"Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded." And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, "The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do." So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, "Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.
Exodus 36:1-7
The response to Moses' call to work and give was remarkable and overwhelming, and the great enterprise of constructing the tabernacle was begun with enthusiasm and dedication. And all that we have already said by way of applying the ancient pattern unfolded in these chapters to the situation obtaining in the life of the Church today is borne out by what is said here. Not only was there no need for repeated and insistent appeals for gifts and work; the people brought, and wrought, 'much more than enough for the service of the work' (5), and had to be restrained from bringing any more. Some have suggested that Moses' words in 6 about those who 'made' work, i.e. wove material for the curtains and hangings, as opposed to those who gave of their gold and silver, may perhaps have been the humbler, poorer members of the community. It may be that this is to read more into the words than we are entitled to do, but it does serve to underline the important truth that generous giving is not necessarily an evidence of wealth. The easy assumption that some make in face of the very liberal giving of Christian people whom they know that they must 'be well off and well able to afford it' is simply an evidence of how little they understand the real motives that underlie their generosity. Some people give so much and so liberally not because they earn so much more than others, but because through simpler, more disciplined, and even sacrificial living, they have so much more to give. It is in faithfulness, not in possessions, that they out-do their fellows.