3.4.26 – Order Out of Chaos, Part 2: The Carpenter

The Tabernacle and its structure is a classic example of order out of chaos. The Tent of Meeting with all its utensils, when properly assembled, was such that whoever touched the altar would become most holy—Kadosh Kedoshim (holy of holies), the place where the High Priest would go once a year. Oh my stars!

"Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy."
(Ex. 29:37)

Each article within the Tabernacle structure had a specific function and purpose in relation to the place where God would dwell, because it was the place of the presence of God working in that sphere. Each element carried out a function to establish order and maintenance according to the pattern of the entire universe in Genesis 1.

This is what a human body is supposed to do, as well as the body of the Messiah. Hence, this is why the Apostle Paul compares us to a human body—made of many members and functioning as one (echad) (1 Cor. 12; Rom. 12; Eph. 4). We are supposed to function exactly the same way, with all the parts integrated, working together, each part having its own function and purpose, but working as one to bring order to everything outside that sphere.

Sidenote: I don't know if you have noticed, but maybe, just maybe, we are not functioning as a believing community the way God designed. By all appearances, this is not happening. We have factions and arguments and debates and controversies... I cannot even name them all. We are not functioning exactly the way God ordered the Tabernacle, and He cannot dwell in the midst of something that is so chaotic. He will not! His presence will not dwell in the midst of chaos. The Tabernacle, the house, the human body, and the spiritual body—all made up of individual members—are supposed to bring order and peace out into the world, and we (speaking of me, myself, and I) are not operating that way. Maybe we should study the Tabernacle a little more :-)

Can you imagine if our prayer life had all the elements—the myrrh, the cinnamon, the calamus, the cassia, a hint of olive oil, the fragrant mixture blended as a perfume that is so properly mixed that whoever touches them will be made holy? Each element is set apart with a specific function to keep the house in order. I cannot stress that enough... am I stressing that enough? :-)

Within this Torah portion, we have a man named Bezaleel ("in the image of El"). He is filled with the Spirit of God and with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in the area of craftsmanship:

"Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded. And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it."
(Ex. 36:1–2)

This takes us back to Genesis chapter 1:26–28, to man—the individual who is made in the image of God, the Master Craftsman—displayed in His creative work of making order out of chaos. Once again we have the language of architecture, building, and craftsmanship.

Did that thought make you think of Yeshua, the One in the image of God, the Son of the Master Craftsman? The purpose of this image is to pass it down to His sons in order to build a house. That was the purpose of being a craftsman: to build a house. And so one of the terms we have, for example, utilized within the sphere of a master craftsman is a carpenter (harash). But, as with all Hebrew words, there is much more depth to it than someone who works with wood. Harash also means "to silence." Huh? Oh yes, to silence. Have you ever seen something perfectly, beautifully, and architecturally built that the end product left you speechless? These carpenters silenced others by their brilliance and understanding and knowledge and wisdom of the Torah—of the Word of God—and its application in building the Tabernacle vessels.

So, the idea of a craftsman, or a carpenter, was one who is knowledgeable in the Torah and was filled with wisdom and understanding so profoundly that they could apply wisdom to chaotic situations and bring order. When it says that Yeshua was a carpenter (Mark 6:3), He could have been a carpenter, and maybe in the natural realm He was a carpenter. But in the realm that we are speaking of—house building—He was the Carpenter, and He was the Son of the Master Carpenter, because He would build the house. That is exactly what He tells us when we read in John:

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
(John 2:19)

This is the language of architecture—building a temple and being a Master Craftsman, like the one who is in the image of El (Bezaleel). That is exactly how we see Yeshua. The Master Craftsman knows how to take the individual components and make them into a functional body—a set-apart environment for God to dwell in (Ex. 25:8–9).

Unfortunately, in my personal opinion, knowing that the modern-day body of Christ resembles chaos more than order, I think we have forgotten the pattern of the Tabernacle—the place where God dwells; the place that is a duplicate of the heavenly Tabernacle, the manifestation of the Word made flesh who tabernacled among us (John 1:14). Sometimes, methinks, we get so busy trying to put together the wrong materials, utilizing our own wisdom and understanding, and doing all the stuff to make it happen. We are not letting Him provide the raw materials in order to build a house. Too often, once again in my personal opinion, we seem intent on doing it ourselves. As a result, the house is not built according to the heavenly specs (Heb. 8:5).

The text tells us that God placed in the hearts of all who are wise-hearted the skill of craftsmanship to be able to create everything within the house of God (Ex. 28:3; 31:6; 35:10, 25). And, you know, that has not changed for the body of Messiah. Today He puts in our hearts the skill to build, and if we are not operating this process according to the heavenly pattern, His presence is not there.

The challenge before all of us is: are we imitating the Carpenter (Rom. 8:29)? There is a pattern that lets us know whether we are or are not.

As we head toward Passover (Pesach) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, let us ask for the wisdom and understanding to build like the one in the image of God.

Shalom,
Alan

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