The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-07-19
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR SUNDAY, july 90
Free Gifts for the Tabernacle. ~
Exodus Nxxv., 2O-2f-GoIdcn Text,
H. Cor ix., 7-ENplanatorv
Notes.

oeen listening 10 the words of God as Moses
repeated them in their hearing They had
learned what God wanted then, To do They
had heard the appeal for gifts and offerings
Tor the building of tabernacle for tho
Lord. Now the words cease, the sermon is
over, ana the people depart, But is that the
emu OF ltf W nat secomes OF the sermont A
great many congregations assemble every
Lorus Day to hear what God has to say TO
them. Faithful men set apart to speak for
| God, come from communing with Christ and
utter thc messages they have been COM
mssoned to deliver. The people listen re-.
spectfully. and then bowing TO receive the
benediction, they depart to their homes
and back again to their worldly
| work. What becomes of the sermons
DO the people take them seriously TO heart as
expressions of the will OF God and set about
living them OUT That is what this congre.
| CATION IN the wilderness did with their ser.
mon They did not satisfy themselves
with discussing its literary merits. or its
,heology, or the mannerisms of the preacher.
but set about at once obeying the word of
God they had heard. IL was a sermon on piv-
| lng-they had been told what the Lord wanted
them to give-and in "a little while Moses
LOOKING out saw the people nockng toward
nltn from all directions with gifts and offer
ings That sermon had its proper effect
lhey came, every one whose heart stirred
nun up, and every one whom his spirit made
willing w. 2n. The appeal had been made
10 the whole congregation. All were asked
/ II.
anu women Yet the offerings must be vol.
untary. There was no taxing Of tie people
Each one must decide whether or not he
would give and what he would give. So we
ma mere the first element in the giving IL
was willing hearted. The peoples hearts
stirred them up and their spirits made them
Wiling 10 give what they brought Nobody
came reluctantly or with complaint about the
Durden OF having to give so much. All came
cheertully, gladly, y,enthusiaStically with their
/ Ma sat t,,
LORD loves cheerful givcr. lie wants no un.
willing offerings brought TO His altar lie
may use stngy mans money, given re-
hctahtiy,but the stingy man gets no blessing
III his giving.
They brought the Lords Offering to the
work OF the tabernacle ". III The com
mand was: Speak unto the children of
Israel that they bring me an Offering God
wanted the people to build the tent of meet.
| ing out of their own hearts with their own
gifts. God is ever asking his people TO bring
MN offerings for the work he wants done in
this world lie wants His Gospel sent every.
where and llo asks for money to send 10
abroad. lie wants sanctuares built every
where and asks for money for this He has
poor people all about and little ones i'm need
ana lie wants us To minister to them to feed
ana clothe and shelter them. The message is
ever ringing from our Lords lips Speak
unto my people that they bring me an Of
fering'
They came, both men and women--and
| brought bracelets, and earrings IT, ~ one
beautiful thing about this great enthusiasm
OF giving was that everybody had share in
IT, Here we find that the women as well as
the men brought offerings. They took their
personal ornaments their jewels, and gave
them To the Lord. From the whole passage
we learn that both rich and poor gave, rulers
ana common people. No doubt the children
also brought their gifts. One OF the great
lessons here To be learned Is that everybody
should have share in giving TO support the
church and send the gospel TO the heathen. In
some churches few rich people do all the
giving and the poor are not expected to help.
This is great wrong TO the poor. 1t is not
"A favor to people to withhold from them tho
privilege OF giving to Gods cause for a
blessing comes with all true giving which
even the poorest cannot afford to miss
Husbands and wives, parents and children,
old and young, rich and poor should have
the opportunity of giving to Christ's cause.
Every man, with whom was found blue
and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and
goats hair brought them ". ~.
The great variety Of the offerings, and the
variety of their values must be noticed The
rich rulers brought costly precious stones.
Others brought rich yarns, fine linen, seal
| skins, gold, silver, bronze, rich spices; but we
find also the gifts Of the poor goats hair and
| logs OF wood GU. down in the camp We get
| the lesson that there is "A place in Gods work
! and service for every kind and grade of gift.
The poorest have something which they can
| give and which Goi can use. No one can
say 81 have nothing that will be Of any use
| IN my Nj sters'wOrk y We are To bring of
! what we have Christ asks no imDossibili
ties one who has only n little goats hair or
beam of wood is not asked TO give gold or
| onyx stones
All the women that were wise.hcarted did
| spin with their hands ". ~. And il didn't
I soil their hands n bit, either Some dainty
women toll not, neither do they SPIN
They keep Their hands soft and white They
think any kind of work would mar the
delicate beauty Of their fingers. But they
make great mistake The hands that arc
! beautiful in heavens sight are not the dainty
hands that are never roughened or hardened
! 10y toll. Anything is beautiful just in the
measure in which it fultills the mission for
which it was made.
These ancient women were not afraid of
spelling their hands by work They had
learned to spin, and now they spun for God
Here we soc how everyday gifts aud occu-
pations may be turned over into Gods SER
vice. The young women OF to-day do not
spin much-many OF them never saw a dis.
tan or spinning whcel-but they have
other common requirements which they
may consecrate to Christ
! And brought that which they had spun"
! ". 2o). That is, they brought il To tho Lord
To be used in the making of the tabernacle
Tor his dwelling place. great many young
| ladies make many beautiful things with their
hands, but they do not bring them to the
Lord They keep them for their own adorn
| ment, or perhaps present them to their
! friends. But these women brought their fine
handiwork To the Lord, They spun beauti
| ulthreads to be woven into curtains and
embroiderle' of the tabernacle. American
Christian girls and women may help a great
many ways IN building aud preparing dwell.
ing-places for God. Christ has work for
them, each one Let them consecrate them
| selves TO Him and be ready for whatever He
| wi Ina