Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleChrist In Bezaleel
Bible TextExodus 31:1-5
Synopsis In Bezaleel we have a type of Christ sent by God to build his church. Listen
Date23-Aug-2020
Series Exodus 2016
Article Type Sermon Notes
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: Christ In Bezaleel (32 kbps)
Audio CD Quality Listen: Christ In Bezaleel (128 kbps)
Length 37 min.
 
Series: Exodus 
Title: Christ in Bezaleel 
Text: Ex 31: 1-5 
Date: August 23, 2020
Place: SGBC, NJ 
 
Exodus 31: 1: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2: See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 3: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4: To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 5: And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. 
 
In the previous 6 chapters, Moses has been with God in the mount almost 40 days and 40 nights.  God told Moses how to build the tabernacle, its furnishings, and the service required.  He told Moses to build these things.  Then God provided a man to do all the work for Moses.  God provided Bezaleel, of the tribe of Judah, as head and chief over the building of the tabernacle 
  
Subject: Christ in Bezaleel 
  
Proposition: In Bezaleel we have a type of Christ sent by God to build his church. 
  
Bezaleel was given the charge to build the tabernacle—Christ is builder of his church which is the true tabernacle. 
  
Hebrews 8: 1: Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2: A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. 
  
Zechariah 6: 12: And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: 13: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. 
  
We see Christ in the relationship between Moses and Bezaleel.  Moses pictures the law, Bezaleel typifies Christ.  God did not allow Moses to build.  But through Moses Bezaleel built it. 
  
Romans 8: 3: For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 
  
God commands us to keep the whole law like Moses was commanded by God to build the tabernacle and all these things.  Then God provided another to do it all for Moses.  Likewise, God provided his Son to do all for his people. 
  
CALLED BY NAME
 
Exodus 31: 1: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2: See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 
  
God "calls by name" only those he appoints to some high office.  For example, God called Moses by name (Exo_3:4; Exo_33:12), God called Cyrus by name (Isa_45:3, Isa_45:4) and here God calls Bezaleel by name.  God the Father called Christ preeminently by name.  Christ took not this honor to himself, but was called of God, as Bezaleel was. 
  
Brethren, before the foundation of the world, when God called Christ by name, God called all his people by name in Christ our Head.  It was in eternity, when God called Christ God called by name each and every elect child who Christ would build up as his church. 
  
2 Timothy 1:9: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 
  
Bezaleel means "in the shadow (protection) of God."  Bezaleel was under the shadow and protection of the Lord.  So when Christ walked this earth as the servant of God his Father, he came under the shadow and protection of the Almighty. 
  
Psalm 91: 1: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 
  
Isaiah 49: 1: Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. 2: And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; 3: And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. 
  
By God calling us in Christ each of his people are under the shadow and protection of the Almighty.  We are under the shadow and protection of Christ Jesus our God and Savior. 
  
FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD
  
Exodus 31: 3: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4: To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 5: And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.
  
God filled Bezaleel with the Spirit of God.  The Spirit of God filled Christ our great Builder without measure. 
  
Matthew 3: 16: And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 
  
God declared what he declared through Isaiah, 
  
Isaiah 42:1: Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 
  
It is the fulfillment of God’s word in Isaiah, 
  
Isaiah 11: 1: And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3: And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD:… 
  
Christ is full of the spirit in wisdom—Christ is the Power of God our Creator.  The Spirit filled him with understanding—the Spirit of God made him “of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord”; Christ heard the word of his Father and fulfilled the whole will of God doing only that which pleased the Father as the representative of his sinful people.  Bezalel was filled in knowledge—as a Man, Christ “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Lu 2: 52).  Bezaleel was filled with the Spirit to work in all manner of workmanship—every true believer is the new creation made of Christ’s workmanship. 
 
Christ came to devise cunning worksto purpose and finish works no other man could do.  God the Father gave to his Son to be the great Architect who not only purposed and devised the whole layout of his church but came forth and worked it all. 
  
Proverbs 8:12: I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. 
 
Christ worked in gold, and in silver, and in brass.  The ark of the covenant with the mercy seat covered in gold—Christ worked all the works which that golden ark and mercy seat typify; Christ is golden Ark of Covenant in whom the law is completeHe is our seat of Propitiation, Mercy, where God will meet with a sinner through faith in Christ
 
Romans 3: 24: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood… 
 
The gold candlestick typified Christ our LightWe are only darkness in ourselves.  We could not produce light.  Christ is our Light—in his light we see light.  In Christ, our Light we see we are depraved sinners; in Christ, our Light we see he alone is righteousness; in Christ, our Light we see there is none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved. 
  
The silver foundation that held up the entire tabernacle—Christ and his finished work of redemption is our one foundation on which his entire church is built.  He paid it all—the pure shekel of the sanctuary—his precious blood.  Our redemption from the law is fulfilled—Christ is the foundation on which all works of faith and love are performed—but we never add to Christ. 
 
1 Corinthians 3:9: For we are labourers together with God:...ye are God’s building. 10: According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11: For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 
 
The brass altar—Christ is our Brazen Altar whose sacrifice completed his people and on whom all our sacrifices are acceptedChrist is our Bezaleel who devised and carried out the cunning work of accomplishing our redemption by the—gold, silver and brass—of his precious blood.
 
Christ is a cunning workmanin cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.  Christ sends the Spirit to each of his children and hews us out of this earth like a rough stone.  The Life of Christ enters into us and makes his child a “living stone.”  By his all-wise council and power he sets us right where he would have each one to be in his building, his church, like we saw with Paul, Aquilla, Priscilla, Timothy and Epenaetus .
  
When he finds us we are tall timber—a cedar of Lebanon—he cuts us down he carves us into his image by his grace he performs all manner of workmanship upon us— it means excellently and with success. 
  
Ephesians 2:10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 
  
Remember they overlaid some of those boards with pure gold.  Through faith he overlays us with the gold of his righteousness and the gold of holiness.  He makes us fit and places us in his building 
  
ALL IS THE WORK OF GOD
  
Nothing was done in the power and wisdom of man’s fallen nature.  Remember, these men and their ancestors had been slaves in Egypt for over 400 years.  All their lives they made bricks for Pharaoh.  They had no wisdom or skill in silver, brass, cutting stones, carving timber or all manner of workmanship.  The spirit was given of God.  God gave these gifts by the Spirit of God in those God called by name.  All was made after “the pattern” God gave in the mount by God’s command.  All was done by the Spirit and gifts God gave.  so God gets all the glory in the tabernacle and everything therein.  “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”  God said,


Amos 9:11: In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: 12: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this. 
  
Hebrews 3:3: For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house: 4: For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 5: And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6: But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. 
  
1 Peter 2:5: Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 
  
Amen!