Exodus 36-39 -- Divvy It Up

God had provided workers with a variety of skills – carpenters, fabric weavers, those who could sew, metal workers, leatherworkers, artisans, and carvers.

Bezalel and Oholiab produced the designs according to the wisdom and understanding God had given them, while the other workers used their specialties to interpret and develop those designs into actual objects to be used in worship.  No one person did it all.

To me, this speaks of specialization.  The chief designer guided the others and approved of the work, insuring that it matched the quality and specifications given by God.  Had Bezalel tried to make every bit of that himself, they might have needed an extra few years before moving on.  The whole process would have been slowed.

In the same way, at our work we can become too focused on the details of an area that others are better equipped by God to handle.  If we are managers, our job is not to micromanage, but to check quality control for those things presented to us, perhaps.  If we are artisans, we can naturally focus on the details, with someone else seeing how our work will fit into the bigger picture.

Sharing the load seems to be the theme coming out of this; after all, over 2000 pounds of gold and 7,550 pounds of silver were used to make the items specified by God.  No man could have done it alone.

Father, I constantly need reminders to let others help me and share the load.  I get so concerned that it is being done correctly that I often end up doing it all myself just to be sure.  That causes me to end up leaving other things undone, and once the backlog starts building, it’s almost impossible to catch up.  Show me the skilled workers You’ve already placed around me, and help me to allow them to do their jobs so that I can do my own job better.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford