Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 35:30-33

30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;

31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.

Moses reveals to the Israelites that the Lord has already chosen His chief artificer, the foreman who will oversee the work of building the tabernacle. I’m sure that Bezaleel was already a skilled craftsman, but that wasn’t the only reason why he was right for this work. Moses makes it clear that the man has been divinely inspired as well. Thus, no man is called to the work simply by virtue of personal achievement. We can make ourselves worthy vessels and useful resources, but we do not decide what purpose that the Lord has for us. He does.

I do wonder what the experience leading up to this moment was like for Bezaleel. It sounds like he was already being filled with creative visions, even before Moses made this announcement. Had he been receiving urges to build something without knowing exactly what it was? Did he have an inexplicable sensation that something important was coming his way? Or did he already know exactly what he was about to do, and just needed the formal announcement to get started?

I also wonder whether he knew that this was a work that would immortalize his name. We do not know the names of most of the people that have ever lived, but due to the work of his hands, Bezaleel became a name that has been preserved for thousands of years, appearing right alongside titans like Moses and Aaron.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 31:1-5

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

5 And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

Today’s chapter begins by introducing us to the first artisan whom God had called to fashion the parts of the tabernacle. Bezaleel’s name means “in the shadow of God,” a particularly appropriate name for one who would be “filled with the spirit of God” to know how to build according to the Lord’s design.

Specifically, we are told that Bezaleel had expertise in working with metal, cutting stones, and carving timbers. This would allow him to assemble the wooden bodies of the furniture, to overlay them in gold, silver, and brass, and to etch the stones set upon the shoulders and in the ephod of the priest.

A skill that is not mentioned for him is the working of thread and cloth, which would be necessary for the curtains and the clothing of the priests. That work, it would seem, would be assigned to another. Perhaps someone else would also be required to prepare the anointing oil and the perfume, assuming there was more to the process than just measuring the ingredients and stirring them together.

When we think about being empowered by the Spirit of the Lord, we often think of things like prophecy, healing, and the working of miracles, but the Bible also sets the precedent for divinely inspired creativity, both of the artistic and inventive variety. There are these inspired artisans that crafted the tabernacle, but also the building of Noah’s Ark, the poems of David and Solomon, and even the stories told by Jesus. The act of creation has a divine source after all, each of us inheriting it from the greatest creator in all the universe.