Mensa Otabil - The Spirit of Wisdom
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Welcome to a brand new week, and we are continuing our study of wisdom. We will move away from Proverbs chapter 8 and pick different scriptures that address the subject of wisdom. Today, we are discussing the spirit of wisdom from Exodus chapter 31, verses 1 to 3. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, «See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.»
This pertains to when God wanted Israel to build a tabernacle of worship, where He was going to meet them and where they would have worship. God gave Moses the blueprint, the plan, and the concept. Then God said to Moses that He had called a particular person among the Israelites; his name is Bezalel. God also equipped him; He poured His spirit upon him and gave him the ability to interpret these ideas into reality. To help Bezalel fulfill his assignment, God said that He had filled him with a spirit. The three aspects of God’s empowerment given to Bezalel pertain to wisdom, which is practical wisdom that gets things done. The first thing that God talks about is wisdom, and in Hebrew, it’s «hakma.» It means technical skill or technical competence, which is the ability to have know-how. When God calls us to do something, we must have the know-how. Just like in everything we do, if you are a pharmacist, you must have the know-how in pharmacy; if you are a lawyer, you must have know-how in law. You must possess technical skill in those fields.
Wisdom has an aspect of technical skill. Most of the time, we go to school to acquire this technical competence; we have to learn particular sets of information to gain the wisdom to be competent in a specific area. When moving in wisdom requires technical training or competence, the second thing God says He has given to Bezalel, in addition to technical competence, is understanding. In Hebrew, the word used means the capacity to think. He has technical competence, and now God gives him the capacity to think. Every job is a thinking job-no matter what it is, whether boxing, athletics, medicine, or carpentry. Whatever job we do is not immediately physical work; it is a thinking job. If you don’t possess the thinking ability for the work you’re doing, you may be physically ready for it, but without the thinking capacity, you will not be able to perform it.
God enabled Bezalel to have a mental grasp of what he was about to do. Remember, God is a spirit; He gives Moses instructions, Bezalel is not there, and Moses goes to tell Bezalel, «This is what God says we should do.» Nobody has seen it before; nobody has an idea. This man should be able to conceptualize it and think about it-the capacity to mentally wrap your mind around an idea is wisdom. So it combines technical competence with the mental capacity to hold an idea.
Thirdly, God says He has given him knowledge. The Hebrew word translated as knowledge means mastery-mastery over something. Bezalel will possess three things that will enable him to execute God’s assignment. He will have technical skill and competence in what he’s doing, the mental ability to conceptualize it, and he will be a master of what he is about to do. When we say we are walking in wisdom, especially as it pertains to getting things done-not wisdom in terms of philosophy, discussing things without action-but wisdom that gets things done, it requires technical competence, the mental capacity to control what we have, and mastery of what we are doing. That is how wisdom executes tasks with excellence. I believe the same God who anointed Bezalel with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge is your God, and He will also anoint you with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge for the assignment He has called you to do.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, anoint me for my assignment. I receive wisdom, understanding, and knowledge for success in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. It’s yours; receive it in Jesus' name. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.