On the first day of the first month, in the second year after Israel was delivered from Egypt the tabernacle was erected and dedicated to the Lord (Ex. 40). On that day the twelve tribes of Israel began to bring special offerings to the Lord to be used by the priest and the Levites in the tabernacle service. The people had donated generously to the building of the tabernacle (Ex. 25:1-8; 35:4-36:7) and now they were contributing to its ministry and maintenance.

It would not be difficult in the reading of this chapter (which is also the longest chapter found in the Pentateuch) that you find a repeated account of the offerings each of the twelve tribes made. This chapter recorded the identical gifts each tribe gave, which included a silver plate, a silver basin, filled with fine flour and oil for a grain offering, and a gold dish fill of incense, 21 animals for burnt, sin and peace offering.

From the modern listener, it would be completely redundant to have that repetition for twelve successive days. But a biblical repetition is extremely significant to emphasize the importance of the event. God took notice of each gift, each leader, and each tribe on each successive day. God remembers their every act of worship unto Him and He sees every tribe as significant. For the first readers, this might not be the case. There were differences between the tribes, some were some tribes like Judah who were greater in numbers and thus more powerful. There were others like Asher or Naphtali who were further from the center of worship in Jerusalem, and seemingly more insignificant. However, in this chapter, God used this event to remind His people that they were all equally loved in His sight, regardless of which tribe you came from. It reminded those who were from the “lesser” tribe that they were “numbered” in the records. They were recorded by name like the leader of the tribe in this chapter, not once, but twice.

We were not sure of the wealth status of each tribe, but based on the different size of the tribes, there would likely be a difference. The bible did not indicate clearly that God intended them to make the same offering. However, they all made the same offering, implying a mutual recognition that all had the same status before Yahweh. They were in consensus and unity in their worship unto the Lord.

Here I see a beautiful picture of how a God-fearing family looks like. It is one that sets out to honor God and to love one another in our differences. King David says in Psalms 133, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” When God looks at our family, there is no favorite. Of course, God is pleased with us who draws close to Him, but He loves all His children with the same everlasting love. He does not love one more than the other simply because we are serving God more or in a greater capacity. God simply loves.

Dear brothers and sisters, Christ loved us so much he died for all of us on the cross, and through this good news, the gospel, it has brought about reconciliation on all level, including unity in the family. Let us strive towards building a God-fearing family, one that is anchored not simply on cohesion, but on our love and worship of God. This requires us to be intentional in our worship unto Him in our gatherings, creating a gospel-centered relationship that is anchored on Christ love, built on humility, honesty, and openness.

Pray: Dear Father, help us to first understand that we are all equal before you. Help me to humble myself to make advances to bring unity in my family. Be with me dear Lord. In Christ most precious name. Amen.