Ability To Teach

Reading: Exodus 35-36; Acts 10 30 Then Moses told the people of Israel, “The Lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31 The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. 32 He is a master craftsman…34 And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others.” (Exodus 35:30-34 NLT) As the story of the Exodus from Egypt unfolded, God gave Moses a clear and detailed picture of what he wanted the people to build as a place of meeting for God and the people. The people generously gave the materials—all kinds of materials—to complete the project. God prepared master craftsmen, Bezalel of Judah and Oholiab of Dan, to do the work skillfully and with excellence. They had a blueprint, they had resources, and they had the right people for the task. Bezalel and Oholiab were not only masters at all kinds of craftsmanship, they had the God-given ability to teach their skills to others. By the time this great project was completed, there were not only the two, but dozens, or even hundreds, of skilled craftsmen among the people. I often think about my Dad in this context. He was skilled in so many ways with all kinds of building and repair skills, but he preferred to just do the work himself. So even though we worked together a lot during my growing-up years, it was more a matter of me helping him rather than learning from him. My Dad used his skills to bless many people in his lifetime, but his skills and abilities mostly died with him. The ability to teach others is a gift from God that was never intended to be confined to a classroom. I’m realizing more and more that every interaction between two people is potentially a teaching and learning opportunity. What if you and I honestly assessed our skills and abilities, and began to ask God for opportunities to pass on the transferable part of our knowledge, skill, and wisdom to others? Why should our hard-learned skills stop when we stop? Why shouldn’t we become multipliers of God’s gracious gifts and abilities? Prayer: Father, I want to leave as much as possible of what I’m good at behind when I’m done. Please grace my friends and me with the ability, the determination, and the opportunities, to teach our skills to others. Amen.