All the instructions for the tabernacle had now been given, and the work of making it was about to begin. What an important lesson there is for us in all this! Not a move was made until God had said what was to be done. O that we would always listen to the Word of God first, before starting any service for Him. Then when we have heard His voice instructing us, let us acknowledge that He alone can enable us to do His blessed will. It is all of Him and all of grace.
The Lord’s Call
Moses did not look over the camp and pick out men for this work himself. Nor did he call for volunteers. No, the Lord told Moses whom He had chosen and fitted for this wonderful service. It is a serious thing to serve the Lord, as well as a blessed privilege, and “no man taketh this honor unto himself” (Heb. 5:44And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. (Hebrews 5:4)). The Lord alone can call, as He did Bezaleel and Aholiab in our chapter, and as He did Barnabas and Saul many years later (Acts 13:22As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. (Acts 13:2)). And the Lord alone can qualify, too, as He did these men; and more than this we can be sure He will not call any whom He has not qualified (Romans 12:33For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)).
Perhaps some of our young readers wonder how we can know that we are called of God. This is a good question indeed and we heartily wish that every redeemed child had the desire to serve the Lord. We may be sure that if the desire is there and we ask the Lord, as Saul of Tarsus did, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:66And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. (Acts 9:6)). that the Lord will reveal His mind to us.
We must, however, be humbly content to do His blessed will, no matter what the service is. Too often we are like Naaman, who was willing enough to do some great thing, but not what God specifically requested. We must be willing to be despised and misunderstood even by those whom we love and seek to serve, and who proved this like the perfect Servant — the blessed Lord Himself. Furthermore, we must not have a will or thought of our own as to what should be done, for there was not even the smallest detail of the construction of the tabernacle that was left to the wisdom of Bezaleel and Aholiab. God gave instructions about everything and they had only to do as God had commanded by His servant Moses. Of course this needed great wisdom, but not natural wisdom. It required the wisdom which God alone could give, and this He did, fitting these two men in a marvelous way for their particular service.
His Call and Not Self-Interest
Our earnest prayer is that the Lord of the harvest may thrust forth many more into His ripened harvest fields. May we be more willing to listen to His call instead of being busy with our own selfish interests. Many of us are like a little girl whom I know, who is often so busy with her own play that she does not hear her mother calling her to come and help. Then when she does come it is often too late to be of any use. May we be more like the blessed Lord Himself who said, “He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear” (Isa. 50:44The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. (Isaiah 50:4)). The Lord has a daily work, as well as a lifetime work for each one of us, and the time for us to do it is short. His coming draws near.
These two men were filled with the Spirit of God for their work, and surely this is of supreme importance. Barnabas, whom we mentioned previously, was called and fitted. He was filled with the Holy Ghost, too, but sadly he allowed other things to come in, and the Lord had to set him aside. The One who calls and fits His servants alone can keep them. May we ever pray, “Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust” (Psa. 16:11<<Michtam of David.>> Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. (Psalm 16:1)).
Further Meditation
1. Why didn’t Naaman want to obey?
2. Did Abraham respond immediately to his call to serve?
3. Christian Service by W. J. Prost teaches the subject well.