Called and Equipped

We read about two men, Bezalel and Oholiab, in Exodus 31 and 35-40.  Until Exodus 31, we have not read anything about these men.  It appears that they were essentially unknowns.  They were not leaders of the people of Israel.  But they were known to God.  


The Lord set them apart to do His special work in building the tabernacle and its furnishings.  In Exodus 31 we read: "The LORD said to Moses, 'See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.  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....'" (31:1-11).  


God called (by name) and equipped these two men, filled them with His Spirit, and set the task before them.  Does this sound familiar, dear Christian?  It should.  We, too, have been filled with God's Spirit and given at least one spiritual gift with which to serve the Lord and His church.  He has a role (or roles) for each of us to fulfill in our local church family.


Bezalel and Oholiab faithfully served the Lord as He had called and equipped them.  The tabernacle was completed, as we read in the last few chapters of Exodus.


But as I read these accounts, I began to wonder: What if Bezalel and Oholiab had said "No"?  


What if they had preferred to use their great skill to create other things besides what God had called them to do?  


What if they had believed they weren't really gifted enough to do what God called them to do?


What if they had held back because people didn't really know them?


What if they had said they just didn't have enough time to do the work?


What if they had said the work was too large for them to do (and it was indeed a huge task!), so they just didn't want to try?


What if they were too afraid to step out and take on the project?


What if they didn't want to do it because they were afraid of what people might think?


The work was vast in scope, time-consuming, and painstakingly detailed.  What if they had decided to give up partway through, because the task was too hard?


Dear Christian brother or sister, far too often we can tend to use excuses like these to delay or avoid serving the Lord with the talents He has given us.  Rather, we want to be obedient, as were Bezalel and Oholiab, and as have been so many of God's people throughout the centuries.  We can each join the "great cloud of witnesses" (see Hebrews 12:1-2) in serving our Lord faithfully in the tasks He has given each of us.


What has God called and equipped YOU to do in your church family?  Will you do it faithfully, in the power of His Spirit?