Bezalel

Do you know who he was? Interesting character to ponder. I was looking back over a bible study I did a couple of years ago and was once again taken with the biblical story of Bezalel. You will find it in Exodus 31 and 36. Who was this man? He was (according to scholarly people much wiser than myself) the only person mentioned in the old testament who the Lord filled with the Holy Spirit who wasn't a leader or prophet. Isn't that an amazing thing? What else did the Lord bestow on this man? "...in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship." And not for just the 'honey-do' list around the house, but for the building of the tent of meeting and the ark of the covenant. Aahhhh.....He chose an everyday, nothing special (or so we thought) laborer and indwelled him with the Holy Spirit.

Why him? Why Bezalel? We will never know, but scholars are in surmising agreement that it had to do with his obedience to the Lord. I like how Beth Moore described it..."God empowered Bezalel to perform his assignment, apparently viewing the situation like this: I have a job that needs to be done, and I want it done right the first time. That means I will have to do it Myself. So He did - through Bezalel. God searches for laborers who will simply let Him do His job through them as His vessels."

What monumental anointing and I am sure it was never lost on Bezalel. It begs the question I have asked before. Here in North America we are very out of touch with God's Glory and His Holiness (not so in other parts of the world). I often wonder if part of the reason is that we as evangelical Christians take the Holy Spirit for granted. See, in the New Testament we know He will never leave us or forsake us. Not the case in the Old Testament. They knew (those who had the Holy Spirit placed on them) that it could go. Just read David's lament in Psalm 51. Is some of our apathy due to taking the Spirit for granted?