Bezalel, the Architect of the Desert Tabernacle

This will be a shortened blog as I will be writing a separate blog to honor the 90th birthday of a dear sister in my home church.

Today's scriptural reading was taken from Exodus 36-38 and Matthew 23:1-22. The Matthew reading was especially familiar as I wrote a previous blog on "Seven Woes Against Hypocrisy" (not a bad read if I may say so:). The three chapters in Exodus described in great detail the construction of the Tabernacle, the Ark, all the furnishing and the portable Courtyard that would make up the place of worship while the Israelite were wandering through the desert. What had struck me was the person of Bezalel, considered the architect of the whole project. What can I learn from him?

Wikipedia has a good write up about him. The Rabbinical Literature provides an especially interesting background and I will summarize a few aspects of this man which taught me about being a man of God and my vocation:
"God determined to appoint Bezalel architect of the desert Tabernacle, He asked Moses whether the choice were agreeable to him, and received the reply: "Lord, if he is acceptable to Thee, surely he must be so to me!" At God's command, however, the choice was referred to the people for approval and was endorsed by them." God determined... but it will be the approval and endorsement by men. This shows that God has graciously partner with man to accomplish His will. I have been looking at a number of vocational opportunities and I will entrust myself to the men who are placed in position to determine whether I would be suitable for the work, in God's sovereign control, of course - this is quite a mystery!
"Moses thereupon commanded Bezalel to set about making the Tabernacle, the holy Ark, and the sacred utensils. It is to be noted, however, that Moses mentioned these in somewhat inverted order, putting the Tabernacle last (compare Exodus 25:10 - 26:1, 31:1-10). Bezalel sagely suggested to him that men usually build the house first and afterward provide the furnishings; but that, inasmuch as Moses had ordered the Tabernacle to be built last, there was probably some mistake and God's command must have run differently." God's way may seem peculiar but at the end it always works out. This entire project is meant for traveling in the desert. They are to be taken apart each time they move from one location to another. It is well to consider that my work here on earth is like that of a sojourner traveling through time. What I take and how I pack may make no sense to others.
"Bezalel possessed such great wisdom that he could combine those letters of the alphabet with which heaven and earth were created; this being the meaning of the statement (Exodus 31:3): "I have filled him . . . with wisdom and knowledge," which were the implements by means of which God created the world, as stated in Proverbs 3:19, 20" I must remember that it is God who granted me my wisdom to do His work. Although I am more inclined to think that I have earned all my wisdom and accomplishment through hard work, it is really God who gifted me. Thanks be to God!
"Bezalel is said to have been only thirteen years of age when he accomplished his great work (Sanhedrin 69b); he owed his wisdom to the merits of pious parents; his grandfather being Hur and his grandmother Miriam, he was thus a grandnephew of Moses (from the Rabbinical Bible Exodus 48:3, 4)." Although I rarely thank my parents and their parents for what I am today. God has carefully planned my birth and endowed me genetically through my ancestors although they are little known  to me.

So as I face the next few months contemplating retirement, I can rest assure that God will never leave me or forsake me. He has prepared me for work that will be made clear to me. It's exciting to look ahead to the days to come!