Di People Give with Free Heart

One craftsman clean im hand, waka cross di camp go meet Moses, and talk something wey no builder for history don ever talk about any fundraising. Abeg. Tell dem make dem stop. E don too much.

We dey for di wilderness, for di foot of Mount Sinai. No long time ago, di people of Israel na slaves for Egypt. God bring dem comot, lead dem pass through di sea, feed dem with manna, and meet dem for dis mountain. Now God don give Moses one plan. E want tabernacle: one special tent, fine house of worship wey dem fit carry move, where e go live among im people as dem dey travel. E go need gold, silver and bronze. Blue, purple and scarlet thread. Fine linen, goat hair, ram skin, acacia wood, oil for di lamps, spices for incense, and precious stones. And Moses don tell di people say anybody wey im heart dey willing fit bring gift. Nobody dey force anybody. Nobody dey collect tax. Dis one na offering from free heart.

So di whole community go back to dia tents. And then dem begin dey come back. Exodus talk say everybody wey im heart move am, and everybody wey im spirit make am willing, come. Men and women together. Dem bring brooch and earrings, rings and necklace, every kind of gold jewellery, and dem lift am up as offering to di Lord. Some people bring blue and purple and scarlet thread and fine linen. Others bring goat hair and ram skin wey dem dye red. Di ones wey get silver or bronze bring am. Di ones wey get acacia wood bring dat one. Picture di line of people, di sound of metal as e dey knock metal, di bundles of cloth wey dey pile up for sun.

And no be everybody bring things. Some people bring skill. Exodus tell us say di women wey sabi work spin thread with dia own hand and bring wetin dem spin: blue, purple, scarlet and fine linen. And di women wey wisdom move dia heart spin di goat hair. Di leaders bring onyx stones and other precious stones for di priest cloth, and spices and oil for di light and for di incense. God don also fill two craftsmen, Bezalel and Oholiab, with im Spirit and with skill to make every kind of beautiful work, and to teach other people. Every gift get im place. Every pair of hand get im work.

Di craftsmen begin di work. But morning after morning, di people still dey bring more offering from free heart. At last, di skilled workers leave wetin dem dey do and come meet Moses together. Di people dey bring plenty pass wetin we need for di work wey di Lord command us to do. So Moses send message go round di whole camp. Make no man or woman do anything again for di offering. And dem stop di people from bringing. Exodus close di scene with one happy line: di materials wey dem get reach for all di work, and e even pass.

Even mirrors, dem give. Small after, Exodus talk say dem make di bronze washing basin from di mirrors of di women wey dey serve for di entrance of di tent of meeting. Mirrors for old Egypt no be glass. Dem be round plate of bronze or copper wey dem polish well, many times with handle wey dem decorate, and people value dem well well. Somebody give di thing wey e dey look inside every morning, so dem fit melt am make something for worship.

Di People Give with Free Heart. You go find am for Exodus chapter thirty-five, verse twenty to twenty-nine, and chapter thirty-six, verse three to seven. Di tent wey dem build na place where God go live among im people. Christians dey remember am for Christmas, because di gospel of John talk say for Jesus, di Word become flesh and live, or pitch im tent, among us. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Di people give because dia heart move dem. Wetin dey move your heart to give, and wetin you fit bring to God dis Christmas?