GOD’S CUNNING WORKMEN
Anita Clark – PastorGrace Chapel, Carbondale, Kansas
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that ye should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure...that ye may be blameless and harmless; the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Holding forth the Word of life...” Philippians 2:13-16.
God’s work in preparing His people to dwell in our eternal home in heaven is going on in the world today. He has been doing this work for ages. In Psalms 45 we have a beautiful description of the Lord Jesus Christ upon His throne, and the glorious work of God in His people. In verse 9 the writer speaks of “...upon Thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.” Also, Verse 11 speaking of the beauty of the Queen, “So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for He is Thy Lord and worship thou Him.” Verses 13-15 speak even more of the beautiful queen, “The King’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the King’s palace.”
In II Corinthians 11:1-3, Apostle Paul speaks of the espousal of the Bride for Jesus Christ. “Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly; and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
In the Old Testament Exodus 31:1-11 Moses was instructed by God to build the Tabernacle. The Lord gave him special workmen who were very capable to do wonderful, beautiful work.
Divine provisions were made by God. Nothing was left to chance. Although Moses was skilled in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, Moses was not left to draw up the plans. The first thing God did was to collect all the precious items that would be needed to produce this beautiful place of worship for the people of Israel. In Exodus 25 the Lord spoke to Moses to take up offerings from the people of all kinds of things needed to build the tabernacle. All of these items were collected from the Israelites, who received many of these precious items taken from the Egyptians, when Israel left Egypt. God made the provision available.
In the book of Exodus God introduced some very talented men who would do all the work. In Exodus 31:3 God says to Moses, “And I have filled him (Bezaleel) with the Spirit if God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and knowledge and in all manner of workmanship.” He goes on to say that this would involve “cunning works in gold, and silver and in brass...and in cutting stones...and carving timber to work all manner of workmanship.” Verse 6: God speaks of another worker, “And I, behold, I have given with him, Aholiab...of the tribe of Dan, and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded.”
In Exodus 35:30-35 Moses speaks of the ability of these two workmen, who were so talented and produced exactly according to the plan of God. These men represent the Holy Spirit Who is working in the hearts and lives of believers today. The beautiful Tabernacle in the wilderness was built exactly as God had planned.
Now, think about God’s work being done so perfectly by these men which God ordained. The Scripture speaks of the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in those lives who will yield themselves to God. He is working continually to prepare us for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 5:2-4 it says, “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also knowing that tribulation worketh patience.” Then, James 1: 2-4 says, “My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience, but let patience have its perfect work , that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
After this we have the promise from God in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”
Then read II Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not see; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. “Philippians 1:6, says, Being confident of this very thing that He which hath begun the good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. “All these verses from Apostle Paul’s writings are so very powerful and have ability to give us victory in our lives.
God is doing a very important work to prepare the Bride for Jesus Christ. This work has been going on from the beginning of the Church Age - over two thousand years. We are looking for the soon coming of Christ, as spoken of in I Thessalonians 4:13-18. Christ will return and take His overcoming people home to heaven at any time now. In Revelation 19:6-7 a Great Multitude in heaven began to proclaim in verse 7- “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him (Christ): for the marriage of the Lamb is come and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen; clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”
