Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. – Exodus 36:2

Today's Scripture Reading (December 6, 2024): Exodus 36

Building something comes in several stages. I have been following the proposed building of a new arena in a nearby city. And it started with the declaration of a need. The existing arena in the city had been built for the 1988 Olympics. It houses the city's National Hockey League team, but there was a perceived need for an updated arena. The present arena was state-of-the-art in the 1980s, but now it is forty years old and doesn't have some of the amenities that are present in newer facilities. When the idea first surfaced, there was a plan to build a combined entertainment complex that would house the NHL team and a field for the local Football (not Soccer) team. But that didn't get the approval needed, even though a new football field might be needed even more than an arena. 

Once the need is recognized, a plan becomes the next step. Blueprints are drawn. Concessions are made as principles compromise on the original plans, often to lower costs. Then, financing is obtained. In the drama happening in the nearby city, this has been a sticking point. Who is going to pay for the new facility? Not only that but who is going to benefit financially from the new arena? How will revenues gained from the arena be divided up? These are essential questions, and answers must be obtained before the project can proceed.

As I write this, all of the above is finished for the arena. Now is the time to get the crews to work on the new facility. It is time to break ground and start the process of building. At some point, every project reaches this point. At some point, the artisans need to take the plans and work to make them into the fulfillment of everything they had dreamed of. 

Moses has gone through the process. God has handed to the Prophet the plans for the Tabernacle. Moses has raised the funds and the materials to complete the building. But now it is time to gather the artisans who know how to take a plan and make it a reality. Now is the time to get to work and build the Tabernacle and all of the items that would be needed inside of the Tabernacle so that the priests could carry out the tasks that worship would demand of them.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Exodus 37