Torah portion Terumah 2020

Shalom and blessings in Yeshua’s name. Our portion this week is Terumah, offering.

Last week the people tell Moshe that they don’t want Elohim to talk to them anymore because they are afraid. They tell him to go talk with Elohim and then come back and share what He says. So Moshe did, and the people replied “na’asay v’nishma” “we will do and we will hear and understand.”

Moshe, Aharon, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders climbed up onto the mountain, saw El, lunched, and then Moshe left the group behind and climbed higher into the cloud where he waited seven days. It is on the seventh day that this week’s portion begins.

Waiting on Yehovah

After six days of waiting on the top of the mountain, Elohim speaks to Moshe, and over the next several chapters instructs him on how to build the tabernacle and the objects that will be housed there. It starts with:

“And Yehovah spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering (terumah): of every man that gives it willingly with his heart you shall take my offering.’” (Exo 25:1-2)

All that follows is grounded in this first statement, “of every man that gives it willingly with his heart…”

When Israel left Egypt, they plundered the country. When we hear the amount of silver and gold, gems and precious stones and dyed animal skins that will be required, we get a sense of the amount of riches they possess. The key is giving it willingly for the work of the tabernacle.

Tough decision?

From one perspective, it shouldn’t be a difficult decision. To give all the precious items to honor the Elohim who freed the nation from slavery, who split the sea for safe passage and destroyed the army that pursued them, who did miracles in providing water, manna, and quail, and who just gave them the ten words out of the thunder and lightning atop Mount Sinai.

From another perspective, gold and silver are shiny and worth money. The Israelites hold in their possession more wealth than these former slaves had ever had or likely ever imagined they could have. Besides, look at all that Elohim has done for them for no price. Wouldn’t He continue to take care of them even if they didn’t give all their new found treasure?

Human nature

Of course, I am supposing what they are thinking. But it is based on the observation that human nature has not changed in the intervening years, and people today have similar thoughts.

The instruction given here is echoed in the Apostolic Writings

“But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2Co 9:6-7)

I suspect that Elohim could get by just fine without out gifts, even without a tabernacle on earth. The question is, could we?

We discussed last Shabbat that all the instructions given are for life, for our good. It doesn’t do us any good if we give grudgingly. It doesn’t bring us closer to Elohim, and it doesn’t build us spiritually. But if we give cheerfully, it is usually because we want to bless our Father in heaven through our obedience, and we recognize that it is true what Yeshua said, “Seek first the kingdom of Elohim and His righteousness…”

Where is our real treasure?

We look at our gold and jewels, then we look toward heaven, and we determine that we would rather

“Lay up for (ourselves) treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Mat 6:20)

Although the Israelites get sidetracked while Moshe is on the mount, later on they will contribute so much that Moshe tells them to stop giving.

There is always hope

I find the account encouraging that even though we might lose our way at times, our Father is gracious to forgive when we find our way back, repent, and walk in His path again. May you have a blessed week filled with the joy of our Elohim and His Messiah.