By Way of the Wilderness (25 page)

“You're never alone, Bezalel,” the stranger said.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in those whose hearts are perfect toward him.”

“My heart's not perfect.”

“Not yet.”

Bezalel felt strangely light-headed. “I don't know how you know all these things, but if you know that, you must know I've always been totally selfish.”

“You saved the life of Shani, and you've been a friend to her. That was not selfish.”

“Well, she believes I'm a good man, but there's no goodness in me.”

The wind ruffled the stranger's hair. There was almost a glow to it, and he seemed ageless. There was not a single line in his face. His voice was soft, but Bezalel had the impression that if the man were to call out loudly, he could shake the mountains.

“All goodness comes from God,” the visitor said. “No man's good of himself.”

Bezalel looked down at the ground and thought about this. When he looked up, the stranger was watching him closely. “But how does a man get this goodness?”

“The same way that a thirsty man gets water. How do you get water, Bezalel? You have to go find a spring. Then you drink from that spring.”

“Water's easier to find than goodness. How do you find it, sir?”

“You seek for it, and I think that's what you've been doing ever since the calf incident. When you find it, you let it flow into your body. The same as a thirsty man takes water into his body, a man thirsty for God takes God into his soul. You seek and you will find, for He is looking for those who seek Him.”

“What you said about God looking for perfect hearts—I could never have a perfect heart. I'm not a good man.”

“Ah, but you have a great longing for goodness. I can see that in you, and God will fill you, for as I have said, He looks for those whose hearts are hungry.”

Bezalel suddenly felt very strange—as if he wanted to cry—and he dropped his head so that the man would not see his expression. For a long time he stood there, struggling to think of some way to answer the strange man's remark, and finally, when he looked up—the man was gone!

Bezalel turned all around, wildly looking in every direction. He saw nothing on the horizon anywhere. Instantly Bezalel knew he had been speaking with one who was more than a man!

“O God,” he cried, falling to his knees. He put his forehead on the earth and wept, knowing now that he'd been in the presence of God, and he began to pray for forgiveness. Finally, when he had wept as much as a man can weep, something entered his spirit. It was like an unheard voice—unheard at least by the ears—but his heart knew that it was the God of Abraham, saying:
“I will put my goodness in you, and you will serve me and love me.”

****

Miriam looked up as soon as Bezalel entered the tent. She started to greet him, but then cut off her words and rose quickly to her feet. “What is it, Bezalel? Why do you look so strange?”

Bezalel had no idea that he looked strange, that his face was alight and his eyes were bright. He came over and put his hands on Miriam's shoulders and whispered, “I've found the Lord.”

“Tell me,” Miriam said. “Tell me all about it.”

“I want to hear too,” Shani said. She pulled at his sleeve, and when he sat down, with Miriam on one side and Shani on the other, he repeated the essence of his experience. “He looked just like a man, but he knew things about me that no man could have known.” He turned to Shani and said, “He knew that you told me I could be any kind of man I wanted to be.”

“Do you think he was an angel?”

“I think he was God's messenger,” Bezalel said thoughtfully.

Miriam was overjoyed. She hugged Bezalel hard and cried out, “Now we will see how God will use you, my son!”

“You see! I told you, you could be a good man!” Shani cried, her green eyes glowing with pure pleasure.

The way was steep as Moses made his way upward along the lower heights of Mount Sinai. As he ascended, he was impressed, as always, by the terrain. Leaving the desert behind and coming among the trees that grew at the higher altitude was always a pleasure. He inhaled deeply, enjoying the sharp odors of the vegetation, so different from the scrubby plants of the desert. Finally he passed into a grove of trees that were growing more thickly than was usual. Moses stopped and put his hand on one of the trunks, then rapped it with his knuckles. Pulling out his knife, he began to cut into the side and was astounded at the hardness of the wood. He was accustomed to the soft fibers of the trees in Egypt, but this wood was so hard it was almost like bronze.

Replacing his knife, he continued his journey. He was almost to the crest of a rise when a desert ram appeared. The animal stopped and looked Moses directly in the eye, then went bounding away.

A thought came to Moses' mind that was not of himself:
“The woods of these trees will be used for the framework of the tabernacle and the tent itself will be made of ram skins.”

Moses, by this time, was accustomed to God's coming to him in different ways. Since the time God had spoken audibly out of the burning bush, there had been many visitations. Sometimes God came to Moses during sleep and gave him counsel in dreams. Sometimes in the midst of a busy day, a sudden thought would occur that Moses had learned to recognize as the voice of the Lord.

He breathed a sigh of relief at this message, for now one of the biggest problems of building the new tent of meeting God wanted was resolved. The framework and the skins would be easy to obtain right here in this area. Finally reaching the summit, Moses took a deep breath and looked out. He looked toward the Red Sea in one direction and the Promised Land in the other. One represented slavery and the other freedom. Moses bowed down, and as he did, he cried out, “O mighty and gracious God, our people have sinned against you, but I pray that you will forgive them.”

Again the voice that Moses heard was not an audible one. It was like a breeze that went through his entire body, but the words were familiar.
“The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, is slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”

For a long time Moses stood there as God poured himself into his servant, and finally the Lord's voice said:
“I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world.”

The Lord then gave Moses detailed instructions on how to build a new tent of meeting, a tabernacle or sanctuary, to which the people would come to offer their sacrifices to atone for their sins and to worship God. Concerning the building of the tent and its furniture, God said,
“See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent…. They are to make them just as I commanded you.”

****

Shani was secretly watching Bezalel as he stood by a small fire, talking with a young woman who was cooking over it. A flash of jealousy went through her as she saw Bezalel smile and laugh at something the young woman said.

Finally Bezalel turned and moved away, leaving the young woman to her cooking. Shani ran and caught up with him, and before he could even say hello, she blurted out, “You can't marry that woman!”

“What!” Bezalel said, surprised and shaking his head. “Do you have to watch me all the time?”

“You can't marry her, Bezalel,” Shani insisted. “Her eyes are too close together.”

“What are you talking about? She has beautiful eyes.”

“They're too close together. Anybody with eyes close together is selfish. You can't marry her.”

Bezalel reached out and grabbed Shani. He lifted her off the ground and swung her around, as he often did, and when he put her down, he asked, “Why do you worry so much about the woman I might marry?”

“Because you've got to marry
me
.”

Bezalel's teeth flashed and he laughed. He reached out and tousled her hair, and she shoved his hand away angrily. “By the time you get old enough to marry, I'll be an old man!” He started to say something else but turned to see Caleb approaching quickly. “Hello, Caleb.”

“Moses is back. He wants to see you.”

“To see me? What for?”

“I have no idea, but I wouldn't keep him waiting.”

“All right. You run along, Shani.”

Caleb watched the young girl reluctantly walk away, and he shook his head. “That girl follows you like a puppy.”

“Well, she is a pest, but somebody has to look out for her.”

Caleb shrugged. “Moses is different. You'll see.”

Indeed, Moses
was
different. As Bezalel entered his tent and bowed low before the leader of the Hebrews, there was a glow about Moses' face that silenced Bezalel. He did not know what to say in the presence of this man, so he waited for Moses to speak.

“Hello, my son.”

“Lord Moses, I am glad you have returned.”

“Sit down. We have many things to say.” Bezalel sat down, and Moses looked at him carefully. “I have a word from God concerning you.”

“Me?” Bezalel was shocked. “What is it, my lord?”

“The Lord has told me that He will use you to build the tabernacle and the things that go in it. You will build the tabernacle, the ark of testimony, the mercy seat. You will make the table and the furniture and the pure candlestick.”

As Moses continued to name off the tasks that Bezalel would do, the young man was stunned. He waited until Moses had finished and said, “I am unworthy, master, to do such things.”

“We are all unworthy, but God has put something in your hands, and now He has filled you with His Spirit. Has something happened recently? Have you heard from God?”

At once Bezalel related his meeting with the stranger out in the desert, and Moses listened carefully. “That is good! Now we must begin to collect the materials for the tabernacle. It must be very light in weight, for we will be moving often, and it must be taken down every time we move. We will begin today.” He leaned forward and put his large hand on Bezalel's shoulder, and a smile touched his lips. “I am glad to have you, for I know God will use you mightily.”

****

Moses stood before all of the people with a veil over his face. They had gathered together knowing that God had spoken to their leader, and now Moses cried out, “This is what the Lord has commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.”

A glad cry went up from the people, and they began at once stripping rings from their fingers and earrings from their ears. Baskets were put in front of Moses, and they were soon overflowing with gifts for the altar.

“I have never seen the people give like this,” Aaron whispered to Miriam.

“No. It is a new time. God is speaking, brother! We will see His hand in this new tabernacle!”

****

The offering was but the beginning. Moses dispatched crews to cut down the trees on Sinai's slopes. He sent hunters to catch rams and fishermen to the shores of the Red Sea to catch huge sea cows—the skins of both animals would furnish the outermost covering of the tabernacle.

Sinai was rich in the ore of rare metals, and soon the Hebrews were digging mines to obtain the ore needed to make the metal objects for the tabernacle. Bezalel was in charge of this process, and along with Oholiab, began smelting the ore. Finally Bezalel went to Moses and said, “It is enough. We have plenty, lord Moses. I have never seen such ardor for God!”

Moses' face still glowed. “Yes, my son, it is good. How different from the days of slavery. Now as free men and women we will build the house of God together.”

****

Days passed, then weeks, and finally months. The time rolled by so quickly that the people almost lost track of it. There was so much to do! But there were many hands to do it. Spinners and weavers made the coverings for the framework. Carpenters and laborers built the frame of the tabernacle. And all was done with joy.

As for Bezalel, during this long period he worked constantly with Moses. Moses would describe one of the articles that needed to be in the tabernacle, and Bezalel would begin to create it. From time to time Moses would come look at his work and make corrections. “No. I did not see it like this,” he would say, and Bezalel would rework the object until it matched God's specific instructions.

The most sacred object of all was the ark. This was the cabinet that would contain the tablets on which God had inscribed the Ten Commandments. Bezalel carved out the body of the ark from a single block of wood. He carefully lined it with the finest gold. This part was simple, but somehow Moses could not describe clearly the covering for the ark. It was the most complicated of all the articles, calling for the crafting of two cherubim. Moses was concerned that the people might see the figures on the cover as idols. He wanted nothing that would lead the people into idolatry.