Exodus 31: Called To Make A Difference

God doesn’t only call prophets and pastors. Sometimes He calls craftsmen. Exodus 31 stops long enough to name the people who turn a holy vision into real life, and that detail can change how you see your own gifts.

We talk through Bezalel and Oholiab, two men God fills with the Spirit and equips with wisdom, ability, and expertise to build the tabernacle and its furnishings. Their work is skilled, detailed, and mostly invisible, yet it becomes central to Israel’s worship for generations. That raises a confronting question for modern Christian living: what if the thing you do well and rarely get credit for is exactly what God wants to use to bless His people?

We also dig into the Sabbath command and why God ties rest to covenant identity and holiness. Sabbath is not a cute suggestion or a productivity hack; it is a trust statement that God provides and we are not defined by nonstop work. From there, we bring it home with practical purpose: faithfulness over spotlight, investing in the next generation, and serving right where you are. A story about older women crocheting baby socks and praying over new families shows how everyday skills can become life-changing ministry.

If you’ve been wondering where you fit, this is a timely reminder that God can use anything in willing hands. Subscribe, share this with a friend who feels overlooked, and leave a five-star review so more people can find the show.

Transcript

Welcome And Today’s Big Idea

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hey everyone and welcome to the Bible Breakdown Podcast. In this podcast, we will be breaking down the Bible one chapter a day. Whether you are a new believer or have been following Christ for a while, we believe that you will learn something new and fresh every single day. So thank you for joining us and let's get into breaking down the Bible together.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Well hello, everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, Pastor Brandon. Today, Exodus chapter 31, and today's title is Called to Make a Difference. Called to Make a Difference. There are two people in today's chapter that I am just amazed by because the Bible says that God specifically called them out of the entire nation of Israel to make a difference in a very specific way. And if you think about it, it is it is very specific that was also that if God hadn't put it in his word the way he did, not only will we never know their name, we would never know to even think about such things. It is the creativity to actually put the vision that God gave Moses into action. That is a very specific calling that was probably very thankless in a lot of different areas, but it wasn't about the people getting the attention. It was about God equipping them to do something that only they could do. And we're going to get into that in just a second. It's probably some of the most unsung heroes in all of the Old Testament, and none of us know their name, but we're going to know it after today. So if you got your Bibles, you get your Bible journals, you get your coffee, you get your water bottle, whatever you got to get, but also make sure you take just a moment, like, share, and subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you leave us a five-star review on the podcast. It really does help. And make sure you're going to the Bible breakdown discussion on Facebook. There's an amazing group of people doing a wonderful job, faithfully posting on there every single day. And you can get links to all of that at the Biblebreakdown.com because the more we dig, the more

Vision Is Great Now Build It

SPEAKER_01 1:56

we find. Well, if you've been with us, we are slowly coming toward the end of Exodus chapter or Exodus, and we're in Exodus chapter 31 today. And it wasn't just about God freeing his people, it was freeing them and then setting a relationship with them. Over and over again in these chapters, God is saying the reason why I'm giving you this stuff is because I want to have a relationship with you. And so we got to get this right so that you can stand being in my presence because I'm holy and you're not. But I want you to be. So let's figure it out, right? Let's let's figure out how we can make this happen. And then as Moses is up on this mountain, he's telling him all kinds of great stuff. Like he's telling him basically a commentary on how to live out the first or the Ten Commandments. And most of these are how to worship God properly. But here's the problem: Moses has been given this great vision, but how exactly are you gonna make this? You ever felt like that before? Like you have this big idea for what you want to do. How do you actually make it happen? That's kind of how my wife and I, how our relationship work is I can have these ideas. And then once my idea is over with, I'm kind of lost. I'm like, okay, well, I have this idea for this thing. I have no idea how to actually make this happen. Well, it turns out my wife, she says, I don't agree with her, but she says, I don't have any ideas, but I can make ideas happen. I think she has ideas as well. But we can get along with that because I can I can get you some ideas, but how to do it, I have no idea. My wife on the other side, she loves taking an idea and making it happen. Well, that's a very specific set of skills. Well, today we're gonna find somebody who, and when you really think about this, God has anointed these two men with special creativity to be able to make the vision God had given Moses and put it into action. You know, if it hadn't been for the fact that God put it here, we would have no idea who they are. We would just, well, somebody made it and moved on. And I think there's something powerful about that. So let's read this together and then we'll finish it up talking about how God has gifted all of us to make a difference.

Bezalel And Oholiab Get Named

SPEAKER_01 4:01

Here we go, chapter 31, verse 1 says this. Then the Lord said to Moses, Look, I have specifically chosen Basalel, 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 Aholiab, the son of Imashek, 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, 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 and all of its accessories, the incense altar, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the wash basin with its stand, the beautifully stitched garments, and the sacred garment for Aaron, the priest, and the garments of his sons to wear as they minister as priests, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense for the holy place. The craftsman must make everything as I commanded you.

The Sabbath Command And True Rest

SPEAKER_01 5:25

The Lord then gave these instructions to Moses Tell the people of Israel, be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given, so you may know that I am the Lord who makes you holy. You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who dis uh who disecrates, wow, that was a hard word to get out. Anyone who desecrates, it must be put to death. Anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. Pause. Notice how God is so so set on you having a day off that he says, if you don't take a day off, I'm gonna kill you. That's a pretty big deal, right? Verse 15. You have six days each week to do your ordinary work, but on the seventh must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death. The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. It is a pub permanent sign of the covenant between the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed. When the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant written by the finger of God. Wow.

Faithfulness Over Spotlight Success

SPEAKER_01 6:52

Well, we'll get into from after this the idea of the finger of God, literally writing that down. It's just phenomenal to think about. And we're also going to find out tomorrow what these wonderful Israelites have been doing while Moses has been up on the mountain. But today I want to think about this idea of especially the these craftsmen, uh Basalel, being anointed by God to do something very specific to make a difference that was going to make a difference for generations. Think about this for a moment. The nation of Israel has been liberated from Egyptian bondage. They are now in the wilderness. The most prized, you know, crafts, I would say not crafts, but the most prized occupations at the time are probably tent making, gathering, cooking, you know, all these different kinds of things. Probably not a lot of use for engravers, craftsmen, people working with a lot of that kind of stuff, other than this very specific need, right? But there were these particular people who were gifted to do this thing. And if they weren't there, the kingdom of God would be less. Like they would have found somebody else, but God specifically called them to do this thing for this season, and it was important. And it just so happened they were there. And God used them to make a difference. And what I love about that is can you imagine before God told them about this, Basilel might have been there, and he was going, you know, back when I was in Egypt, I used these different skills, and and you know, I was able to make a difference and do that. But now that we're here, nobody needs me. I don't have any way that I can contribute. I don't have anything that I can do. And then out of nowhere, God says, Actually, I have given you those skills because I have a very specific task that only you can do. Can you imagine how exciting that must have been? Not only can I contribute, but I can now contribute in something that's gonna last for generations. You know what I love about that? Is that God says that to each and every one of us? I mean, think about it. God has given you a unique gift set, gifts, talents, and abilities that he hasn't put in anybody else, that no nobody else was made exactly like you with the exact gift mix he's given you. And he has told you that right now is the time when you need to be alive, doing this. Now, just like Basilel, if it wasn't for the fact that God was writing this the way he did, we would have never known his name. But what he would have done would have made a difference for generations. We would have heard about the Ark of the Covenant, we would have heard about, you know, the Ark's cover, the mercy seat, and all this kind of stuff. We just wouldn't have known who made it. It wasn't about Basilel, it was about what he was going to do. And you have been gifted to make a difference. The important thing is to realize that the difference that you make is not about what you want, but it's about what God needs for the kingdom. For example, do you know one of the greatest differences you can make is investing in the next generation? One of the greatest differences you can make is to be the best husband, to be the best father, to be the best mother, to be the best wife that you can be. Because when you're a husband and a wife, you are showing by example to your children what it is to be a godly man or woman. Same thing with being a a father or a or a or a mother. One of the greatest things you can do is to be a good friend to somebody, to be a good relative to somebody, to be a good member of a life group. Just all these different examples that you are gonna make a lasting difference, even though someone may not know your name. But you know what the important thing is? God does. And you know that God never requires us to be successful, He requires us to be faithful because ultimately He chooses what level of quote success. So success for us is God, I'm gonna take what you've given me and I'm gonna use it to make a difference. I am going to stand in that gap. I am going to use, even though I have no idea how you would use these gifts you've given me, I'm gonna give them back to you and watch what will happen.

Crochet Socks That Change Families

SPEAKER_01 10:59

It reminds me of a story of these older ladies, and they felt like, you know, these a lot of these were grand grandmothers and a couple of them are great-grandmothers, and they said they felt like they didn't really have a way to make a difference anymore. They've, you know, at one point they had skills, talents, and abilities, but it felt like their time had passed. And so they came to their pastor, and it wasn't me, it was somebody else, came to their pastor and they said, you know, we really just feel like we can't make a difference anymore. We we just don't have anything that makes a difference. And he said, Well, what can you do? Well, all we do is just sit around, you know, every day, just about, and we just crochet. Well, find a way to do something with that. God's giving you that ability, He's He can do something with it. And so they all went back and they were like, There is not a thing we can do with this. All we do is sit around and crochet and just talk. And one of them had an idea, and this was back a long time ago when you could do such things, and they said, You know, my granddaughter, she's a labor and delivery nurse. And you know, she's told me before that a lot of times, you know, one of the saddest things is sometimes this young family will come in and it's a husband and a and a and a wife, and they don't have any family. And what if we were to take our ability to crochet? What if we crocheted these little little socks for these newborn babies? And what if we just went and we just visited them? And then we could take their names back, and instead of talking, we can pray over those new families. And they all thought, well, I guess we could try. And they went and talked to the the granddaughter, and the granddaughter said that would be absolutely amazing. It happens more times than you think that there's not really a lot of people that come with these families, and I bet that make a difference. And so they started doing that. And what started happening was is these grandmothers would come in and talk to these, this mom and this dad. And you know, a lot of times these moms and these dads are just so proud of that new baby, and they talk and all this kind of stuff. And many times the the the grandmother would give their phone number, say, Hey, you know, if y'all ever need anything, if I can help you in any way, you let me know. And fast forward three, four years later, what I was told is is these older ladies who thought they had nothing left to give became a second grandma to a lot of these parents. And many of them had been able to walk with these people, do all kinds of different things, and they just started developing second families. And a lot of these families, it was through this kindness that these families would find Jesus, and it became one of the most thriving ministries in the entire church, all because people realized that God had made them to make a difference. Now, maybe it was a different kind of gift. It was crocheting and praying over people and just being kind to others, but God used it to make a lasting difference. So, my question for you is what do you have in your hand? What has God gifted you to do? And then how can you use it to make a difference? Never underestimate the power of God through a willing

What’s In Your Hand Today

SPEAKER_01 13:51

vessel. Let's pray together right now. God, thank you so much for today. Thank you, God, for your ability to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ask, think, or imagine. I pray you'll open our eyes to see, God, that you have gifted all of us to make a difference if we would just get creative and realize that you can use anything to do a great thing. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Anyway, God's Word says in Exodus 6, verse 6, I will free you from your oppression and I will rescue you from slavery. I'm so thankful to serve a God of freedom. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Exodus chapter 32.