We’ve met both Bezalel and Oholiab before. Way back in Exodus 31, they were the ones called by God to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle. One would think from that verse that that meant putting their own hands to the work, but according to Exodus 35, it also included a team of workers that would labor alongside them.
It would be tempting to relegate Bezalel and Oholiab’s positions to nothing more than general contractors (not that there’s anything wrong with that). In actuality though, they were more than foremen—they were teachers, as well (Exodus 35:34).
With that in mind, what do you think the school of Bezalel and Oholiab looked like? In some respects, I’m sure it would resemble an old school woodshop class, complete with saws, hammers, chisels, and every other instrument needed for construction purposes.
But I’m guessing it would also include a heavy dose of wisdom and understanding, as well. After all, that’s what God blessed both of those men with; why wouldn’t they teach it to others involved in building the Tabernacle as well?
In my position as minister, I work under two elders—men who have the qualification of being “apt to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2). Through them, I see the value in having good, solid teachers of other people.
Just like Oholiab and Bezalel though, it would be unfair to minimize their teaching as just simple classroom instruction. Instead, good elders (and Christians in general) are examples to others. As Paul told Titus, older men and women are to be examples and encouragers to those who are younger than them.
Real-life experience is appropriate for teaching others wisdom, though. That’s not something you can learn through note-taking, it’s only something you can acquire through putting those principles into action.
There is zero doubt in my mind that Oholiab and Bezalel were skilled master craftsmen, but that can’t be the only reason God chose them. I have to believe they were chosen in some way because they could serve as teachers and mentors to others, instructing them not just to build a tent, but a Tabernacle.
Those workers under the tutelage of these two men were about to undergo the most important construction experience of their life, and they needed to understand the gravity of the moment. That’s what good teachers do: They prepare you not just to do the work, but help you understand how to do the work, as well.
