Ex 31:3, And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship… 
	As we proceed forward in our reading as to the instructions regarding the building of the tent of meeting as would be holy and honoring unto God, we come to this passage detailing the fact that God had even chosen the craftsmen who were to do the work. This is reemphasized in verse 6 of this chapter as God detailed the fact the He had instilled into these workers the skill and the wisdom to complete the task in full accordance with His design and instruction. And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 
	This is something which we should not just pass over without some consideration in our minds and hearts. There is a reality in place that should cause us to consider just how much God has invested of Himself into our beings, to even the point of our wisdom and skill in crafting that which is our honorable service unto Him. So often, we try to take credit for the skills and the wisdom that we have, promoting our vast abilities and foresight and fore thought as if we were the ones to receive the glory and the credit for what we accomplish. 
	We are instructed by the Apostle Paul, however, in Col 3:23+24, that everything we do, we do as unto the Lord and for His glory to be further evidenced. The onus is upon us to do everything as unto the Lord to be fully pleasing to Him and not to man, including ourselves. Col 3:23+24, Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. We are to be witnesses unto God through the every task that we are given. And we are to perform every task, do our every daily work heartily as unto the Lord so that he will receive all glory.
	This brings us back to the content of the passage before us in that the every skill that we manifest in the work that we have to do is from God in order to be unto Him. This is an overruling principle that we need to take to heart in the manner in which we approach the every effort that we are tasked to put forth. When we look at the given task with the idea that we are incapable of doing it, we are putting before God the insolence of mind that we know better than He does as to our abilities and our strengths and our creative processes. 
	Moses faced this exact confrontation in expressing to God the idea that he was not a gifted speaker. God called him to go to the Israelites in slavery and to the Pharaoh of Egypt in order to gain the release of the Chosen People of God. In Ex 4:10-12, Moses declared that he was not the one who was able to do this great task. In these verses, we have the response of God that we need to keep very near in our minds and hearts each time we are given what seems to be a most impossible task to do for the Lord. 
Ex 4:10-12, Then Moses said to the Lord, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since Thou hast spoken to Thy servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." And the Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? "Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say." 
While Moses was arguing that he was incapable of doing what the Lord required of him, God was inquiring of him as to Whom had created Moses and his mouth? Who had given him the every ability that he possessed? Who knew the every specific requirement and could supply the every necessary skill and strength and knowledge to complete the precise task? 
Despite this truth, Moses still argued that he was not the one who was so gifted as to make the Lord’s will to be accomplished. In Ex 4:14-17, we have the response of the Lord to Moses’ protests. Ex 4:14-17, Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. And you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and it shall come about that he shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be as God to him. And you shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs." 
God then chose Aaron to be the one who would give voice to the words that he was taught by Moses. Note that Moses was not off the hook in any measure. He was still the one whom God would use to deliver his people and to lead them in the wilderness. As much as Moses protested, he was going to do what God ordained for him. God, Himself, would teach Moses what Aaron was to say and Moses was still the one who would go to Pharaoh and perform the every wonder as so detailed by the Lord. There was no out for Moses because he had been chosen by the Lord God Almighty to do the work despite his protests and his own perceived inabilities. 
Again, we turn to the Apostle Paul as he detailed how this very same message was made reality in his life. In 2 Cor 12:9+10, he informed the Church at Corinth how he had called out to the Lord three times concerning the infirmity that plagued him. Finally he recounted the response, the very direct response of the Lord to his petitioning prayer and the result of that response within his very heart and mind. 2 Cor 12:9+10, And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 
	On this basis, then, we must never so consider ourselves at a loss when we are instructed to accomplish some task. Rather, we need to take it to the Lord and ask Him to be our strength and our wisdom and our source of skill and creative ability to do each task in the manner that would bring honor and glory to His name. This is a key reality that needs to be ingrained into our beings as to so please the Lord in our rightful service unto Him.
	With this at the forefront of our thoughts, we will continue to observe just how the Lord made the every provision for the skill and the knowledge and the wisdom that would bring forth the earthly type of the tabernacle of God with man. The detailed instructions were not just for the construction of the tent of meeting, but for every facet of the place where He would make His presence known to the priests. 
As we have read previously in Ex 28:2+3, this included even their attire. Ex 28:2+3, And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. And you shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me. 
It was necessary for their service that the garments were exact and perfect. In accordance, God made provision for that through the skills and the wisdom He gave to those who would create the priestly clothing. 
	Then, in Ex 35:10, we have the charge given by Moses, after detailing the manner in which the Lord instructed the construction of all the elements to be used as well as the tent itself. Ex 35:10, 'And let every skillful man among you come, and make all that the Lord has commanded: There was the call to those so gifted by God to bring forth their skills in the fabrication of all that the Lord God Almighty had purposed and designed. His standard was perfection and He supplied the skills and the knowledge and the wisdom to bring His design into being through the willing service of those so gifted. 
	Throughout this 35th Chapter of Exodus, as in verses 25 and 26, we have detailed for us the manner in which the people worked together to accomplish the full and richly appointed and precise features and aspects of God’s requisite task in creating the tent, and the altar, and the ark, and the utensils, and the garments. There was no area in which those who worked did so without the skill given by God. 
Ex 35:25+26, And all the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun, in blue and purple and scarlet material and in fine linen. And all the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats' hair. Note the phrase …all the women whose heart stirred with a skill… Even in the less than regal task, spinning the goat’s hair, it took those women whose hearts were stirred by the skill given to them by God. No detail was too small for the working of the Lord to cause the hands of those so moved to create that which He ordained. 
	Then again, the major task of the overall manufacture of the full project with all its ornate and infinitesimal detail is further emphasized by the Lord in verses 31-35 of this 35th chapter. Ex 35:31-35, And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship; to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs. 
	No credit to the skills of men for man’s acclaim. It was totally a project that was honoring to the Lord and detailed with His glory as the foremost object. The full measure of what was to be done was meted out by God through His all-sufficiency in giving to the workers all that was required. What the men and women supplied was the obedience to do what the Lord put upon their hearts. He chose them and they responded as He moved in their hearts, and minds, and creative skills.
	This is also the case in the manner of all that the Lord requires from His people. As an example, consider the leadership of the nation of Israel as the preparation to enter the Promised Land was before them. Moses was no longer able to go forth as his time on earth was drawing to a close, and he was forbidden to enter the Promised Land. Therefore, the Lord chose Joshua as the one to lead the people forward. With that choice, as we read in Deut 34:9, the Lord also supplied the needed wisdom to deal with this stubborn people. Deut 34:9, Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses. 
	This task was overwhelming and it needed the wisdom and the leadership skill that only God could provide. That was the truth that Solomon realized when he was faced with the daunting task of being king over Israel. He knew that he was not able to govern without the wisdom that only God could supply. Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings 3:7-12, as we will finish this morning with his prayer to God and the response of the Lord. 
1 Kings 3:7-12, And now, O Lord my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people which Thou hast chosen, a great people who cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. So give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine?" And it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. 
	Solomon understood that he did not have the necessary wisdom and understanding on his own. He needed the wisdom of God to discern how to rightly govern God’s people. He set aside everything else that was offered to him in favor of God’s supply of astuteness and understanding and perception. Again, he did not account this unto himself, in any measure, but fully realized that only God could make the every provision for what was necessary to rule as the Lord’s chosen servant. This is a key that we will look at in greater detail in our next session, Lord willing, as we consider the building of the temple. So be it!
And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship… Amen. 

This morning’s benediction is 1 Cor 15:55-57. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.