Our pastor, Dr. Steven Weems, has been going through Exodus these past weeks and gave special emphasis in 31:1-4 that God had equipped Bezalel as an “artistic master craftsman.” The following thoughts find their genesis in that Bible study.
Exodus 31: 1Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I
have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I
have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with
knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in
gold, silver, and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to
engage in all kinds of crafts.
Context: In Exodus 25 and following, God gives Moses
details of how the Israelites worshipped. God has already equipped those He
desires to lead out in this project. God is never haphazard in how He works. {Notice
that though Moses does communicate the instructions, he does not do the work
himself but relies on those to whom God has equipped.}
See, I have chosen God had selected who He
wanted: Bezalel, who was not even of the tribe of Levi, but of Judah.
I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom,
with understanding, with knowledge, and with all kinds of skills Whom
God calls, He also equips, first he was filled with God’s Spirit. Notice that
God’s infilling was for a specific purpose: to make artistic designs. To
accomplish this task, God’s Spirit gave him wisdom, understanding,
knowledge, and skills. Knowledge
alone was not enough; skill alone was not enough; he needed discernment that
could only come from the wisdom and understanding that only the
Spirit of God could give.
to make artistic designs {The NASB uses
“devise devices” as in the work of a master craftsman.}
The images on top of the ark of the covenant and the others
woven into the curtains were not images for worship, but reflections of God’s
holiness and majesty. The command to have “no graven image” was related to
worshiping something other than the one true God, not the elimination of art
not used as objects of worship.
Why did God insist on using a Master Craftsman, that
would be filled with His Spirit in the making of the objects used in the
tabernacle for worship? Just as the heavens and earth reflect the majesty
and glory of God which He created, so anything that was to be used in worship
was to reflect God’s nature and character. God chose a human master craftsman
to reflect the beauty inherent in all that He does, even though in its actual
use, very few would see the Ark since it would be behind the curtain in the
Holy of Holies. It was not just to “show off.”
All related to the worship needed to reflect God’s holiness, His purity;
so that even the sacrifices themselves had to be “without spot or blemish.”
Applications for Present Worship Practice.
The passages are “descriptive” and not directly
“prescriptive;” that is, they describe how God was establishing worship
practice from a new model distinct from what they had seen in Egypt. They are
not providing building plans for current worship centers; we are no longer
limited to a single place but are commanded to worship in Spirit and Truth as
found in John 4. Though not “prescriptive,” there are some principles and
truths that can be helpful today.
1. God’s nature has not changed. He is holy, perfect,
all-powerful, all-knowing, full of mercy, grace, and love. We need to approach
God with the awe of Who He is and in gratitude for what He has done; never
casually, or flippantly.
2. All we offer to God in worship needs to be the best we
can offer. The “best” for some will
be different than others but is acceptable in a similar way that a pint jar
“full” of water and a gallon jug “full” of water are both “full.”
3. Worship leadership must be committed to the leadership
of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
4. Those involved in the leadership should aim toward
developing their skills as a master craftsman. I am fully aware of the
dangers and pitfalls of developing and performing as “art for art’s sake.” I am
not promoting ridding our ministry teams of volunteers whose desire to serve is
much greater than skilled artistry. Nor am I encouraging hiring only “professionals”
who may be impeccable musicians, but lack spiritual depth. Worship is not
performance. The success of the performance is based on audience response; in
worship, there is only an audience of One– all participants yield all their
efforts in the recognition of Who God is, What He has done, and responding in
complete obedience to His commands.
Worship leadership is the facilitation of congregational response.
5. The temptation to “stop improving” is great,
especially when we get to a point where we can function reasonably well, we
allow the rigors of responsibility to take priority over skill
development. Great pianists remain that
way because they never get to the point where they believe they don’t have to
practice. The worship leaders that continue to develop the various aspects of
their craft, while deepening their relationship and knowledge of God, maintain
effectiveness throughout advancing years. Those who do not can become easily
bored, discouraged, and seek other opportunities.
6. Whom God calls; He also equips. However, the
equipping is a process that requires discipline on our part.
7. We must always remember that all that is done must be
done for God’s glory and not that of those involved.
