What does Exodus 35:10 teach about using our talents for God's work? Context: A Call to Build Exodus 35 records Moses relaying God’s instructions for constructing the tabernacle. Verse 10 is a turning point: “Let every skilled craftsman among you come and make everything that the LORD has commanded.” Key Observation: Skilled Hands Invited • God Himself singles out “every skilled craftsman.” • The invitation is broad—anyone possessing a God-given ability may join. • The task is specific—“make everything that the LORD has commanded,” not self-chosen projects. • Craftsmanship is presented as holy work, integral to worship, not a merely secular trade. Timeless Principles • Skills originate with God (see 31:3-6); we are stewards, not owners. • Obedience precedes usefulness—talent is employed only within God’s stated purposes. • Variety of gifts is essential; no single individual could build the tabernacle alone (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7). • Workmanship offered to the Lord demands excellence; sloppy service dishonors Him (Colossians 3:23-24). New Testament Echoes • 1 Peter 4:10—“Each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve others…” • Romans 12:6-8—gifts differ “according to the grace given to us,” yet all are vital. • Matthew 25:14-30—talents must be invested, not buried. These texts reinforce the Exodus pattern: God grants abilities, expects faithful use, and rewards stewardship. Practical Takeaways • Identify the abilities God has placed in your hands—creative, technical, relational, administrative. • Offer them deliberately to the Lord’s service, aligning with His revealed will in Scripture. • Collaborate with other believers; God designs His work as a community project. • Pursue skillful excellence, remembering that every task done for Him is worship. • Depend on the Spirit’s enabling, just as Bezalel and Oholiab were “filled…with the Spirit of God, with skill” (31:3). Exodus 35:10 therefore teaches that God invites every believer to bring their unique, Spirit-given talents into His work, exercise them in obedience and excellence, and thus transform ordinary skills into acts of holy worship. |
    |