Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Craft (as in handcraft) (02/08/07)
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TITLE: In the Shadow of God | Previous Challenge Entry
By Lauri Gruen
02/14/07 -
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Hearing the urgency in his father’s voice, Bezalel knew he needed to quickly deliver his cartload of bricks to be included in the daily count. His father was the foreman and responsible for ensuring his men would fill the quota. The taskmaster was due to arrive at any moment to collect their division’s tally.
The blazing desert sun beat down on Bezalel, but despite the heat, many hours of rigorous labor still lay ahead. He had never known any life but this, nor had his father or grandfather. Legends existed that long ago his people actually enjoyed much favor with the Pharoah, even though they no longer lived in their own land. Their life in Egypt now could hardly be considered easy. Through the generations their status had changed from welcome guests to mistreated slaves. Bezalel could not understand what events could have occurred to change history so drastically. The elders continually reminded the Israelites how they served a great and powerful God who had a Promised Land waiting for them. But Bezalel just did not get it – why such torture now and where was this powerful God to help them?
Bezalel, whose name meant “in the shadow of God”, thought to himself, “I seem to be caught in quite a dark shadow, so dark, God can’t even see me.”
Couldn’t God see how he and his family suffered at the hands of the cruel Egyptians? Couldn’t God see how Bezalel yearned to do more with his life than make bricks?
Bezalel’s attention turned to the awful bricks. He could see his thoughts spiraling downward, so he pointed his mind in a different direction away from life’s harsh realities. As he created bricks from straw and mortar, he imagined he was sculpting objects of gold. As he piled stones upon stones, he visualized he was constructing a magnificent building made of gold, silver and beautifully carved wood. As his creative juices started flowing, he momentarily forgot the pain. He also found himself offering up prayers above, just in case this God of his was actually listening. Just in case there really was something to the legend of His greatness.
And in one single day, his life did change, as did for all the Israelites in this foreign land. His father returned that day from the fields quite late with startling news for all. There had been many rumors of strange happenings in the Egyptians’ world, natural disasters of many kinds, but apparently nothing of the sort in neighboring Goshen. Now, the latest instructions came forth from their leader, Moses. Every household was to obtain an unblemished lamb, slaughter it a few days later and put its blood on the doorpost. And then wait. How strange it seemed to Bezalel, but he couldn’t help but notice his father’s faithful obedience. The second part of the instructions seemed just as bizarre. All the Israelites were to go to their Egyptian neighbors, ask for every type of gold and silver article and then flee.
The next thing Bezalel knew, instead of hauling carts of bricks, he and his family were laden down with abundant riches beyond description, on their way to freedom. He then experienced first hand the supernatural power of the God he had heard about his whole life. The legends were true – they served an awesome God who not only delivered them from their enemies, but passionately cared about each one of them. Bezalel was sure God had heard his meager prayers.
Indeed, God had heard and answered Bezalel‘s prayers, exceedingly beyond anything Bezalel might have thought of himself. God “called him by name and filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.” (Ex 31:3-5)
In Egypt, he was a mere bricklayer with an imagination. On his way to the Promised Land, God empowered him with His spirit to build the most significant symbol of God’s presence – the Holy Tabernacle.
No longer would Bezalel merely exist in the shadow of God’s presence - he would richly dwell in it as he fulfilled God’s purpose for his life.
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