By Stephen F. Olford
When the day of Pentecost arrived we read that the disciples "were all filled with the Holy Spirit ..." (
Acts 2:4). Later Luke tells us that "Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to [the people] ..." (
Acts 4:8). Stephen, being stoned to death, was "... full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (
Acts 7:55). Barnabas, we are told, "... was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and ... encouraged [the believers of Antioch] to "continue with the Lord" (
Acts 11:23-24). Then there is that interesting account in
Acts 13:9 where "... Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit ..." rebuked Elymas the sorcerer.
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It would appear from these passages that there is a sense in which the fullness of the Holy Spirit also includes the anointing of the Spirit. Such anointing, of course, is for service or for suffering.
For Bezaleel and Aholiab, this anointing meant wisdom, understanding, knowledge and workmanship. By wisdom is probably meant the power to invent and originate artistic forms; by understanding, the ability to appreciate artistic suggestions from others; by knowledge, acquaintance with the method and process of art; by workmanship, the dexterity of hand on which the power of execution mainly depends.
How wonderful to know that God can fill us with wisdom, understanding, knowledge and workmanship! How poverty-stricken is the church of Jesus Christ today when men and women do not know the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
This anointing of God also involves the fitting of the Spirit for divine service. "... I have filled him with the Spirit of God ... to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels ..." (
vv. 3-5). There can be no fitting of the Holy Spirit without the filling of the Holy Spirit. When a person knows the fullness of the Spirit he will trust God to be fitted for the task.
Notice carefully that Bezaleel and Aholiab were fitted to determine priorities in the work of God. It is not by chance that the sacred record lists the materials in order of their importance. There was gold, then silver, then bronze, then stones, then wood. All these were necessary, but they had a scale of values which had to be observed, not only in the workmanship but also in their use in the tabernacle. Anyone who knows the symbolism of these materials will recognize how discerning Bezaleel and Aholiab had to be.
Without question, there is more time wasted in Christian service today through failure to discern priorities than for any other reason. Religious activism is the result of involvement in areas of work which are unimportant and irrelevant. Only the Holy Spirit can fit us to determine our priorities.