Bazale was the builder of the Tabernacle. Given the Bible’s strong emphasis on godly living and faithfulness to the Lord, it might be tempting to think that such things as art and architecture are essentially secular, second-class concerns of God. The Lord’s commission to Bezalel, however, proves this idea very wrong.
While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Lord gave him very specific plans regarding how His people were to live and worship. Part of those plans included the construction of the tabernacle, essentially a mobile worship tent that housed the ark of the covenant and the altar. The Lord gave very specific instructions regarding how the tabernacle was to be built and how the priests were to dress and perform their duties. The Lord designated a man named Bezalel to head a team of artists to produce all the objects involved in worship.
These people were skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, stone, wood, and even fabric, and they were to use their skills to glorify God and lead others to glorify Him in worship. Their work would become a lasting part of the worship of God’s people as they offered their sacrifices and prayers at the tabernacle generation after generation.
Bezalel and those he trained were commissioned to a very noble calling, and they used their artistic skills to bring glory to God for generations to come. God continues to endow His people with gifts for the purpose of glorifying Himself and leading others to glorify Him as well (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12). How might you use the gifts God has given you to glorify Him and lead others to do the same?