22/2/18 – Exodus 31, Exodus 32, Exodus 33:1-6 Mark 6:30-56 Psalm 25:1-7

Ex 31:1-3

The LORD said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,

Bezalel had been called by name by The Lord. He had been filled with the Spirit of God… for what purpose? To preach? To teach? To witness?

No.

None of the above.

He had been filled by God with ability and intelligence and craftsmanship. HIs anointing was to build everything needed for the tabernacle, including the ark.

He was an anointed craftsman! He had been given a practical anointing.

Not everyone is anointed to preach. There is also a very practical anointing – because these things are done to the Lord too.

There are so many practical giftings within the life of a church, that are vital. It’s all very well for Moses to have the instructions to build an ark and a tabernacle – but someone needs to sit down and do it.

Every church needs Bezalels. What practical anointing do you have? Are you putting it to use in the kingdom of God?

Ex 32:4

And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!

Israelites were trying to take the invisible, the intangible, the unknowable and make him something they could grasp.

They defined God by what they thought they knew.

They tried to understand God in their terms.

They limited God by their understanding.

The root of Idolatry is when men think that God is not present, unless they see him physically or understand His plan.

How often we do this. We feel we can somehow explain the nature of God. How arrogantly we approach Him, like we could ever really grasp His nature.

They wanted a God they could understand – that’s why they created the idol. They put him in a box they could deal with.

We cannot understand God. Why do we try? Why do we try and bring him down to our level?

How often have you heard someone say, “What kind of a God would do this? I can’t believe in a God who would allow… I don’t’ think God would…” Wow the arrogance of that.

They are trying to fit God into our understanding. It cannot be done!

When we make moral judgements on God we assume we have the whole picture. We do not. What kind of God would do this? We ask?

What do you mean what kind of God? There only one kind!

Like somehow we get to pick and choose what He’s like.

I’ll tell you exactly the kind of God He is – He is the God who IS.

And He’s the only one who is. There no competition.

When God spoke to Moses He didn’t give a CV of how He went about things. He explained Himself very simply. I AM.

Switch the point of view of that statement a little. From our point of view, HE IS. That’s who He is – HE IS THE ONE WHO IS GOD – nobody else is. Nobody gets to sit in judgement of Him. Nobody else gets the understanding He had.

We can’t change scripture to suit our preference or our culture – that’s us trying to instruct God!

Too often even as Christians we end up becoming the ones who decide what God is like. But we don’t. He is the one who He is, and who He is is who He is. Us liking or not liking that doesn’t’ change it.

Don’t fit God into your understanding. You cant’ do it. And when you do so, you do Him a great disservice.

I don’t’ want to worship a God I understand, because that means He’d too small. I don’t want answers to all my questions – because if I get them, God’s not big enough.

Don’t try and fit God into your understanding. BE amazed by Him. Be amazed by his ways.

Ps 25:5

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

His truth is the only truth. People today say truth is relative – that there is “my truth” and “your truth”. That’s not truth. That’s perspective.

His truth may be His perspective – but He is the only one who is all knowing. So He is the only one who’s perspective is correct.

There is one truth. God’s.

And this Psalm asks Him, lead me in that truth. Teach me the truth. What a prayer that is! Let me see the world how you see it Lord! You are the God of my salvation – show me your ways.

And then… For you I wait all the day long. Does that mean God always takes ages to show up? No, it means that He is worth waiting for.