Exodus 25

25 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. ³ These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; ⁴ blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ⁵ ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather^[a]; acacia wood; ⁶ olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; ⁷ and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.

⁸ “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. ⁹ Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.

The Ark

¹⁰ “Have them make an ark^[b] of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.^{[c] 11} Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. ¹² Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. ¹³ Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. ¹⁵ The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. ¹⁶ Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you.
¹⁷ “Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. ¹⁸ And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. ¹⁹ Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. ²⁰ The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. ²¹ Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. ²² There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.

The Table

²³ “Make a table of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.^{[d] 24} Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. ²⁵ Also make around it a rim a handbreadth^[e] wide and put a gold molding on the rim. ²⁶ Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. ²⁷ The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. ²⁸ Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them. ²⁹ And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings. ³⁰ Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.

The Lampstand

³¹ “Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. ³² Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. ³³ Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. ³⁴ And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. ³⁵ One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. ³⁶ The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.
³⁷ “Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. ³⁸ Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. ³⁹ A talent^[f] of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. ⁴⁰ See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.


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The first fundraising project!  God is going to create a mobile space where He can interact with His people.  However he will not just give them the materials to create it.  In order for this to work, the people must give up some of what they own for the good of their society.  I cannot tell you how many times I have looked this over as a fundraising passage, looking for strategy and inspiration.  Here is what I have heard:

• Everything is God's.  Our "ownership" is really "stewardship."
• It is good for people to give, both individually and as a society.
• Boldly ask and allow people to make up their own minds.
• The most successful fundraisers are those that tap into what people are passionate about.
• Giving is not just about money.  It can be about using time and skills for the completion of the project.
• People want to know that their money is not being wasted; be able to show how it is being used.

Fundraising is hard.  As someone who has raised their support for 15 years I can attest to that.  It is responsible for driving more people out of the ministry than any other single factor that I know of.  Part of that is on the individual shoulders of the fundraisers...or rather in their individual hearts.  There is a fear and a shame that is involved with raising money.  You don't have the money and feel bad about that and feel that you are asking a favor of someone who is more responsible and successful than you.  Compounding those feelings is desperation.  Usually you have put off the ask until you really need the money and so if they say "No" you will have no food for your family to eat that night.

Look at Moses.  God tells him to build these things.  He does not berate himself about why he does not have tons of gold and jewels and cloth and the smithing ability to make these things.  God is inviting him to lead a community-sized endeavor...if it were something that he could do himself he would have a rock covered by a scrap of cloth.  In order for someone to give freely, generously and joyfully they must be asked freely, generously and joyfully.  Usually that is accomplished by not needing the gift.  You have heard the expression, "You need to have money to make money."  I have found that "You need to have money to raise money."  It must be okay if people say no.  It must be okay if they give much less than you ask for.  (It must also be okay if they give a lot more.)  For these things to be okay you must either already have plenty of money OR you must be secure in God's provision for you.  That second one is very hard to do when you are asking, however Moses knows that God will take care of him, he is free to ask big.

I could write a lot more about fundraising, but I will leave it there.  Moses has been tasked with an amazing opportunity: create a place where God can dwell among His people.  It will take a community to accomplish it and a leader to see it from vision to reality.