Jul 9/10 - CRAFTING FREEDOM - Exodus 35:30-35

³⁰ Then Moses said ...

See, the Lord has called by name

Bezalel ... of the tribe of Judah;

³¹ he has filled him with divine spirit,

with skill, intelligence, and knowledge

in every kind of craft,

³² to devise artistic designs,

to work in gold, silver, and bronze,

³³ in cutting stones for setting, and

in carving wood, in every kind of craft.

³⁴ And he has inspired him to teach,

... Oholiab ... of the tribe of Dan.

³⁵ He has filled them with skill to do

every kind of work done by an artisan ...

Exodus 35

 

God offered to come and dwell with the people of Israel. Now it was time to build his dwelling place -- the Tabernacle.

 

And God prepared Israel for this venture. He filled Bezalel and Oholiab with his Spirit. He gave them every skill to accomplish every craft.

 

The question is: How does this apply to our theme of freedom?

 

All Christians are given gifts. As it says in 1 Corinthians 12:7, "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit ..." Why? "... for the common good." It's the same reason that Bezalel and Oholiab were given gifts -- for the common good.

 

What does this have to do with freedom?

 

• Answer 1: You have gifts from God within you. The gifts you have from the Spirit can help set you free.
• Answer 2: Other Christians have gifts from God for your common good. The gifts they have from the Spirit can help set you free.

 

The point? In the journey to freedom, God has equipped you with every "skill, intelligence, and knowledge" that you will need to be set free.

 

Now, we have to define what true freedom really is. To do this, let's use the image of the Tabernacle. What is the purpose of the Tabernacle? It is for God's presence to dwell with us. Indeed, that is what freedom is. God's presence is freedom. He conquers darkness. He gives hope. He forgives sin. He "binds up the brokenhearted and sets the captives free." That is why 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

 

In the journey to freedom, God has equipped you with every "skill, intelligence, and knowledge" ... to know him ... and thus to be set free. And ... for the journey, God has given you other people of faith. They are to encourage you, to challenge you, and to sharpen you as iron sharpens iron. They are inspired to teach you as Bezalel was "inspired ... to teach ... Oholiab."

 

How are we set free? By God. It's his presence that sets us free. And you -- and your fellow Christians -- have every "skill, intelligence, and knowledge" to build a place for God in your heart. What are you doing to build a Tabernacle for God in your life? That's your path to freedom.

 

In Christ's Love,

a builder of Tabernacles