Dream Team

Dream Team
Words of Faith 3-2-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Exodus 31
[1] Then the LORD said to Moses, [2] "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, [3] and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts-- [4] to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, [5] to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. [6] Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: [7] the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent-- [8] the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, [9] the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand-- [10] and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, [11] and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you."

The Lord gave Moses particular instructions for constructing the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting. Chapters 25 through 30 gave detailed descriptions of every aspect. But who would actually create this place where God would dwell among his people meeting for prayer, sacrifice, and praise?
In Chapter 31, the Lord appointed a team of artisans and craftsmen who would create the beautiful structures and furnishings that would travel with the people of God on the journey to the Promised Land. Today, we would have called this the "dream team" of creative and artistic people. They were the best of the best among this population of more than 2 million.
The overseer of the project was Bezalel, and his assistant was Oholiab. The first was from the tribe of Judah, and the second was from the tribe of Dan. Interestingly, these represent the eventual division of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah). At this moment in history, they could not have been more united.
The biggest thing bringing unity to this project was the spirit of God. This was the number one thing mentioned. "I have filled him with the spirit of God." How can any excellent work for the worship of God take place without the filling of God's Spirit?
The Lord had also filled him with three other things-- skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts. The Dream Team originated in God's creative mind and heart. They had the ability and expertise to fashion the designs in gold, silver, and bronze. They could set stones, work with beautiful wood, and engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.
The Dream Team would gather a larger team charged with fabricating and fashioning the Tent of Meeting and its extraordinary furnishings. All of the articles for worship had to be carefully and beautifully made. This included all the garments that needed to be woven for Aaron, the high priest, and the other priests. The dream team would work with the producers of oil and perfume to create the anointing oil and fragrant incense to be used in the Holy Place.
Worship always involves Art. What is art? In biblical terms, the Arts are those creative expressions created within humans for the glory of God. People talk about "supporting the arts," but this is quite different. These arts do not focus on the angst or condition of man. These created arts focus on God and connect God and man.
We often talk about the "creative arts." I like to think of them as the "Created Arts." These are gifts and talents that God designed into specific people. Such skills make us want to stand to our feet, take notice, applaud, and cheer. These artistic designs draw the eye and heart, but always in a specific way closer to God.
Every human has Created Art within them that reflects God and his nature. As broken and sinful humans, these creative expressions become distorted. They become focused on the misery of human existence or other departures from God's plan. To see this, one only needs to watch a famous award ceremony or high-profile halftime show. The Enemy loves to distort the arts and twist the hearts of men.
The modern world sometimes draws a sharp separation between the arts and science. The truth is that both are very much from the heart of God and a reflection of his mind. God is just as much in a detailed analysis of biology as He is in the complex expression of a symphony. It is all art that was created by Him.

Lord God, I thank you for creating artistic expression and talent for your people to enjoy. I am grateful for those expressions that you have placed in my heart and mind. Heal us, O God, of the brokenness that causes a twisting of your creative expressions. Help me to bring my part to the construction of worship-- my voice, my mind, and my thoughts-- as well as the talents you chose to place in me. In Jesus' Name.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SUBSCRIPTIONS - To receive the Words of Faith devotion five days a week, send an e-mail message addressed to join-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. To stop receiving Words of Faith, send an e-mail message addressed to unsubscribe-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. The daily devotion and archive are posted at https://www.faithfellowshipweb.com/blog
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.