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 worshipped, we can see an
example of the Holy Spirit working and gifting of a man of Israel named Beazalel , this mas endued, by God
through his Spirit, with the skills sets and knowledge 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 need 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 proceeds to
publically endorses and appoints Bezalel as the General Overseer of the
construction of God’s Tabernacle.
Though Bezalel oversight of the project he then in turn
instruct 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 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, want 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.
1Crth:12:1-I don’t want you to be ignorant
brethren concerning spiritual gifts.
By using the term “brethren”,
the Apostle is stating that the gifts are for all believers, the clergy and
laity alike. 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 want all believers to understand that there is
a diversities 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 interrelatedness 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 relationship 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.” 1Crth: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
recognize 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 but no echeloned thinking into his approach to
the Church, he saw all 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 Erath 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 astounding
through, 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, 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 and so that we might build up
the Church and that place where our God is worshipped 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.
The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike
Washington, Pa.
www.gcfountainoflife,org
" If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"
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