Numbers 31:48

Numbers 31:48 says, And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:  The officers of the army came to Moses.  Verse forty-nine adds, And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.   The officers said that they had taken a count of the men under them, and thay hadn't lost a single man in the battle.  As followers of Christ, when we are at war with the world today, not one of us will ever be lost from the everlasting perspective.  We are God's forever if we have truly put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse fifty continues, We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.  Every man had made an oblation of the gold in all forms that they had taken in the war, justly, and brought it to Moses as an atonement for their sins.  God had not demanded this through Moses telling them to do so, but they did it on their own initiative.  We should not wait for the spiritual leaders in the church today to tell or ask us to give to support God's work, but we should give freely on our own.  We should never look for material blessings for our work for God, but should dedicate all that we have to Him.  We do not do this in order to attempt to buy forgiveness, but in gratitude for what God has already blessed us with as Christians, everlasting life that can never be lost.  Verse fifty-one states, And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.  Moses and Eleazar accepted the gift.  Verse fifty-two adds, And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.  The total of the offering was sixteen thousand, seven hundred and fifty shekels, which is about a fourth of a pound according to Google.  This was a very valuable offering that the men who went to war offered to God. Verse fifty-three continues, (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)  The amount was this large because every man who had gone to war had taken some spoils of war.  Individually, what we can offer to God may not be much, but if all Christians give liberally to God, then we have a vast amount of resources to accomplish His work.  Yet, too often we see what God blesses us with as ours to use for our self alone, and even want more.  Verse fifty-four concludes, And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.  Moses and Eleazar did not keep this gift for themselves, but brought it into the tabernacle to be used for God's glory.  Spiritual leaders today should likewise use all that is given to the church, in the local congregations, for God's glory and the advancement of His kingdom.  They should never use it for their own advancement.