Building the Tabernacle
Open Your Bible
Exodus 36:1-38, Matthew 27:50-51, Hebrews 9:23-28
BY Sharon Hodde Miller
“God doesn’t call the equipped. He equips the called.”
This is a popular saying among Christians that, like most popular sayings, is both true and not true. It’s true in the sense that God has a generous track record of calling unlikely, untrained individuals. Shepherds, prostitutes, and unlearned fishermen have all occupied significant roles in the story of God.
However, God also has a track record of calling very equipped people. Moses was raised in a palace under the leadership influence of Pharaoh. The prophet Elisha was discipled by the great prophet Elijah. The apostle Paul was an expert in the Law, having studied and trained in it since childhood. And Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other builders of the tabernacle were “skilled,” possessing all the “wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work” (Exodus 36:1).
These different stories capture the paradox of calling, which consists of two seemingly conflicting truths:
On the one hand, God always provides what we need for the task. Whether it’s talent, training, or a handful of loaves and fish, God’s provision is sufficient for His purposes. We can trust this to be true, and it should instill us with confidence and peace.
On the other hand, we are not sufficient on our own. Moses was trained to be a leader, but he could not summon down plagues. Paul knew the Law, but he relied on the Holy Spirit to deliver understanding. And although the artisans possessed both the talent and the instructions to build the tabernacle, there was nevertheless a lot they didn’t know. They didn’t know what the cherubim should look like. They didn’t know the precise designs of the curtains. They were given a rough sketch, a partial vision, and then expected to construct the rest in faith.
That is the tension of calling. God provides us with more than enough (v.7), but not so much as to free us from dependence on Him. The secret to managing this tension is guarding the focus of our call, which is Christ alone. When we make our calling about us, we swing between insecurity and pride; between fears about our insufficiency, and a greedy clamoring for fame. But when we remember our calling is about Christ, both our inabilities and abilities are granted an appropriate amount of weight.
We see this balance in the building of the tabernacle: skilled workers, equipped with enough, relying on God for the rest of the vision, and doing it all for the glory of God. They had what they needed, but they never stopped needing God. Our own callings should look the same. We can step into God’s purpose, radiating confidence, while humbly pointing others to the source of it: our all-sufficient Savior.
39 thoughts on "Building the Tabernacle"
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Whoa, this devotional was exactly what I needed today. Thank you!
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@Saile praying for your husband this husband!
I constantly struggle to fully seek God at all times. I’ve said this before but I struggle being single and feel like I’m in a season of loneliness. I have felt the calling to be a mother since I was a little girl and I often fear that it will not happen for me. As a single girl I find so much anxiety in dating because I have been hurt in the past. Sometimes I feel like this calling to be a wife and a mother is torture because as much as I want it deep in my heart I often wonder if it will ever happen for me.
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@Saile praying for your husband this husband!
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Kelly NEO. It has been a while. I think of Victoria E and her new child often and wonder how they are.
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@JenniferLovesJesus Thank you so much for including me in your prayer this weekend… it meant the world to me to feel SEEN!! Much love!! ❤️
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Heidi I read to the end and I’m sure many others did as well. Praying for you and Ryan to have wisdom regarding next steps. Praying that God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory! Praying for other requests as well♥️
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What stood out to me and I wrote down to stick on my wall is “God provides us with more than enough (v.7), but not so much as to free us from dependence on Him”. The Lord will never bring us to that place of being on our own. Amen. The Lord called Paul (an equipped Pharisee) to preach to the Gentiles. And He called Peter, an fisherman who doesn’t know laws, to come preach to the Jews and all. He called them to opposite direction of what they’re good at, to depend on Him. This is such a signature move of God. I personally was terrified of public speaking and once God called me to say yes to that, to put myself into the unknown, embracing the possibility of being embarrassed and stuff, reluctantly I did. I was shaking going up stage and then it wasn’t so bad, I didn’t stammer or stare into space or anything thank God. When it was finished, people came up to me saying it was good. I was like, wow, that was unbelievable, I thought I was horrible lol. So you see, all this time, I was focused on myself and my image (swinging on the chandelier of insecurities, pride and fears here). So to manage the tension to focus on HIM alone.
@Lexi B, praying for your contract and for good people to be hired by you. You got this.
@Heidi, praying for you, your husband Ryan and your parents. One day at a time Heidi. It is gonna be all right. -
Gobsmacked by She, AIMEE D, who wrote this morning. (August 15, 2022 at 6:17 am)
“Father let me always rise to Your calling in my life and rest in Your plan. In Jesus name, Amen”
Profound. Powerful. Poetic. I stand rightfully accused & called to relinquish self-seeking. To let the Lord lead with His thing. Ditch my “grabbing” & trust His grace. So help me God. And, May I humbly seek Your reassuring presence & receive Your divine intervention. High five to Aimee D. for crystallizing the message. “And in case no one has told you today, Aimee, God is mighty in you!” (Jess Connolly, Instagram).
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