Commentary - Exodus 35:20-29

Bird's-eye view

In Exodus 35:20-29, we are not just reading a historical account of a fundraising campaign for a building project. We are witnessing the heart of true worship in action. After the great sin with the golden calf, and after God’s glorious renewal of the covenant, the people of Israel are given the opportunity to respond. And their response is nothing short of breathtaking. This is not a story about reluctant giving under compulsion, but about a Spirit-induced, joyful, and overwhelming generosity. The tabernacle was to be God’s dwelling place in their midst, a visible sign of His presence. This passage shows us that the building of God’s house is always a work that must flow from the hearts of God’s people.

The central theme is the willing heart, a heart stirred by the Spirit of God. This is repeated over and over, like a drumbeat: "everyone whose heart stirred him," "everyone whose spirit was willing," "all whose hearts were willing." This is the engine of the entire enterprise. God provides the blueprint, Moses delivers the instructions, but the materials and the labor are brought forth by a people whose hearts have been touched by grace. This is a beautiful picture of the New Covenant church. God does not coerce His people; He wins their hearts. And from those won hearts flows a torrent of generosity that is more than sufficient for the task. This passage is a permanent rebuke to all forms of manipulative, guilt-driven fundraising in the church, and a glorious illustration of how God builds His kingdom, through the cheerful and free-will offerings of His redeemed people.

Outline

Context In Exodus

This passage comes at a crucial juncture in the book of Exodus. The Israelites have received the law at Sinai (Exod 20-24). God has given Moses the detailed instructions for the tabernacle, the priesthood, and the sacrificial system (Exod 25-31). But this was immediately followed by the catastrophic failure of the golden calf incident (Exod 32). This was a flagrant breach of the covenant they had just made. What followed was judgment, intercession by Moses, and a gracious renewal of the covenant by God (Exod 33-34).

So, the giving described here in chapter 35 is not the response of a people who have been flawlessly obedient. It is the response of a forgiven people. Their recent, terrible sin is fresh in their minds, as is the astounding grace of God in not abandoning them. This context is essential. Their lavish giving is not an attempt to earn God's favor, but a grateful response to having received it despite their unworthiness. They are giving out of a sense of deliverance, not drudgery. This sets the tone for all true Christian giving. It is post-redemption, not pre-redemption.

Verse by Verse Commentary

20 Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel went out from Moses’ presence.

The people have heard the command, the call for contributions. Moses has laid out the need. Now, the moment of decision. They don't form committees. They don't launch a capital campaign with thermometers in the town square. They simply depart. They go back to their tents. This is a private moment, a quiet one. The decision to give, the stirring of the heart, happens not in the public assembly under the watchful eye of Moses, but in the personal space of each family and individual. True giving is not a matter of public pressure but of private conviction.

21 And everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit was willing came and brought the contribution to Yahweh for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments.

Here is the key that unlocks the whole passage. The giving was not universal in the sense that every single person gave, but rather that everyone who was moved in his heart to give, gave. The impetus was internal, not external. God’s Spirit was at work, "stirring" and making "willing." This is the language of divine initiative. God doesn't just command the project; He moves the hearts of the people to fund the project. This is a profound theological point. God is the ultimate giver, even of the desire to give. And notice the purpose: it is a contribution "to Yahweh." They are not giving to Moses, or to a building fund. They are giving to God Himself. The work is for His tent, His service, His priests. All Christian giving must have this upward orientation. We give to the Lord.

22 Then all whose hearts were willing, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and bracelets, all articles of gold; so did every man who waved it as a wave offering of gold to Yahweh.

The response is immediate and inclusive. "Both men and women." This was not a project for the men only. The women, whose hearts were equally stirred, brought their personal, valuable possessions. These were not spare trinkets; these were their adornments, items of beauty and likely of significant personal value. They had plundered the Egyptians, and now they were gladly plundering themselves for the glory of God. The gold they had once contemplated using for an idol they now joyfully dedicate to the worship of the true God. This is what repentance looks like. The "wave offering" was a special presentation to the Lord, acknowledging that it all belonged to Him. They were giving back to God what was already His.

23 And every man, who had in his possession blue and purple and scarlet material and fine linen and goats’ hair and rams’ skins dyed red and porpoise skins, brought them.

The giving was not limited to precious metals. It was wonderfully diverse. People brought what they had. Some had gold, others had dyed yarns or animal skins. This teaches us that in the work of God's kingdom, there is no hierarchy of gifts. The person who brings the goats' hair is just as necessary as the one who brings the gold. God has so arranged the body of Christ that every part is essential. Your contribution, whatever it is, is valued by God when it comes from a willing heart.

24 Everyone who could raise up a contribution of silver and bronze brought the contribution to Yahweh; and every man who had in his possession acacia wood for any work of the service brought it.

The principle continues. Silver, bronze, acacia wood. The acacia wood was necessary for the structural framework of the tabernacle. It was not as glamorous as the gold or the fine linens, but without it, the whole structure would collapse. Some Christians are called to provide the gold of public leadership or teaching, while others are called to provide the acacia wood of quiet, faithful, structural service. Both are a "contribution to Yahweh," and both are indispensable.

25 All the women wise at heart spun with their hands and brought what they had spun, in blue and purple and scarlet material and in fine linen.

Here the contribution moves from material possessions to skilled labor. These women were "wise at heart," a phrase that connects wisdom directly to practical skill. Their wisdom wasn't just theoretical; it was in their hands. They took the raw materials and, through their skill, transformed them into something beautiful and useful for the tabernacle. This is a powerful affirmation of the dignity of skilled labor in the service of God. God delights in the work of our hands when it is dedicated to Him.

26 And all the women whose heart stirred with wisdom spun the goats’ hair.

Again, the text emphasizes the internal motivation: "whose heart stirred with wisdom." Even the spinning of coarse goats' hair, a less glamorous task than working with fine linen, is presented as a work of wisdom prompted by a stirred heart. God sees and values the heart behind the work. The world might value the fine linen over the goats' hair, but God values the willing heart that produces both.

27 And the rulers brought the onyx stones and the stones for setting for the ephod and for the breastpiece;

The leaders, the rulers, also participated. They did not see themselves as above the work. They brought the most precious and rare items: the gemstones for the high priest's garments. Their leadership was not one of dictating, but of participating and setting an example of sacrificial giving. Those with greater resources have a greater responsibility to give, and these rulers understood that.

28 and the spice and the oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense.

The contributions covered every aspect of the tabernacle's function, right down to the consumables. The oil for the lamp, the anointing oil, the incense. These were things that would be used up and would need to be replenished. This points to the ongoing nature of our worship and service. It's not a one-time donation but a life of continual offering to God.

29 The sons of Israel, all the men and women whose heart was willing to bring material for all the work, which Yahweh had commanded through the hand of Moses to do, brought a freewill offering to Yahweh.

This verse serves as a grand summary of the entire event. It reiterates the key themes: the participation of everyone ("all the men and women"), the internal motivation ("whose heart was willing"), the scope of the project ("for all the work"), the divine authority ("which Yahweh had commanded"), and the nature of the gift ("a freewill offering to Yahweh"). This was not a tax. It was not a levy. It was a free, uncoerced, joyful outpouring of love and gratitude from a redeemed people to their redeeming God. This is the pattern for the church in all ages. When God’s people understand the gospel of grace, their hearts are made willing, and they bring their freewill offerings, their time, their talents, their treasure, for the work of the kingdom.

Application

The central lesson here is about the heart. God is not interested in what can be pried from our clenched fists. He is interested in the overflow of a heart that has been captured by His grace. The question this passage asks us is not "How much should I give?" but rather "Is my heart stirred?" When we are truly gripped by the reality of our sin and the even greater reality of Christ's sacrifice for us, generosity is the natural result. We give because He first gave to us.

This passage also teaches us about the nature of the church. The building of the tabernacle was a community project. Everyone had a part to play, whether they brought gold or goats' hair, whether they were rulers or skillful women. The church is not built by the efforts of a few talented professionals, but by the willing contributions of every member. We must see our own gifts, skills, and resources not as our own possessions, but as materials to be brought for the building of God's house.

Finally, this is a picture of true worship. These Israelites were not just funding a project; they were engaging in an act of worship. Their giving was an expression of their love and devotion to Yahweh. Our work, our giving, our service, when done from a willing heart, is fragrant incense to God. It is how we, as living stones, are built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.