Recently I was studying in the Word and certain words or phrases seemed to stand out. This included “gifted artisan”, “willing heart”, “stirred”, and “workmanship”. The Holy Spirit began to teach as I dug deep in the meanings and other areas in the Word that I was drawn to that had similar wording. 

A few weeks later I was asked by my friend and mentor, Katrina Harper, if I would  be willing to share about “living out our purpose” at a small women’s retreat our church was having.  I told her I would because I believe God had already prepared the message. This was the main scripture where the Lord had me:

Exo 35:10  ‘All who are gifted artisans among you shall come and make all that the LORD has commanded:
Exo 35:11  the tabernacle, its tent, its covering, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;
Exo 35:12  the ark and its poles, with the mercy seat, and the veil of the covering;
Exo 35:13  the table and its poles, all its utensils, and the showbread;
Exo 35:14  also the lampstand for the light, its utensils, its lamps, and the oil for the light;
Exo 35:15  the incense altar, its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, and the screen for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle;
Exo 35:16  the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, all its utensils, and the laver and its base;
Exo 35:17  the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court;
Exo 35:18  the pegs of the tabernacle, the pegs of the court, and their cords;
Exo 35:19  the garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place—the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests.’ “
Exo 35:20  And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
Exo 35:21  Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the LORD’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments.
Exo 35:22  They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who made an offering of gold to the LORD.
Exo 35:23  And every man, with whom was found blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, goats’ hair, red skins of rams, and badger skins, brought them.
Exo 35:24  Everyone who offered an offering of silver or bronze brought the LORD’s offering. And everyone with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it.
Exo 35:25  All the women who were gifted artisans spun yarn with their hands, and brought what they had spun, of blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
Exo 35:26  And all the women whose hearts stirred with wisdom spun yarn of goats’ hair.
Exo 35:27  The rulers brought onyx stones, and the stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate,
Exo 35:28  and spices and oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
Exo 35:29  The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the LORD, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the LORD, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.
Construction of the Tabernacle
Exo 35:30  And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
Exo 35:31  and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship,
Exo 35:32  to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze,
Exo 35:33  in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship.
Exo 35:34  “And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
Exo 35:35  He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver—those who do every work and those who design artistic works.

This is how I broke this down; seeking and asking for a deeper understanding from the Lord. The Hebrew meaning for gifted artisans also means wise hearted. The pictograph of the of the word shows a tent and a shepherds staff, which represents “authority inside”. All that are gifted, it says, they were stirred! Stirred by the Holy Spirit and that they were willing to use their gifts for the building of the tabernacle. The Hebrew meaning of willing in this context means offering. They knew this was a freewill offering to the Lord and what He gifted them with was an honor to use for His glory. There was no grumbling, there was no questioning, there was no wanting to do something that someone else is doing. Each knew what God has created them to do, what they had inside them that directed them, and they offered with joy to use that for the good of the people and for the glory of God.

A Living Sacrifice
Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Gifts of Grace
Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Rom 12:4  For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
Rom 12:5  so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Rom 12:6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; Rom 12:7  or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
Rom 12:8  he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

1Pe 4:10  As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
1Pe 4:11  If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Now consider 900 years later when the Israelites are coming out of exile and rebuilding the temple. I was reading about Ezra and this verse stood out:

Ezr 7:10  For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.

Prepared means to stand, root, sure; the base that supports that which stands firm. The pictograph represents an opening of a seed. Heart in this verse means the same as in Exodus 35 when wise hearted is used for gifted artisans. Heart is “authority inside”. Ezra stood firm on opening up a seed that was planted and was determined to use the authority inside given to him through the Holy Spirit. He knew he must seek or search for the meaning, to follow, specifically worship through the guidance and instruction of God’s word. The seed is God’s word according to Jesus in Matthew and Mark, the heart is what is to receive this seed. Through the Good Shepherd and His authority inside us we can use it for God’s purpose and glory.

 I find it interesting for one of the meanings of Law in this context means ‘throw”, to point the way one is to walk in life. Ezra was gifted to seek the Word of God, know and do it in his own life, then he was to ‘throw’ it out there for others to know and he could help them understand it and encourage them to do it! Teach in this verse also has the same meaning as teach in Exodus 35:34, where God called an artisan out by name to come and use his gift for construction of God’s temple and to teach those skills to the others!! The word in Hebrew means a learning by goading. Goading is when a stick is used to urge, irritate, or incite livestock to action. Ezra understood His purpose and confidently walk that out and pointed others to go and do the same.

Jeremiah 29:11–13
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Ezra knew from seeking the Lord out and studying His Word that he could share with the people what thoughts and plans God had for them. That He called them to be set apart and be a nation that represents Him and points others to Him. When Ezra shared God’s Word their hearts were willing to receive, repent, and rebuild. They were ready to fulfill their purpose as God’s people.

In Acts 17:11 Luke points out a group that really impressed Paul and Silas. These people in Berea they said were “fair minded” knowing that they were born into high ranking so in turn more generous in receiving the Word. In one commentary it states that they were teachable in the things of God which depicts a true generosity of the soul. They received it with readiness to seek in the scriptures daily for the truth and were consistent in it to be sure what was being told to them was true.

 When we truly seek the Lord with all the grace of His authority He has placed inside us we will know His thoughts for us, His love for us, His purpose for us….and be “goaded” to take action, to walk in the good works that He has prepared for us.

Ephesians 2:8–10
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The men and women of Exodus were gifted and stirred when they knew they could use what God gifted them with for the building of His dwelling place. That they would have part in working to make something beautiful to display and it would point to God’s presence. I imagine they knew that this was their purpose in life. To be able to glorify the One and Only True God. 

To think about it now that Jesus tells us that His purpose was to come, die and rise and again to be able to then dwell with in each and every one of use who place our faith in Him. He gifted and dwells in each of His own for the purpose to build the household of God. Our purpose is to work and build towards anything and everything that brings Him ultimate glory with whatever gifted workmanship He has in you.

One in Christ
Eph 2:11  Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—
Eph 2:12  that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
Eph 2:15  having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
Eph 2:16  and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
Eph 2:17  And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
Eph 2:18  For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Eph 2:19  Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
Eph 2:20  having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
Eph 2:21  in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
Eph 2:22  in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Living out our purpose is to know we are now one with Christ and that He is inside us now preparing ways for us to go and tell others they can be one with Christ as well. Are we doing that, do we know that, are we willingly using our gifts to prepare for others to be in His presence, are we seeking Him out and preparing the heart to fulfill that purpose?…..