Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God. (Exodus 29:45, 46 NLT)
"Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. (Exodus 31:2, 3 NLT)
A coupe of things stood out to me about today's reading. First, the detail for the tabernacle can sometimes be nauseating. Can you imagine having to perform all of these duties dotting every "i" & crossing every "t"?
Why all the detail? Why all the processes & procedures? Why all the peculiarities? Exodus 29:45 answers that for us. "Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God." This is what it means for God to dwell with men. This is what it takes. God is holy & we are not. Usually that combination doesn't end well for us! The only way a holy God can dwell with sinful man is in this way. There has to be an intercession between the two. The tabernacle is that intercessor. A picture of the intercessor that Christ would one day be. Not the temporary tent of the OT but a permanent intercessor for us always before the Father!
Second, I'm amazed at how God equips his people. We think about this when it comes to the NT but often forget that God is the same God in the OT. Bezalel son of Uri, was able to perform all the work that he was given for the tabernacle not because he was skilled. I mean, he was skilled but notice how the Bible says he was skilled. "I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts" (Exodus 31:2, 3 NLT). It was the Spirit of God that equipped him to do the work.
When we think about what God has called us to do, we often think in terms of our ability & gifts. This is a natural way to think because I believe God has gifted us all for his kingdom. But do we realize that all of these talent & gifts come from his Spirit? Do we realize that he has created us like we are for his purposes?
In what ways are we depending more on us than God when it comes to our kingdom usefulness!? In what ways has God gifted us that we are only using for business profit & not kingdoms expansion?
We are not accidents. God has created & designed us to fit into his Kingdom purpose. How can we better use what God has given us for eternal pursuits?
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