Awesome displays of God's talents in your life, to edify others.
I Chronicles 29:3-5,20 "Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: 3000 talents of gold (gold of Ophir) & 7000 talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work & the silver work & for all the work to be done BY THE CRAFTSMEN.
Now, who is WILLING TO CONSECRATE THEMSELVES TO THE LORD TODAY?” ...Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord & the king.
2 Chron 2:13,14 “I am sending you Huram-Abi, a man of great skill, 14 whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, David your father.
Exodus 36:1,2 Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person whom the Eternal One has gifted with expertise and wisdom in order to build the sanctuary shall use these gifts as the Eternal One has directed.
2 Moses called together Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person whom the Eternal had gifted with special skills—everyone whose heart moved them to work—to help out and contribute to the construction work.
Exodus 31:1-11 Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in all kinds of craftsmanship, to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for settings, and to carve wood, so that he may be a master of every craft.
Moreover, I have selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, as his assistant. I have also given skill to all the craftsmen, that they may fashion all that I have commanded you: the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat upon it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—the table with its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils;
the washbasin with its stand; as well as the woven garments, both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests, in addition to the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them according to all that I have commanded you.”
This project is nothing like the forced labor the people endured back in Egypt. All the creativity and work put into the building and furnishing of the congregation tent comes from the heart. People with various skills—skills honed in slavery—step forward as free men and women to create a home on earth for God. Ultimately all talent & skill comes from God. Used properly they all point back to God.
