Weekly Scripture Reading: Exodus 28-40

This weeks reading may have seemed repetitive on the surface, but there were SO many beautiful truths to draw from. I honestly had a hard time deciding what I wanted to write about because there were so many great truths and principals.

Should I write about the river of blood that constantly flowed from the temple due to the never ending slaughter of animal sacrifices, and how that was there to remind the people how disgusting their sin was to God? Or should I talk about how Moses's face shown after being in the presence of God, and with the gift of the Holy Spirit we can have that same spiritual glow after spending time sitting at the feet of Christ through time in the Word & Prayer? What about the fact that the tent of tabernacle was made to be an exact replica of the throne room of God in heaven? Oh, there are SO MANY beautiful things to discover in these chapters when you dig deeper. But today, I'm going to focus on what the LORD was speaking to my heart through reading His words.

The Artisans Called by God

Exodus 28:3 So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.

Exodus 31:1-7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you:”

Exodus 35:30-35 And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship. “And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver—those who do every work and those who design artistic works.

Exodus 38:22 Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

These verses jumped out at me as I was reading the text. First of all, I LOVE that God is a relational God.

He knows us.

He cares for us.

He calls us by name.

But not only does He knows us by name, He gives us all of our interests, skills and abilities intentionally, no matter how practical they are.

Can you imagine being Bezalel? He was a gifted artist, and yet he spent his whole life doing skilled trades for a slave master. Then God, delivered him. I'm curious if he questioned whether or not he would ever use his skills again. I wonder it he wanted to use his skills again? I doubt he ever imagined that the God of the universe would ask him to make His very Holy Temple. What a privileged!

It can be SO easy to look at the passions, skills, and abilities God has given us and to wonder, "How could God ever use this for His glory?" But who are we to question God? He made us intentionally, specifically, with a purpose in mind.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Just like God called Bezalel by name, just as God had a purpose and plan to use his skills, even though they may have seemed spiritually invaluable at first glance. God has a purpose and plan for us. What gifts has He given you? What passions has He put on your heart? When we open ourselves up to be used by Him, we will find that even the most simple of skills can be used by God to bring Him glory.

However, it doesn't stop there! Not only does God give us the skills and abilities to do what He has prepared us for; but He puts in our hearts the wisdom to do those very things! You see, God hasn't given us skills and abilities and then said, "Go figure out how to use them for my glory." No, He gives us the skills, then He gives us the specific wisdom and knowledge we need, when we need it, so we can walk in the path He has planned for us. What a beautifully encouraging truth!

If you have ever felt useless, if you have ever wondered if maybe you aren't doing things right. If you have ever thought that maybe your skills aren't quite what God needs. Think again!

God can use all manner of skills and abilities; and He will give you the specific wisdom you need, to walk in the path He has laid before you today.

Finally, at the end of our reading in Chapter 38, we saw that Bezalel DID all that the LORD had commanded. This is not because Bezalel was incredibly, faithful. Rather, it is because God is faithful.

He gave Bezalel abilities & skills.

He gave Bezalel the wisdom to do His commands.

He gave Bezalel the strength do all that He had commanded.

So as we go forth into this week, let us be encouraged, knowing that God has made us specifically for a purpose. Rejoice that He has a plan to use our skills for His glory, no matter how seemingly spiritually insignificant those skills are. And rest, knowing He will give us the ability to carry out the very things He has given us to do.

I hope the scripture reading encourages you as much as it did me. Be blessed. :-)

Author: Abigail Escobedo