Over the last couple of days, I've been reading through Exodus, and the last six chapters have all been about the details of how to construct, and handle, the Ark of the Covenant. As a kid that grew up in church, I knew the Ark was important, but I had never really read through every specific and tiny detail of its creation. To be honest, there were moments during those six chapters where I was easily distractable, or was ready to move on to something that was a bit more, should we say "easy reading." :) But then I got to Chapter 31....
"The Lord says to Moses, Look I have chosen Bezalel....I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving Him great wisdom, intelligence, and skill in all kinds of crafts. He is able to create beautiful objects from gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in cutting and setting gemstones and in carving wood. Yes, he is a master at every craft. And I have appointed Oholiab...to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the naturally talented craftsmen so they can make the things I have instructed you to make." Exodus 31:1-6 (NLT)
This really struck me, and I read it several times. God had just finished giving the Israelites this huge, remkarkably important task, yet immediately after the last instruction is given, it was like He was saying "I've given you the skills to accomplish this." To me, it was like he was letting Moses know "Yes, this is a big job, but you can do this. It's ok. I've given you just what you need."
Two aspects that I wrote down about these verses were that God gave the individuals the skills they needed in order to accomplish the very specific tasks He required of them. Secondly, He brought other people, with other skill sets, to their side to help them - God gave them exactly what they needed for the work He had for them.
In the verses that follow, verses 7-11, God runs down a list of every single item that had to be built for the Ark of the Convenant and the Tabernacle. Every item is included. So, He didn't say, "I have equipped them to fulfill every aspect of what I called you to except for a few." No, God made sure these men had the skills and talents needed to complete EVERY part of what He desired and had called them to do.
These verses were a great reminder to me that God gives us the tools and skills we need for just what He called us to. Whether it's being a teacher, nurse, carpenter, mentor, accountant, engineer, stay-at-home mom, pastor, wife, or husband, God has set a specific task in front of us, and it's comforting to know that God equips us with just the skills we need, and then also surrounds us with others who can "sharpen" us and assist us along the way.
