Blog

100_Marks of a Spirit-filled man

Ex 31: 1-6 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.”

When asked how he produced his masterpieces in stone, a master sculptor answered, “I see the finished sculpture inside the stone. I just chip away the unwanted to reveal it.” This statement mirrors how God calls and equips individuals for His work. Throughout history, God has chosen ordinary people, filled them with His Spirit, and empowered them to accomplish his will. One such example is found in Exodus 31:1-6, in the appointment of Bezalel and Oholiab.

The vision of the tabernacle, and the detailed plan for its building, was given to Moses. The Lord who created the heavens and the earth by His word wanted his people to build him a dwelling place and sanctuary. He handpicked two men to lead the work, and others to help them. These men, with their frailties and sins, could not do the work of God unless they were filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the first instance in the scriptures where God fills a man with His Spirit. As with the rest of the Tabernacle, this is also a pattern that well repays a closer look.

God invites Moses’ attention to the person whom He has chosen. “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri.” God picked out one man by name. Like everyone else, he was a slave in Egypt, making bricks for a cruel master. But now God calls him to do His work. It was not Moses, the leader, or the people, who recognized or appointed him by consensus or through any kind of test. It was God’s sovereign election.

For all God’s people, Isaiah 43:1 says, “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.’”

The name Bezalel means “in the shadow of God.” A man filled with the Spirit of God stands in the shadow or protection of God. Psalm 91 says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” Boaz speaks of Ruth in Ruth 2:12, “The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” Living in God’s shadow, one is protected and hidden by him, and lives close to him. The Lord receives the glory that is due to Him through our work. John the Baptist, who was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb, said, “He must increase and I must decrease” in the sight of men.

When Bezalel was filled with the Spirit, he was equipped “with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,” for the work of the tabernacle. Our Lord was anointed and filled with the Spirit for a far greater task. Isaiah 11:1-2 says, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” And we, who belong to Him, are made partakers of the same Spirit, so that we may be built into a dwelling place of God.

A Spirit-filled leader follows the Divine pattern in fulfilling his task. Bezalel and his co-workers were filled with the Spirit so that “they may make all that I have commanded you.” Bezalel, though a gifted craftsman, followed the plan of God in bringing to reality what God showed Moses on the mountain. Exodus 38:22 says, “Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses.”

One filled with the Spirit to oversee such work is also able to teach others. He cannot do the work of the Tabernacle all by himself. So in Exodus 35:34, it is written, “And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan.”

All who are filled with the Spirit are endowed to do his part of the work skilfully and are ready to work with others who possess totally different roles and skills. Exodus 35:35 states, “He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work.” Bezalel’s co-worker Oholiab, from the tribe of Dan, was known as “an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.” (Exodus 38:23). Others were skilled in various parts of the work, and together they built this marvelous structure as a dwelling place for the name of the Lord.

In the temple of God, there is highly skilled work, but also, at the same time, menial work. A Spirit-filled man willingly fulfills whatever part of the work is given to him. All skills can be used for God’s glory. The Tabernacle needed woodcutters who provided the trees from which all the boards and wooden furniture were made. It needed craftsmen – woodworkers, weavers, metalsmiths, embroiderers and jewelers. It needed the women who spun and wove the beautiful inner curtains, as well as those who skilfully made the protective rugged outer tent coverings. There was a purpose for every skill God had given his people.

The recounting of this part of Israel’s history concludes by saying, “According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work.” (Exodus 39:42).

God approves work done for His glory in the power of His Spirit. Exodus 40:33-34 states, “So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.” The Father’s voice recognized Jesus, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased.” Acts 11:24 speaks of Barnabas: “For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”

Work done humbly in the power of God’s Spirit in humility impacts divine history. Many centuries later, 2 Chronicles 1:5 says, “Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the Tabernacle of the Lord. And Solomon and the assembly sought it out. And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.”

A true child of God is not just a member of the family of God, but a builder together with the Lord, in the house of God which is not built by hands. Paul exhorts in 1 Corinthians 3:10, “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.” It is our privilege and responsibility to bring into the service of the Lord the gifts that He has bestowed upon us. Let us devote our skills to complete our assigned and various tasks. Let us walk in liberty, encouraging each one to use the different abilities they have, according to God’s plan and leading, so that he may dwell among his people. God bless.