Reflections from March 2, 2011

The Israelites begin in earnest the work of the temple, and the craftsmen assemble after the people bring their freewill gifts. We read in Exodus 35:29,
"The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done."
What's interesting here is that these are freewill offerings, that is, no one forced them to give these things. People brought these as gifts, not to others in the camp, not to show that they had more than others, but as a gift to God for His purpose to create a tabernacle that He could reside in. Since it was God that was to inhabit this space, they wanted it to be beautiful, so they did not hold back. This is important to note today, for it still costs money, time and talent to make our churches run efficiently, and be a beautiful place for the Lord to reside in.

Moses brought out the skilled artisans to lead the work, and he indicated how they had been chosen by God, called by name. We read in Exodus 36:1,
"And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded."
The Spirit of God is said to be the source of the many skills and abilities required for the design and construction of the tabernacle; metalwork, jewelry making, carpentry, engraving, weaving, and other related talents. As the people began to build the tabernacle, it was evident that the Spirit was actively involved. This included:
* They were motivated
* They were gifted or skilled in certain areas
* They were generous with these skills
* They kept their motivation strong to the finish
The same Spirit who was available to the ancient Israelite workers is ready and willing to help each one of us carry out our work to the glory of God. We need to make sure that others know our good work each day is a gift from God.

Bezalel in particular showed his gifts as described in Exodus 37:1, 10, 17, 25, 29 where it says,
"Then Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood;..." "He made the table of acacia wood;..." "He also made the lampstand of pure gold;..." He made the incense alter of acacia wood." He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices,..."
It's important to note that Moses delivered to Bezalel and the others the specific instructions regarding each of these implements; however, each craftsman was also given the freedom to use design according to their skill and within the boundary as given by God. Since this ability was given from God, and they were using instructions specifically given by God, they were doing their work within the skills and abilities by God, for God, and to God. It was almost impossible to mess this up.

When we do our work with that type of alignment today, we can have the same success. We need to believe that even today, the fundamental truth of Scripture holds continuous that we specifically are created in God's image; every individual that inhabits Earth. God has placed Himself in our blueprint, and it is unique. There is no one else like us in that our face, fingerprints, voice and genetic makeup are unmatched throughout the Earth and throughout humanity. God has specifically handcrafted each of us with a unique set of talents and motivations. It stands to reason then that God has also designed us for His special reasons, to carry out a special purpose and mission. Therefore, God intends that our life is aimed toward fulfilling His purpose. Because this fulfillment is aligned with our skills and talents, it will bring us supreme pleasure, as that is how God has designed us. However, it's not because of the joy we'll get for fulfilling that purpose that we do this (that is one of God's gifts), it's because we have a responsibility to our Creator. God intends that we live with Him and live for Him. Our life must center on God.

As a closing thought for today, consider the words of David as found in Psalms 26:11-12,
"But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me. My foot stands in an even place; In the congregation I will bless the Lord."

In all you do today, bless the Lord.

Blessings to all