Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every man that was wise-hearted, in whom Jehovah had put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work of the service of the sanctuary -- according to all that Jehovah had commanded.
God has given every instruction for the tabernacle; here the work begins. The verse pauses to say who may do it — two named men, and every craftsman God Himself has equipped.
The LORD "has put skill and intelligence" in these workers. Every step of their service traces back to Him, and one writer applies that to service today.
Whether it is 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. God's commandment must govern all of it. No man could select, call, qualify, or appoint anyone to the work of the tabernacle. Neither can he for the work of the ministry. Further, no one could presume to appoint himself to the work of the tabernacle. Neither can he for the work of the ministry. It was, it is, it must be, wholly and absolutely divine.
Bezalel may well have had a natural gift for this work. Was that gift what qualified him?
It is clear that mere natural ability is not enough to do God's work. Bezalel 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 this was true when men handled material things, how much more when the service of God concerns spiritual things and the welfare of people's souls. Let us never take up the work of God as though we had in ourselves the power or the wisdom to carry it out.
These workers build "in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded." That leaves no room for designs of their own.
We may surely see in these workers the pattern of all true servants in every age. They were themselves called of God, and all their activity was the fruit of the Spirit of God. By themselves they were not able even to think anything as coming from themselves. Their ability came from God. Human skill, human wisdom or inventions would only have spoiled the perfect design of God. So the workmen were to be only vessels — vessels to display God's wisdom, understanding and teaching.
The same skill can serve two very different ends. One writer sets these workers beside Tubal-cain, a metalworker in Cain's line.
Tubal-cain was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. Cain's descendants received unholy skill, and they used it to make a cursed and groaning earth a delightful place, without the presence of God. Bezalel and Oholiab, in contrast, were given divine skill to beautify a sanctuary — a place the presence and glory of the God of Israel would make holy and blessed.
Alongside the two named men stands "every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill."
In Bezalel, Judah comes to the front in the work of the sanctuary — quite in keeping with the meaning of the name and Jacob's prophecy. Dan supplies his assistant in Oholiab. But besides this, God puts wisdom in every wise-hearted man, and employs him in the building of His habitation.
That widening removes the excuse of feeling unqualified.
Remember that 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.
Notice what the verse says these men did: they worked.
All who were able to help in this work did work. Whatever gift we may have — and everyone has something they can do to help — the work will not be done as it should be if we do not use what the Lord has given us. Let us then be up and doing like these willing and wise-hearted people, labouring in the service of our Lord. He gives the ability and the spiritual energy for His work. Ours is the privilege to use His gift for the glory of God and for the interests of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Called — God does the choosing, the calling, the qualifying and the appointing. No one appoints himself to the work of the sanctuary.
- Filled — natural talent did not qualify Bezalel. He had to be filled with the Spirit of God, and that matters even more in spiritual work.
- Bounded — the wisdom God gives is wisdom to build by His command. Human invention would only have spoiled the design, so the workers are vessels, not designers.
- Widened — God put wisdom in every wise-hearted man. Not everyone is a Bezalel, but everyone has a place, a ministry and a responsibility.
- Used — your skill either beautifies God's dwelling or decorates a world without Him. Gift left idle leaves the work undone.
And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every man that was wise-hearted, in whose heart God had put wisdom, every one whose heart moved him to come to the work to do it.
Moses calls the workmen to start building the tabernacle — the tent that was to be God's dwelling place among Israel. But the call reaches only those whose hearts stirred them to come. Two things stand together in this verse: skill God Himself put into a person, and a willingness no one had to produce.
The names are not Moses' picks. The instructions for the tabernacle came from God, and so did the men who would carry them out.
To carry out this plan, the Lord called His own workmen by name. He filled them with His Spirit, so that they could do the work in a way that would please Him. "I have called; I have given; I have filled" are the words of the LORD. They show that He chose and qualified the two men for the work… And whomever He calls into the work of the ministry, He also qualifies. His Spirit gives the wisdom and power to carry out the work into which the Lord calls. It is therefore all of Him; no room for boasting or jealousy.
Israel had just brought the materials. Now the skilled must shape them. Older translations call this ability a "wise heart," and one writer sets that test beside the test for the gifts.
God meant to use the wealth and skill of the people. So He told them to "bring" gifts, and out of the material of their gifts to "make" what the LORD required. All could give, even if few could make. The rule for whether these offerings were acceptable was very simple — a willing heart. What decided whether their work was acceptable was a wise heart. But though willing and wise, both the gifts and the work had to match what the LORD required.
The two named men come from opposite ends of Israel's later story. And they are not the only workers.
In the chief man God raised up we find a representative of Judah — in keeping with the part Judah plays later on with the tabernacle, and with what the tabernacle becomes: the temple David provides for and Solomon builds. Working with him, though, is a man from a tribe we would least expect to see in such a place — the tribe of Dan, which later led the way in turning away from God in Israel. So God's grace can work; and knowing that all is grace, why should we wonder at it? But along with these there is work for all who had wisdom — in whose heart God had put wisdom — none is refused.
The same stirred heart appears just before this, when the people brought their gifts. So what moved them?
A lovely picture of devotedness to the work of the sanctuary! It needed no effort to move the hearts of the people to give — no earnest appeals, no impressive arguments. Oh no; their "hearts stirred them up." This was the true way. The streams of willing devotedness flowed from within.
God had already shown Moses the pattern. What, then, could gifted workmen add to it?
We may surely see in these workers the pattern of all true servants in every age. They themselves were called of God… all their activity was the fruit of the Spirit of God. On their own they were not able to claim anything as coming from themselves; their sufficiency came from God. Human skill, human wisdom or inventions would only have spoiled God's perfect design. So the workmen were to be vessels and nothing more — vessels to display divine wisdom and understanding and teaching.
The tabernacle was built long ago and is gone. The two things this verse names are not.
In both these things we may find encouragement for ourselves. For the work of God today the same two things are needed — first the willing heart, and then the skill. Both are the gift of God. In our day the skill shows itself in the prophets and evangelists and pastors and teachers we read of in Ephesians 4:11. These gifts are given, not for building a tabernacle, but "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." God's work still has the character of building up; older versions read "edifying" here, and to "edify" is to build.
- Called — God names His own workmen and fills them. The qualification comes from Him, so there is no ground for boasting or envy.
- Filled — two tests run side by side. God accepts gifts from a willing heart and work from a wise heart, and both must match what He required.
- Stirred — no one had to plead or argue. The willingness flowed out from within.
- Included — Judah leads and Dan helps. Beyond both, everyone God gave wisdom has work. None is refused.
- Faithful — the skill was for copying God's pattern, not improving it. Servants are vessels that display His wisdom.