Learning From Moses

I'm still reading through Exodus...trying to get through all of the measurements of the tabernacle, etc. I can't tell you how much I have grown spiritually after reading verses such as Exodus 36:25, "Then for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards..." (did you sense the slight use of sarcasm, or are you re-reading the verse looking for some deep, spiritual insight?).

As I read a few more chapters tonight, I noticed one phrase or idea being repeated over and over:

• Exodus 35:10 - Let every skillful man among you come...
• Exodus 35:25 - All the skilled women...
• Exodus 35:36 - All the women whose heart stirred with a skill...
• Exodus 35:35 - He has filled them with skill...
• Exodus 36:1 - ...every skillful person in whom the Lord has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work...
• Exodus 36:2 - ...every skillful person in whom the Lord had put a skill, everyone whose heart stirred him...
• Exodus 36:4 - And all the skillful men...
• Exodus 36:8 - All the skillful men

There's a lot of mention here about a LOT of SKILLFUL people. When the temple was built, architects were needed, those who could engrave, those who worked with stone, those who worked with metal, those who could sew and make material, wood workers, etc. And these were not just people who could get the job done...these verses tell us they were SKILLED people who had specific, extra-ordinary skills given by God. Given this fact, I find the following verse very interesting:

Exodus 38:22 - Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

This made me ask, "If God had all of those skilled people to work with, and if Moses was not skilled in all of these areas, why did God give the super-detailed plan for the building of the tabernacle to Moses? Couldn't God have told the architect, "Build a temple" and told the sewing ladies, "Make a beautiful curtain for the Holy Place" and to the metal workers, "Build elaborate utensils for use in the tabernacle"?

Had God told 100 skilled workers to build for Him, they no doubt would have created beautiful work..their absolute best for God. But there would have been 100 different pictures of what the tabernacle would look like. God didn't have 100 pictures in mind for His tabernacle...He had ONE picture in mind. So he clearly communicated that picture to His leader Moses, and Moses communicated the (detailed) vision to the skilled craftsmen.

I believe God was making a clear statement about leadership.

We can create something 'great for God' based on individual pictures we create in our own minds, or we can participate in something truly great by working with other skillful people to bring about the ONE picture God has revealed to His leader(s).