A thought for Easter | The Chaplaincy of Poitou Charentes

At the beginning of Exodus 31, in the midst of all the instructions given by God to Moses as to how His children were to live, treat each other and as to how to worship and serve Him there are a few verses that intrigue me! God tells Moses that He has chosen Bezalel and filled him with His Spirit, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts. He has gifted him to make artistic designs in gold, silver, bronze, wood and all sorts of precious stones. Further He has given him Oholiab and other craftsmen to work with him, also gifting them in the same way.

As I read these verses again recently it reminded me that Service of God and equipping to do so takes all sorts of forms. These men had been called to decorate the Tent of Meeting - the place of worship for the children of Israel. God gave very specific instructions as to how this would be decorated. It would be a place of amazing beauty, an act of worship in itself and enabling others to worship too and God’s Spirit would enable each craftsman in the task.

This set me off on a train of thought. Paul speaks of the different giftings of God in several of his letters that we should expect to see in the Church of Jesus Christ today. Our Lord equipping and enabling His children by His Spirit for works of service for the blessing of all. The danger is that in our thinking we can put too much stress on what we consider to be the obviously 'spiritual' gifts. As mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 'apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, forgetting other callings mentioned in other parts of the Scripture. The list is endless: - administration, giving, hospitality, acts of mercy, gifts of healing and so many others. 'To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good'. 1 Corinthians 12:7. Note, to 'each one', and not that we might be built up in ourselves but build up one another as members of the one body, the one family!! 

Bezalel and his fellow craftsmen enabled God's people to understand better the beauty of God and of His holiness, enabling them to understand and worship Him better. So we too are called and equipped to serve each other, thus encouraging one another in our walk and worship of our Lord. There are as many giftings as there are children of God.

As we approach and prepare for Easter, remembering afresh Jesus willing and loving sacrifice for us at such cost, it is also good to reflect again on our response to this.

At the beginning of Romans 12:1 Paul writes:

'Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship'.
To 'brothers' we may safely add sisters.

That is the NIV version, but I also like The Message interpretation of this passage:

'So, here's what I want you to do. God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life- and place it before God as an offering.'

As we offer ourselves to Him afresh in response to His goodness, He may show us fresh ways to serve Him or encourage us in what we are doing already. Above all though He reminds us afresh that all He did for us, He did in love for us to give us life and 'life in all its fullness'. Our response to Jesus is of love, worship and service as He directs and equips us.