Exodus 31:1-1 1
GOD finished giving to Moses the details of the tabernacle and its furnishings. The time had come for putting it all together. But even in this God gave the most minute instructions as to everything; Moses was not left to use his own judgment. All proceeded from God and all is of grace.
What a lesson there is in this for us! Not a move was made until God had spoken, telling His servant what was to be done, and how. Before starting out on any service for Him, we must first go to Him and seek to have His will in the matter, and this He will make known to us if we are faithful in prayer and reading His Word. Then let us acknowledge that only He can enable us to do His blessed will.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel... and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber,... And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab...: and in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee.”
Moses did not look over the camp of Israel and pick out men for this work. Nor did he call for volunteers. No, the Lord told Moses whom He had chosen and fitted for this wonderful service. It is a serious thing to serve the Lord, as well as a blessed privilege, and “no man taketh this honor unto himself.” Heb. 5:44And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. (Hebrews 5:4). The Lord alone can call, and fit for His service, as He did Bezaleel and Aholiab, as He did David, and Peter, Barnabas and Saul, and many others long after.
Furthermore, He will not call one whom He has not qualified for His service. It should be our first concern to find out whether we have been sent by the Lord, whether we have been called to our work and service, like Bezaleel and Aholiab. If, like Mary, we are found sitting at the feet of Jesus, He will make known to us what He will have us to do. If, like Saul, we ask Him, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” He will reveal His mind to us. But we must, hover, be humbly content to do His blessed will, no matter what the service is. Too often we are like Naaman who was willing to do some great thing, but not what the Lord would have him do.
The secret of all true service is obedience, for if we are not doing God’s will it is not service. The Lord Jesus was the perfect servant. His whole life was characterized by perfect obedience to His Father’s will, so that He could say, “I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.” John 6:3838For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (John 6:38).
These two men, Bezaleel and Ahiab, were filled with the Spirit of God, and they were dependent on the Lord for wisdom and understanding to carry out the work He had entrusted to them. Not a single thing was left to their own wisdom. Everything was to be done according to the instructions God had given by Moses. Surely all these things are for our learning.
Dear young Christian, may we be like the blessed Lord who could say, “He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth Mine ear to hear.” Isa. 50:44The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. (Isaiah 50:4). The Lord has a daily work, as well as a life work, for each one of us, and the time for us to do it is short. His coming draws near.
ML-12/27/1970