A family sent a man from their village to buy a coffin from the city to bury their relative. Kofi Babone stopped to listen to a man who claimed the ability to double money for people. While his family waited for the coffin to bury their dead, this man wagered their money on the double-your-money scam and lost it all. How heartless and stupid!

This story reminds me of the people of Israel. When God delivered them from slavery in Egypt, He “made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so, they plundered the Egyptians” (Ex. 12:36). God fulfilled the promise to Abraham in Gen.15:13-14. The Israelites came out of Egypt with great possession as the wages for their slave labor. But there was a higher reason for the pillage.

God was going to instruct Moses to collect an offering to construct the Tabernacle in the wilderness that would require much gold, silver, bronze, and the other articles they would need for the project (Exodus 25). Jehovah Jireh had looked ahead and provided for the construction work that would include the Ark of His covenant with His people. How could those poor Israelites have provided the silver and gold for the construction works in the middle of nowhere?

At Sinai, Moses went up the mountain to meet the Lord for the Ten Commandments and stayed there forty days and forty nights. The people grew tired, rebelled against God, and asked Aaron to build them a golden calf they could worship just as the nation’s around them worshipped images as gods. Aaron took an offering and made the golden calf for them (2). The people sacrificed to it, presented fellowship offerings, sat down to eat and drink, and “got up to indulge in revelry” (vs.6). They actually attributed their freedom from Egypt to this golden calf (Exodus 32: 4). Doing the wrong thing with what God had provided for a noble purpose was what they did. Thank God He intervened and stopped their rebellious and wasteful spending before the tabernacle offering came up (Ex. 35:4-29).

The people learned their lesson and gave with liberality and willingness until Moses stopped them from bringing more of the precious metals and other items (36:5).

Sometimes that is how we behave. God gives to us so we may give back to Him as He directs. His provision comes from our hard work, yet it is all His. He reserves it for His good purposes. As custodians, we must depend on His Spirit to use His resources on things that glorify Him. Unfortunately, we spend God’s provision on things that become idols in our lives, and we indulge in revelry with them.

It is good to know the reason God provides for us: to meet our genuine needs so we can take part in the grace of giving (2 Corinthians 8:7) for His glory. He does not mean his provision to be used to create idols for ourselves and to engage in revelry.