Bez and Ollie

February 2008
I want to tell you about two guys with funny names: Bezalel and Oholiab. Check out what Exodus 35 says about the pair: Moses then said to the Israelites: "Look, the LORD has appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He has filled him with God's Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every kind of craft 32 to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every kind of artistic craft. He has also given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, [the ability] to teach [others]. He has filled them with skill to do all the work of a gem cutter; a designer; an embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen; and a weaver. They can do every kind of craft and design artistic designs. Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the skilled people are to work based on everything the LORD has commanded. The LORD has given them wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work of constructing the sanctuary."
Bez and Ollie (easier to type) were the men who actually built the ark of the covenant, the tabernacle, the lampstand, brazen altar, table of showbread, golden incense altar, basin, and made the garments for the priests. This passage said God filled them with skill and His Spirit. While we may not be craftsmen in the sense of working with wood and precious metals, God has given us specific skills for constructing His church (as singers, musicians, leaders in worship), and when we combine that with the anointing of His Spirit it is a potent combination. Part of Pastor’s sermon Sunday night was from II Chronicles 29:26. That says, “The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.” He pointed out that the instruments of David were probably stringed instruments like harps and lyres that are played by hand… with skill. The trumpets were played with wind… the breath of the Spirit. When we combine skill and anointing, the results are supernatural. The book of Exodus ends with a picture of those supernatural results.
At the end of chapter 39 Moses comes and inspects all the work of Bez, Ollie and company’s hands, and upon finding it exactly right, Moses blesses them. Then in chapter 40, God tells Moses to set the tabernacle up. In verse 9, He tells Moses to anoint everything they had made with their hands with the holy anointing oil; then in verse 34, the glory of the Lord covers the tabernacle.
You see the formula? Our skills + His anointing = His supernatural glory. Don’t hold back the skills He has given you… offer them willingly to Him, improve them every chance you get; then allow His anointing to flow in your life, through all the abilities with which He has blessed you. Finally, expect the supernatural.

Fasten your seatbelts,
Danny