Exodus 31:1–11

One can imagine Moses standing shocked at how minute the details were, and at the solemn warnings against any deviation. He must have wondered how anyone could carry them out. God's words in the first eleven verses of Exodus 31 must have set his mind at rest. God Himself had made provision by calling and equipping two men, whom He names, Bezaleel and Aholiab... In His choice of these two men God revealed His sovereignty, calling whom He will and equipping them as He sees fit.

Whether for "the work of the tabernacle" of old, or "the work of the ministry" now, there should be the divine selection, the divine call, the divine qualification, the divine appointment. And all must be done according to the divine commandment. Man could not select, call, qualify, or appoint to do the work of the tabernacle; neither can he, to do the work of the ministry. Furthermore, no man could presume to appoint himself to do the work of the tabernacle; neither can he to do the work of the ministry.

It is evident that to do God's work mere natural ability is not enough. Bezaleel may have had a natural aptitude for such work; if so, it was not enough. He had to be filled with the Spirit of God to do it. If that was true when the work was with material things, how much more when the service of God concerns spiritual things, and the welfare of the souls of men.

A photograph reproduces the exact features, so the likeness may be very close. But an artist can put a living look into the picture by his own genius and spirit; so we say, "It is a speaking likeness." The tabernacle and its vessels had to be a living, "speaking" representation of the things in the heavens, reflecting the mind of God. So the work called for a man filled with the Spirit of God, to build and shape them with divine wisdom and knowledge.

I believe it is a great mistake to think that these men were only skilful workmen, or that this is just a recognition that God gives all ability. There is something special here... Our Lord said of the Spirit, "He will glorify me" (John 16:14). The tabernacle was intended to set forth the glories of Christ. So need we wonder at the special gift and supervision of the Holy Spirit, so that every part might perfectly express the thoughts of God?

The descendants of Cain were given unholy skill to make a cursed and groaning earth a delightful place, without the presence of God. "Bezaleel and Aholiab," on the contrary, were given divine skill to beautify a sanctuary that the presence and glory of the God of Israel would make holy and blessed. Put this solemn question to your conscience: am I devoting whatever skill or energy I have to the interests of the Church, which is God's dwelling place, or to beautifying an ungodly, Christless world?

God also worked in the hearts of others in Israel, unnamed, giving skill for all the various parts of the work. How good to know today that God gives grace "according to the measure of Christ's gift" (Ephesians 4:7) — not only to prominent men, but to every believer. Paul had remarkable gifts which we cannot expect for everyone. But the smallest gift is still valuable in its place, and is to be used for God in the blessing of others... Can we not be content to be little if we are in the place God has put us in and are doing only what He has given us ability to do? Do we have to be named so as to get some recognition from others?

Whether for "the work of the tabernacle" long ago, or "the work of the ministry" now, God must do the choosing. He must give the call, the qualifying and the appointing. And all of it must be done as He commanded. No man could select, call, qualify or appoint anyone for the work of the tabernacle. No man can do so for the work of the ministry either. And no man could dare appoint himself to the work of the tabernacle. No one can do that for the work of the ministry either.

We freely admit that calls like this one were special and out of the ordinary. But even granting that in full, we must insist that every servant today needs a divine call as clear and as compelling as the call of these pattern servants. True, it will be an inward call, a secret between the Lord and the soul. But that does not make it any less effective.

"I have called by name Bezalel." He was not just a man with natural ability and skill — he may well have had those. For this work God filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, understanding and knowledge. People point out a difference between a photograph and a portrait painted by an artist. The photograph gives the exact features, so it may look very like the person. But an artist can put a living look into the picture out of his own genius and spirit. So we say, "It is a speaking likeness."

I believe it is a great mistake to think these men were simply skilled workmen. It is also a mistake to read this as no more than an acknowledgement that God gives all ability. Something special is here… Our Lord said of the Spirit, "He will glorify me" (John 16:14). The tabernacle was meant to display the glories of Christ. So should we wonder that the Holy Spirit gave special gift and oversight, so that every part would express the thoughts of God exactly?

Bezalel means "in the shadow of God." This speaks of his trust, filled with the Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding. He may well be seen as a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Uri means "Light of Jehovah," and Hur means "white." All these names point to the great workman God chose to build a dwelling place for Him, and to make a kingdom of priests to God — the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Tubal-cain taught every craftsman who worked in bronze and iron." Cain's descendants had unholy skill, and they used it to make a cursed and groaning earth a delightful place, without God present. Bezalel and Aholiab, by contrast, had God-given skill to beautify a sanctuary — a place God's own presence and glory would make holy and blessed.

Service shows God's wisdom when the thing done matches the word of God. "According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do." So the word both guides the servant and tests his work… There is not the slightest trace of anything being left to their own thoughts or imagination.

I believe it is a great mistake to think that these men were simply skilled workmen. It is just as wrong to think that we only have here a recognition that God gives all ability. There is something special here. When we remember what the tabernacle was to show, we are not surprised. Our Lord said of the Spirit, "He will glorify me" (John 16:14). The tabernacle was meant to display the glories of Christ. So why wonder at the special gift and oversight of the Holy Spirit, so that every part might express the thoughts of God perfectly?

With wisdom he would have all the hidden resource he needed. With understanding he would have light from God. Knowledge would give him insight into the details of the various articles. And all workmanship shows that he used what God gave him to produce results.

People point out this difference between a photograph and a portrait drawn by an artist. The photograph gives the exact features, so it may be an exact match. But an artist can put a living look into the picture by his own genius and spirit. So we say, "It is a speaking likeness." The tabernacle and its vessels had to be a living, speaking picture of the things in the heavens, and the mind of God had to be reflected in them. So a man filled with the Spirit of God was needed... Mere accuracy of construction, by human skill, was not what was needed. The work had to be a true reflection of the wisdom of God.

Whether for "the work of the tabernacle" of old, or "the work of the ministry" now, the choice should be God's. So should the call, the qualification and the appointment. And all must be done as God commands. No man could choose, call, qualify or appoint anyone for the work of the tabernacle. Neither can he for the work of the ministry. No man could dare to appoint himself to the work of the tabernacle either. Neither can he for the work of the ministry.

The descendants of Cain received unholy skill. They used it to make a cursed and groaning earth a delightful place, without the presence of God. Bezalel and Oholiab, by contrast, received skill from God. They used it to beautify a sanctuary. The presence and glory of the God of Israel would make that sanctuary holy and blessed.

It is hardly too much to say that most of those who take the place of servants in Christendom look mainly to man to equip them for their work... They give themselves to human learning, to training their minds, and to studying "the art of preaching," to fit themselves for their work. From the very start, the result is often dependence on human power instead of the energy and power of the Holy Spirit.

In the language of Scripture, being full of the Holy Spirit is not said of all believers. It belongs to certain people on special occasions or in special circumstances. Some cases even happened before the day of Pentecost. Without going back as far as Bezalel (Ex. 31:3), Scripture says that the father and mother of John the Baptist were filled with the Holy Spirit, and so was John himself.

To Christians it may seem strange that God filled men with the Spirit to give them craftsmanship and skill, but so it was. God gave the artistic ability. We know the Holy Spirit gives spiritual power. He changes our lives and enables us to offer spiritual sacrifices. But in Exodus the things produced were physical objects. Yet, though made with hands, Divine power was needed.

When I look up this phrase, "devise curious things," I find it means — to think artistic things… These artistic things were worked in gold, silver and brass, suggesting the nature, disposition and character of God. Silver, which often pictures redemption, would speak of the disposition of God as a Saviour-God today.

People point to this difference between a photograph and a portrait drawn by an artist. The photograph will produce the exact features, so it can be a precise likeness. But an artist can put a life look into the picture by his own genius and spirit. So we say, "It is a speaking likeness." The tabernacle and its vessels had to be a living, "speaking" picture of the things in the heavens, and they had to reflect the mind of God. So the work needed a man filled with the Spirit of God, to build and shape them with divine wisdom and knowledge.

Our Lord said of the Spirit, "He will glorify me" (John 16:14). The Tabernacle was meant to show the glories of Christ. Should we be surprised, then, that the Holy Spirit gave special gift and oversight, so that every part would express the thoughts of God exactly?

There is a useful lesson to learn from comparing this chapter with Genesis 6. "Tubal-cain... the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron." The descendants of Cain were given unholy skill, to make a cursed and groaning earth a delightful spot without the presence of God. "Bezaleel and Aholiab," on the other hand, were given divine skill to beautify a sanctuary — a sanctuary that the presence and glory of the God of Israel would make holy and blessed.

It is evident that to do God's work mere natural ability is not enough. Bezaleel may have had a natural aptitude for such work; if so, it was not enough. He had to be filled with the Spirit of God to do it. If that was true of work on material things, how much more when the service of God concerns spiritual things, and the welfare of the souls of men.

The proof of divine wisdom in service is that the thing done is according to the word of God. "According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do."

Of the first it is said: "And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship" (Ex. 31:3, older translation). To Christians it may seem strange that men were filled with the Spirit to give them craftsmanship and skill, but that is what happened… God gave the artistic ability. We know the Holy Spirit gives spiritual power. He changes our lives and enables us to offer spiritual sacrifices. But in Exodus the things produced were solid objects. Even so, God's power was needed to make them by hand. This should not surprise us, because everything Bezaleel made was a picture of Christ.

There is said to be this difference between a photograph and a portrait drawn by an artist. The photograph will produce the exact features, so it may be an exact likeness. But an artist can put a living look into the picture by his own genius and spirit. So we say, "It is a speaking likeness." The tabernacle and its vessels had to be a living, "speaking" picture of the things in the heavens. They had to reflect the mind of God. So God needed a man filled with His Spirit to build and shape them with divine wisdom and knowledge. Human skill could give accurate construction, but that was not what was needed. What was needed was a true reflection of the wisdom of God.

There is a useful lesson in comparing this chapter with Genesis 6. "Tubal-cain was an instructor of every craftsman in brass and iron." The descendants of Cain were given unholy skill, and they used it to make a cursed and groaning earth a delightful place, without the presence of God. "Bezaleel and Aholiab," on the other hand, were given divine skill to beautify a sanctuary — a place the presence and glory of the God of Israel would make holy and blessed.

The second thing is this: God called them by name and filled them with His Spirit. He made them depend on Him for the wisdom and understanding to carry out the work He entrusted to them. Man's wisdom is of no use in the service of God… But if God's servants remembered that there can be no understanding or wisdom apart from God — none at all, except what they receive from Him — they would be kept in constant dependence. That is the only way to receive it. This would produce waiting on God instead of activity. There is action, of course, once the word to act has been given. But first comes waiting, to get the wisdom the service needs. One more thing may be added. The proof of divine wisdom in service is that the thing done matches the word of God: "They shall do all that I have commanded you."

Bezaleel and his helpers took each rough-cut part of the tabernacle as it arrived. By patient and skilful care, design and labour they developed and perfected the character of each part, until at last all of them formed one glorious and harmonious whole. Scripture gives these craftsmen an important place. That may lead all who know and serve the Lord to weigh the great value and importance of their work — and not only those whose work is public and prominent. As Peter says, "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another." Where grace has given an ability, it has also given a responsibility. We are all given the care of the characters of one another.

This thought should be a great encouragement to us. We may be sure that God always raises up the servants needed to carry out His work. If God orders work to be done, He supplies the workmen. If the work is not done, the failure is in the workmen and not in God. All these things had to be built in the wilderness, far from the civilized life of Egypt. So supernatural wisdom and understanding must indeed have been needed to complete them.

Whether for the work of the tabernacle then, or the work of the ministry now, the selection, the call, the qualifying and the appointing should all be God's. And all must be done according to His commandment. No man could select, call, qualify, or appoint another to the work of the tabernacle; neither can he for the work of the ministry. And no man could appoint himself to that work; neither can he today.

With him, however, God places a man from a tribe we would least expect in such a place. It is the tribe of Dan, the tribe that later led the way in turning from God. So God's grace can work. If we know that everything is grace, why should we wonder at it? And alongside these two there is work for all who had wisdom — wisdom God Himself had put in their hearts. No one is refused.

Dan was the tribe that went first into idolatry and unfaithfulness (Judges 18:30-31). Yet in the end, "Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel" (Genesis 49:16). Bezaleel of Judah pictures the government of God in His house, but Aholiab of Dan pictures the grace of God, who can restore even from serious failure.

There is this difference between a photograph and a portrait drawn by an artist. The photograph gives the exact features, so it may look very like the person. But an artist can put a living look into the picture by his own genius and spirit... The tabernacle and its vessels were to be a living, "speaking" picture of the things in the heavens, and they were to reflect the mind of God. For that, a man filled with the Spirit of God had to build and shape them with divine wisdom and knowledge.

Man's wisdom is of no use in the service of God... There can be no understanding or wisdom apart from God — none at all, except as received from Him. If God's servants remembered that, they would stay in constant dependence on Him — the only way to receive it. It would produce waiting on God instead of activity... One more thing may be added. The proof of divine wisdom in service is that the thing done is according to the word of God. "According to all that I have commanded you shall they do."

But God also worked in the hearts of others in Israel, unnamed, giving skill for all the various parts of the work... the smallest gift is still valuable in its place. It is to be used for God, to bless others and to build up the Church of God. Can we not be content to be little if we are in the place God has put us in and are doing only what He has given us ability to do? Do we have to be named so as to get some recognition from others?

Whether it is "the work of the tabernacle" of old, or "the work of the ministry" now, God should do the selecting, the calling, the qualifying, and the appointing. And everything must follow His commandment. Man could not select, call, qualify, or appoint anyone to the work of the tabernacle. Neither can he do so for the work of the ministry. And no man could appoint himself to the work of the tabernacle. Neither can he today for the work of the ministry.

People say there is a difference between a photograph and a portrait painted by an artist. The photograph reproduces the exact features, so it may look very like the person. But an artist can put a living look into the picture by his own genius and spirit. So we say, "It is a speaking likeness." The tabernacle and its vessels had to be a living, "speaking" representation of the things in the heavens, and they had to reflect the mind of God. So the work needed a man filled with the Spirit of God, to build and shape them with divine wisdom and knowledge.

God graciously chose to live in this tent until the time came to settle His people in the rest of the kingdom. Until then a tent was all He would use. But it was the tent of meeting — not merely where Israel was to meet, but where God was to meet them. It was also called the tabernacle of testimony. In its innermost part lay the ark, which held the tables that bore witness to what God required from man.

The ark of acacia wood is the first thing mentioned. Man builds differently. Man lays a foundation first, builds the walls, and works from the outside inward. God begins within. The ark with the mercy seat is where the LORD dwelt, "between the cherubim." It is therefore a type of Christ. The mercy seat fitted the ark and was the same size as it. The Hebrew word is kapporeth, which means covering, and it has to do with atonement.

The law — the testimony of what God required of man — lay inside the ark. But thank God, the mercy seat covered it. Another has well said, "Suppose an ark with no mercy seat. The law would then be uncovered. There would be nothing to silence its thunder, nothing to hold back its righteous sentence. Could a nation of law-breakers stand before it? Could a holy and righteous God meet sinners there? Could mercy reign, or grace shine out from such an ark? Impossible! An uncovered ark might provide a throne of judgment, but not a seat of mercy."

The proof of divine wisdom in service is that the thing done agrees with the word of God. "According to all that I have commanded you they shall do." Nothing at all was left to the workmen's own thoughts or imagination. Everything had to be done according to the commands given to Moses.

They are summed up in Exodus 31. You will find the eleven things I have just mentioned named in Exodus 31:7-11. God puts them all together there. It is just a little picture of what the Lord Jesus is in His person, His offices, and His work... I find the table, and on it there is the bread. I am to eat. I find the light, and am in it, to enjoy all that Christ is.

Three wonderful vessels stood in the Holy Place. First, the golden candlestick, with its seven lamps of gold. It filled the Holy Place with a light that only priests had the privilege of walking in. Second, the table of showbread, with its twelve cakes. Only priests had the privilege of eating them. Third, the altar of incense. It filled the Holy Place with a sweet and sacred perfume that only priests had the privilege of enjoying.

The "fine flour" in the loaves marks His perfect manhood. The "frankincense" points out the complete devotion of that manhood to God. If God has His priests ministering in the holy place, He will certainly have a table for them, and it will be well furnished. Christ is the table and Christ is the bread on it.

The table pictures Christ as the One who sustains fellowship, or communion. The twelve loaves of bread were changed every week. They stand for the twelve tribes of Israel, and at the same time for all the saints of God today.

As in the mercy-seat, so in the candlestick, there was nothing but pure gold. No acacia wood is found in its structure, and so it pictures nothing human. All is divine... Oil in Scripture is always a symbol of the Holy Spirit... Put these three things together in their typical meanings — the number seven, the gold, and the oil. The result is that the candlestick means divine light in its perfection in the power of the Spirit.

The two altars follow, and still both are Christ. The first is the golden altar, from which the fragrant incense rises up to God — a double type of Him who is altar and incense both. By Him, as worshippers, we draw near to God. In the fragrance of what He is, our prayers and praises find acceptance.

The thought of God is not to keep us at a distance, but to bring us near in the enjoyment of all that Christ is.

If we are going to learn anything about God's dwelling place (and we are now asking about the Church, for men are great church-makers), let us make sure we get our eyes on the heavenly pattern... Moses obeyed his instructions exactly. In Exodus 39 and 40 we read no less than sixteen times that everything was done "as the Lord commanded Moses."

This should be a great encouragement to us. We may be sure that God always raises up the servants needed to carry out His work. If God orders work to be done, He supplies the workmen. If the work is not done, the failure lies in the workmen and not in God.

Every detail was communicated, so that nothing was left for the children of Israel to plan or to arrange for themselves. If God shows Himself and lives among His people, nothing can truly show Him unless it matches His own thoughts. He must decide the way of approach as well.

So far, everything given is a showing of God, or, as it is often called, a symbol of display. It reveals in type or figure something of God in Christ. It is God, so to speak, coming out to His people. From then on the order is reversed. It is not now a question of God coming out, but of going in to God. So all that follows concerns access into His presence. Every vessel still left out is a symbol of approach — a vessel needed for drawing near to God.

Brass is divine righteousness. The gold pictures that righteousness as suited to what God is in Himself. The brass pictures it as testing man in responsibility. The altar as a whole, then, is God shown in righteousness. So it formed the meeting-place between God and the sinner... But then it was an altar — and as such it was a symbol of the cross of Christ. So the sinner came to the altar believing in the power of the sacrifice. The altar tested him in responsibility, yet he found that all his sins were gone.

The washing vessel and its base are always presented together. (See Ex. 30:28; Ex. 38:8; Ex. 40:11) In this laver the priests washed their hands and feet. That kept up the purity their priestly duties required. It was not at all a question of a fresh presentation of blood. It was the action that kept them fit for priestly service and worship. ... There can be no true communion with God unless we keep personal holiness with care. Our constant failure in priestly service may be explained by our neglect of the laver.

The laver was made out of a special brass: the brass mirrors used by the women who gathered at the door of the tabernacle (Ex. 38:8). Those mirrors were the very things that revealed, in figure, the women's natural condition, and so showed their need of cleansing. If the brass therefore revealed and judged the condition of those it tested, the water was there to cleanse and purify. For the water is a symbol of the Word.

The laver was to stand between the brass altar and the door of the tabernacle. It too was to be made of brass — a picture of the demands that flow from the holiness and righteousness of God. The blood on the altar met those demands first. Then the water that filled the laver met them for the priests who would enter the sanctuary.

This washing of water is by the word, which cleanses morally and spiritually. It is important to remember this, and to keep it distinct in our minds from the blood, which cleanses judicially. Both blood and water were necessary for the Aaronic priests, if they were to enter the sanctuary without dying. In type, the blood witnessed that the judicial penalty of their sins had been borne. The water witnessed that worldly defilement had been washed away.

Some would have work to do in making the tent itself, others in making the ark and the mercy seat... others the altar of burnt offering and its utensils, others the laver and its base... So the work was diversified. No one could say his work was more important than another's, nor could anyone consider his work as of no account.

It is easy to see what was at stake. If the people had turned aside from the patterns given to Moses while building the sanctuary, the building would not have answered to God's thoughts about the display of Himself in Christ and His people. It would also have failed to witness to the blessing and relationship God had placed the people in with Himself, the God who lived among them.

People point to this difference between a photograph and a portrait drawn by an artist. The photograph gives the exact features, so it may be a close likeness. But an artist can put a life look into the picture by his own genius and spirit. So we say, "It is a speaking likeness." The tabernacle and its vessels had to be a living, "speaking" picture of the things in the heavens, and the mind of God had to shine out of them. So it took a man filled with the Spirit of God to build and shape them with divine wisdom and knowledge. Human skill could give accurate construction, but what was needed was the true reflection of the wisdom of God.

All the garments of the priests were "holy garments," and Aaron's official garments were "for glory and for beauty" (Ex. 28:2-4)… Notice that Aaron was to minister to God as priest (Ex. 28:3). His priesthood certainly meant that "he can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward" (Heb. 5:2), but this is part of his ministering to God.

The robing of Aaron's sons is the putting on of Christ. This brings them into association with Him, for the Church has nothing apart from Christ. If believers, for example, come into the position of priests and enjoy the privileges of priests, it is because of their connection with Him. He is the Priest, and He is the one who makes them priests… But first they must be dressed in robes for glory and for beauty — robes that adorn them with the glory and beauty of Christ.

The fine twined linen pictures the spotless purity of His walk and character. The blue, the purple, and the scarlet present Him to us as "the Lord from heaven," who is to reign according to the divine counsels, but whose royalty is to come out of His sufferings. So we have a spotless man, a heavenly man, a royal man, a suffering man. These materials were not kept to the "curtains" of the tabernacle. They were also used in making the veil (Ex. 26:31), the screen for the door of the tent (Ex. 26:36), the screen for the gate of the court (Ex. 27:16), and "the finely worked garments" and "the holy garments for Aaron" (Ex. 39:1). In a word, it was Christ everywhere, Christ in all, Christ alone.

Some would have work to do in making the tent itself, others in making the ark and the mercy seat… others the basin and its stand, others the garments for Aaron and his sons, and others the anointing oil and the incense. So the work was varied. No one could say his work was more important than another's, and no one could treat his own work as worthless.

The perfections of Christ were for God. In the anointing oil we have the perfections that are to fill the created scene — the tabernacle — in the power of the Spirit. It was also for the anointing of the priests, so that they might be sanctified and able to minister in the knowledge and fragrance of these perfections. The incense was for God; still, we are given the privilege of sharing the delight He has in Christ. The priests enjoyed the fragrance of the incense while offering it to God.

The action of fire brought out its sweet fragrance. The fire used for this came from the bronze altar. So the same fire that consumed the sacrifice brought out the fragrance of the incense. This explains its significance. The fire is a picture of the searching judgment of God — of His holiness applied in judgment. Our blessed Lord passed through this when He was on the cross. But the only effect of the holy fire upon Him was to bring out a "cloud" of sweet perfume. The incense pictures this — the fragrance of Christ to God. Since it was to be a perpetual incense, it shows that this fragrance is always rising before the throne. If the sweet smell of the sacrifice presents the effectiveness of His work, the incense marks the acceptability of His person.

People say there is this difference between a photograph and a portrait drawn by an artist. A photograph will produce the exact features, so it may be strikingly like. But an artist can put a living look into the picture by his own genius and spirit. So we say, "It is a speaking likeness." The tabernacle and its vessels had to be a living, "speaking" representation of the things in the heavens. They had to reflect the mind of God. So it took a man filled with the Spirit of God to build and shape them with divine wisdom and knowledge.

Whether for "the work of the tabernacle" of old, or "the work of the ministry" now, there should be the divine selection, the divine call, the divine qualification, the divine appointment. And all must be done according to the divine commandment. Man could not select, call, qualify, or appoint anyone for the work of the tabernacle. Neither can he for the work of the ministry. Also, no man could presume to appoint himself to the work of the tabernacle. Neither can he for the work of the ministry.

The proof of divine wisdom in service is that the thing done is according to the word of God… So the word is both the guide of the servant and the test of his service. It proves the work was done with divine wisdom, according to the divine mind. God left no discretion whatever to Bezalel and Oholiab. Nobody sorted the articles they made, or the materials they worked, into essential and non-essential. There is not the slightest trace of a single thing being left to their own thoughts or imagination.

Some would have work to do in making the tent itself, others in making the ark and the mercy seat… others the garments for Aaron and his sons, and others the anointing oil and the incense. So the work was diversified. One could not say his work was more important than another's, nor could anyone consider his work as of no account.

Though all Israel were not Bezalels or Oholiabs, yet all could serve the interests of the sanctuary. There was an open door for all to contribute. So it is now. Each one has a place to occupy, a ministry to fulfil, a responsibility to discharge.