God told Moses to take a contribution for Him: "From every man whose heart moves him" they were to receive it (Exodus 25:2).

God told Moses to collect a contribution from the people to supply the raw materials needed to build the tabernacle. Unlike the tithe, which had an exact reckoning, this contribution was to be without compulsion, given as each person felt moved to give.

While I believe there is no command for Christians to tithe, giving is encouraged — for itinerant ministers and for Christians in poverty. Regarding the latter, Paul writes that each should give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, "for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Notice the similarity between this giving and the giving for the tabernacle: it was without compulsion, and each person gave as moved.

Friends, why is there so little — I would suggest nothing — in the New Testament about salaries for local church ministers? I believe it is because the practice was a human invention and not from the Lord. Jesus told His disciples not to carry money bags but simply to live on the hospitality of the homes that hosted them (cf. Luke 10:4–7). I believe Christianity would have been better served if churches through the centuries had taken this to heart.

Paul picked up the Lord's instructions to defend support for itinerant ministers like himself — support he adamantly refused to accept because of the danger it could pose to the effectiveness of his ministry. He did not make use of this right but endured anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:12). His reward was to present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of his right in the gospel (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:18).

In fact, while he acknowledged that the Lord's instructions allowed support for itinerant ministers, he everywhere refused pay for ministry and taught local ministers to work for their own living and to give to the poor in the congregations they served. He reminded the Ephesian elders that his own hands had supplied his needs and those of his companions, showing them that by working hard they must help the weak, remembering the Lord's words, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (a paraphrase of Acts 20:34–35). And he told the Thessalonians that he had not eaten anyone's bread without paying for it, but worked night and day so as not to be a burden — not because he lacked the right, but to give them an example to imitate (a paraphrase of 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9).

How could Paul, who said that for him "to live is Christ," not embrace Christ's allowance for accepting pay? I believe it was because Paul understood that this allowance was a permission, not a command. It was like God's allowance for divorce: He did not command it, He permitted it. In fact, the Bible says God hates divorce, but He allowed it because of the hardness of people's hearts. By design, God desires all to stay married for life. And by design, I believe God desires His ministers to preach the Gospel freely, trusting Him alone to supply their needs, without demanding salaries, honorariums, and other financial compensation.

Another problem with modern-day giving through tithes, capital campaigns, and salaries is this: it tends to release God's people from personal responsibility to engage in supporting and ministering to those in need, both believers and unbelievers. People simply give money to the church and expect it to hire professionals and buy materials to do the ministry for them.

Friends, God could have had Jesus come down in a grand display, filling the whole world with the news and light of His presence. But He did not. He came to an obscure town and was laid in a manger. He chose to spread the Gospel by word of mouth rather than grand displays. We would probably have chosen a more impressive entrance, but God chose humility, simplicity, and personal witness. Why do we ignore His example and follow the world's methods in preaching the Gospel?

God is not anxious about the number of the saved, for I believe these were determined before the foundation of the world: He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him (cf. Ephesians 1:4); and all who dwell on earth will worship the beast, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain (cf. Revelation 13:8; 17:8).

He is concerned that we be faithful in our calling, follow the leading of His Spirit, and obey His Word. Yes, we are to be witnesses, but not necessarily through every technological medium, marketing technique, or business model. These are at best extra-biblical means. The Bible simply says to speak and live Christ.

So, friends, I pray you will not let yourselves be pressured into tithing or giving money to this ministry or that building project. I believe there is no biblical or moral basis for such compulsion. Give, or do not give, as you are moved in your heart.

There is, however, both precedent and instruction to care for the truly needy among believers. I pray that as you are moved to give from your heart, you will give especially to meet such needs. It is as we meet these kinds of needs that the world will see Christ in us, as we love one another; by this all people will know we are His disciples, "if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).

AI-Expanded Reflection

The response to God's call in Exodus 25 was so generous that the craftsmen eventually told Moses, "The people bring much more than enough," and Moses had to issue a command to stop giving (36:5–7). Giving that flowed from willing hearts outran the need. The same spirit appears in the Macedonian churches, who gave "beyond their means, of their own accord," begging for the privilege of sharing in relief for the saints (2 Corinthians 8:3–4).

On paid ministry, it is worth noting that the New Testament includes more than the comment's summary suggests, and Christians have understood it differently. Paul wrote that the one taught the word "must share all good things with the one who teaches" (Galatians 6:6), and that elders "who labor in preaching and teaching" are "worthy of double honor," citing "the laborer deserves his wages" (1 Timothy 5:17–18). He also received gifts from the Philippians with gratitude (Philippians 4:15–18). For these reasons, most Christian traditions regard supported local ministry as biblical, while honoring Paul's example of self-support where it serves the gospel. The comment represents a minority view with a serious concern behind it — that money never become an obstacle to the gospel or a substitute for every believer's personal care for the needy. That concern is shared across traditions.

I thought I would bring to light one example of some details given with respect to the construction of the Ark of the Covenant that will become significant in understanding a later event:

You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it (Exodus 25:12–15).

Notice, the ark had four rings, one at each corner. Two poles were to be put through these rings in order to carry the ark. These poles were never to be removed. Later on we learn that when moving the ark, it must first be covered by the priests (of Aaron) and only the Kohathites, a major subgroup of the Levites, were specifically designated to carry the ark, but they could not touch any of it directly on penalty of death (thus, the need for the coverings) (cf. Numbers 4:1–15).

Now, consider this incident later in Israel's history under the monarchy of King David.

David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark. They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals. When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God (2 Samuel 6:1–7).

Talk about a celebration spoiler! At first appearance, it seems that someone is killed because he tried to do a good deed. However, what is not explained in this context was the several violations of God's Law in the transport of the ark.

First, it was transported on a cart. But the Law required it be carried by poles, which were to be permanently affixed to the four rings along the side of the ark.

Second, it appears the ark was not covered, and Uzzah, accidentally or otherwise, touched it. But the Law required that it be covered, and none (except the Aaronic priests), not even the Kohathites, were to touch it on penalty of death.

Third, though less clearly, Uzzah and Ahio may not have been Levites, thus, they would not be Kohathites. The Law required that only the Kohathites, a subgroup of the Levites, were permitted to carry the ark. (Note: Some assume they were Levites because of their father (or grandfather) Abinadab, who had charge over the ark for a long time before it was moved, but the Bible never indicates that Abinadab was a Levite, although the Jewish historian, Josephus, asserts it. What is more, in 1 Chronicles 15:1–14 David's words suggest that Uzzah and Ahio were not Levites.)

God is holy, and as wonderful as David's celebration over the ark was, it was not a substitute for carefully obeying the commands of God. David would later acknowledge this:

Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests... It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD (1 Chronicles 15:11–15).

What lesson might we learn from this?

First, we should understand that even "boring" construction details can be important to understanding the "less boring" sections of Scripture.

Second, we get a sense of the holiness of God in regard to His commands. It was no joke then, and it is no joke now. This should remind us to reverence His Word with the utmost consideration and obedience.

Third, we should understand that good intentions are no substitute for carefully following the Word of God.

AI-Expanded Reflection

The transport instructions in Exodus 25 are easy to overlook until the narrative reaches Uzzah’s death. The original makes a valuable reading connection: details in one part of Scripture can explain the moral weight of a later event. The rings and poles are not merely decorative features. They belong to the prescribed handling of an object associated with the Lord’s covenant presence among his people.

One detail in the original requires correction: there are four rings in total, not four at each corner. Numbers 4 then assigns distinct responsibilities to the priests and the Kohathites. The priests cover the holy objects before the designated carriers approach, and the carriers are warned not to touch them. This division of responsibility shows that reverence is expressed through an ordered practice. Enthusiasm does not remove the obligation to learn and follow what has been entrusted.

Second Samuel 6 explicitly records the cart and Uzzah’s contact with the ark. Other details are less certain. The passage does not expressly say that the ark was uncovered, and the family’s exact Levitical status is not established there. The original acknowledges uncertainty about ancestry, and that restraint should also govern the inference about coverings. First Chronicles 15 provides the clearest retrospective interpretation: David recognizes that they did not seek the Lord according to the prescribed order, and the ark is subsequently carried with poles on the Levites’ shoulders.

This corporate setting is important. The episode should not be read only as the isolated failure of a man who reacted to stumbling oxen. David’s organization of the procession and the community’s neglect of the prescribed means form part of the account. His later acknowledgment of responsibility resists an easy explanation in which a leader blames one subordinate while leaving the larger decision untouched. Reverence includes responsible preparation by those directing the work.

At the same time, the episode should not be transferred mechanically into a threat that God will kill worshipers for every inadvertent mistake. It concerns the holy ark within Israel’s covenant order. Christian readers approach God through Christ’s priestly work and should interpret the warning alongside the invitation to draw near with confidence and the call to acceptable worship with reverence in Hebrews 10 and 12. Confidence and reverence are not opposites, but neither should be used to erase the other.

The practical lesson about good intentions is therefore both serious and constructive. A sincere desire to honor God calls for patient attention to what he has actually said. Leaders should learn the responsibilities they undertake, admit errors, and correct the conditions that contributed to them. Readers should also allow apparently technical passages to shape their understanding of the narrative. The ark’s poles remind us that obedience often begins in details we are tempted to dismiss, and that careful service can be an expression of love rather than a rival to joyful worship.

The description of the tabernacle may be a bit confusing. It seems far removed from anything familiar today, but that doesn't make it less important to understand. The tabernacle was a copy and shadow of what is in heaven — a pre-Christ, earthly reflection of what was accomplished in heaven for us through Christ. As Hebrews says, they serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of the heavenly one, which is why Moses was warned to make everything according to the pattern shown him on the mountain (a paraphrase of Hebrews 8:5).

I have added four articles from J. Vernon McGee examining different aspects of the tabernacle as they reflect different aspects of Christian experience in Christ. It is the most biblically grounded treatment I have read. While he examines the typology, he does not err by going beyond biblical boundaries, as some do, by taking every detail as symbolic of some spiritual truth. If you want a better understanding of how the tabernacle looks forward to Christ, I recommend these four articles in the Online Articles section of this site.

AI-Expanded Reflection

The caution about typology is the valuable part, and it names a real interpretive hazard. The tabernacle invites symbolic reading because Hebrews explicitly authorizes some of it — the veil, the high priest, the sacrifice, the holy place. Once that door is open, there is no obvious stopping point, and a long tradition of exposition has assigned spiritual significance to the number of boards, the species of wood, and the shade of each dye.

The discipline the comment recommends is to let the New Testament set the boundary: where Scripture itself draws the connection, draw it; where it doesn't, describe rather than decode. That is a defensible rule and considerably safer than the alternative, though it's worth acknowledging it leaves some genuine ambiguity — Hebrews does not exhaust the possible connections, and reasonable readers differ about how far the authorized pattern extends.

The Ark housed three items: the tablets of the covenant law, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 25:21, instructing that the tablets God would give be placed inside); a jar containing an omer of manna, kept alongside the tablets so it could be preserved for future generations, as the LORD commanded Moses (a paraphrase of Exodus 16:34); and Aaron's staff, which had budded, blossomed, and produced almonds, placed back in front of the Ark as a sign to any rebellious among the people (a paraphrase of Numbers 17:10).

The Ark appears throughout the rest of Scripture too. When Israel crosses the Jordan, the river stops flowing the moment the priests carrying the Ark touch its edge, allowing everyone to cross. During the siege of Jericho, they carry the Ark around the city for seven days while blowing trumpets. When the Philistines later capture it, it causes them tumors and death until they return it. David tries moving it to Jerusalem, and this is when Uzzah is struck down for touching it to keep it from falling off the cart. Once Solomon's Temple was built, it was finally placed in the Holy of Holies, where the high priest approached it only once a year, on Yom Kippur, to offer blood sacrifice as atonement for the nation's sin (by that point, only the tablets remained inside). What ultimately happened to the Ark when Babylon destroyed the Temple remains unknown — it's become the famous "lost ark" of Indiana Jones fame.

The Ark was the most sacred religious object in Judaism — representing God's throne on earth, the place His presence was manifested, the center of worship, and where Israel sought forgiveness of sins.

What does this mean for us as Christians today? The Ark is no longer necessary. We now have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us; our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We no longer need to travel to a specific place to communicate with the Lord, and regarding atonement, we no longer need animal sacrifices, since Christ Himself was the sacrificial Lamb whose blood atoned for all our sins, once and for all.

AI-Expanded Reflection

The three items this comment describes inside the Ark tell a coherent story worth naming as a set — the tablets represent the Law given, the manna represents God's provision experienced, and the budding staff represents God's authority confirmed (Numbers 17 records this test resolving a leadership dispute). Together, they're a physical summary of exactly what Israel needed to remember about their relationship with God: what He commanded, how He provided, and who He'd actually appointed to lead. It's a small, self-contained museum of God's faithfulness, carried at the center of the camp for the rest of Israel's wilderness journey.