Exodus 31:6, commentary and pictures

God joined Aholiab of the tribe of Dan with Bezalel of the tribe of Judah for the building of the tabernacle, and put wisdom in the hearts of all the wise-hearted that they might make all that He had commanded. The appointment met a real need, for Moses though learned did not know how to engrave and embroider, and Israel coming from brickmaking in Egypt had ingenious men but no training in gold and silver and the curious arts required, so God named the men by name and Himself supplied the skill. All wisdom, understanding, ability and skill for the work came as Christ's own gift, for He devised the plan, showed the pattern of the heavenly sanctuary, specified every article of furniture, and filled the workers with the Spirit of God to perform and to teach it. He required perfection in every detail because the tabernacle was sacred to Him and stood as a representation of His power and majesty, of the completeness of Christ's work, and of the sacredness of the human temple, and it was done by varied gifts working together with one another and with heavenly intelligences under Him as Master Worker. The same God still gives wisdom, tact and skill for His work today, whether in erecting buildings for Him or in building up the body, to those who depend wholly upon Him and walk as accountable to Him, so no one has reason for pride, and even zeal for His work gives no right to break His Sabbath which stands as His sign that He sanctifies His people.

Appointees and Historical Need

God gave Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be with Bezalel of the tribe of Judah as fellow worker and assistant and architect for the tabernacle, entrusting the work to more than one person rather than to one man alone. In the hearts of all that are wise-hearted He put wisdom, giving skill and understanding to other appointed workers beyond the two leaders, that they might make all that He had commanded. The craftsmanship they needed came not from human counsel alone but from God's provision, with different gifts and abilities distributed among many for the work to be done.

The appointment answered Moses' troubled question of who was sufficient to build the tabernacle. Though proficient in Egyptian learning and taught by visions, Moses did not know how to engrave and embroider, and Israel, held all their days in Egyptian bondage making bricks, had ingenious men but no instruction in working gold and silver and the curious arts required. God therefore named by name the men He desired and Himself provided and directed the wisdom and skill His people had not learned in Egypt.

The all that they were to make embraced the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony and the mercy seat upon it, and all the furniture and vessels of the tabernacle. It embraced the table and its vessels, the pure candlestick and its vessels, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with its vessels, and the laver and its foot. It embraced the cloths of service, the holy garments for Aaron and his sons for ministering in the priest's office, and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place, exactly according to all that was commanded.

The giver of this wisdom is Christ, who gave it to Aholiab and the wise-hearted for the commanded work. He was the unseen Leader at Israel's deliverance who guided the work, Himself specially choosing and endowing the men for the wilderness tabernacle. He filled the workers with the Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding and knowledge and in all manner of workmanship, in engraving and cunning work and embroidery and weaving and devising cunning work, and put in their hearts that they might teach others.

Wisdom and Skill Bestowed

The wisdom, skill, understanding, ability, strength, and education needed for the work came from God as His gift and provision for the tabernacle, enabling Aholiab alongside Bezalel and all the wise-hearted to make everything commanded. That craftsmanship depended not on human skill or human counsel alone but on wisdom put by God in the heart, qualifying the builders with more than natural abilities to perform the most ingenious work. God Himself was their teacher who educated them and equipped workers with gifts suited to their appointed service, because the tabernacle belonged to His service and was to be built with care. Neither Moses nor the workmen were left to plan the form and workmanship of the building. God Himself devised the plan with particular directions for its size and form and the materials to be used, specified every article of furniture in it, presented before Moses a miniature model of the heavenly sanctuary, and commanded him to make all things according to the pattern shown in the mount. Moses wrote all the directions in a book and read them to the most influential of the people.

God called men who already had qualifications of character and then gave them aptitude and skill in all manner of workmanship, not leaving them to their own human wisdom. He gives wisdom and understanding to people willing to learn from Him and cooperate with Him, who use their talents well, can distinguish the sacred from the common, and fully join His work to carry out what He commands. As they use the abilities He gives, they gain further wisdom, understanding, and skill to overcome difficulties, and under His instruction and blessing they can become complete in their work even when they begin with little. He gives to each worker wisdom to know how to place himself where he can accomplish the greatest good for His cause when He is sought with humility of heart, united prayer, and teachableness as little children. The same gift of tact and skill and imparted wisdom is for all today who have a part in His cause, and receiving it requires depending wholly upon Him, being willing to be controlled and guided by Him, and walking and working as accountable to God.

Divine Design and Sacred Meaning

Exodus 31:6 requires perfection in every detail in the work it commands, for God Himself provides the wisdom and skill to accomplish what He requires. The joining of Aholiab of Dan with Bezalel and the putting of wisdom in the hearts of all the wise-hearted to make the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony and mercy seat upon it, all furniture and vessels, the table and its vessels, the pure candlestick and its vessels, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with its vessels, the laver and its foot, the cloths of service, the holy garments for Aaron and his sons, and the anointing oil and sweet incense, exactly according to all commanded, was a symbol that everything done in erecting the tabernacle sacred to God's service was to represent His perfection. That tabernacle standing continually before more than a million people illustrated the perfection and completeness of Christ's work.

The tabernacle belonged to God's service and was to be built with care because it was sacred to Him, with understanding and ability for the work provided by God to those He appointed. God arranged every detail Himself and made its construction a representation of His power and majesty. That work was to be a special representation of the exalted character of His service and to represent the sacredness of the human temple, and those called to it were not left to their own human wisdom.

The work was carried out in cooperation with heavenly intelligences, whose efficiency came from God. Its construction required varied labor, skilled work, and contributions from the people, who were thereby taught to cooperate with God and one another. That cooperation also illustrated cooperation in preparing God's temple in the soul.

The skill thus conferred was inherited in large degree by descendants in Judah and Dan, who were regarded as especially cunning in the finer arts. Huram's skill through his mother, as descendant of Aholiab, shows that the talents given to Aholiab and his fellow craftsmen were present in their descendants. Such inherited ability did not ensure continued devotion to God, and when descendants misused it by seeking greater wages and serving heathen kings they dishonored their Maker.

Shared Gifts and Cooperation

God gave Aholiab to work alongside Bezalel and put wisdom in the hearts of all the wise-hearted so they could make everything He had commanded for the tabernacle. The appointment of a fellow worker with the chief builder, together with wisdom given to other skilled helpers beyond the two leaders, shows His way of using people of different abilities in the same work. When the sacred building was to be constructed in the wilderness He chose certain men and specially endowed them with skill and wisdom for it, distributing responsibilities among those whose talents fitted them for service and who by training might become skillful in the service required. He equipped different people with abilities and wisdom for distinct tasks and assigned each a fitting part under His own direction as Master Worker.

Different gifts and tasks are meant to work together under God, and each worker is to faithfully perform the work entrusted to him rather than interfere with another's assignment.

The men chosen felt greatly honored that a part in the Lord's work was assigned them. Love and reverence for God led them to offer Him faithful, unselfish service, returning to Him the increase of the talents given them. He Himself designed the work, educated the workmen, and gave skill to those who carried it out, and they put heart and soul and strength into it. The hard physical labor in which the sturdy mechanic taxed muscle and sinew manifested love to God and honored Him.

Faithful Application Today

The skill, exactness, tact, wisdom, care and perfection required for building the tabernacle are the pattern for every kind of work done in God's service, including mechanical work. The skill, care, tact and wisdom needed for sacred work are gifts from God, and acceptable service requires devotion to Him and a spirit of self-sacrifice, without selfishness.

The same God who communicated with His people of old and put wisdom in their hearts to build the tabernacle, arranging every detail Himself and making its construction a representation of His power and majesty, still communicates with His people today and gives wisdom to do His will. He watches over and directs by His word, His Spirit and His providence the erecting of buildings for Him, and those who build His institutions are laborers together with God in a work of eternal consequence. Work done for Him must honor His name and must not move forward shabbily, but faithfulness, stability and fitness must be seen in every part and every line, with buildings corresponding to the providence of God and to their relation to the work to be done in other places. This is done in entire dependence on God, with prayer and holy song and counsel sought from Him and eyes fixed on Jesus, assured of His instruction and guidance.

The same divine gift gives understanding, ability, tact and intelligence to helpers controlled by the Holy Spirit who combine natural food products into wholesome, healthful preparations. He thereby enables them to do the right kind of work in building up the tabernacle of the body. This skill is to be exercised under the guidance of God's Spirit and shared freely, especially so the poor can learn to prepare nourishing foods from local products and teach others.

Ability for the most skillful work comes from the Lord, for God called men who already had qualifications of character and then gave them aptitude and skill in all manner of workmanship for the tabernacle, and they were not left to their own human wisdom. Therefore no person has reason to take pride in the work as though its wisdom were self-made, and it is painful when artisans so gifted become exalted because of their skill and aptitude. Working men with such skill need not lack refinement and true Christian courtesy, for their work was to be a special representation of the exalted character of His service and to represent the sacredness of the human temple. When those entrusted with leadership act unfaithfully and work against God, He may withdraw the wisdom and encouragement He has given. Descendants inherited in large degree the skill God had given their forefathers, but seeking greater wages and serving heathen kings with that God-given skill dishonored their Maker.

Capabilities are bestowed that men and women may show forth His glory in the smaller as well as the larger matters of life, not to be employed for selfish advantage but for the advancement of the cause of God. The chosen men felt greatly honored that a part in the Lord's work was assigned them, and love and reverence for God led them to offer Him faithful, unselfish service, returning to Him the increase of the talents given them. Christ has a place for all sanctified ability, first bestowing the gift and then the power to improve it, to be used with unselfish love for God in daily surrender of self, with the cross of self-denial cheerfully and willingly borne, and with times apart to rest and commune with God to learn how to work for His greatest glory. Great grace, wisdom, judgment and skill are imparted to one who works thus, to be given back to the Lord in willing service.

Aholiab received special wisdom for the tabernacle, and Solomon should have sought consecrated helpers in faith, trusting God to grant them the skill needed for the temple. Though the tabernacle work was the Lord's work under His supervision, zeal for it gave no right to work on the Sabbath. Israel had been compelled to work on the Sabbath as slaves in Egypt and had largely lost knowledge of the Sabbath, so God gave the commandments in awful grandeur on Mount Sinai and guarded the Sabbath in particular, commanding even the tabernacle builders to keep the seventh day holy as His memorial and perpetual sign that He is the Lord who sanctifies them, which is genuine sanctification.

Keeping the seventh day according to the directions in Exodus 31 shows to those united in transgression that Sabbathkeepers bear God's sign, are loyal subjects of His kingdom, and acknowledge Him as Creator of the heavens and the earth. It draws a plain public line of demarcation between him that serves God and him that serves Him not, as a public sign that they honor God by keeping His commandments. Holiness to the Lord is the badge of God's people, and those who keep holy the day He set apart receive His blessing and are cheerful and happy in assurance of it.

God gives wisdom and skill to people among His own people to do the practical work His providence calls for. When it becomes necessary to erect a meetinghouse in a locality, it pleases Him when believers have the wisdom and skill to perform the work. The same giving is seen when He sends men with truth to people of a strange tongue and opens the minds of missionaries to learn the language quickly, so the natives are prepared to receive the gospel message in their own tongue.