“Now 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.” (Exodus 31:1-2)
Exodus 30 had some great lessons for us about worshipping God. Exodus 31 contains some wonderful insights into serving God through ministry.
In this chapter, we are first introduced to a very remarkable Israelite named Bezalel. Referring to this man, the Lord told Moses:
“I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship” (Exodus 31:3)
Talk about being gifted for ministry! God had given this man everything he needed in order to construct the Tabernacle according to the blueprint given to Moses. Bezalel had the knowledge, the skills, and the talent to fulfill this task to the letter.
The question is sometimes asked whether a person should use the gifts they already have to serve God when they become a Christian or if God will give them new gifts and talents to serve Him. While the Lord definitely can and sometimes does equip people with entirely new skills and abilities when they become Christians, there is a very interesting statement given here:
“And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you:” (Exodus 31:6, emphasis added)
God put skill in the hearts of the skillful. In other words, those who were already gifted in these areas were gifted again with a fresh and new giftedness. Bezalel was without a doubt a skilled carpenter before leaving Egypt, but now his abilities were amplified and redirected to be used specifically for the Lord’s work. People who are gifted singers can use that gift in a new way to serve the Lord when they come to Christ. People who are gifted speakers can use that gift of speaking to speak about the Gospel when they become Christians. And those who are gifted in construction and craftsmanship can apply those gifts toward the work of the Lord. We are all skillful in some area when we come to the Lord, but He will put skill in an already skillful heart that our work might now be for His purposes and glory.
In a post I wrote a while back, I listed Bezalel as one of the “10 Lesser Known Heroes Of The Bible” because he fulfilled a specific calling and ministry which God called him into by name. And Bezalel was faithful and dedicated to that calling. He wasn’t called to lead the nation like Moses was. He wasn’t called to serve as High Priest like Aaron was. But he was called to serve as the foreman on the Tabernacle construction crew. God needed the skills and talents which Bezalel possessed and so the Lord called him to serve in that capacity.
There is a calling for each and every child of God, an area where the Lord wants every one of us to serve Him in a way in which we are uniquely equipped and gifted. Some callings might be more prominent and of a higher profile than others, but none is more valuable to God than any other. Bezalel was not called into the same ministry as Moses, but then again, neither was Moses called into the same ministry as Bezalel. They each faithfully carried out the work which the Lord had called them into. Every child of God should do likewise.
To God goes all glory. In service to Him,
Loren
**Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) © The Lockman Foundation and are used by permission.
[If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ or you are not certain where you are headed when this life ends, I invite you to read the article "Am I Going To Heaven?"]