Why Give

As part of our Building Lives capital campaign, we've been studying Exodus 25 here on the blog about the building of the tabernacle by the ancient Israelite people under the leadership of the famous prophet Moses. So far, we've seen who should give and what to give. This week, we come to verse 8, which says:

"And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst." (Exodus 25:8, ESV)

More than Walls and Tabernacles

If you've been with us on Sundays where we are studying the book of Nehemiah, you might remember in week 1, I said that Nehemiah's "call" to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem wasn't really about walls. His heart was for the safety of his fellow Jews and for God's glory. Likewise, in Exodus 25, the "call" from God through Moses to the people wasn't really about a "portable temple" (known as the tabernacle). It was about far more. And we see it in verse 8.

Did you see it? If not, it's ok to take a moment to look again at verse 8. Why does God want the people to give gold, and cloth, and oil, and wood, and all the other items we saw last week in verses 3-7? "That I may dwell in their midst."

God loved the Israelite people. He created them from Abraham. He called them to be His. Furthermore, He wasn't (and isn't) an impersonal God like the false gods of the Egyptians. Rather, He was (and is) a personal, present, and loving God. And to illustrate this to the people, He invited them to give toward a project that would allow them to build a tabernacle that would remind them that God was with them.

So this "capital campaign" in Exodus 25 wasn't simply about a tent. This was about God's glory and a visual reminder of God's presence and power that was always with the people.

Likewise, our capital campaign isn't about a building that happens to be located at 2704 5th Ave. NW in Waverly, Iowa. This capital campaign is about the mission to which God has called us. As we seek to be a blessing to our community and love them through the lens and motivation of the gospel, we believe a "home base" will help us be most effective in inviting people to find and follow Jesus and become more like Him.

So if you choose to give to the Building Lives campaign, know that you aren't giving simply so we can own a piece of real estate in Waverly. You are giving so that we might have a place from where we can continue to invite the spiritually disconnected to find and follow Jesus.