Exodus 31 – June 26

One of the greatest blessings that we have in this life, truly one of the most humbling and mind-boggling realities of the Christian life is that the Holy Spirit has been sent to make His home in our hearts. Every single believer functions as the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20)  We are promised that the Holy Spirit will indwell us (Ezekiel 36:27), and seal our salvation (Eph. 1:13), and  causes us to bear fruit (Gal. 5:16-21). But, the Holy Spirit functioned in a markedly different manner under the Old Covenant. In particular, the work of the Holy Spirit was different in the sense that His presence was not permanently on people, like it He is with us after the day of Pentecost and the birth of the church. However, that does not mean that the Holy Spirit was inactive under the Old Covenant. He was always working to bring glory to the Son. In the Old Testament, the primary way that is displayed is in the empowerment that the Holy Spirit provided to create and inhabit the objects that would serve as foreshadowing of the Messiah.

I know that was a mouthful (if you are reading out loud). Let me simplify it this way. Look at how the Holy Spirit ensured that every single piece of the tabernacle and its furniture through the hands of the Israelites. “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.” (vs. 5)

These men, including the chief craftsman among them named Bezalel, were only proficient at one artistic skill – brick making. They had been slaves prior to this point, not finely skilled artisans. God required immensely beautiful masterpieces to be designed for the purpose of making a wide variety of symbolic statements about the coming Messiah. It was absolutely vital that their work be done without any flaw so as to avoid tainting the prophetic imagery and foreshadowing that God had intended. How would God ensure that the Christocentric picture of the tabernacle would be accurately displayed? God sent the Holy Spirit to give them the skill.

“And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you.”(vs. 6) The source is from God (I have given), the gift is their skill (ability), the scope is the congregation of Israel (all able men), and the content of their creation was the designs provided to Moses by the Lord (that they may make all that I have commanded you).

I want to leave you with four simple observations from this passage.

1. God cares very much about how Christ is portrayed. In the Old Testament, Jesus was foretold in types and shadow such as the tabernacle and all its furniture. In the New Testament era, we must be extremely careful to present Christ as He is, not as we imagine Him to be. The way we do that is to ensure that we are preaching Christ according to the truths revealed to us – the Holy Scriptures.

2. All of your talent and skill comes from God. We have a tendency to pretend that whatever skill, intelligence, capability, or mastery that we have originates from within us. But, there is literally nothing about you, no skill or gifting, that was not built into the very makeup of your identity by God Himself. “For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Cor. 4:7)

3. Because God gave you the skills that you have, you should use them for His glory. The Holy Spirit is likely not going to take unskilled workers in our congregation (like myself) and make us into Bezalel level masters of the arts. But, God has already gifted you with talents, skills, a proficiency that He built into you so that you would use them to advance His kingdom. Serve faithfully with them.

4. The chief work of the Holy Spirit is still to make much of Christ. Every time the Holy Spirit’s role is explained, it is always to cause the believer to experience and seek and savor and see Christ better. The best way to honor the Holy Spirit is to be led by Him to glorify Jesus Christ in your heart, and in your actions.