God Chose a Craftsman

For the past several days I have watched my husband David work on our front porch. We built the porch last year and we want to add a roof before the winter weather brings snow. I sat in my folding chair and sipped my coffee as I watched how meticulous David was being with every board he measured and cut. He took his tape measure and stretched it across the headers marking where each joist hanger would go, only improving his technique as he went. He never missed a beat! He inspected every board one by one to find the right one for each place. Most of the porch is built from reclaimed wood and has been custom cut to fit together.

The lumber is old and weathered, dark with rough edges and some with nail holes from its previous life. David picked up a board that was turned almost black in some places, he measured it, marked it, and cut the line with his saw. He picked up the board and showed me the end, he said, “See…. anyone else would have looked at it, thought it wasn’t any good and threw it out. But like with God, the outward appearance isn’t important, what’s important is what’s on the inside.”

I looked at the freshly cut ends and beneath the dirty exterior the inside looked like brand new wood from a lumber yard. Some people might have a rough exterior but what happens on the inside when the Holy Spirit enters becomes clean and new. 

I started thinking about Bezalel, the first person who was filled with God’s spirit in the Bible. He was an Israelite, a craftsman of many trades in the book of Exodus. God filled him with his spirit, anointing him so that he would have the knowledge, understanding, and skills to build the tabernacle. He worked with wood, precious stones, metals, bronze, gold, silver, and more. God gave him a vision and instructions to build the tabernacle and gave him the ability to teach others in the process. He was a true artist who helped bring a little bit of heaven back to earth. 

It says in Exodus 31, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft! “And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make: the Tabernacle; the Ark of the Covenant; the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement; all the furnishings of the Tabernacle; the table and its utensils; the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories; the incense altar; the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils; the washbasin with its stand; the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests; the anointing oil; the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.” (Exodus 31:1-11 NLT).

I can’t help but think about all the talented tradesmen there are and how out of all the religious leaders and people in power, God chose a skilled craftsman to be filled with his spirit first. God needed someone willing to work, teach, and not stand around to be seen by others and criticize those who they considered unclean and beneath them. He needed someone to reflect his character.

Jesus was also a skilled craftsman (Mark 6:3), the Son of Joseph the carpenter (Matthew 13:55). He was referred to as a tekton, the Greek word, “tekton” can be translated as “builder”, “craftsman”, “stonemason”, “carpenter”, “artisan”, and “construction worker”. That makes sense since he built a whole kingdom. 

The distance between heaven and earth is Jesus, he built the greatest bridge of all time with two boards and 3 nails. Although the path across is narrow the safety net below is wide. You can take a thousand steps away from the bridge but if you turn around it only takes one step to step back on. 

So why do you think God chose a craftsman to be the first person on earth to be filled with his spirit? Or why did he choose a simple carpenter to raise his one and only son Jesus? Because tradesmen are a blessing, they are tough as nails, and are not afraid to do the dirty work to reach the finish line. 

A tradesman’s hands are rough, his clothes are worn, his back aches. He works late hours, he does the jobs no one else wants to do. He gives 100% of himself to take the load off of others and bears the weight of every job on his shoulders. His knuckles are busted, his feet are sore. He fixes what other people have broken and repairs what falls down. He’s covered in dust and dirt but beneath the rough exterior is a heart of gold.

Like the board that David cut for our porch, the outside is rough but what’s on the inside is what’s important.

If you have a tradesman in your life, remind him how important his work is and thank him. 

If you are a tradesman then I would like to personally thank you for all your hard work! 

And don’t forget to tell people about Jesus Christ, the craftsman who rebuilds lives by chiseling away one sin at a time.