The Spirit of the Craftsman
Introduction: The Gnostic Contagion
We live in an age that is functionally gnostic. Gnosticism was an ancient heresy that taught that the spiritual world was good and the material world was evil, or at best, a clumsy mistake. The goal of salvation was to escape the prison of the body and the material world to ascend to some purely spiritual plane. While few in our pews would sign their name to that creed, the assumptions of it have seeped into the church like marsh gas. We have created a false dichotomy between the sacred and the secular. We think of the "spiritual" disciplines as prayer, Bible study, and evangelism, and we think of the "worldly" things as changing the oil in your car, framing a house, or designing a spreadsheet. We think a pastor's work is "full time ministry," but a carpenter's is not.
This is a lie from the pit. It is a profound misunderstanding of the God who took on flesh, who had calloused hands from a carpenter's shop, and who will one day return to a renewed, physical heaven and a renewed, physical earth. God is not embarrassed by matter. He created it. He loves it. He is redeeming it. And as our text in Exodus today demonstrates with glorious force, He anoints it, fills it, and beautifies it by His own Spirit for His own glory.
Here, in the wilderness, as God is giving the blueprint for His dwelling place among His people, He does not just provide the architectural plans. He provides the architects. And He does not just call them to a job; He fills them with His Spirit to do it. This passage is a theology of work, a theology of art, and a theology of the Holy Spirit all rolled into one. It teaches us that the work of our hands, when done in faith, is not a distraction from our spiritual life; it is a central theater of our spiritual life.
The Text
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. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in discernment, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 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. 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: 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."
(Exodus 31:1-11 LSB)
The Divine Summons (v. 1-2)
The first thing we must see is the absolute sovereignty of God in this work.
"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.'" (Exodus 31:1-2 LSB)
God does not post a job opening on a bulletin board and wait for resumes. He calls by name. This is a divine summons, a personal and specific appointment. The initiative is entirely God's. This is the same way He calls us to salvation. He knows His sheep by name. Your calling, whether to salvation or to a specific task, is not a random accident. It is a direct, personal, and authoritative act of the sovereign God.
Notice that God also identifies Bezalel by his lineage. He is the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. This is not incidental trivia. God works covenantally, through generations. Hur, you may remember, was one of the men who held up Moses' arms during the battle with Amalek. Faithfulness runs in the family. Furthermore, Bezalel is from the tribe of Judah, the royal tribe, the tribe from which King David and, ultimately, the Lord Jesus Christ would come. It is fitting that the chief artisan for God's earthly dwelling place should come from the kingly line. The one who builds the King's house is a son of the kingly tribe.
The Spirit of Craftsmanship (v. 3-5)
Next, we see the source of Bezalel's extraordinary skill. It is not mere natural talent.
"And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in discernment, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 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." (Exodus 31:3-5 LSB)
This is a bombshell. The same Spirit of God who hovered over the waters of creation, who inspired the prophets, and who descended upon Jesus at His baptism, is the one who fills a man for metalworking, gem cutting, and woodworking. This utterly destroys our gnostic categories. The Holy Spirit is not just interested in sermons and prayers; He is interested in joinery and metallurgy. He is the Lord of all skilled labor.
Look at the portfolio of gifts. He is filled with the Spirit in wisdom, which is the master skill, the ability to do the work with excellence. He is given discernment or understanding, the intelligence to see how all the intricate parts fit together into a coherent whole. He is given knowledge, an intimate familiarity with the raw materials. And this results in "all kinds of craftsmanship." This is a divine empowerment for practical, hands-on, material work.
And the purpose is not just functional. It is "to devise artistic designs." God is not a utilitarian. He is an artist. He loves beauty, intricacy, and glory. The tabernacle was not meant to be a drab, functional tent. It was meant to be breathtakingly beautiful, a small picture of the staggering beauty of heaven. This means that art and beauty are not luxuries; they are fundamental to the worship of God. The Christian artist, the Christian musician, the Christian architect, when working from this foundation, is doing deeply spiritual work.
Collaborative Obedience (v. 6)
God's work is never done by lone rangers. Bezalel is not meant to be a one-man show.
"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." (Exodus 31:6 LSB)
God Himself appoints Oholiab as Bezalel's partner. Notice the pairing. Bezalel is from Judah, the leading tribe in the south. Oholiab is from Dan, a leading tribe in the north. God is bringing His whole people together for this project. This is a picture of the unity of the body of Christ. God gifts His church with a diversity of talents, and we are called to work together, shoulder to shoulder, to build His house.
Then the principle is broadened. God says that in the hearts of "all who are wise at heart I have put wisdom." The phrase "wise at heart" refers to those who are skilled. And God says He is the one who put that skill there. Your gifting is not your own. Your talent is not an accident of your DNA. It is a divine deposit. Whether you are a master plumber, a gifted teacher, a sharp accountant, or a creative chef, your skill is from God. And because it is from God, it must be used for God, according to His commands. The goal of all this Spirit-given wisdom is "that they may make all that I have commanded you." True, Spirit-filled creativity is always exercised in glad submission to the Word of God. The world champions rebellious, transgressive art. The Bible champions obedient, constructive art.
The Great Commission in Miniature (v. 7-11)
The passage concludes with a detailed list of the items to be built. This is not just an inventory; it is the mission brief.
"...the tent of meeting, and the ark of testimony, and the mercy seat upon it...the table...the lampstand...the altar of incense...the altar of burnt offering...the laver...the garments...the anointing oil...the fragrant incense..." (Exodus 31:7-11 LSB)
Every single one of these items is a sermon in wood and gold. They all point forward to the person and work of Jesus Christ. The ark with the mercy seat is the throne of God, where atonement is made, pointing to Christ our propitiation. The altar of burnt offering is the cross. The laver is baptism and cleansing. The lampstand is the light of God's Word. The table of showbread is Christ, the Bread of Life. The incense is the prayers of the saints, made acceptable through Christ's intercession.
What Bezalel and Oholiab were called to do was to build a gospel-shaped world in miniature. They were to use their Spirit-filled skills to construct a replica of the heavenly reality, a place where a holy God could dwell in the midst of a sinful people. They were to make the gospel visible, tangible, and beautiful.
Conclusion: Building God's House Today
So what does this mean for us? The tabernacle of Moses is gone. The Temple of Solomon is gone. The true and final temple, the ultimate meeting place between God and man, has come in the person of Jesus Christ. As John says, the Word became flesh and "tabernacled" among us. He is the reality to which all these beautiful things pointed.
And now, by faith in Him, we, the church, have become the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are "being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit" (Eph. 2:22). The construction project continues, and we are the builders.
The same Spirit who filled Bezalel has been poured out upon the whole church. You have been called by name. You have been filled with the Spirit of God. And you have been given wisdom, discernment, and knowledge for all kinds of craftsmanship. Your craft may not be in gold and silver, but it is a craft nonetheless. It may be the craft of raising children, of managing an office, of writing code, of fixing engines, of preparing meals, of balancing budgets, of teaching students.
Do not fall for the gnostic lie that this work is somehow less spiritual than reading your Bible. Your work is the place where your sanctification gets worked out with sleeves rolled up. It is the raw material that you are to take and, by the wisdom the Spirit gives, shape into an offering of worship to God. God has given you a craft, a team to work with, and a command: build my house. Build your family, build your business, build this church, build this community, all according to the blueprint of my Word. Do it with all the Spirit-filled skill you have, and do it for the glory of the King.