calling. It moves the believer beyond himself, or as Paul says, “those who live should no longer live for themselves” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Purpose (2 Corinthians 5:16-21)

Responding to God’s invitation to ministry because of the need to exhibit accountability is an emotional response. Being motivated by love is deeply spiritual. The third motivation for ministry, purpose might best be described as a pragmatic response.

God’s purpose of redemption was to bring man back into right relationship with himself. The death of Christ provided a means of forgiveness. His vicarious death also provides the individual an opportunity to experience becoming, “a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through God’s marvelous model of redemption man has been provided a model worthy of replication. God then, “gave us the ministry of reconciliation,” (2 Corinthians 5:18) and “he has committed to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19).

Two words are used to portray the venture of reconciliation God has with the members of his church. Paul first describes the relationship as that of “Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20). An ambassador is one who cares the message and the goodwill of the king. Every believer who engages in ministry has been given the high privilege of representing the King of Kings.

The second term the apostle uses is “fellow workers” (2 Corinthians 6:1). God invites his children to become a part of the family business. As partners with him, the believer not only shares in the responsibility for the expansion of the kingdom, but also shares in the great dividend when someone is brought into the family as a product of faith.

Conclusion

God longs to see his children become involved in ministry, but he watches carefully to see if participation has the right motivation. While many, even unto this day, engage in ministry for personal gain, the real and sincere follower of Jesus Christ longs to minister to others because they have been motivated by accountability, love or a deep sense of purpose.

Sin grows when our relationship with God is not right

Why does God look “with favor” on Abel’s gift but not on Cain’s? This early example of the expression of the sovereignty of God in choosing one over the other is not arbitrary. Cain brings “some of” what he has grown to God (v. 3), but Abel brings his best, the “fat portions” from “the firstborn of his flock” (v. 4). God tells Cain he too could have received the favor of God had he chosen to “do what is right” (v. 7).  

The principle of bringing our firstfruits, and not our leftovers, to God is consistent throughout Scripture (Exodus 23:16,19; Leviticus 3:16; Proverbs 3:9). Jesus commended the widow’s offering because she gave of her best, not her leftovers (Luke 21:3-4).

Abel understands this principle, which is not just a mechanical, legalistic requirement. It is a demonstration of faith (Hebrews 11.4). When Cain fails to act in faith but rather brings a gift of less than his best—perhaps even as an afterthought—his gift does not meet with God’s favor. Predictably, Cain reacts with anger. Instead of directing his anger toward the guilty party—himself—Cain is angry with God.  

It is at this point the plan is hatched. One does not have to read much into the narrative to understand Abel’s demise is sealed at the moment Cain becomes angry with God. “Sin is crouching at [Cain’s] door” (v. 7), and Cain cannot master it when he lets his own failure interfere with his relationship with God.

One sin begets another. Cain has not done “what is right” (v. 7). The crouching, prowling lion (1 Peter 5:8) is waiting for the opening Cain’s warped relationship with God allows. Alone, Cain cannot resist, cannot master. Alone, Cain is swept to more horrific sin.

Sin destroys our ability to understand our relationships with each other

Scripture is consistent that we have a loving responsibility to one another (Matthew 5:23; Romans 14:19-21; James 2:15-16). Jesus sums this duty up in the Golden Rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).

As Adam and Eve avoided God walking in the garden (Genesis 3:8), Cain avoids God’s question  when God asks Cain where Abel is. Cain tries to play games with God: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  (v. 9). Cain’s implication is that he has no responsibility toward his brother.

We live and thrive in an economic and political system built on capitalistic individualism; but to jump from individualism to “I am not my brother’s keeper” is a jump Scripture does not make. We also must understand that we are all created in the image of God, and we have a responsibility to each other. Cain’s sin hides that perspective from him, and he loses sight of his responsibility for his brother.

As always, sin produces heartbreak

Just as it had for his parents, sin creates for Cain a panoply of ills. Because of Cain’s sin, his life is met with curse (v. 11), the inability to succeed at his work (v. 12), and restless wandering (v. 11).  

This is a story about Cain, but we cannot forget the impact of Cain’s sin on others. Abel, the innocent one who acts in faith and pleases God, loses his very life. Adam and Eve lose not one son but two—one to death and one to a life far from home, in the land of Nod.

As always, grace is present for the sinner who is in relationship with God

In last week’s lesson, we saw that while sin produced shameful nakedness for Adam and Eve,  God responded by making them clothes. That story is repeated for Cain, whose punishment is accompanied by grace. To his credit (and there is precious little else in this passage for which Cain should receive credit), Cain, the sinner whose selfishness has hindered his relationship with the Creator and led to even more heinous sin, finally cries out to the Lord.

True, his prayer is neither one of remorse nor one of supplication; it is essentially a cry of self-pity. Still, he calls to the Lord, who answers forcefully and immediately with a mark of protection. Cain’s sin has its consequence—alienation will define him—but grace is there as well. Even the murderer maintains the mark of God, the protection from those who would kill him (v. 15).

It is in the mark of Cain, as with the clothing of Adam and Eve, where we see the earliest foreshadowing of the coming of Christ. God’s children—you and I—find countless ways not to “do what is right” and thus bring upon ourselves curses and isolation. In the midst of those catastrophic results, God constantly is at work to find a way to extend grace to us.  Our sin will find us out, but God’s mark is upon us.

Unfortunately, the Ten Commandments often are seen merely as rules, and people love to rebel against rules. The popular comic strip Calvin and Hobbes reflects this tendency.

Calvin is a very rambunctious, elementary school boy who has a great imagination. Hobbes is his sarcastic, stuffed tiger and loyal best friend. Calvin and Hobbes like to play a game they call Calvinball. The only consistent rule of Calvinball is that it can never be played the same way twice.

Players can add rules at will, which means the rules constantly are changing. The equipment they use in the game varies each time they play. It could be a volleyball, a soccer ball, a bucket of cold water, water balloons or even flags. The ball, if there is one, can be used to injure the other player or to score. However, scoring is subjective. So, with no rules, how do you play Calvinball? You make it up as you go, of course.

Sounds like fun, right. Some people imagine that a life without rules is fun.

I witnessed this the summer I served on staff at a Young Life camp. Each week, we would have a new group of campers and the first night after dinner, a staffer would say to them, “At Young Life camp, there are no rules.” And all the students would cheer wildly. Then, the staffer would say, “There are no rules, only a few strong suggestions.” And the students would boo.

Left to our own devices, humans tend toward rebellion, which the Bible calls sin. We think rules limit our freedom and confine us. Yet, the Ten Commandments are much more than mere rules or laws. This lesson is about how the Ten Commandments serve as the foundation for the covenant relationship Israel has with God.

In the third month after Israel left Egypt, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai and set up camp at the base of the very same mountain where Moses had been shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep and heard God’s call.

Up to this point, God had not asked Israel for much. God was the one who called Moses, God was the one who brought plagues on Egypt and parted the sea for the people to cross. Now, a new stage in Israel’s journey was about to begin.

In Exodus 19, God asks Israel to respond to his redemptive acts by entering into relationship with him that will be sealed with a covenant. The Hebrew term “covenant” is like a treaty between a king and his subjects. It is an agreement of “mutual understanding and responsibility between two individuals and is even used of matrimony.” This covenant will establish Israel as God’s “treasured possession” (Exodus 19:5).

Of course, God is the creator of the entire universe and loves all people of the earth, but in Exodus 19, God announces his intention to create for himself a particular people. He invites Israel to be that people, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation set apart from the rest of the world. When God announces his intention to Israel, they respond, “We will do everything the Lord has said” (Exodus 19:8).

With their affirmative reply, Moses tells the people to get ready to meet with God. They are to consecrate themselves, which means to set themselves apart. He tells them to wash their clothes and abstain from sex. Not because sex is dirty, but because God wants them to know that meeting with him is serious. They are to prayerfully prepare to meet their God. God descends on the mountain in a dense cloud and speaks directly with the people.

Against this backdrop of covenant commitment, God speaks to Israel and gives them the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20 does not describe these words as commandments. Of course, the words God presents do command his people to act in certain ways, but the significance of these words goes beyond routine laws. They serve as a foundation for the relationship between God and his covenant people.

It is akin to the vows couples take when they get married. We do not see marriage vows as laws or rules; instead, they serve as the basis of a commitment two people make to each other. To disobey the Ten Commandments is like getting married and then having an affair. It is not just that you broke a rule. No, an affair violates the commitment and sacredness of marriage.  Trust is broken, and the covenant is dishonored.

When Israel embraced the Ten Commandments, they committed to a lifetime of loyalty and devotion to God. This is what it means “to have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). The commandments also regulated how Israel would treat other people—demanding Israel honor their parents, not steal from their neighbors or cheat on their spouses. The forthcoming history of Israel is measured against the people’s fidelity to this covenant, thus these commandments.

For Christians, baptism is an act of faith that proclaims our decision to follow God. We show our loyalty and gratitude to God by following the laws he set out in the Bible, including the Ten Commandments. Baptism is a promise to take our commitment to God seriously and to recognize that following God means embracing his demanding vision of who his people should be.

The modern church has a distorted view of the meaning of the words “ministry,” “minister” and “calling.” Ministry might best be defined in a Christian context as one believer using his or her spiritual gifts for the needs of a person in need. It would follow then a minister is one who does ministry. Calling is the impetus of God’s Spirit encouraging acts of ministry.

The distortion comes when either term is used to describe those who have been set aside by God to do ministry vocationally. They are described as having been “called into the ministry.” So prevalent is this misunderstood use of these critical words, many laypersons have backed away completely from performing acts of ministry, deferring to the professionals.

The truth is, Scripture places the calling of ministry squarely on the shoulders of every member of the body of Christ. Paul was uniquely qualified to present this truth. Many in the early church failed to recognize Paul’s apostolic calling because he received his calling differently from the other apostles. Many early Christians believed Paul lacked the right stuff. In 2 Corinthians, Paul not only defends his own calling but clearly indicates the calling to ministry is a calling for every Christian.

The right credentials (2 Corinthians 2:14-17; 3:4-5)

Paul immediately uses an illustration that would have been recognizable to his readers, “thanks be to God, who always leads us in his triumph in Christ.” (2:14). In ancient days, a conqueror would return from battle in what was described as a triumph.

It was much like a parade, a celebration of victory. The conqueror would come first, followed by the spoils of war. The conquered king or captain would come next, often bound and shackled. Prisoners of war were brought back as slaves and they, too, were a part of the triumph. Finally there would be the soldiers returning home victorious from battle.

The use of such a term would have been a visual reminder that the battle had not been won by a singular captain or conqueror. Victory had been won because of the participation of every soldier in the army, from the greatest to the least.

Paul’s analogy is obvious. The battle being fought for the kingdom of God involves every believer and not just those who are perceived to have the right credentials.

To further illustrate his point, Paul reminds the Corinthian church that no one, common believer or professional clergy, is adequate to be called into the battle of ministry. Paul says, “our adequacy is from God” (3:5). God has always used “the weak things to confound the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27). To believe God has only called a segment of believers into his service would be to deny his very nature.

The right character (2 Corinthians 3:18-4:2)

Having clearly established the clear calling of every believer, Paul does indicate a necessary qualification. This qualification does not separate Christian from Christian, but Christian from non-believer.   

Earlier in chapter 3 Paul gives indication it is the Spirit of God, placed in the believer at the time of conversion, that qualifies the believer for ministry (vv. 16-17). Paul seems to want to emphasize the need to differentiate between outward signs of calling and inward signs of calling. Paul uses Moses as an example of the signs of outward calling (v. 15). God’s people knew Moses had received God’s calling from the glory revealed on his face. Now the glory of God is revealed in the hearts of believers called to minister in his name.

Ministry without the presence of God’s Spirit lacks authenticity. When the Spirit of the Lord is present there is freedom to do ministry (2 Corinthians 2:17) and there is boldness (2 Corinthians 3:12) both of which are external evidences of an internal relationship and calling.

The right focus (2 Corinthians 4:5-6, 16-18)

Christian ministry must possess right motives. The world is filled with religious charlatans, people willing to provide religious assistance at the right price. True ministers of the gospel have but one set of motives: to present Jesus Christ as Lord (v. 5) and “to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (v. 6). In short, Christian ministry never brings glory to the minister but always reflects the glory toward the one who is worthy to receive it.

Not wanting Christians to become disillusioned when they engage in ministry, Paul issues a warning: Ministry can be challenging. Paul warns, “do not lose heart” (v. 16). He further gives insight that suggests ministry can be destructive to both the “inner man” and the “outer man” (v. 16).

Here is a warning applicable to all believers who engage in ministry, but particularly important to vocational ministers. Engaging in ministry is physically and emotionally depleting. To be effective long term, the minister must take time to be “renewed day by day” (v. 16). Far too many ministry professionals are experiencing burnout today and they should pay attention to Paul’s word of caution.

Conclusion

Paul brings his treatise to a brilliant conclusion. It is a reminder of why ministers must possess the right credentials, the right character and the right focus: “The things which are seen are temporal,  the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Ministry done in Christ’s name has lasting importance. Doing even the least act of service came have an eternal consequence.

Ministry is a high calling. It is a privilege to realize God’s has invited all of his children to join him in the work he is undertaking.

In her book Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope, Joan Chittister talks about when she was a young nun serving in the Catholic Church. She was a talented writer and had enrolled in graduate school to study creative writing. Before she had the chance to begin school, the church directed her to serve God in another way. Chittister was disappointed, but obedient.

Later, reflecting on that experience, she wrote, “There is no such thing as a life without struggle. … There is no one who does not have to choose sometime, some way between giving up and growing stronger.” She goes on to say that everyone eventually loses in the game of life and struggle changes people. Some people emerge from it, bitter; while others become stronger, even wiser.

This lesson is about Israel’s response to the survival challenges they encounter in the wilderness. The emphasis of this lesson is on how to trust God in the midst of struggle. Like Chittister, we have a choice. Will we allow struggle to harden us? Or will we emerge from it with a deeper trust in God’s provision.    

Exodus 16 begins with the Israelites complaining about life in the wilderness. They have been walking and camping for a month. The picnic lunch they packed back in Egypt is long gone. Water and food are scarce in the wilderness. They watch as their animals grow skinny and listen as their children cry because of their growling stomachs.

They begin to remember Egypt as a place where there is plenty of meat to eat. The euphoria they felt after their escape at the Red Sea gives way to the harsh reality of life in the wilderness. Their immediate need for food supersedes any their long-term hope they had for freedom.

So, the people, weak from hunger, tired from walking, grumble to Moses and Aaron. They gripe and whine. Not just a few of them, but Scripture says “the whole community” (Exodus 16:2). To satisfy their growling stomachs, God performs a miracle.

Each morning, God covers the ground with edible flakes. The Israelites never have seen anything like it and wonder what it is. They cannot decide on a name for this strange substance. Eventually, they simply call it manna, which comes from the Hebrew word man hu or “what is it.”

Now, food is plentiful, but there is a small catch. God tells them to only gather as much manna as they need for that day.

Why would God give them this instruction? The Bible lets us in on a little secret. Through the gift of manna, God is testing them. This is not simply a test to see if they can follow instructions. God wants to know if the people will obey his commands about the manna because then, God will know if they will be willing to keep his covenant law that soon will be revealed to them at Mount Sinai. God is trying to teach them that he is their provider, the one who will take care of them.  

Unfortunately, the nearest grocery store is all the way back in Egypt, and some of them are afraid to risk having a bare cupboard. As a result, they keep the manna overnight, even though Moses tells them to throw it out. When they wake up the next day, it is crawling with maggots. Moses gets angry with them for not listening. After the rotten manna stinks up camp, one would think they will pay attention when Moses explains that on the seventh day there will be no manna to gather. He tells them to collect twice as much on the sixth day in preparation for the Sabbath. On the seventh day, they are supposed to rest from their work. However, when they wake up on the Sabbath, some of them still go out to gather manna and are surprised there is none.  

God provides manna each day, not just to feed them, but with the hope they will learn to depend on him. God uses the struggles they encounter in the wilderness to increase their faith. Yet, they allow their fear of the unknown to override their desire to obey God. What if the Israelites had simply waited for God to help them? Instead of grumbling, what if they had prayed and then, waited patiently?

I admit that this is easier said than done. However, this is the goal: To learn to patiently trust God to provide for us when we are in need.  

Fortunately, the people had many opportunities to learn to trust God. After all, they ate manna for the next 40 years. This strange food became a staple of survival in the wilderness. It is the means by which God provided for them and He did not want them to forget it.

God asked Moses to collect an omer of manna, one person’s daily portion, put it in a jar and keep it for future generations. Maybe we should learn from this. When God provides for us during difficult times, we should collect some of that provision, either by writing down how God provided for us or by keeping the check, or acceptance letter, whatever it may be, to remind us of God’s faithfulness.