The last few days of reading through Exodus have been very detailed. I’ll admit it’s been dry reading, but God is a God of detail! He has explained, down to the smallest detail, how to make the following: the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark’s cover– which is the place of atonement, the furnishings of the Tabernacle, which include the table and its utensils, the lampstand and its accessories, the incense altar, the altar of burnt offerings and its utensils, the washbasin with its stand, all of the stitched garments for the priests, and the recipes for the anointing oil and fragrance incense for the Holy Place. It has been a lot!
How is Israel going to craft all this? The one thing they were good at making was bricks. I think they had their fill of that in Egypt! As I was reading this morning, these verses amazed me!
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. (Exodus 31:1–3, NLT)
“And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make: (Exodus 31:6, NLT)
God gifted these craftsmen with special wisdom, ability, and expertise- what a generous God! But how does this relate to your life and mine? After all, the Old Testament was a long time ago!
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. … A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. (1 Corinthians 12:4 & 7, NLT)
Did you know that God has uniquely gifted you in some way to help someone, help others, and help His church? In God’s family, not one of us has all the gifts, but as a family, we are fully gifted, just like Israel was! We all get to have a part! Maybe you’re unsure where to start or what gifts you have; don’t worry! Start by loving the people around you. As you love them, you will discover your gifts and how to bless them more skillfully!
On top of all this, as you and I help others, think about this verse; it is powerful!
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25:40, NLT)