I stood in front of this painting and felt something inside of me that I had never felt before. It was a deep sadness, awe, and longing. I am not an artist nor do I know much about art, but this painting swallowed me up like a wave. I felt the tears well up in my eyes and my chest tighten. I had never experienced anything like that before, nor have I experienced anything like it since.

The painting is La barca de Aqueronte or The Boat of Charon by one of the greatest Filipino painters, Félix Resurrección Hidalgo. It was painted in 1887, and yet as I stood there in 2012 Hidalgo reached out of that canvas and touched me. I didn’t even know the story behind the painting, but I could feel the darkness of the water and the despair in those spirits. The waves roared in my ears as it threatened to capsize the boat; my head filled with the cries of the men and women who were headed to an eternity of death. It was so powerful. I didn’t know paintings could do that.

Isn’t it so strange that art—in whatever form— can move a person so deeply, and yet it isn’t regarded as highly as it should be? The term “starving artists” should be an oxymoron, but instead it’s a reality. When we talk about influence and power, we don’t think of people who make things, but of people who own things. It conjures up images of power suits and private jets; acquired wealth so massive it would feed nations. No, for this world, you are important when you are powerful in the way of money, not creativity. This is how we know the world has strayed so far from the way it was designed to be.

There is a guy from the Old Testament that you probably haven’t heard of, much less thought twice about. His name is Bezalel, and he is the first guy the Bible specifically mentions as being filled with the spirit of God. Not Abraham, not Moses, not any of the big names that came before him. Nope, it was some guy named Bezalel, and what was he? He was a skilled craftsman who was given the responsibility of building the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant. God chose him to create the very dwelling that will allow God to come and be among his people. My mind was blown away. Who is this unknown, and what did he do to deserve such a blessing?

Bezalel is mentioned in a few places in Exodus, but let me use Exodus 31:1-11 (NLT) here:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!

“And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:

the Tabernacle;

the Ark of the Covenant;

the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;

all the furnishings of the Tabernacle;

the table and its utensils;

the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories;

the incense altar;

the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils;

the washbasin with its stand;

the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests;

the anointing oil;

the fragrant incense for the Holy Place.

The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.”

I have read these passages repeatedly, and every single time a new thing jumped out at me. God met Moses on Mount Sinai and gave a vision of a heavenly temple, then gave him instructions to create an earthly version, so that he may dwell among his people. Before Jesus’s death and resurrection we had no direct access to God, but that didn’t stop God from meeting us where we were. The tabernacle was built so that the Israelites would have a holy place of worship. For that, God needed to choose someone he could entrust the work to, and God chose Bezalel, a craftsman. We don’t even get a full life story, just a snippet, and yet it teaches us so much about who God is and how he works in our lives today.

In verse one, you can see how intentional God was: He called Bezalel by name. He didn’t just say “find your most skilled craftsman”, he said, “I have specifically chosen Bezalel”. When God calls us to do his work, it’s not random or coincidental. God is intentional. When he places you in a situation where your abilities and skills are useful, it was purposeful. You’re not there by accident or by chance. When you hear the call and you know that it is from God, you can trust that you are where you are supposed to be.

In the following verses God says that he has given him the Spirit of God. He was the first one ever mentioned in the Bible as having been filled with it. The Holy Spirit is then the one who gave him “great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.” When God called Bezalel, he was already given the capability to do the work. Notice that the ability was not attributed to Bezalel, but as the work of God himself. The undertaking of building the tabernacle was humongous, but so was the empowerment and provision of God. When you are tasked to create, the Holy Spirit is available for you to call and depend on. Your inspiration can be divine. Rely on the limitless source that is God himself.

We now see that Bezalel was specifically called and spiritually empowered, but you know what else he was? He was a master of his crafts. Plural. He wasn’t some noob who still had to learn the ropes or a novice who needed supervision. It says that “He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!” One of the reasons that Bezalel could accept the calling was because he had spent probably his entire life preparing for it. You don’t become a master overnight; it’s hundreds, maybe thousands of hours of work. He probably learned from the masters before him, and practiced on everything and every moment he could. Not only that, he also mastered multiple mediums! He didn’t limit himself to just one ability, but expanded his knowledge and skill. Bezalel could take on the work because he had already put in the work. We might sometimes feel like our jobs are thankless, or our creations are unappreciated. But keep on honing your skills, don’t be afraid of the painstaking hard work that comes with becoming a master. God sees, and his timing is always perfect. By the grace of God, every seed you plant will one day bear fruit.

As good as he was though, God also recognized that taking on the building of the tabernacle and everything in it was gargantuan work. So what did God do? He assigned a helper for Bezalel: “And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant.” God understands that we are not a solitary people, and Bezalel would need someone he could rely on to make sure the work was done to the utmost perfection. He knew the importance of having someone to share the burden with. But God didn’t stop there: “Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make”. God also equipped the team behind the man he called to lead the project. When God calls you to create, he will provide the help that is needed. And when we follow a person who is called by God, we will also be a part of that blessing and purpose.

The final part of this scripture lists down the things that God wants them to create, and few chapters dictate the specifications. Bezalel’s skills fit a very specific purpose, and that was to create something holy. Bezalel probably never imagined he’d be called to such a task. Maybe he just really enjoyed his work and was very good at it. While I do believe that God allows us to feel joy in the act of creating, the gifts we are given have a specific purpose as well. When we surrender our crafts, expertise, or jobs to God’s will, he will reveal a plan that you cannot even begin to imagine.

There is actually so much more we can learn from Bezalel in the other texts (Exodus 35:30-35, and 36:1-7). They were also equipped to teach, and they were so supported by the community that Moses had to tell them to stop giving offerings. I don’t even know how to begin exploring the fact that Bezalel came from the same tribe that produced David, Solomon, and Jesus himself. So much that we can revisit.

For now, I feel moved to share this particular scripture and want to stay here. I want you to soak in the fact that God chose a creative to be the first to be filled with his Holy Spirit. It wasn’t a politician, not a person of “influence”, not the richest person in the group. God chose a humble artisan, a master of his craft, an artist. It really shouldn’t have come as a surprise though; God is the original artist, isn’t he? He made light from darkness, formed the heavens and the earth, took stardust and created us with it. God created because he delighted in it. Look at how beautiful the world is, how amazing the workings of the human body. How can we then deny that creativity is truly divine?

Maybe God saw that Bezalel delighted in creating the same way that he did. Beyond having the right skills, he also had the heart to obey. What’s the point of having a gift when it doesn’t serve a calling? True power is knowing that we are here for a purpose bigger than ourselves; We can be the best of the best at anything, but when we ignore God’s call, then we’ll pass up the opportunity to be part of something truly supernatural.