TALENTED AND SKILLED HANDS (6)

“All the WOMEN who were GIFTED ARTISANS spun yarn with their HANDS, and brought what they had spun…” – Exodus 35:25a

Before God, there is no gender bias to Creative, TALENTED and SKILLED HANDS: “All the WOMEN who were GIFTED ARTISANS spun yarn with their HANDS, and brought what they had spun, of blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And all the women whose hearts stirred with wisdom spun yarn of goats’ hair” (Exo.35: 25-26). God fills both men and women with His Spirit. He anoints and gifts all who have willing hearts to serve, regardless of gender: “They came, both MEN and WOMEN, as many as had a WILLING HEART, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who made an offering of gold to the Lord” (v.22). We’ve noted the examples of Bezalel, Oholiab, and other skilled craftsmen (vv.30-35). But God responds to willingness, not our gender!

Willing hearts and minds drive diligent, talented, and skilled hands. Without a willing heart, costly offerings would be detested; with it, the smallest service will be accepted. Willing hearts are such that cheerfully engage in promoting the cause of God’s work, even in tasks that may be considered menial or demeaning. These are as much accepted of God as those engaged in splendid services. The women who spun the goats' hair were wise-hearted, because they did it heartily to the Lord. In our days, the labourer, carpenter, mechanic, or servant who attends to his work in the faith and fear of God, is as wise, for his place, as the most useful minister, and be equally accepted of the Lord. Our faithful duty consists in giving God the glory through the use of our talents and deployment of our skills, be they many or few.

The tabernacle-construction chapters in the book of Exodus illustrate what an author calls ‘Art for God’s Sake’! The thesis is that Art is not antithetical to the Divine. God holds the acme of Art. Even Christians who dismiss art continue to produce it inescapably. 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 are or will be artists, but whether we will aspire to high aesthetic standards. Christians often settle for something that is functional but not beautiful or aesthetically appealing. Sometimes what we produce are at best, tacky artwork of poor quality that appeals to low tastes.

We see however that there was nothing tasteless about the tabernacle. It’s design and construction involved: “skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver – those who do every work and those who design artistic works” (v.35). God envisioned and ensure a tasteful tabernacle not only by His design but also by those whom He chose and gifted to construct it. God appointed and equipped skilled workers to construct the place where His glory would descend. And He does the same with His people in His New Covenant Temple. Just as God used gifted people to build a glorious building under the old covenant, so Christ uses gifted men and women to build the Glorious Church under the new covenant.

In essence, we need to discover where our gifts fit in God’s work Our heart might be stirring to help as a craftsman though we may not feel like we know what to do. God will give us the skill and intelligence to do what is needful and useful. Unlike back in Exodus, it is not only the likes of Bezalel who can be filled with the Spirit. Jesus has poured out His Spirit on His church so that everyone who trusts in Him has the Spirit and therefore everyone who trusts in Him can be filled with the Spirit. By this infilling, we’re privileged to receive the talents, skills, and intelligence required to fulfil our assignments within His Grand Kingdom Agenda. There is a place for all in His Spirit-filled construction!