Communion With the Christ:: Gifted to Build

The LORD chose Beazalel, filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge.” Ex: 35:30

We can, when we discuss the gifts of the Holy Spirit, think of them only being confined to what we read with in the New Testament, but if we read the Old Treatment, we can see the New Testament gifts foreshadowed.

In the case of the construction of the Wilderness Tabernacle in which the God of Israel was to be worshiped, we can see an example of the Holy Spirit working and the gifting of a man of Israel named Beazalel , this mas endued, by God through his Spirit with the skills sets and knowledge needed to construct the Tabernacle.

The LORD chose Beazalel, filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge.”Ex: 35:30

This endowment of the abilities needed for the task at hand was not conferred upon Beazele for his own uses , but was given to him so that he might in-turn instruct others in their participation of the Tabernacle project.

“Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.” Ex: 35:30-35

Moses recognizing the “gifting” which the Lord God had given to Bezalel and proceeds to publicly endorses and appoints Bezalel as the General Overseer of the construction of God’s Tabernacle.

Though Bezalel's oversight of the project he then in turn instructs others so that they might participate in the task of build the Tabernacle.

Along with Bezalel as General Overseer, another man named Oholiab was named the Forman and he ,as well , received skills to aid in the construction and fashioning of the furnishings of the place of worship.

And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. (34)

All types of skill

These two-construction leader are, we are told, able to impart their knowledge to others so that they too might have a part in this work which produces the meeting and worship place.

the ability to teach others. (34b)

Under Beazalel and Ohiliab leadership and oversight the sacred Tabernacle project is undertaken and employed a number of other craftsman and assisting personal utilizing a wide range of skills.

“So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.” Ex: 36:1

We are told, as well, in the narrative of Exodus that there was a willingness on the part of the people to participate in the fashioning of the Tabernacle.

“Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work” (2)

Willing to Build

God had put it on their hearts along with the endowment gifts a willingness to step in and help, to participate and have involvement. These gifts of skills were not just for their own uses, but was granted to help and be a part of the work on the Tabernacle. The gifts were meant to be used in conjunction with others on what God has decreed Israel to do.

What is the lesson for us, we Christians, which is the Church? Now, we are called to build the Church, to do this He has given us Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, at his ascension into the Heavens, conferred upon all Christians down through the ages the Great Commission of going into all the world and preach the Gospel and the assurance that he himself would be present with the Church and provide the means to fulfill the Commission. Mk: 16:15, Matt: 28:19 and Acts: 1:8

St. Paul tells us that at the assurances at the ascension of Jesus into the glory of Heaven he did not do so to leave the Church without the means to fulfill this Great sacred Commission.

“Christ ascended on high, led captives in His train and gave gifts to men” Eph: 4:8

St. Paul tells us in his Ephesian Epistle that those in the train of Jesus are the recipients of “gifts”, in many ways this is a glance to the Exodus theme which we find in the story of the Children of Israel, who the Lord God had set free and led out of the land of their captivity and were now, though God’s grace had receive many gifts from God on their journey to the Promised Land.

St. Paul speaks to the Corinth Church about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and wants to convey to them that they are not exclusive to only the “ordained clergy”.by using the term “brethren”, the Apostle is stating that the gifts are for all believers, the clergy and laity alike.

1Cor: 12:1-I don’t want you to be ignorant brethren concerning spiritual gifts.

St. Paul is also introducing the concept that all Christians are “ministers”, this is to all, not just “ministers” in the ordained positional sense but all Christians are to be minsters and to minster.

St. Paul wants all believers to understand that there is a diversity to these gifts, and that unlike what we read in the Exodus account of the Tabernacle construction, the gifts are not “task oriented” but rather “relational oriented” in order to build up and bind together the “brethren” through the diversity of the gifts given to each by God, but he reminds us that it is all from the Spirit of God.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (4-11)

St. Paul again stresses the relational nature of the gifts by recalling the theme of inter- related nature of the Church as the very body of Jesus, each having their part and participation.

One Body

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”(12-14)

St. Paul wants his readers to understand that above what sort of gifts God has blessed us with, the main objective is that we have deep abiding relationships within the Church. The Apostle does this by leading his discourse on the gifts directly into in his expounding about the divine love of God as it should be made manifested in our lives for all see.

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” 1Cor:13:1-8

Overseers

God has in his wisdom, however, has made a part of his purpose for the Church overseers which we see foreshadowed in Beazalel and Ohiliab. These men were to supervise the Tabernacle’s construction and to assign the workers to varies task involved in the project.

This pattern is seen even within the nature of the Church. God has, through public endorsement and commissioning, provided supervision in the Church. St. Paul list these positions of appointment to help build up the Church.

Those given oversight of a Church are to help others it recognizes their gifts affirm them and teach and empower other Christians, especially within the context of a local Church, to identify and serve so that the Church grows and matures in the Christian life.

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Eph: 4:11-13

St. Paul had no echelon thinking into his approach to the Church, he saw each Christian as vital and having their place in the function of the Church as a whole or on a local level. All were, in his eyes of the same importance but with different gifts of participation, but all equal in importance.

“each part dose it work in the process of building the church” (16)

The Church needs the participation of all members and their gifts to build the Church, just as the “skilled” men built the Tabernacle, out of the offerings given by the people of Israel.

We each and all need our Lord’s help us use our gifts especially now in the times in which we live. The need for local personal evangelism is growing more needful within local congregations and to individuals.

We each and all need to assemble together and seek our Lord Jesus for his guidance and for opportunities to use the gifts given us. Jesus Christ lives in you to do the work.

Greater Things

As great as the work of our Lord Jesus was in the days when he was upon the Earth were, Jesus was only one man in one place at a time in his humanity, but now that our Lord has ascended into the height of Heaven, and has sent us the Holy Spirit to be made manifested our lives , he can and does function through the body of the Church Universal in many way in many places to accomplish many things.

This tells us that Jesus is still even to this very hour is still ministering, but through the body of his Church across the face of the Earth and that his Church would even in his own words “do greater things” then he did.

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these”, Jhn: 14:12a

That is an astounding thought, that we, frail sinful humans could do greater things than our Lord Jesus, the Second person of the Holy Trinity incarnate, yet Jesus then proceeds to us why that can and is true.

“because I am going to the Father.”(12b)

Jesus ascension to his Father above is the reason that we can do these “great things” and upon his ascension Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit, so that we might receive the gifts, the very same Spirit who enabled the over sight and building of the Wilderness Tabernacle to Beazalel and Ohiliab.

Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to Christians throughout the ages to enable us each and all to participate in his work and so that we might build up the Church and that place where our God is worshiped for we are gifted to build.

Benediction: May we each and all willing use the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to participate in the building up of the Church, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.