Philip Ryken has produced a wonderful little book titled Art for God’s Sake, which is largely an exposition of Exodus 31. (Much of his writing in that book is included in his commentary on Exodus.) I read it some months ago just prior to visiting the Louvre in Paris. (I finished the book at the Louvre before I embarked on my tour.) Ryken makes the following helpful observation,

Even Christians who dismiss art continue to produce it. This is inescapable. Every time we build a sanctuary, arrange furniture in a room, or produce a brochure, we are making artistic decisions. The question is not whether we will be artists, but whether we will aspire to high aesthetic standards. All too often Christians settle for something that is functional but not beautiful. Sometimes what we produce can only be described as kitsch—tacky artwork of poor quality that appeals to low tastes. The average Christian bookstore is full of the stuff, as the real artists will tell us, if only we will listen.¹

There was nothing kitsch about the tabernacle, and God made sure of this not only by His design but also by those whom He chose to construct it. God appointed and equipped skilled workers to make the place where His glory would descend. And He does the same with His people in the new covenant temple of God. Just as God used gifted people to build a glorious building under the old covenant, so Christ uses gifted people to build the glorious church under the new covenant.

As we study this chapter together I trust that we will be encourage as we see how each member of the body of Christ is gifted to contribute to the overall building of the temple of God (see Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:1-5; 1 Corinthians 3:9-16). But, most importantly, I trust that we will be enabled by God’s Spirit to see the Lord Jesus Christ, the chief Architect of the church; the One who owns and thus who ultimately builds the house (Hebrews 3:1-6).

The chapter begins by introducing us to the skilled labour (vv. 1-11). As mentioned, this chapter brings to an end the instructions for the design of the tabernacle. Moses had been on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights and now the Lord was finished speaking His mind. Verse 18 bears this out. But one last thing needed to be attended to: the appointing of a crew to actually construct the tabernacle, its furnishings and the priestly garments. And, like every building crew, there was the need for a project manager. We meet this crew and its leader(s) in these verses.

The first priority was to appoint a project leader, and we read of God’s appointment in the opening five verses.

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.”

(Exodus 31:1-5)

God sovereignly chose a man by the name of Bezalel to oversee the work of building the tabernacle. It should be noted from the outset that Bezalel was not chosen because of administrative capabilities or for the depth of his pocketbook or for any other reason than he was gifted by God the Holy Spirit as an artist. Yes, the source of his gifting was God.

As an aside, note that Moses was given the plans but was not entrusted with the actual building of the tabernacle. The reason seems quite simple: this was not his gift; skilled craftsmanship was not his calling. Preachers should preach and if they can’t build, then they should leave the construction projects in the hands of others!

The chapter opens with a strong command to Moses: “See.” Currid points out that this word is “a volitional form which carries the force of a direct command to Moses to consider, inspect and observe what God is doing.”² In other words, Moses was to pay close attention to God’s instructions regarding the personnel who will oversee this glorious building program.

The name “Bezalel” means “God is my shadow” or “God is my protector” (cf. Psalm 17:8; 57:1; 63:7). This name “reflects the idea of his being under the care and defence of God.”³

When God said of Bezalel, “I have called [him] by name,” He was doing more than merely identifying who he was. Rather, it indicates that Bezalel was being summoned to a particular duty. H. L. Ellison points out the significance of the phrase when he says that it “is reminiscent of 33:12 and Isa. 45:4, which shows that the term virtually implies predestination.” Rushdoony then makes the connection that “predestination also has to do with our abilities, here, very specifically, skills in the arts. They are God-ordained and an aspect of our calling, so that God is more involved in our skills than we are.”⁴

The point is simply that it is not only the likes of  Moses who receive a call from God to serve Him but rather all of our skills are sourced in God and thus are given to us for the purpose of serving Him. The apostle Paul makes this point in several New Testament places, including Romans 12:3-8.

We will return to this point later, but we would do well to note that Bezalel was from the tribe of Judah—the tribe from which our Lord Jesus ultimately arose.

Verse 3 records the first instance in biblical history where someone is specifically said to be “filled with the Spirit of God.” I find it fascinating that he was neither a pastor nor a missionary; he neither spoke in tongues nor healed the sick nor won a soul to Christ. Rather, this man, who was filled with the Spirit, manifested his spirituality by his artwork. In fact, the argument can be made that this is strictly only the second time that the blessed third member of the Trinity has been mentioned since the creation account of Genesis 1:2 (cf. also Genesis 6:3; 41:38; Exodus 28:3). Regardless, it is a significant statement that we dare not rush over.

Four qualities are identified here with reference to the results of his being filled with the Spirit: wisdom (ability), understanding (intelligence), knowledge and workmanship (craftsmanship). These four characteristics are clearly stated to be gifts from God and are clearly manifested in the arts: “to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.” In other words, there was very little by way of God’s gifting that this man lacked. He was the Leonardo Da Vinci of his day.

John Durham notes that Bezalel was “specially endowed for his assignment by an infilling of the divine spirit, which adds to his native ability three qualities that suit him ideally for the task at hand: wisdom, the gift to understand what is needed to fulfill Yahweh’s instructions; discernment, the talent for solving the inevitable problems involved in the creation of so complex a series of objects and materials; and skill, the experienced hand needed to guide and accomplish the labor itself.”⁵

Let me pause for a moment here to point out that the arts is a legitimate calling for the believer. And we need more believers to answer the call! The church should be producing excellent writers, painters, musicians, designers, architects and the like.

Note that God appointed a man whom He gifted (doubtless long before he was called) to ensure that His glorious building was indeed glorious! God wanted to be sure that his dwelling place was built according to code. And God’s code is both holy and beautiful! The Psalmist exhorted us to “worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2). As each member of the local church applies his or her gifts (not merely the so-called “spiritual” ones) then the church’s worship too is beautified and her impact is wider.

It would be interesting to know something more of the history of Bezalel. When did he first realise that he was so gifted? Did his more macho contemporaries make fun of him because his interests went beyond sports? It would be interesting to know how his skills were sharpened over time and whether his parents encouraged him in their development. He figures prominently in chapters 35-38 where the actual construction of the tabernacle takes place but besides his genealogy mentioned here and in 1 Chronicles, we don’t know much. But what we do know from this text is that God had a plan for His life and that plan was centred in his making a gifted contribution to the tabernacle. Believer, you should take encouragement from this. You may not be able to preach but you may be able to sing, draw, or write. Moses could preach but he could not paint like Bezalel!

I suspect that Bezalel did not become an artist overnight by a supernatural zing, but rather that God had gifted him from conception. But now there was a whole new zeal to his gifts. God does so in all of our lives.

Once we come to know Christ we have a whole new perspective regarding our service to the Lord and the talents with which He has gifted us. When we are filled with the Spirit we no longer use our gifts for our own pleasures but rather for God’s glory; especially in the building of His temple (1 Peter 2:1-5). Let me encourage you to use the gifts God has given to you, realising that He has done so for the hallowing of His name, for the extension of His kingdom and for the accomplishing of His will on earth as it is in heaven. But this will only be the case as you obey His mandate to be filled with the Spirit.

Though Bezalel was tasked with shouldering the oversight of this work he was aided by God’s gift of “Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan” (v. 6). According to 35:34-35 Aholiab also was gifted as a craftsman and, apparently, like Bezalel, he also had the skill to teach others in these artistic trades.

Aholiab’s name means “my tent (i.e. shelter) is the Father-God.”⁶ Like Bezalel, Aholiab name has tabernacle overtones. In the providence of God, he was named in such a way that his calling quite literally fulfilled it. Ryken notes, “Aholiab’s job was to build God’s dwelling on earth, and his name explained what that holy tent was designed to show—namely, that God is the shelter for his people.”⁷

It should be noted that, when it comes to the building of God’s new covenant tabernacle, God equips a plurality of leadership. This is necessary for the building of the glorious temple of God (see Ephesians 4:7-16).

But before moving on we must pause to reflect on what I believe is the underlying truth of this passage: our Lord Jesus Christ. Consider the following observations.

Bezalel and Jesus were both of the tribe of Judah Just as Bezalel was filled with the Spirit, so was Jesus (Luke 4:1, 18; Acts 10:38). Just as Bezalel and Aholiab were filled with wisdom, so was Jesus (Luke 2:40; see Isaiah 11:1-2). Just as these men directed the building of the tabernacle so Jesus directs the building of His temple (1 Corinthians 3; 12; 1 Peter 2; compare Ephesians 2:19-22 with 4:11-16). Just as Bezalel had a helper in Aholiab so Jesus has His Helper in the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). Just as these men were to perfectly carry out the Father’s plan so did and does Jesus (John 6:38; 8:29; 10:17-18). Just as Bezalel lived under the protective shadow of the Father so did Jesus. Just as Aholiab tabernacled under God so Jesus was the Tabernacle of God (John 1:14).

My point is that two builders were assigned to this task because it took both to more fully picture the great Builder of the house of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us rejoice and take encouragement that the gifted Builder is building His glorious building, His church (Matthew 16:18)! And it is precisely because of this that the church has, like Israel of old, been equipped with the gifts necessary to carry out His orders (see Ephesians 4:1-12).

But the task wasn’t left to two men alone: “I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you” (v. 6).

This is the third mention of the word “wisdom” in Scripture (cf. 28:3; 31:3) and its presence here is very significant.

First, whatever wisdom is, it is here associated with the filling by the Holy Spirit. Second, wisdom is associated with the dwelling place of God, with particular reference to how it is to be built. Third, wisdom is declared to be the gift of God. And finally, wisdom is defined as being consistent with the expressed will of God (“all that I have commanded you”).

Putting this all together we can conclude that wisdom is God’s gift to His people for the purpose of building what He intends to be built in His way.

There is a sense in which, like an artist, these various builders were to exercise “creativity,” but only in the sense of reflecting what the Creator had revealed as His will. Wise living is not innovative but rather intuitive; we intuitively do God’s will as we walk in tune with Him.

It is important to observe that there were many in the congregation who were gifted by God as artisans. Though God had appointed two men to lead the people in the construction project, He had also equipped many to do the work. We should certainly note the connection here with the new covenant church. God equips the local church with Bezalels and Aholiabs to lead the way but the work is carried on by many.

The church is made up of gifted workmen. Thomas Scott wrote these words with reference to this text, “The Lord confers his unmerited favors on whom he pleases: but the honor, which cometh from him, is always attended with a work to be done: and to be employed by him is indeed the highest honor, and the noblest privilege.”⁸ What a privilege it is to work for God!

God had a specific will for this building and He equipped His people with the wisdom to build for His glory. This, by the way, has something to say to us with regard to the arts.

All art is to be done, like all areas of life, to the glory of God. Art must conform to God’s truth. Any art that expresses a lie or anything that contradicts the character of God does not qualify as being from the wise of heart. Christian art does not need to be overtly evangelistic or preachy but rather it is to always conform to the truth which God reveals. The wise of heart are to produce wise works of art. Art should help to make sense out of life rather than what worldly art so often does, portraying a philosophy of meaninglessness.

In my last year of high school I took a job for Saturday mornings at a local art studio. To be specific, it was an art restoration studio, called Wiebolds.

The studio specialised in restoring pieces of art and various artefacts. For example, a painting might become scratched or a vase may break or a piece of china might chip, and the skilled artisans employed at Wiebolds would labour to restore it so that it looked like the original.

Now, to set the record straight, my job actually had nothing to do with restoring art. I was assigned to clean up after a weeks’ worth of work. I was the Saturday janitor.

When I took the job it was carefully pointed out to me that there were certain areas of the shop where I was not to use the vacuum cleaner. In those places, I was to carefully sweep up the dust and then place it in a specific bin, through which the artisans on Monday would carefully sift to make sure that there were no important chips of porcelain or such being thrown away—pieces that could be used in the process of restoration.

I share that reminiscence to illustrate the significance of these verses. You see, many in Israel were like me: the janitor. When I looked at the studio I saw various materials that seemed unrelated. When God commanded the materials to be gathered for the constructing of the tabernacle many no doubt saw a pile of raw material. But the gifted saw these raw materials—what some might consider throw aways—as things of beauty. They saw a place of worship, a place where God would gloriously dwell with man.

But further, although I was merely the janitor, my labours contributed to the works produced by those gifted in other areas. I contributed to the finished product!

This passage helps us to see how God ensured that the instructions for the tabernacle were successfully carried out in order that worship might be restored to the place from which it had fallen in the Garden. Moses would not build it, but rather it would come about by the exercise of gifts that God had given to two men in particular and many generally. And what was true then is also true today of the New Testament church. God has gifted His people with what is necessary for the carrying out of His desire to dwell with man through His ultimate temple, the church.

The church is to be built with the wisdom of God. We need to be filled with the Spirit to do so. The Spirit of God enables us to see the big picture, to see beyond the obvious. The wisdom that He imparts enables us to make sense of what can so often seem to be a mess. But this should not surprise us, because the Spirit works through His Word, which is truth. The entrance of the Word gives light. As we recently saw, to be filled with the Spirit is inseparable from being filled with the Scriptures (cf. Ephesians 5:18ff with Colossians 3:16ff). God’s Word clears up the dark. His Word enables us to see the big picture. His Word makes us skilful in dealing with the details (sometimes messy!) of church life. And, of course, His Word is His expressed will with regard to how to do church.

God gifts His people with wisdom: the ability to see beyond the obvious. This means that believers have the ability to see beyond immediate failures, beyond immediate rejection of Christ, beyond the newspapers, and beyond current trials to God’s ultimate and glorious plan.

God next reveals the specifics of why these people were gifted: They were gifted for the purpose of using their skills to make every aspect of the tabernacle. We have noted this already but here I want for us to drill deep and see the connections between the building of the old covenant tabernacle and the new covenant temple, the church.

I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle—the table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base—the garments of ministry, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests, and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do.

(Exodus 31:6-11)

The Spirit-filled community of artisans was gifted by God to build His dwelling place. And so is this community. Each of us is gifted for the purpose of constructing the temple of God in which He dwells. And, like these artists, we too have both form (“according to all that I have commanded you they shall do”) and freedom. Let me explain.

The tabernacle was designed by God with specific measurements, materials and colours. But you might note that, in the various illustrations of the tabernacle put forth by scholars, no two ever look exactly the same. The reason for this is that there is much about the tabernacle that we do not know for sure. Consider, for example, the bronze laver.

You might have noticed that this is the only piece of furniture in the tabernacle without specific measurements and design. Thus when the artists made this piece of furniture, though they were required to use bronze and to make sure that it sat on a pedestal, they seemingly had liberty for “artistic freedom.”

Though God, the Patron of the arts, told them what to make, at least with the laver He also gave them freedom to make it. The same was true with the many coloured curtains and with the cherubim. That is, the artisans were to use the prescribed materials and threads and colours, and they were to make cherubim, but the exact design was up to them. Though they worked under the inspiration of the Spirit’s filling they were not mechanical. In fact, there is a parallel with the writing of God’s Word. God inspired men to write, and what God desired and designed to be recorded was the end product. But God clearly used the personalities and grammatical inclinations of the men who wrote. That is, there was form (“all Scripture is God-breathed”) and there was freedom (“holy men of old were moved”). What does this have to do with the building of the church through the Spirit supplied gifts? Everything!

You see, we too have form (“let each one take heed how he builds” [1 Corinthians 3:10]) but we also have freedom (consider phrases in the New Testament such as, “it seemed good to us,” “I Paul,” etc.). We are to use God’s gifts for God’s purpose, but we can use them through our own unique personalities. We must honour our Patron, who has supplied us with the exact colours He wants in His building, but He has also given to us providential freedom to build in such a way, for example, that relates to our culture.

Every church has its own aroma, atmosphere and its own unique ethos. Worship content and elements remain the same but cultural expressions differ, and we must be very careful of criticising churches that do not do things exactly the way that we do.

Importantly, this does not excuse sub-biblical attempts at church life, but it does mean that not every church, and not every church member within a church, is required to do things exactly the same way.

Even within our own local church we must all respect God’s revealed form for worship and life, but we must also respect the freedom with which we construct according to the form. Some will paint with straight lines while others will paint with semi-circles. In the end what matters is that the finished product of worship and obedience is biblically faithful.

Some congregants raise their hands during corporate singing; others do no. Some feel the freedom to utter encouraging amens during preaching; others remain silent as they listen to the Word expounded. Some pray on their knees; others remain standing. Some pray conversationally; others pray more formally.

The point, I trust, is clear: There are things that we all must do (as prescribed by God) while respecting freedom of expression of what is expected. Michelangelo and Rembrandt were both artists but the expression of their giftedness was different and we appreciate the individual efforts of each. Tolstoy and C. S. Lewis both wrote novels with Christian themes but their styles were markedly different. Let’s build whatever box God instructs us to while respecting one another’s freedom to think outside the box when it comes to how we build that box.

The tabernacle was a special place with a specific plan. Again, we must not miss the obvious. There were many gifted in the nation of Israel for the purpose of building a very special place. No greater project had ever been undertaken. This building would be the place where God would gloriously dwell with His people, thus separating them from all the other nations on the face of the earth. It was for this reason that God was so specific with regard to its constructions. If they missed the mark when it came to tabernacle specification God would not take up occupancy. And the same can be said for the new covenant Israel of God as expressed in the local church.

Paul instructed the Corinthian believers along these same lines (1 Corinthians 3:9-17). There Paul was contextually speaking of the building of the local church in Corinth. He wrote that the foundation must be right (v. 10) but that they must then take heed how they build on that foundation. Specifically Paul mentions the materials which were to be used. The gold, silver and precious stones were those materials which obviously accorded to God’s standard, for they endured and passed His judgement. The wood, hay and stubble did not align with God’s approved specs and thus they would not survive His infallible judgement.

We too must be careful not only about keeping on the Foundation but also building with the gold, silver and precious stones of God’s truth. There is no need to reinvent the church; we simply need to get back to reading God’s original blueprint and then build while sticking closely to it.

Let me leave this study with these words from Matthew Henry

Those whom God calls to any service, he will either find, or make fit for it. The Lord is pleased to confer different gifts on different persons; let then each person mind his proper work, and improve his own talent diligently, remembering that whatever wisdom any man possesses, the Lord hath put it in his heart, so that he may do his commandments.⁹

How will you use God’s gifts in the building of this glorious place of people?