"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Take fragrant spices---gum resin, onycha and galbanum---and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred.'" (Exodus 30:34-35) The gum resin mentioned here is believed to be from the tree which produces myrrh. It is used as a fixative to make fragrances last longer. Onycha is derived from grinding up mollusk shells and was (and still is) a typical ingredient in some incenses. Its purpose is to enhance the smell of the other ingredients. Galbanum is a milky white gum resin that exudes from the yellow flowers of a tall stalked plant indigenous to Africa. It has a fresh green scent of its own and it works as a fixative for the smell of the frankincense. The substance called "pure frankincense" is probably not the frankincense we're familiar with today, which is derived from fir trees, but was a substance derived from a special genus of the Boswellia tree found in Arabia and Somaliland.
The blending of these ingredients creates a substance solid enough to be ground up. "Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the Lord. Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from their people." (Exodus 30:36-38) This incense is not for common use, just as the anointing oil we studied yesterday is not for common use. Anyone who makes these recipes for anything other than what the Lord prescribed is to be excommunicated from the assembly.
Aaron was to burn some of this incense on the altar of incense every morning and every evening. It likely symbolized the prayers of God's people, as we discussed several days ago, and I think it also represents coming to God in the right attitude. The prayers of God's people should be as pleasing to His ears as the smell of this unique incense is to His nose. They are to come to Him in reverence and thankfulness, seeking His guidance in an attitude of submission that recognizes Him as sovereign over their lives, and relying upon His help to obey this command: "Be holy because I am holy." (Leviticus 11:44-45, Leviticus 19:2, Leviticus 20:7, 1 Peter 1:6)
We've talked before about all the gifts and talents that are needed to complete the tabernacle project. They're going to need to make fine linen and embroidered tapestries. They will need the skills of carpenters and metalworkers. They will have to call upon perfumiers to blend the anointing oil and the incense. A great deal of work and attention to detail will be involved in carrying out this project, but the Israelites have no need to call upon anyone outside of their community for help. The Lord has given each of them the talents necessary to fulfill His plans for their lives, and His plan for some of their lives is that they use their skills to produce the materials and furnishings of the tabernacle. "Then the Lord said to Moses, '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 wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills---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 crafts." (Exodus 31:1-5) It appears that this Bezalel is the chief artistic designer over the entire project and will be the person who oversees the creative work to be done. If Hur is the brother-in-law of Moses and Aaron, as some scholars believe, then Bezalel is their great-nephew.
The Lord doesn't expect Bezalel to oversee the work all by himself. He appoints a man named Oholiab to be Bezalel's assistant. "Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him." (Exodus 31:6a) The job is too big for one person. The responsibility and the stress of making sure he gets it right could be overwhelming for Bezalel without someone to come alongside him to assist and support him.
The Lord granted special gifts and talents to these two men because it was His plan for their lives that they be in charge of the design and the production of all the components of the sanctuary. He also granted special gifts and talents to many other Israelites because of His intention to commission them to use their artisan skills to work on the tabernacle project. "Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent---the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand---and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you." (Exodus 31:6b-11)
Not every citizen of Israel worked on the tabernacle project. It's believed they numbered around 2,000,000 at the time of the exodus and not all of them were called to be carpenters and metalworkers and tapestry makers and perfumiers. That doesn't mean that the skills they did possess were less important, just that the Lord grants gifts and talents to each person according to His plans for their life. We can't all be carpenters. Who would be farmers and grow our food? We can't all be metal workers. Who would raise flocks and herds? We can't all be perfumiers. Who would produce all the other products that make life more pleasant and convenient? There's no use in envying the gifts of others. Whatever gifts you have were given to you by the God who knew you long before you were ever born and who has a plan for your life and who knows what skills will be needed to fulfill that plan. The Apostle Paul warned against comparing ourselves to others (Galatians 6:4) and he encouraged each person to be happy with the gifts God has given them and to work continually on improving the gifts God gave them.
There are talents I wish I had but the Lord didn't choose those particular talents for me because they are not necessary for the path He has chosen for my life. That doesn't mean I should feel bad about myself or compare myself to others. On the contrary, I should be thankful for the abilities God gave me. He thoughtfully and carefully chose them for me. To consider my own skills as "less than" those of others is to harbor an ungrateful spirit. I think this attitude could also be regarded as rebellious because it's like saying, "I'd rather follow my plans than the Lord's plans."
Whatever skills and abilities you have, be grateful for them. Work at continually improving upon them. Use them for God's glory.
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