Bird's-eye view
In this crucial passage, we pivot from the divine blueprints to the divine builders. For six chapters, God has laid out the intricate design of the Tabernacle, His portable dwelling place. Now, He addresses the practical matter of its construction. But this is no mere logistical addendum. This is a profound theological statement about the nature of work, skill, art, and the Holy Spirit. God does not simply command that a thing be done; He sovereignly equips and calls the men who will do it. The same God who parted the Red Sea and delivered the Ten Commandments is the God who empowers a man to cut a gemstone just so. This passage demolishes any gnostic separation between the sacred and the secular. The filling of the Spirit is not just for prophets and preachers, but for artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Tabernacle is thus revealed to be a divine work from start to finish, a microcosm of God's work in creation and His ultimate work of building His Church, the true temple, through the diverse, Spirit-given gifts of His people.
The Lord calls two men by name, Bezalel and Oholiab, and explicitly states that He has filled them with His Spirit to accomplish this task. This is not a general blessing but a specific empowerment for a specific vocation. Their wisdom, understanding, and knowledge for craftsmanship are direct gifts from God. This principle extends to all the other skilled workers as well. God is the ultimate source of all human ability, and when that ability is consecrated to His purposes, it becomes a holy act of worship. The work of these men's hands was to give tangible, glorious form to the central realities of the gospel: God's presence, His law, His mercy, and the need for atoning sacrifice.
Outline
- 1. The Divine Calling of the Craftsmen (Ex 31:1-11)
- a. The Sovereign Summons of Bezalel (Ex 31:1-2)
- b. The Spiritual Source of Skill (Ex 31:3-5)
- c. The Appointed Helper and the Gifted Crew (Ex 31:6)
- d. The Consecrated Task: Building the Gospel (Ex 31:7-11)
Context In Exodus
Exodus 31 comes as the capstone to the extensive section detailing the instructions for the Tabernacle and the priesthood (Exodus 25-30). Having given the "what," God now reveals the "who" and the "how." This revelation occurs while Moses is still on Mount Sinai, receiving the two tablets of the testimony. The placement is significant. It immediately precedes the catastrophic failure of Israel in the golden calf incident (Exodus 32). This creates a stark and intentional contrast. Down below, the people are using their artistic skills, learned in Egypt, to create a golden idol in a frenzy of apostasy. Up on the mountain, God is commissioning craftsmen, filled with His Spirit, to create a holy sanctuary for His worship. One is man-centered, idolatrous art; the other is God-centered, Spirit-filled art. This passage provides the divine ideal for work and worship, which makes the subsequent rebellion all the more tragic.
Key Issues
- The Sovereignty of God in Vocation
- The Work of the Holy Spirit in Practical Skills
- The Abolition of the Sacred/Secular Divide
- Art and Craftsmanship as Worship
- The Tabernacle as a Type of Christ and the Church
- Corporate Giftedness in the Covenant Community
Spirit-Filled Handiwork
One of the most persistent errors in Christian thinking is the notion that the work of the Holy Spirit is confined to a "spiritual" box. We think of the Spirit in connection with prophecy, speaking in tongues, regeneration, and perhaps preaching a sermon. But here, at the foundation of Israel's formal worship, we find the Spirit's primary activity is related to metalwork, engraving, and carpentry. This is a direct, frontal assault on any worldview that deems certain jobs "holy" and others "secular."
God is the God of all of life. The same Spirit who moved over the face of the waters in creation is the one who fills Bezalel with wisdom for craftsmanship. This means that excellence in one's vocation, whatever it is, is a spiritual matter. A Christian plumber who fixes a leak with integrity and skill is operating under the same broad principle as a pastor preparing a sermon. All honest work, done as unto the Lord, is a holy calling. God is not just interested in the state of your soul on Sunday morning; He is interested in the state of your work on Tuesday afternoon. Bezalel and Oholiab are the patron saints of the Spirit-filled tradesman, demonstrating that the pursuit of excellence in our earthly craft is a direct means of glorifying our heavenly Father.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1-2 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
The work begins with a divine and sovereign initiative. God speaks. God sees. And God calls. This is not a committee meeting to find the most qualified contractor. This is a divine summons. The phrase I have called by name is intensely personal. It denotes a specific, deliberate, and authoritative choice. God did not just call for "a man," He called for "this man," Bezalel. This is the language of election. God knows His servants intimately before they ever lift a tool. It is also significant that Bezalel is from the tribe of Judah, the tribe of kings. The chief builder of God's house comes from the royal line, a clear foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, who is the ultimate builder of God's true house, the Church.
3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in discernment, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship,
This is the central theological declaration of the passage. The source of Bezalel's extraordinary skill is not his apprenticeship in Egypt, his natural talent, or his diligent practice, though those things may have been the means God used. The ultimate source is a direct filling of the Spirit of God. This is a supernatural endowment for a practical task. Notice the categories of this giftedness: wisdom (the ability to see the big picture and make sound judgments), discernment (or understanding, the ability to grasp the details of the plan), knowledge (the technical know-how), and all kinds of craftsmanship (the manual dexterity to execute the work). This is a comprehensive equipping. The Holy Spirit is not a vague influence; He is the giver of concrete, functional, and artistic competence for the glory of God.
4-5 to devise artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, in order for him to work in all kinds of craftsmanship.
The Spirit's filling enables Bezalel not just to follow instructions, but to devise artistic designs. This implies a measure of creative freedom within the bounds of God's revealed pattern. God is not the author of drab utilitarianism. He is the author of beauty, and He gifts men to create beauty for His sanctuary. The materials listed, precious metals, stones, and wood, are the finest materials of the created order, now being consecrated and elevated for the purpose of worship. This is a picture of redemption. God takes the stuff of this world and, through the Spirit-filled work of His people, transforms it into something that reflects His glory. Bezalel's work is a kind of sub-creation, bringing order and beauty to raw materials, just as God did in the beginning.
6 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 wise at heart I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you:
God's work is corporate. Bezalel is not a lone artistic genius. God says, I Myself have appointed a co-laborer, Oholiab. The divine initiative is stressed again. Oholiab is from the tribe of Dan, a less distinguished tribe than Judah, demonstrating that God's gifts are distributed sovereignly throughout His people, not just to the elite. But it doesn't stop there. God says that He has put wisdom in the hearts of all who are wise at heart. This refers to the entire team of skilled artisans. God equips the whole body. Those who already had a natural or learned skill (wise at heart) are given a divine enhancement of that skill for this holy project. God does not create ex nihilo in this case; He takes existing ability and sanctifies and elevates it for His purpose.
7-11 the tent of meeting, and the ark of testimony, and the mercy seat upon it, and all the furniture of the tent, the table also and its utensils, and the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering also with all its utensils, and the laver and its stand, the woven garments as well, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, with which to minister as priests; the anointing oil also, and the fragrant incense for the holy place, they shall make them according to all that I have commanded you.”
This long list serves as the job description for this Spirit-filled construction crew. It is not just a random collection of religious items. Each piece is a sermon in physical form, a shadow of the good things to come in Christ. They are building the place where God will meet with man (the tent of meeting), the throne of God on earth (the ark and mercy seat), the representation of Christ as the light (lampstand) and the bread of life (table), the instruments of atonement (altar of burnt offering) and intercession (altar of incense), and the holy clothing that sets apart the priesthood. Their craftsmanship is gospel work. They are building the stage upon which the drama of redemption would be acted out for centuries, until the true Tabernacle, Jesus Christ, came and dwelt among us. The final phrase, according to all that I have commanded you, reminds us that this Spirit-filled creativity operates under the authority of God's Word. It is freedom, but not autonomy.
Application
The implications of this passage for the Christian life are immense. First, it utterly destroys the false wall we have built between sacred and secular work. If the Holy Spirit can fill a man to be a better carpenter for God's glory, then He can fill you to be a better software engineer, mother, accountant, or farmer for that same glory. Your workplace is a sanctuary, and your labor is a liturgy. The question is not what you do, but for whom and by whose power you do it. We are to seek to be filled with the Spirit, not just for our quiet times, but for our board meetings and our workshops.
Second, this passage calls us to a robust pursuit of excellence. The Tabernacle was to be made with breathtaking skill and beauty because it was for a glorious God. Shoddy, lazy, or dishonest work is an insult to the God who has gifted us. Whether you are writing a legal brief or mowing a lawn, the call is to do it with all your might, with the wisdom and skill that God provides, as an offering of worship to Him. Our work is a testimony to the God we serve.
Finally, we see that God builds His church the same way He built the Tabernacle. He calls specific people by name, and He fills them with His Spirit, giving them a vast diversity of gifts. Some are Bezalels, some are Oholiabs, and some are the unnamed artisans in the background. All are necessary. The church is not built by a few talented professionals, but by the coordinated, Spirit-empowered work of every member. Your gift, whether it seems prominent or humble, has been sovereignly bestowed by God for the building up of the body of Christ. Find your place, seek the Spirit's filling, and get to work building God's house.