Exodus 31:1-18 - Spirit-Filled Ability and Craftsmanship

Exodus 31 ESV

1 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: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, 8 the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, 10 and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.” 12 And the Lord said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’ ” 18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Introduction

God gives the details and specifications of the Tabernacle and its furniture.

He also determined the workmen and the overseers.

He further gifts them for the task.

From first to last it is a work of God.

Spirit-Filled Ability

Supernaturally enabled by the Holy Spirit

Exodus 35:30–35 “Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, 32 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. 34 And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.”

Oholiab - Exodus 38:23 “and with him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.”

Wisdom , here, is very practical - knowing how to do something well.

Not theoretical or philosophical.

Proverbs 3:13 “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,”

Spiritual gifts today

1 Corinthians 12:4–7 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

1 Corinthians 12:11 “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

Spirit equips us for work that is not necessarily “spiritual”

Or we could say all of life is spiritual

Iain Campbell

Opening Up Exodus Workers for the Tabernacle (31:1–11)

the emphasis falls on the fact that this is God’s work; the design is his, the workmen are his, the equipping is his, so that all the glory will be his.

Hudson Taylor - “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.”

Beauty

God is concerned with the beauty of the Tabernacle

Like heaven

The Tabernacle, In all its beauty, is a mere shadow and copy of the true heavenly tabernacle.

A place of unending new beauties.

Beauty is a testimony that it is made by God

God is beautiful and is the author of beauty.

He shares beauty with people that they may know and delight in Him.

What is it that can be enraptured by the loveliness of God’s creation? It is the soul which appreciates beauty. Indeed, God made men’s souls so that they could appreciate the beauty of his handiwork.

Augustine of Hippo

Lust is a perversion of beauty - The misuse of beauty - beauty as idolatry.

God has shown us beauty that we might seek Him as the author and source of beauty and the ultimate display of it.

The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. These things the beauty, the memory of our own past are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers. For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have not visited.99

C. S. Lewis, Screwtape Proposes a Toast

Sabbath

Inclusio - “All that I have commanded you” in 6b and 11

It is to be done His way.

God defines and determines His worship.

Does not negate or override the sabbath command

Breaking the sabbath would undermine the Tabernacle’s importance.

He has given them a sacred job but they are not to work on the Sabbath.

Sin to build the place of worship on the day of worship.

The Tabernacle was a type of new creation - hence the Sabbath

Restoration of the dwelling with God in Eden and the rest enjoyed

Setting aside the time for God’s worship and communion with Him.

Sign - Exodus 31:17 “It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’ ””

Sign - physical pointer to a spiritual reality

It is a sign that they have been set apart for God

Keeping the sabbath is equated with keeping the covenant.

It designates Israel as recipients of a special relationship with God.

Breaking the Sabbath is breaking the covenant.

Application

How is keeping the Sabbath today a sign of our relationship to Christ?

How is it a foretaste of our eternal rest with Him?

All Gifts

James 1:16–17 ESV

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

What abilities has God given to you?

Are you thankful?

Do you use them for God’s glory?

Ask of God

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Sinful misuse of beauty

Lust, pornography.

Idolatry

Pride

All created beauty is tainted by sin

When we are glorified every trace of sin will be removed

All the results and consequences of it will be gone.

Every Christian will be glorious in beauty

The creation will be remade and be more beautiful than anything our eyes have ever behold.

If the creation can be that beautiful, how much more beautiful is the Creator

This is what worship is and what glorifying God is.

Our eyes are opened to His beauty and we know Him to be supreme in beauty.

So, we desire Him above all.

Pearl and Treasure

He is the fullness of all desirable qualities.

The love of sin can only be expelled by a greater love of God

Evangelism: Is how the church displays the beauty of Christ

Closing Hymn: Fairest Lord Jesus

Benediction: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him”