The Bible in a Year
“And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.” —Exodus 31:3
As we continue our journey through Scripture, this passage invites us to pause and reconsider how God equips those He calls. The setting is the wilderness, a liminal space between bondage and promise, where Israel is being formed not only as a people but as a worshiping community. The Tabernacle is not a decorative project; it is the dwelling place of God among His people. Into this sacred task steps Bezaleel, a man specifically named, intentionally chosen, and divinely endowed. His calling reminds us that God never assigns holy work without also providing holy enablement.
The text begins with a striking word: “filled.” This is not a partial measure or a tentative gift. The Hebrew sense conveys completeness and adequacy. When God fills, nothing essential is lacking. This addresses a quiet fear many believers carry—that God may call us beyond our capacity. Scripture consistently pushes back against that fear. When God initiates a calling, He assumes responsibility for its sufficiency. Moses protested his inability to speak; Jeremiah protested his youth; yet God’s answer was not to withdraw the calling but to promise His presence. Bezaleel stands in that same lineage. His endowment was not aspirational; it was sufficient for the work at hand. The same remains true today. If God has called you into a role of service, leadership, creativity, or faithfulness, He has already accounted for what you will need to obey Him.
The source of Bezaleel’s endowment is equally important. God says plainly, “I have filled him with the spirit of God.” Skills, talents, and abilities do not originate in human ingenuity alone. They are gifts, entrusted by the Creator. Paul echoes this truth centuries later when he asks, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). This perspective reshapes how we view both our strengths and the strengths of others. We are not competitors in God’s economy; we are stewards of what He has distributed. As Matthew Henry observed, “The gifts of the Spirit are given to be employed for the service of the tabernacle.” Whatever form that service takes in our lives—visible or hidden—it flows from the same divine source.
The passage then unfolds the sphere of Bezaleel’s endowment, and here Scripture becomes wonderfully practical. God equips him in wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and workmanship—covering leadership, discernment, experience, and skill. Wisdom, in this context, relates to governance and decision-making. F. C. Cook notes that this term is often associated with the proper endowment of a ruler. Bezaleel was not working alone; he was overseeing others, coordinating effort, and ensuring faithfulness to God’s design. Understanding speaks to discernment and intellectual capacity, the ability to perceive what is required and why it matters. Knowledge reflects seasoned experience—years of training and refinement that God had quietly woven into Bezaleel’s life long before this calling became visible. Finally, workmanship points to physical skill, the work of the hands. God’s Spirit dignifies craftsmanship as much as contemplation. Sacred work requires both mind and muscle, vision and execution.
This balance is instructive for us as we read Scripture through the year. God does not call everyone to the same task, but He fits each person for their particular calling. Some are entrusted with oversight, others with insight, others with faithful labor that may never draw public attention. Yet all are necessary. Paul later uses the image of the body to make this same point, reminding believers that diversity of function does not imply inequality of value (1 Corinthians 12:4–7). Bezaleel’s story assures us that God’s endowments meet every legitimate need His calling creates.
There is also a quiet word here about preparation. Bezaleel’s knowledge implies experience; his skill implies training. God’s calling often unfolds over time, through ordinary faithfulness long before extraordinary opportunity appears. What may feel like hidden preparation is often God’s careful shaping. As Eugene Peterson wrote, “There are no shortcuts in discipleship.” Our daily obedience, our patient learning, and our willingness to serve where we are form the soil from which future faithfulness grows.
As we walk through the Bible this year, this passage encourages us to trust both God’s call and God’s provision. We need not beg off obedience out of fear or self-doubt. Nor should we diminish the gifts God has placed in us or others. The same Spirit who filled Bezaleel continues to equip God’s people today, ensuring that His purposes are carried forward with wisdom, understanding, and skill. Scripture invites us not merely to admire this truth, but to live into it—faithfully, humbly, and with confidence in the God who supplies all we need.
For further reflection on vocation and calling in Scripture, you may find this article helpful:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-is-your-calling/
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