Wise-Hearted Ones: An Artist Ordained
The latest episode from Be.Make.Do. is titled An Artist Ordained. Host Lisa Smith dives into the artistic giftings God gave to master artisans when He ordained them to create the Tabernacle. Consider this self-sacrificial call and imagine what it would look like to unleash the gifts the Spirit of God gave you on purpose.
The Gifts of the Spirit For Artists
When I realized that this appointment of Bezalel is the first instance of any human being filled with the Spirit of God, it knocked me back.
“Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, ‘See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all craftsmanship; to create designs for working in gold, in silver, and in bronze.’” — Exodus 35:30-32
The last we heard of the Spirit was in Genesis when it was hovering over the waters. And now, the Spirit returns in the most significant creative act since then — the construction of God’s dwelling place on earth, the Tabernacle.
A Unique Calling For Artists
Conversation around art and artists from a Christian perspective has been fraught. I’ve heard many sermons on how artists need to have humility and tame their egos. But none of these teachings points out why. Here we see in Exodus that artists have been given a high calling— one which God wants to bless. One that is filled with great power, that requires discipleship, discernment, and a life dedicated to prayer.
It’s a self-sacrificial call. But what does that look like for us? What does it mean to surrender your gifts and talents in service to God and rely on Him to equip you beyond your capacity?
Heading back to Exodus 35 and the story of Bezelel’s calling, I believe we can get a picture of what it looks like to form our practice in the way of the wise-hearted ones. We’ll start to see that HOW we create is as important as WHAT we create. Our soul-craft becomes the basis for our artistic craft.
Equipped in the Spirit
Bezalel was tasked to lead a company of artisans in the crafting of the Tabernacle. For this task, God gave him gifts of the Spirit. Bezalel is given wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and craftsmanship.
Looking at the Hebrew words for each of these helps us understand the nuance between each one and how each gift was vital for Bezalel.
1. Wisdom — Be cha ch mah (Hebrew: חָכְמָה): A capacity for acting wisely; skillful, talented; prudence.
2. Understanding — Bit vu nah (Hebrew בִּתְבוּנָ֥ה): Discernment; to diligently consider, pay close attention; taste.
3. Knowledge — U ve da át (Hebrew וּבְדַ֖עַת): Experience; proficiency, ability to “own” one’s craft.
4. Craftsmanship — Me la chah (Hebrew מְלָאכָֽה׃): Occupation; work.
Bezalel is gifted with wisdom and maturity that allows him to act freely out of his innermost self because he is deeply rooted in and connected to the will of God. He was given the understanding and discernment to understand the difference between idol making and Tabernacle building. Bezalel was called for a particular purpose with a clear knowledge of what was to be accomplished and why. He and the artists were set to use their craftsmanship to work as conduits for God’s message — conveying the will of God’s heart through the works of their hands.
Filled with skill and knowledge in the crafts and trades they needed, God gifted Bezalel and the artisans he worked alongside with a capacity beyond their own.
Living in the Way of the Wise-Hearted Ones
Bezalel and the wise-hearted ones at the Tabernacle were called to a specific task at a specific moment. We can see how this task radiates outward through time to us. When Jesus sent His Spirit at Pentecost, it was to dwell in us, the Church. We are tabernacles, commissioned to create spaces for God to fill with His glory.
Practically we can live and work in the way of the wise-hearted ones by committing ourselves to practices of spiritual disciplines and soul-craft, developing a conscientious and disciplined self-knowledge, cultivating empowering relationships, and developing an aptitude for discernment and critically thinking in order to constructively engage the issues facing our world.
The way of the wise-hearted ones is to walk and work in this way and to pray for the gifts of the Spirit for artists — for wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and craftsmanship that we too may convey the will of God’s heart through the work of our hands.
Look deeper at the self-sacrificial call God has given artists.
Be. Make. Do. is an educational podcast with a conversational format that conveys the foundation of the soul|makers path. To prepare the next generation of culture makers, Lisa Smith shares her unique perspective gained from over 20 years of mentoring and ministering to artists. In addition, the podcast explores some of the big (and sometimes controversial) topics that come with being an artist of faith.
Host Lisa Smith received her BFA in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA and worked as a professional actor for many years before attending seminary. Seeking a way to merge her calling as an artist and a person of faith, Lisa went on to receive her MTS degree from the John Leland Seminary in Arlington, VA. She teaches classes at the John Leland Seminary, Wesley Theological Seminary, and Virginia Theological Seminary on the subjects of worship, theology and arts. Lisa is currently working on the soul|makers curriculum to equip artists to serve as prophetic critics and imaginative visionaries in the world.
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