This passage starts out where we left off discussing the Tabernacle’s skilled artisans, Betzalel and Oholiab. They were the wise-hearted, skilled artisans who were responsible for the craftsmanship associated with the building of the Tabernacle.
Moses finished that work. It was necessary and surely it was arduous, but it was done. The tabernacle was built to foreshadow the unfolding of the story of salvation.
When the work was finished, then the glory of the LORD could come and fill that place.
The glory of the LORD filling the Tabernacle would have been absolutely amazing. Can you imagine being there!? But as awe-inspiring as that was, the salvation story was still being written.
You see, One greater-than-Moses would come: Yeshua haMashiach (Jesus the Christ). He would finish a greater work. He would complete the story of salvation. A story which is HIStory – the truest, greatest story ever told.
Yeshua, Himself the Temple of the Holy Spirit, imparts to us His Spirit. He died and rose again, and breathed upon the disciples so that they could receive the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh). Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Just as the Glory of God came to fill the Tabernacle, He is willing to come upon you and to fill you with His Spirit. If you have not yet received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, please let us know and we will pray for you!
We end our reading of Shemot/Exodus as the Tabernacle is completed and gloriously filled with the Presence of the Most High. The book of Exodus is a book about freedom. The Greatest Freedom you can ever experience is the freedom from sin and death.
Will you trust Yeshua (Jesus) as your Savior today? He alone can free you from all bondage and give you eternal life.
As you can see, the Bible is full of amazing connections that demonstrate the continuity between the time of Moses and the time of Yeshua! Maybe you have a favorite? Let us know in the comments and please consider subscribing to our newsletter! Are you placing your trust in Messiah Yeshua for the first time? Are you renewing your commitment to Him? Let us know how we can pray with and for you! Shalom!
Exodus 35-38 describes the preparations needed for the realization of the Tabernacle’s construction. It answers these types of questions:
What materials? How much would people need to contribute? Who would gather the measurements? What other objects would be made? Who were the Tabernacle’s skilled artisans?
Along with the Tabernacle would be the tent, pillars, bases, the Ark of the Covenant, a menorah, table, incense altar, and holy anointing oil. It was quite an undertaking!
Some translations read “gifted artisans” here. Every gifted artisan was to come help with the project. At that time, to be an artisan wasn’t some undervalued, underfunded craft. The Tabernacle budget wasn’t cutting out art! Quite the contrary! Artisanship was so important that the very Spirit of the LORD filled selected individuals with the gifts needed for intricate, beautiful art. God invested in the Tabernacle’s skilled artisans!
And lest you think this was a select club for men only, worry not!
The term found in Scripture here is chakam-lev. It refers to the skilled, to those who literally are wise of heart. Most English language Bible translations translate this term as “gifted or skilled artisan.” The TLV (Tree of Life Version) Bible translation chooses the literal translation of “wise of heart.” Thus, the TLV is expressing more literally this Hebrew term. Nevertheless, the NKJV and NIV’s translations using “skilled craftsman” or gifted artisan” help us more wholly understand the term.
So to be a “gifted artisan” is to be “wise of heart.”
Now isn’t that interesting?
“Chakam-lev” literally means “wise of heart”
It is rare to use the word “wise” to describe artists in our society. Most do not receive well-deserved compensation for their efforts, and they live in the shadows, somewhat outcast due to lack of funding and perceived instability.
Indeed, artists are often misunderstood.They have to defend their work because most of us don’t quite “get” their level of creativity. Just the other day, I had an email conversation with the author/illustrator of the Word for Word Bible Comic I reviewed for him. I wasn’t grasping why he had chosen to use a specific image for a page in his forthcoming Gospel of Luke graphic novel. I imagine he finds himself explaining many different illustrations to people who might have different perspectives.
Being an artist isn’t easy!
Yet talented artists have a gift that most of us do not possess.
And that gift comes from God! God who Himself is an Artist: the Potter who molds us and the Painter who created the beautiful canvas of the universe.
Isaiah 64:7
The LORD chose two men, Betzelel and Oholiab, for the artisan work needed for the Tabernacle.
Again, notice Scripture describes the Tabernacle’s skilled artisans as “wise-hearted” and “filled with wisdom of heart.”
Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) is Wisdom Incarnate. (The Proverbs express Wisdom as personified). Thus, He was ever-present in the Tabernacle! From start to finish, Wisdom inspired the craftsmen. He chose to dwell among us and prepare a meeting place.
Now, are you ready for this?
Betzalel’s name in Hebrew means “under the protection of God!”
And Oholiab (also spelled Aholiab) means “the Father’s tent“!
Oholiab was working on the Tent of Meeting! It was to be the Father’s tent!
And when you are in the Father’s tent, surely you are under the protection of the Almighty One!
Our Heavenly Father wanted His Presence to be near us, despite the separation that was occurring due to the curse of sin and death. The Father’s tent was the place where heaven could meet earth, even if only temporary. He made a temporary way, a temporary dwelling place, but the veil was still separating us. The Holy of Holies was restricted to the high priests and the yearly days of atonement. But He sent His Son! God’s selfless Son, Messiah Jesus, came to restore what had been lost. He was the Word Incarnate and came to dwell among us. Now, His Spirit dwells within us!
See how every aspect of Scripture points to the Good News?!
Isn’t that absolutely stunning?
It leaves me speechless (which, if you know me, that’s incredibly hard to do!).
The Tent of Meeting
Truly, the Tent of Meeting was the Father’s tent.
Tents are so important to God there is even a Biblical feast featuring them!
Every year, during the Feast of Tabernacles (aka Sukkot), all of Israel is to build temporary structures (tents!) to live in for the duration of the feast. Many English Bibles translate these tents as “booths” or “tabernacles.” The Hebrew term for these temporary dwellings is “sukkah.”
I hope you are able to see how the sukkah represents so much Biblical revelation! He came to dwell among us, to tabernacle with us – to celebrate the goodness of Life and to show us the Way of His Salvation.
More than enough
Exodus 36 describes how Betzalel and Oholiab led the work and many other wise-hearted men joined in the effort.
When we do our work in alignment with the will of our Father, there will always be abundance. There will always be enough and more than enough. There may be setbacks and times when we don’t sense any bit of abundance, but if we persist in faith, it will come.
Final thoughts for today
Finally, if there is just one thing I would want my readers to take away from this is that every tiny detail in Scripture always points back to revelation of God. Even the clasps of gold for the curtains were to be coupled together by the Tabernacle’s skilled artisans “so that the Tabernacle was One.” (Ex.36:13). This immediately brings to mind the Shema, that the Lord is One. When you read the Bible, look for these small details! They may seem insignificant, but I assure you, they aren’t.
So, I hope you have enjoyed delving a bit into Exodus today and learning a bit more about the Tabernacle’s skilled artisans! I would love to hear your insights. What is it you have found in the Scriptures today? How is this passage of encouragement to you? Do you know any artists or architects who have felt under-appreciated? Is there someone you can encourage today with the Word of God? Please leave a comment and share on social media! Let’s increase Biblical literacy among believers so we can be a light for unbelievers!
If you have spent any time in a large fellowship or congregation, surely you have been a part of a building project or have been asked to contribute a donation to such a project. Whether locating a facility for the first time, renovating an existing building, expanding, or setting out to build a brand new sanctuary, building projects can feel overwhelming. There is fundraising to do and often many of the congregation members will kindly volunteer time and labor to help.
Buildings and Renovations
Building is a natural outworking of our faith. As a community of believers grows, there needs to be a gathering place for worship. The point of the gathering space is to worship, yet so many congregations focus more on physical comforts than on a space that will truly function as a Biblical worship center.
My husband and I visited a church for several months when we were recently married. We were struck by the intensive efforts the church’s leadership was going through to push forth a building campaign agenda. It was clear that the pastor wanted a new space. But we wondered if the congregation truly needed a new space. Was the church growing? It appeared to be. Were there enough parking spaces? Always. The new building didn’t seem to be an immediate need, but we appreciated the fact that the church had plans to grow and to witness in their community. What felt unsettling were the enormous posters containing illustrations of the proposed sanctuary, auditorium-like with movie theatre type chairs and all the opulence of a modern American megachurch.
Humility vs. Comfort
You know what church buildings are my absolute favorite? The small ones. The humble ones. The ones where you can tell the people came together and worked to create a space for worship. The village churches in parts of Mexico that we have visited where all they have are some wooden benches and a pulpit. The people gather because they love the LORD. And He meets them where they are.
Even here in the U.S., a lot of thought used to go into the worship space from the perspective of how it would facilitate the worshipper to concentrate on the LORD. I grew up in a church that had Congregationalist roots. The design of the sanctuary is one of the best I have ever seen, and I don’t just say that because I grew up there. It is very simple, and the choir was placed in the back of the church. This was done so that the choir was considered part of the congregation and their voices would be heard easily by all. The idea was that regular church members would be inspired to participate in the congregational singing.
Today, most every church arranges for their music team to stand in front on a platform singing at everyone, very much like a concert. The music is so loud that nothing is missed if folks don’t feel like singing along. I am not against having some leadership up in front, but careful consideration about the design of our services and gathering places is warranted. Building campaigns can be a good thing if our focus remains on pleasing the LORD and our spaces have room for genuine, pure, Biblical worship & song, freedom in the Spirit, and Biblical dance.
What is most important in any building is the collective effort put forth in its construction.
Not everyone is a skilled contractor, but everyone can contribute in some way beyond just financially.
Building the Mishkan (Tabernacle)
In Parashat Terumah, Shemot/Exodus 25:1-27:19, we can see that building design and collective involvement is important to YHVH. He gave extremely specific instructions about how to the build the Mishkan (Tabernacle).
What is unusual about v’yiqchu li terumah is that it doesn’t say, “Have the children of Israel give to Me.” It seems to suggest more of a compulsion – they are to give! They are to give of themselves – and their hearts ought compel them! If a member of the community will volunteer of their time and talent, they are to do so wholeheartedly!
Furthermore, “for” is a word inserted for us as English speakers. The Most High says, “Take Me.” Take Him into your heart; your body His temple. The tabernacle was designed as a meeting place and He wants an appointment with you, Child of the Most High. “Mishkan” literally means “Adonai will dwell within.” God is asking for a donation – He wants you.
Will you allow the Eternal One to dwell within you?
Will you allow Him to build up your faith and construct in you something beautiful of His own design and perfect plan? Will you focus on what really matters instead of the external accoutrements that tempt us to start church shopping? Will you put on the garments of praise, seek Him in His holy place with all your heart and allow Him to adorn you with the beauty of holiness?
Each of us is a work under construction. The Great Architect has a blueprint, that if you’re willing to follow, you will stand tall as His magnificent work of art. Remember, every building needs a strong cornerstone, and Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) is our Chief Cornerstone:
Shalom, reader! I genuinely hope this short message has been of blessing to your life. Please consider sharing it with your friends, that others may be blessed, as well. If you would like to receive more encouragement directly to your inbox, subscribe to the Adonai Shalom list:
