Wise Women and Willing Hearts

Women leaders in Malawi

Scripture:

Exodus 35:25-29

All the skillful women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun in blue and purple and crimson yarns and fine linen; all the women whose hearts moved them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. And the leaders brought onyx stones and gems to be set in the ephod and the breastpiece, and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. All the Israelite men and women whose hearts made them willing to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done, brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.

Observation:

It was time to for those who were wandering in the wilderness to build the tabernacle for the Lord. Throughout this entire time God was working on the hearts of the people. Earlier in Exodus 25:2 we read, “from all whose hearts prompt them to give you shall receive the offering for me.” Willing hearts meant that the spirit of skill which filled the hearts of the women was used to build God’s house. Proverbs 14:1 says, “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” 

The women were wise in understanding that the building of God’s house would be helpful to their families and therefore they brought all that they had in an offering before God. The result would have an effect upon their lives, but also all of those in their household, as well as the generations to come. Their skills were given as a freewill offering before Lord. Such joy ensued that eventually they had to be told to stop giving, for they had given more than enough. 

Application:

When I imagine the children of Israel wandering through the wilderness, I see them with little or nothing. Maybe that’s because they so often complained to God about their conditions, and yet, there are moments when we discover that they had more than we may have thought. Where did these women get this thread? The skill for creating uniquely dyed threads was something that they had learned in Egypt. While the Egyptians may have used this talent which was now within the hands of their slaves for their own good, God was now asking them to use it with a willing heart. That which they had learned in slavery was not to be a bad thing, but was now to be used for a brand new future. God was able to take a skill learned, possibly begrudgingly, in captivity and make it into something beautiful. 

Isn’t that just like God? When we find ourselves hard-pressed in dark hours, we may actually be learning skills which can be used in God’s kingdom business. The Egyptians would have used the beautiful threads to adorn themselves and their homes, but now this beauty was to adorn God’s home. God can help us to find joy in our hearts, even from experiences which previously may have seemed oppressive. 

The women were wise enough to realize the impact of working for God with willing hearts. Our children, and yes, our entire extended families, can tell whether we are serving God with a willing heart, or out of a sense of obligation. The wise woman builds up her household, and ushers them into the presence of God. The foolish woman tears down, maybe not physically, but by her attitude and words. Instead of a willing heart, she reluctantly brings her offering into the house of the Lord, holding back everything that she can. There is no joy, no willingness to take the things of the past and have them become beautiful gifts in the eye of the Lord. She holds onto the “threads from Egypt,” thinking that she can hoard them for her own good, only to discover that they will eventually disintegrate and leave her with nothing. 

The Israelite women had to come to the end of their own personal resources before having willing hearts. Even the precious prizes of Egypt are nothing in light of what God has in store for all of us. They had to let go of the past to live into a new future, and that’s what made them wise women with willing hearts. 

Prayer:

Lord, I don’t want to hold onto the past, but trust in you, bringing you everything for my future, and for those for whom I am responsible. Amen.