Bezaleel, the Craftsman

GOLDEN TEXT: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.”—Ecclesiastes 9:10

OUR Golden Text is expressive of a very important thought concerning our privileges of serving the Lord. It recalls a question the Lord asked Moses. When the great lawgiver of Israel indicated that in his opinion he lacked the necessary ability to deliver the Hebrews from the Egyptians, the Lord asked, “What is that in thine hand?” (Exod. 4:2) Following up this question, the Lord proved to Moses that if he were faithful in the use of what he possessed divine wisdom and power would crown his service with success.

A similar lesson is brought to us in Jesus’ Parable of the Talents. (Matt. 25:14-30) Not all have ten talents. Some have only one. But if these talents—representing the opportunities given to them in keeping with their abilities—are wisely and faithfully used, the Lord is pleased, and they greatly rejoice in the blessings they receive through their faithfulness. We are to do with our might what our hands find to do, and it is in the Lord’s providence that every Christian can find some opportunity of service. There is something for every consecrated child of God to do.

EXODUS 31:1-11—Bezaleel filled a very important position in the arrangements of the Lord for his day. Evidently he was faithful to the opportunities of service which the Lord gave to him, yet he was not a leader in Israel; so his name is not familiar to most students of the Bible. The manner in which the Lord used him, and the example of his faithfulness should be of great encouragement to us who are not given prominent positions in the Lord’s vineyard today. When we think of Bezaleel, it should help us to realize that there are things to be done in the Lord’s service besides teaching and publicly proclaiming the truth.

Only one lawgiver and mediator was needed to serve the natural house of Israel, and Moses filled that position. But there were other things to be done. God instructed. Moses to build a tabernacle and to furnish it. To carry out these instructions satisfactorily, a skilled craftsman was needed, and the Lord provided one in Bezaleel. This assures us that when there is a needed service to be rendered for the Lord he is abundantly able to raise up someone to do it. His arm is never shortened.

The account tells us that God filled Bezaleel with his Spirit, thus enabling him to “devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass; and in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.” Evidently Bezaleel was the master workman, the foreman in charge, as it were, but there were others also skilled who labored with him in building the tabernacle and making its furnishings according to the instructions which the Lord had given to Moses.

God filled these with his Spirit. God’s Spirit is his power, and when he says that he filled Bezaleel with his Spirit, it simply means that he gave him the necessary skill to perform the tasks at hand. We should not confuse this filling of the Spirit with that which occurs in the lives of God’s consecrated people during the present age. All of God’s purposes are carried out by the exercise of his Spirit. Beginning with Jesus, his work has. been the creating of a house of sons, and his Spirit has begotten each one of these and thus brought them into his family as sons.

But it was different in the case of Bezaleel. The Spirit of God in his life was not a begetting power. It did not constitute him a son of God. Rather, it was an energizing influence which brightened the mind and gave skill to the hands, enabling Bezaleel to be an expert in all manner of construction work needed for building the tabernacle and making its furnishings.

We have no way of knowing to what extent the filling of Bezaleel with the Spirit of God wrought miracles in his life. It seems reasonable to conclude, however, that he had considerable natural ability along the lines needed, and that in God’s providences he was made more proficient. Nor are we to overlook the probable fact that the Spirit of God in Bezaleel gave him an intense desire to be used by God for this service, and that this desire to co-operate had much to do with his success. The fact that one is doing that which he believes is a service pleasing to God is in itself a great aid in doing the work well.

II CHRONICLES 1:5—In this text we have evidence that Bezaleel not only was made capable of rendering the service assigned to him, but also that he actually performed it. Thus the entire tabernacle and its furnishings stood as a testimony to his faithfulness and as evidence that he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to the task in hand. His service was not of the same nature as that rendered by Moses and Aaron, but it was a needed service, and it gave him the opportunity of displaying his love for God and his desire to serve him. No matter how insignificant the task may seem which God has assigned to us, let us be faithful in doing it. Of Mary it was said, “She hath done what she could!” (Mark 14:8) May this be true of all of us!

The importance to us of any service we may have the privilege of rendering is measured by our zeal in doing it. The smallest service performed faithfully is more honorable in God’s sight than greater things which may be done halfheartedly.

QUESTIONS:

Which is more important, the kind of service we render, or the faithfulness with which we serve?

In what sense was Bezaleel filled with the Holy Spirit?

How do we know that Bezaleel was faithful in the service assigned to him?

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