And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that Jehovah had commanded Moses;
The tabernacle is finished. The record stops to name the man who built it, and to measure his work by one standard: God's command. The verse raises the questions that run through the whole account — who chose this man, where did his skill come from, and what made his work acceptable?
Talent did not qualify a man for this work. Commentators note that every stage of it came from God, and that the same applies to service now.
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… No man could presume to appoint himself to do the work of the tabernacle; neither can he to do the work of the ministry.
Bezalel's craftsmanship was itself a gift from God.
God said of Bezalel: "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). To Christians it may seem strange that God filled men with the Spirit to give them craftsmanship and skill, but that is what happened… God gave the artistic ability. We recognise that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual power, changing our lives and enabling us to offer spiritual sacrifices. But in Exodus the things made were physical objects. Yet, though human hands made them, they needed divine power.
That gift did not make the workman independent.
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 what we receive from Him. If God's servants remembered this, they would stay in constant dependence on Him. That is the only condition on which wisdom is received.
"All that the LORD commanded" sets a strict measure.
The Lord had given the most detailed instructions for the whole work of the tabernacle. He set out every pin, every socket, every loop, every clasp… Jehovah did not give a broad outline and leave man to fill it in. He left man no space at all to add his own rules… "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain." This left no room for human invention. If God had allowed man to make a single pin, that one pin would have been out of place in His judgement.
Generous, beautiful gifts were not the test. The same wealth could have gone either way.
It is not enough to desire to glorify God by splendid gifts meant to adorn His house or to beautify His service. The Israelites might have done that, and yet only have succeeded in creating another splendid idolatry. All was done "as the LORD commanded Moses," therefore all spoke out the mind of Jehovah, and not the mere taste and art of man. Jehovah's thoughts shone out in every item of the structure, and light beamed from all of it, displaying Christ and God's salvation.
God's approval rested on one thing.
The essence of all service is obedience. The test of everything done is whether or not it agrees with the revealed mind of God… The Spirit of God affirms no less than ten times that the work was done as the Lord commanded Moses. They therefore met their responsibility towards God, and so received His approval and commendation in this repeated and significant statement: that all their work was marked by obedience. This gives us the important principle that everything which claims to be of God must submit to be tested by God's word.
The verse gives three generations — Bezalel, Uri, Hur — and the tribe. Writers see meaning in each, and a picture of a greater Workman.
Bezaleel means "in the shadow of God." That speaks of his trust. He was filled with the Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding. Uri means "Light of Jehovah"; and Hur means "white." All these words point to the great workman chosen by God to fashion a dwelling place for Him and to make a kingdom of priests to God, the Lord Jesus Christ. And as Bezaleel did everything as God commanded and so pleased Him, so our Lord has done the work in perfect wisdom to the eternal glory of God His Father.
- Called. Bezalel did not choose this work. God selected, called, qualified and appointed him — and no one may appoint himself.
- Filled. His skill was a gift of the Spirit. It kept him dependent on God, because human wisdom counts for nothing in God's service.
- Commanded. God set out every pin, loop and socket. He left no margin for man's invention: one pin of man's own design would have been out of place.
- Tested. Gifts and generosity alone could have produced another splendid idolatry. Obedience made the work speak God's mind, not man's taste.
- Approved. The repeated "as the LORD commanded Moses" is God's own verdict. His word still measures everything that claims to come from Him.
and with him Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and artificer, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and in byssus.
Exodus 38 counts up the metal used to build the tabernacle, God's tent among Israel, then pauses to name the men who did the work. Why does the record stop for one man's father, tribe and trades — and why Dan, of all tribes, beside Judah?
The verse puts Oholiab beside Bezalel, the chief workman, but it does not say who put him there. One writer finds the answer in God's own words. (Older versions spell the two names Aholiab and Bezaleel.)
Bezaleel could not choose his fellow workers, or appoint anyone he liked to the work, any more than he could choose or appoint himself. No; this, too, was divine. "And I," says Jehovah, "behold, I have given with him Aholiab." So Aholiab, like Bezaleel, held his commission straight from Jehovah Himself. He is the only true source of all authority to serve.
Two tribes stand side by side here: Judah and Dan. One writer reads Dan's later history back into the choice.
Another man, Aholiab of the tribe of Dan, is to supplement Bezaleel in the work. 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" (Gen. 49:16). Bezaleel of Judah symbolizes the government of God in His house. Aholiab of Dan pictures the grace of God, who can restore even from serious failure.
Another writer starts from what the names mean, and from where each tribe camped.
Aholiab, Bezaleel's assistant, means "tent of my father." Ahisamach has the meaning "brother of support." This, likewise, reminds us of our Lord. Bezaleel belonged to the tribe of Judah, the leader in the camp of Israel, and Aholiab to Dan, the last in the camp. So the first and the last were selected to do the work.
The verse names trades, not just a man. One writer takes the first and the last of them — engraver and embroiderer — as two kinds of ministry.
We need all truth, whether it is the truth of the engraver or the truth of the embroiderer. The engraver may stand for what is cut in — impressions of truth worked into our own souls. Certain lines of ministry produce this. The embroiderer, on the other hand, makes his work stand out, and certain lines of what we usually call practical truth produce this. I hardly need to press how much we need both.
The same four materials — blue, purple, scarlet and fine twined linen — run right through the tabernacle. One reference work says what that needlework stands for.
The veil of the tabernacle, the ten curtains, and the hangings for the door and for the gate of the court were needlework of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. … This needlework is a picture of the graces and glories that combine in the person of our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Where did such skill come from? One writer admits the answer sounds strange, then gives his reason for it.
To Christians it may seem strange that men were filled 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, changing our lives and enabling us to offer spiritual sacrifices. But in Exodus the things produced were solid objects you could touch. Yet, though human hands made them, they needed divine power. This should not surprise us, because everything Bezaleel made was a picture of Christ.
Oholiab's name turns up in chapters that go back over work already commanded. One writer points out how exact that second telling is, and how it ends.
Exodus 36-39 describes the work in as much detail when it is carried out as when it was planned. At the end Moses inspected it all, saw that they had done it as Jehovah had commanded, and blessed them.
- Given — Bezalel did not choose Oholiab. God gave him. The helper in God's work holds his commission from God.
- Grace — God's choice reached past Judah to Dan, the tribe that later led the way into idolatry. Even the choice of a workman shows God restoring.
- Gifted — the skill to engrave, design and embroider came from the Spirit of God. Every object made was a picture of Christ.
- Grained — the engraver cuts truth in; the embroiderer makes it stand out. We need both, and both work in the colours that speak of Christ.
- Recorded — God took as much care to record who did the work as to give the pattern. Moses then inspected it and blessed the workers.