The Spirit & The Work of the Hands

A Reflection on Bezalel

How many of us, when we think of being filled with the Holy Spirit, think of craftsmanship? We may think of ecstatic worship or powerful preaching, but too few of us consider craftsmanship a gift from God. Which is why, in our trip through the book of Exodus, we chose to talk about Bezalel. Bezalel is the chief craftsman of the tabernacle and Exodus 31:30-32 says: “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel and 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.” Pretty cool, right? So in order to honor Bezalel, we had Maker Sunday at Redemption. Everyone, whether artistic or not, got to make something. Not to win God’s favor, but simply to enjoy God’s pleasure. God is a creator after all. And God loves when we create!