When the Lord directs you to something out of your reach, remember that everything is within His reach (Jn. 11:43).
Tag: hope
“Do we have a __ with us?
After Moses is given the design and specifications for the Tabernacle, the Lord reveals the one purposed from eternity past to make it a reality.
Bezaleel, the son of Uri, was called by name (Ex. 35:30), out of obscurity to be project manager for the Tabernacle of God.
Bezaleel was an artist, a craftsman, a fabricator. He could take natural raw materials, and invest in the physical, divine character and purpose.
The hands of Bezaleel were used to create a space where God’s Spirit, His abiding presence, would rest upon the earth; and that space, for 500 years, would be the focal point for the faith life of Israel.
בְּצַלְאֵל/Bezaleel means, in the shadow of God. At the appointed time in history, Bezaleel, and his gifting, were called, by name, from the protective shadow of God to shine into a specific space, place, and time. Bezaleel was an artist, called by the Lord to bring the heavenly reality a little closer, in an accessible way, to the earth.
Not all of us are a Moses, an Aaron, or even a Bezaleel, but we are all in the Lord’s protective shadow, gifted in preparation for His service.
Can you imagine an artist like Bezaleel in the wilderness? “What good are my skills, talents, and imagination out here?” Then, out of the blue Moses, stands before all the congregation of Israel and says, “The Lord told me to call Bezaleel to build His Tabernacle. Do we have a Bezaleel here?”
Probably a close approximation of what actually happened, right? Well, something like that.
The apostle Paul encourages us, “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all” (I Cor. 12:4-7).
While Bezaleel undoubtedly had a position, and of course income in Egypt, when, by faith, he walked out of Israel, he might have believed that that part of his life wouldn’t be useful or necessary in a wilderness camp.
Yet, in that space he would do the most enduring, and important work of his life.
While we might not have so grand a moment as Bezaleel, in faith, when the Lord calls us to walk in the gift His has deposited into us by the Holy Spirit, as Paul encouraged, it will be for the benefit of all; and we too, will help make the heavenly reality more accessible to the world around us. This is the legacy of those called by God, in His Son, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Be well. Shalom.
Taking it to the Streets
It was the practice of the Hasidic teachers in Judaism to find lessons, Torah, in everyday life. Reminders of the Lord in creation. They learned Torah (instruction), not only from books, but everywhere.
Upon waking, His mercy. Before food, His provision. From rain, His grace. In joy, His Spirit. Walking along the way, His direction. In relationship, His forgiveness. In anger, His justice. In business, His righteousness.
From trains, godliness in punctuality. From clocks, the value of time, and therefore life itself. In trees, rocks, gardens, cities, everywhere the eye could see, they found Torah, a lesson, about God.
Whether in the mountains, the valleys, or on the plains, He is there. He is ever with us, and by faith, we recognize His presence.
When the Bible uses the word “presence,” it is not implying a mystical experience, but a personal one. In Psalm 16:11 we find one expression of this:
שֹׂבַע שְׂמָחוֹת אֶת־פָּנֶיךָ
“In Your presence is full joy,” or “full joy in the presence of Your face.”
Two words in the Hebrew Scriptures are used to express presence. The usual, as in Psalm 16:11, is פָּנִים/panim, face. The other is עַיִן/ayin, eye.
How do you know when you are really present with someone? You are close to their face, and you see into their eyes. There you experience their presence, breath, aroma, and life.
In Isaiah 6:3 the angels declare:
מְלֹא כָל־הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדֽוֹ
“All the earth is full of Your glory,” כָּבוֹד/kavod: glory, weight, presence. Yet, this is impersonal. It is a statement of fact. So what do we learn?
The Hasidic teachers would say that the impersonal, factual reality of the Lord’s presence, kavod, will lead us, if we have eyes to see, to the experience of beholding His face and eyes, His countenance, everywhere as He personally abides with us as Emmanuel – God with, among, within us (Jn. 15:4; cf. Matt. 1:23; Isa. 7:14).
As Paul tells us, creation reveals His invisible qualities (Ro. 1:20), yet we must go deeper, further, personal, and to His face (Gen. 32:30; Ex. 33:11, 18, 19-20; cf. Ex. 24:10-11).
In Messiah we have the assurance of that personal encounter, and promise to see Him everywhere. As Yeshua said in John 12:45, “And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.”
Taking our theology to the streets means, in everyday life, to be mindful that we are, in fact, in His presence, before His face, seeing Him eye to eye. Learning to see His Word and promise in creation, everywhere, putting it into action. Not just an echo of His glory around us, but that personal knowledge of the One we know, and who knows us.
Be well. Shalom.
the mountain mensch 