Advanced Level, Block 4—Wilderness
Week 36
The Building of the Tabernacle
Point to Emphasize: We must develop a willing heart.
Reference Reading: Exodus 35:1-35, footnote 211; 36:1-2, 4, 8, 10, 21-22, 25-26, 29; 39:32; 40:34-38, footnote 341
Memory Verse: And let every man who is wise in heart among you come and make all that Jehovah has commanded. (Exodus 35:10)
Story Sample
After Moses received the instructions for the tabernacle, the people spent about a year making it. God gave very detailed instructions. There was so much to do to build the tabernacle. There was the tent, the ark, the lampstand, the altars, the garments, and many more items that were needed. Wow, there was a need for so much to be done!
And there were many people needed for this work—ones who could build, ones who could sew, ones who could work with wood, gold and silver and bronze, and even more. Moses could never have built the tabernacle all by himself. So, he needed a special group of people. Not just ones who were craftsmen, but even more, he needed ones who had a wise and willing heart. There are many times in Exodus 35 that it says that the workers should have wisdom and a willing heart.
For the building of God’s dwelling place, we need an uplifted and willing heart. Even today we need to have such a heart for God’s house. I remember when the conference center in Anaheim was built, there was a need for many willing hearts at that time. My husband and I prayed about it and decided we would like to take part in the building, even though we did not have many building skills. When we went there, we found we could help in many ways. I was able to help with gardening and sorting pavers for the driveway, and my husband was able to help tear down walls so they could rebuild better bathrooms. And the best part was that every time I went, I worked alongside with many children of your age. It was so good to see us all working together. And all we needed was a willing heart! Eventually, we all learned new skills. [Storyteller, use your own example or this in third person.]
Furthermore, we also need to have such a willing heart for God’s need. There are many things we can do as children to help. We can help our parents with cleaning and gardening at the meeting hall. We can help with cooking and cleaning our home, especially when we have guests. We can be involved at children’s meetings every week. Later, in our teen years, we can participate in the 6th-grade conference, summer school of truth, and many young people conferences. Finally, a most helpful thing in your teenage years is to serve with the children’s meetings by leading songs and activities or telling stories. In order to do any of these things, we need to have a willing heart. But having a willing heart is something you need to practice while you are young. It doesn’t happen overnight! We can begin now, while we are young, by offering to help as much as possible. As we practice, and the more we help and learn to do, the more skills we can learn to become even more useful.
The outcome of the people’s willing heart, even in the wilderness, was that they were able to build the tabernacle and all the items needed for the service and worship of God. When it was done, God had a dwelling place with His people! And this tabernacle went with them everywhere during their entire journey through the wilderness with God leading them step-by-step. Every time they moved, they would take down the tabernacle and every time they stopped, they would set it up again.
Can we say today that we have a willing heart? When it’s time to clean up the house because people are coming over, are we willing to help clean up the house? We may clean because we were asked to, but was our heart willing to do it? Usually, we are not willing because we think we have better things to do or simply because we are being lazy. Usually, the other things we want to do, including being lazy, are for ourselves and not for others. An unwilling heart shows that we are very selfish. I hope talking to you in this way makes you uncomfortable. We should feel uncomfortable when we see how selfish we are. No one is born with a willing heart. We all must develop a willing heart so that we are willing to help others and not just ourselves. You will be surprised how happy you become when you are no longer so selfish and are willing to help others.