Well Done, Good And Faithful Servant

Exodus 36

I remember when we had our first child. It was the first grandchild on my wife’s side. I vividly remember the first couple of Christmases before there were any other grandkids. There were so many presents for our daughter from aunts, uncles and grandparents that we could barely fit them into our car to take back home. And it seemed a bit much. As some of you parents know, in those first few years kids are sometimes more interested in the box the gifts came in than the actual gift. And then, of course, more kids came into the family and the presents became fewer and less extravagant.

In today’s passage, Moses had a “problem” every pastor would love to have. The people gave more than was actually needed. I’m a pastor, and I’d love to have that dilemma in my church! I know we looked at the issue of giving in yesterday’s devotional, but I think it’s worth another day of focus. Why? Because, when we learn to be generous givers, we will discover that we can never out give God.

In this chapter, there are two observations I want us to focus on. Here’s the first: God gives gifts, abilities, and resources, but it’s up to us if we will use them or not. Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 25 about a master who gives money to three different servants while he went away on a journey.

When the master returned, two of the servants doubled the money given to them. He replied to them, “Well done, good and faithful servant” and “Enter into the joy of your master” (vs. 21, 23). These servants pleased the master and were rewarded by the master. However, the third servant did nothing with the money. The master replied by saying, “You wicked and slothful servant!” (v. 26) and “cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness” (v. 30). This servant displeased the master and was punished.

This story is meant to teach us about the importance of using what God has given us to serve the Master. Are we using our gifts, abilities and resources to serve God and His kingdom? As you can see from the teachings of Jesus, this is a big deal that has huge ramifications for good or bad. We must choose to use what God has given us for something, for Someone, bigger than ourselves.

Here’s a second observation from Exodus 36: We are to use our gifts, abilities, and resources in the way God intended them to be used. You may have the gift of teaching, but are you making sure it’s done to glorify God, and God alone? You could be blessed with financial wealth, but are you giving sacrificially and cheerfully to your church and other kingdom opportunities? God has given us what He has for kingdom reasons.

It says in verse 1, “work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.” And in verse 5, a reminder to do “the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” And that’s exactly what the Israelites did. They did the work on the tabernacle down to the detailed specifics of how God said to do it. How about us? God has given us so much. We are to use everything for His glory, and we are to use them in the ways He desires. It’s not always easy but the reward of the Master is worth it. To be able to hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”