Week 2 July 2025, Devotion Part 2

I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship…  Exodus 31:3

It is worth noting that this conversation with Moses is taking place during his forty-day stay on the mountain, from which he will descend with the Ten Commandments. The range of subjects covered is staggering in its complexity, but we dare not miss the significance of divine “name-calling.” Exodus 31:1-2 and verse 6 read as follows: “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’ … And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan…’”  Nobody will ever be able to argue with such specifics!  In Hebrew, Bezalel means “In the Lord’s shadow,” while Oholiab had to figure out why he got stuck with “Father is my tent.” The builder of the early Church, both a tentmaker and its erstwhile tormentor, was named “asked for” by his proud parents.  He fell off his high horse forever when on the road to Damascus, Jesus demanded to know, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” The grieving woman of the Easter account was struck with explosive joy when the man she thought was the gardener said just one word, “Mary!”  While Jesus was still in His mother’s womb, He was given the name that would delineate the sole purpose for His Incarnation. 

What God said to His chosen people in Isaiah 43:1, and by extension to every believer then and now, allows you and me to insert our names into the text   “But now thus says the LORD, 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.’”  Part 2 of 2

Comment: As predicted, it would require numerous skilled workers to build the Tabernacle and its furnishings in accordance with God’s precise instructions given to Moses.  In fact, work as such was never intended as retribution for Adam and Eve’s rebellion, but was a delightfully prominent feature of Paradise as seen in Genesis 2:15, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”  Contrast this with Exodus 32:4, where Aaron explained how he threw the people’s gold jewelry into the fire, “and out came this calf.”  Moses got so worked up over this pathetic fib, he made them grind the bovid idol into powder and drink it with their water as a memorable ”Slave Smoothie”. The creation narratives of most cultures have their roots in contentious competitions for power.  Genesis is unique in its praise of God’s craftsmanship.  He personally pioneered the satisfaction of both work and rest within the seven-day cycle.  He wasn’t tired, but foreshadowed the day when His Son would go on a fun stroll through grain fields with His carefree friends, to debunk the upset Pharisees’ notions of religious Sabbath-keeping. The Apostle Paul really nailed it when he wrote in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."   Exodus 31