The Anointing and the Skills Deficit in the Church
See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you.
Exodus 31:2–6 (NKJV)
After delivering Israel from the iron arm of Pharaoh, God's people were now in a position where He could establish a culture for His nation. The Lord had raised up a man to act as mediator between Him and them, one who knew the voice of God and would lead the people into their destiny.
The Lord needed to cultivate this newly formed nation. So He gave them the law and the statutes to live by, which would make them distinct from all the nations. He then instituted a priesthood to uphold the integrity of that law and to represent God's order of holiness for Israel. The priesthood served as a physical expression of a spiritual order, and so God held the priests to the strictest code of conduct. Finally, God established the order of worship for His people. He is God, and He has every right to decide how He is to be worshipped.
This whole progression in the revelation of the Lord's plans is given to one man. It all takes place in solitude, away from the masses, alone with God; the Lord frequently calls him up to the mountain. This serves as a pattern for every man who would walk with God and lead: he will need to spend most of his time alone on the mountain of the Lord. Too many men of God live with the crowd and have not yet separated themselves from the masses. The burden, mandate and call of any would-be great leader require seasons of isolation and solitary confinement with God, to receive instruction, a greater vision and direction for the people he will lead for God, and that burden lies on him alone. On that mountain Moses receives visions for building the physical representation of God's presence and of the heavenly sanctuary. He is given the strictest charge: build according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. He had all the dimensions and measurements; the vision was given to him.
The Lord knew well, however, that Moses was not a builder. He was not skilled in artistry, and he did not have the materials and resources. All the skills, gifts and wealth were with the people. All Moses had was the Spirit, the anointing of leadership, a heavenly vision and the voice of God. He manifested the supernatural power of God before Pharaoh, in the wilderness and before many other kings. Yet the vision he was given required skilled workers; it did not require his power. God gives us visions and anointings to be accomplished through the gifts, talents and resources of others. We must therefore consider how to nurture the vision by cultivating those through whom God intends to accomplish His word. The power that controlled the elements could not be used to build God His physical, mobile sanctuary. Skill and resources were required for the work.
Herein lies the challenge of our times: learning to appreciate that there are more anointings and graces available in God than those assigned for ministry work, learning to identify them, and holding these gifts in high honour. The vision can never be realised by the power to control the elements. It requires a greater appreciation for skilled workers, administrators, singers, engineers, lawyers, business people, professors, politicians, bankers and many others. When leaders learn to harness those anointings and graces, we will find that the sanctuary of God lives up to the standard of the heavenly vision.
The anointing of the Moseses of our time has a limitation where the building of the sanctuary is concerned. We must accept that, and allow God to anoint the skills of those He has given us to lead, so that they blossom and contribute to the building. Moses may not have the wealth, and God does not expect him to, but he must locate, raise and train those who have the wealth or the grace for it. So it is with musicians, and with people whose careers demand the working of their minds or hands. The anointing will enable us to achieve great things when we learn the mind and purposes of God, and our people need to develop the skills that allow the anointing to come upon them. The anointing empowers those who already have skills, just as it did Bezalel.
It is time for the multifaceted Church of God to rise, the Church with the coat of many colours. It is time for us to embrace the truth that God can anoint the Bezalels just as He anoints the Aarons, in different functions but for the same purpose: to build His sanctuary and glorify God. The one with the vision needs those with the skills. Skills without the vision are useless, but a vision without the skills is dead. God will build His Church with His multidimensional power. Let us cooperate with Him and build Him a sanctuary the world would envy. If we do not, we may end up with spiritual edifices full of Moseses, Aarons and Levites, in a tabernacle with no furnishings, resources or wealth, while all the Bezalels and Aholiabs are sidelined to serve the world. May the Church of Jesus Christ learn to embrace the many gifts that bring glory to God and to His Church.