Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts.
Exodus 35:30-33 NIV
What comes to mind when you hear the term spiritual gifts? It’s likely that you think of preaching or teaching. Or maybe speaking in tongues. Or any of the other gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12. And indeed, those all are spiritual gifts. But we should be careful not to limit our inventory of spiritual gifts to those listed in one of the New Testament passages that talk about gifts.
Bezalel, along with Oholiab, were two men who were instrumental in building the Tabernacle and all of its furnishings. These men were skilled craftsmen, able to work with their hands to produce intricate and beautiful designs. Today we might be tempted to say that they had a natural talent as craftsmen.
Exodus is clear that the Spirit of God had filled them with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skills of an artistic nature. Their ability to craft these intricate designs was a spiritual gift. And that gifting enabled them to produce a place of worship for the forming nation of Israel.
Gifted by God
You may not be a Paul, a spiritual giant tasked and gifted to spread the gospel across the world. And you may not be a Bezalel, a master craftsman tasked and gifted to build a place of worship. But God has called and gifted you to serve him in some way.
So be faithful to your calling and use the gifts and abilities God has given you in building up his kingdom. You should not think that your abilities are not important in the kingdom. God has given them to you for a reason.
Just the exhortation to clear my mind, and heart, to help me grasp, with amazing clarity, of what God wants me to do for the Kingdom. And He has provided the Oholiab to ease my new-found place in the Body of believers….
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