Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I have in my little home office several amazing pieces of woodworking craftsmanship hand crafted by my father some years ago. Dad is nearly blind now but in his former days he had a talent that was amazing in fabricating remarkable things from simple blocks of wood.
We’ve been with Moses up Mount Sinai for the past few days as Moses has been receiving from God extensive and very specific instructions regarding a type of worship God wanted the former Hebrew slaves to engage with Holy, Almighty God. It was to be entirely different from Egyptian idol worship and it would form the basis of the worship the Jewish people would offer God for centuries to come. As Moses had taken careful note of all the details God had given to him, I’m sure he had many questions, but one near the top of the list was WHO? WHO would have the ability required to take Moses’ descriptions of what he had heard from God and then make detailed sketches, find the appropriate raw materials, and finally carefully craft all these things? Once again Moses didn’t have long to wait for the answer.
Moses records for us in Exodus 31 what God said “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts – to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.” (Ex. 31:1-5) Now let’s ponder that for a moment my friends. I’m sure each and all of you, my “Walking with Jesus” friends all around the world, have talents, skills and abilities. When added to your training and education and experience, I have no doubt many of you have remarkable abilities and you’ve accomplished amazing things in your lifetime. But what happens when God anoints your great ability as He did with Bezalel: “I have filled him with the Spirit of God…”?
You see, in this case Mr. Bezalel would be asked to fabricate things never before seen by any human eyes, and he would have to come up with the working sketches/designs from Moses’ verbal explanation that he had received from God up on Mount Sinai! That’s why the Holy Spirit was needed, for this was no ordinary construction project! It would require craftsmanship but also God INSPIRATION and guidance!! Now look back in your life journey… have you ever attempted something beyond your natural abilities, and you sensed the power of God enabling you, guiding you, inspiring you to accomplish the task far beyond what you might have imagined possible?
But this project was bigger than one man could handle, so Moses heard God expand the project: “Moreover I have appointed Oholiab…of the tribe of Dan, to help Bezalel. Also, I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: the “Tent of Meeting”, the Ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the Tabernacle….” (Ex. 31:6-11) My good friends, there is a very important principle at work here and I urge us all to grasp it! God is the greatest strategist, the greatest architect of all time. Furthermore, God has the ability to provide ALL the resources necessary for the accomplishment of all the projects which will accomplish His plans. Also, God has the ability to coordinate all the details and logistics, even all the people needed for the accomplishment of His great plans. Now, God of course could easily have simply assigned angels to do the job, right? But God loves including us, His people, in accomplishing HIS great purposes in our world. Do you see that through history? Have you learned it? Have you had that great privilege of being invited, inspired and anointed by God Himself, for ‘mission accomplishment’ with God?
Have you noticed one of the critical factors in success when doing something with detailed plans is doing it exactly according to the plan? The final words God spoke to Moses about this work, which was to be done in constructing this “Tabernacle” were these: “They are to make them just as I commanded you.”(Ex. 31:11) God had been amazingly detailed and specific in His instructions to Moses during this 40 days on Mount Sinai, and now it was vital that Moses make certain the instructions would be followed meticulously. God was teaching Moses and His people that when God gives instructions for a plan, any plan, the instructions are important and must be followed, if we are going to experience the results God intended. Have you and I learned that lesson yet my friends?
Finally, God had one more significant instruction for Moses which would complete His worship lifestyle guidelines, which would distinguish His people from all other people on earth… the SABBATH. No other people on earth set aside one day every week for physical rest, emotional refreshment and spiritual realignment with God. “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe MY Sabbaths. This will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. Observe the Sabbath because it is holy to you… For six days work is to be done but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for generations to come as a lasting covenant…” (Ex. 31:12-17) I have a simple question for us all… do you have a Sabbath day EVERY week? A day which you set aside as ‘holy to the LORD’? And do you guard it, honor it, respect it and especially seek God’s nourishment of your spiritual life on that day? I wonder what special, personal things you experience with God your heavenly Father, or Jesus Christ your Savior and Lord, or the Holy Spirit, as you Sabbath?
40 days is a long time isn’t it? Moses had been on Mount Sinai for almost 40 days, in the cloud with God. It had been a remarkable conversation, but then something very tangible happened. Moses recorded it this way: “When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, God gave Moses the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.” (Ex. 31:18) Stone tablets, carved out of the mountain by the hand of God, with the 10 Commandments inscribed by the finger of God! Can you imagine the look on Moses’ face as his finger traced the letters in the stone? Let’s pause right here with Moses and contemplate what he has experienced and what it all means for him, for the people at the base of the mountain, and for the generations of their descendants… all the way down through time to you and me!
I wonder if you’ve ever heard a story from any of your ancestors about a significant encounter they had with God at some time in the distant past of your family? Do you have a story, of your relationship with God, that you’ll be able to tell your grandchildren? Here’s a song to help us worship…
Today’s Scripture is Exodus 31.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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