God is a Craftsman

 God is a Craftsman

February 4, 2026

Psalm 19:1-4 (NKJV) 1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 [There is] no speech nor language [Where] their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. 

Yesterday, we talked some about craftsmen, who can built things to the glory of God. In today’s scripture, we see that God is the first craftsman. We only have to look at the magnificent beauty and order in the earth and the sky to see the handiwork of the Lord. Paul even says in his letter to the Romans, that everyone should know that there is a God just by looking at nature.

Romans 1:20 (NKJV) 

For since the creation of the world His invisible [attributes] are clearly seen, being understoodby the things that are made, [even] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

There are those that say that science proves that there is no god, but as one trained in the science, I can tell you that the more you study nature, the more you have to believe in a creator. From the smallest elementary particle to the largest galaxy, there is an order and interconnectedness to the universe that can not be explained by science alone. God’s handiwork is clearly seen the more you investigate the way that the world works. In the body, there are many biochemical cycles and one cannot exist without all of the others. There is no possible way for any one cycle to evolve without the others being there to support it. DNA codes for all of the proteins, but needs several proteins to reproduce, so the DNA cannot exist without the proteins and the proteins cannot be made without the DNA. And that is just one biological cycle that works that way. They Lord is indeed an expert workman and His handiwork is magnificent.

So when we create things with our hands, whether physical items or words, like this blog, we are acting in a way to reflect God. The Lord is the original creator, and when we create anything, we are reflecting His glory. That’s part of being made in His image. Therefore, pursue excellence in whatever you put your hand to so that you can demonstrate the Lord’s excellence and goodness in everything that you create. And do it all to the glory of God.

Artisans Called by God

 Artisans Called by God

February 3, 2026

Exodus 35:30-35 (NKJV) 

30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 “and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, 32 “to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33 “in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship. 34 “And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, [in] him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 “He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet [thread,] and fine linen, and of the weaver--those who do every work and those who design artistic works.

Exodus 36:1 (NKJV) 

“And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the LORD has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the LORD has commanded.”

This morning, a dear old friend of mine put out a blog on the importance of teaching our children to work with their hands. My generation tended to work with our brains. I made my living as a scientist and engineer, but my father did teach me how to build things, and in my retirement years I have done some woodwork and home remodelling. But we have de-emphasized the importance of working with our hands. Our society is in trouble if we don’t have a new generation of skilled carpenters, plumbers and electricians.

The Lord honors those who have skill to work with their hands and who dedicate their skill to the work of the Lord. In Exodus we see where the Lord paid special praise on two artisans who were not only able to work with wood, metal and jewels, but who were able to teach others. They were tasked with building the tabernacle and all of the beautiful utensils and fixtures in it. Their trade enabled them to build things to the glory of God, and their names are memorialized in the scriptures as a result. So we need skilled craftsmen, and we need to give them honor. Building the kingdom of God is not all spiritual. We also need the workers who are skilled in building to make the things that we need in order to preach the kingdom of God. Buildings, sound systems and musical instruments don’t just fall down from heaven, they need someone with skilled hands to make them.

 

Labor Day

 Labor Day

September 1, 2025

Ephesians 6:5-9 (ESV)

Bondservants and Masters

5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

Colossians 3:22-24

22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

On Labor Day, we rest from our work and honor those who work hard to build and produce all the things we need to keep society going. The Bible commends hard work and faithful service. Written in the context of the Roman Empire, Ephesians and Colossians state this in terms of bondservants and masters, but the same concepts apply to employees and bosses. The concept is that your should do all that is required at your work with a cheerful attitude,  even if your employer is being unreasonable. This goes against the grain of modern thought and grievance politics often found in the organized labor movement. Rather, we should work as unto the Lord, doing everything without whining or complaining. Also, the bosses should treat their employees honorably, which would in include providing an honest wage and a safe working environment. If everyone lived according to Paul’s admonition, we would all be much happier with much less conflict and strife in the workplace. So do your part to live as a Christian in the  work-a-day world. Someone will notice and the gospel will be spread. Be like the man in the current gospel song, “I Want My Life the Preach”. Living as a bondservant to the Lord in the workplace will impact people more than you know,.

Labor Day Proverbs

 Labor Day Weekend Proverbs 

August 30, 2025

Proverbs for Labor Day:

Proverbs 28:19-20 (NASB95) 19 He who tills his land will have plenty of food, But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty. 20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 12:11 (NASB95)

11 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who pursues worthless things lacks sense.

Proverbs 14:4 (NASB95)

4 Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

(As an old farm boy, this is one of my favorites!)

Proverbs 27:23-27 (NASB95)

23 Know well the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds; 24 For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations. 25 When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in, 26 The lambs will be for your clothing, And the goats will bring the price of a field, 27 And there will be goats’ milk enough for your food, For the food of your household, And sustenance for your maidens.

Tabernacle of David

 Tabernacle of David

November 19, 2024

Acts 15:13-18

13 After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first concernedHimself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, 

16 ‘AFTER THESE THINGS I will return,

AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN,

AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS,

AND I WILL RESTORE IT,

17 SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD,

AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’

18 SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.

Yesterday we were talking about the musicians that King David assigned to minister before the Lord. In the book of Acts, James quotes the prophet Amos who said that restoring the tabernacle (tent) of David was a sign of extending the Kingdom of God to the gentiles. That would mean that the tabernacle of David is active in this age since the church has been extended to all peoples (gentiles). So what is special about the tabernacle of David? First Chronicles tells us of the founding of this tent when he had the ark returned to Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles 16:1-7

A Tent for the Ark

1 And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings andpeace offerings before God. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 He distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread and a portion of meat and a raisin cake.

4 He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, even to celebrate and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

7 Then on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the LORD.

There were animal sacrifices in this tent, as there were in the tabernacle of Moses, but the distinguishing characteristic of David’s tabernacle was the continual praise and worship. He appointed hundreds of musicians and singers the celebrate with thanksgiving and praise 24 hours a day. The Levites appointed to this ministry had assigned shifts so there was a continual offering of praise and worship in the presence of the Lord before the Ark of the Covenant. And it was not a quiet kind of worship either. He specified that there be loud symbols, stringed instruments and the continual blowing of trumpets. Psalm 150 describes this as well.

Psalms 150

A Psalm of Praise.

1 Praise the LORD!

Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty expanse.

2 Praise Him for His mighty deeds;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

3 Praise Him with trumpet sound;

Praise Him with harp and lyre.

4 Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.

5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD!

This is the kind of praise and worship that we should have in the restored tabernacle of David. So don’t be shy, but raise your voice and blow the trumpet. Sound the symbols and play the stringed instruments for now is the time to praise the Lord. Hallelujah!  Note that every mention of “praise the Lord” in Psalm 150 is “Hallelujah” in Hebrew. So raise a hallelujah for now is the time for all peoples to come into the tabernacle of David and praise the Lord together.

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Work, Toil and Rest (Day 7)

Gen 2:2 By the seventh day God finished the work that he had been doing, and he ceased on the seventh day all the work that he had been doing.
Gen 3:17b ... cursed is the ground thanks to you;
in painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
Heb 4: 9-11 Consequently a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God. 10 For the one who enters Godʼs rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works. 11 Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, ...
NET Bible

God rested from His work on the seventh day. Then he curse the ground and sentenced man to toil all the days of his life. But finally, in the new covenant, there is a Sabbath rest available, but it takes effort to enter that rest.  There is a mystery here.

The first point is that work is good. God worked six days to create the world. Every meaningful accomplishment requires work. In the technical sense, work is force applied over a distance, which means that effort is required to move forward. From various accounts of heaven we also understand that there will be work for us to do in heaven. I'm not exactly sure what it will be, but there will be something useful for us to accomplish there. So work, in itself, is good.

Second, after the fall, man was sentence to a life of toil and labor. There is something about having to scratch an existence from the ground that reminds us of original sin and the fall of man. So toil is difficult and is not intended to be pleasant. Even Saint Paul admonished that "If anyone is not willing to work, neither should he eat.” (2 Th 3:10). So if we are to eat, we must work.

Lastly, the Lord provided a sabbath for us to experience rest. Every seven days, we are to rest from our labors and worship the Lord. The writer of Hebrews also indicated that there is an additional sabbath rest that is related to redemption. Jesus was crucified, died, and rose on the third day to redeem us from the curse of the law. This is a mystery in the sense that it was hidden until the time that Jesus rose from the dead. But an additional mystery here is that the writer of Hebrews also indicates that it takes effort to enter that rest.  What are we to make of that?

Perhaps retirement is in some way a representation of this process. We must work to provide for our families, and it is toil and labor. But after a suitable period of faithful work, it is permitted to us to rest and enjoy the fruits of our labor, a sabbath rest, as it were. Even so, it requires some effort to dedicate that time of rest to the glory and worship of God.  I'm new to this retirement business, but I'm learning as I go along. So work, toil and rest... and we will understand the mystery of it by and by.