Bezalel

Exodus 31:1-11

Imagine being Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, an Egyptian slave making bricks for the pyramids of Pharaoh when in his heart and mind he is designing and making plans. "This pyramid would look so much better if they used circular lines instead of linear in the design." Or maybe Bezalel was the guy carved faces, words, or animals into pyramids, using some of the gifts he had been given. Either way, he was gaining some knowledge and mastering skills, but perhaps he had a deep longing to be doing something bigger and greater. Here he was stuck as a life-long slave with great attention to detail, skills, and knowledge that are most likely deemed "unnecessary", stuck in the land of Egypt where no one would recognize his abilities or even call them great. Been in that place?

But then God brings His people out of Egypt. He wants to bring them to the promised land, but until then they must travel through the wilderness and desert. Even though some of the circumstances have changed, Bezalel is probably feeling unsatisfied, wondering where he'll be able to use his skills or if he'll ever be able to fulfill desires.

Then one day after Moses has been on the mountain, he calls Bezalel to his tent and tells him, "God has chosen you and a select group of other men to build the tent of meeting and everything to go with it." His heart started pounding and his mind rushed with excitement. He answered more calmly than he felt, "Sure Moses, I can do that if God wants" walking out of the tent to his own, holding back from running. When he reached his tent, he spun his wife around saying, "Guess what?! God has asked me to build a tent for Him. I finally get to do something great for Him with my talents!!" At least that's how I picture it went...

After a life of being unseen, unrecognized, and hidden as a slave of Egypt, Bezalel is fulfilling God's purpose for his life and his talents.

The years we wait with passions, abilities, and ideas just sitting inside our hard. They can feel like Egypt sometimes, but what if Bezalel while in Egypt had said, "I'm better than this! I have great talents and dreams, I'm not listening to these people." I can imagine that the Egyptians would have beaten him, perhaps killed him, maybe worked him in area that didn't provide any learning for him, or his heart would have become so callused that God couldn't use him.

Are you waiting on your dreams to be fulfilled? Have you had dreams that you had to wait on for a while? Spend your waiting time wisely.

"The Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, 8 the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, 10 and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.”" Exodus 31:1-11(ESV)