Craft In the Bible

I love this passage in Exodus. God singles out the skilled craftsmen to build the Tabernacle. He fills them with knowledge and expertise to make a dwelling place for Himself. And he inspires them to teach others their crafts.

“Then Moses said to the people of Israel, See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver–by any sort of workman or skilled designer” (Exodus 35:30-35 ESV).

Whenever I get discouraged that being an artist is unimportant in the grand scheme of life, I remember Bezalel and Oholiab. God put artistic skill inside them to bring him glory. That’s so great.

Art & Craft, Faith | March 15th, 2010

2 Responses to “Craft In the Bible”

  • Davida at 7:14 pm on March 15th

    expressing ourselves creatively (especially through the arts) is one of the most spiritual things we can do (inho). :)

  • Mama Dalton at 8:54 pm on March 15th

    I was recently reminded, in a rather ‘spooky’ fashion, that gifts once given never go away. They may lay dormant for a season, but they are merely waiting for the right inspiration, or impetus if you will, to be expressed once again. God bestows the gifts…the artist gives them back. He always expects, I believe, that the giftee will give them gratefully as an expression of self, of wonder, and sometimes as gleeful exuberance, and glorious surprise, and surely sometimes as thanksgiving, and, yes, glory.

    I was affirmed in artistic creativity recently…by people, to be sure…but God smiled on me during that time…and reminded me that it was his idea all along…and what on earth had I been waiting for?

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