I didn’t mention Moses or Aaron. And I did not talk about the Pharaoh or the 10 plagues. Can you believe not one word was mentioned about the parting of the Red Sea either? Instead I taught about 2 ordinary guys named, Oholiab & Bezalel. These 2 men are called by name in Exodus chapter 31 for a special purpose.
In verses 2 & 6 we learn that these men were “appointed” and “selected” by God. In other words, this was not an accident; these 2 had a special calling on their lives. I get the feeling that these two were the men for the mission. You and I know & love people like that. America knows people like that too. George Washington, Abe Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. Simon Sinek, in his book, “Start with the WHY” offers the following story about King:
He was not perfect. He had his complexities. He was not the only one who suffered in a pre-civil rights America, and there were plenty of other charismatic speakers. But Martin Luther King Jr. had a gift. He knew how to inspire people. Dr. King knew that if the civil rights movement was to succeed, if there was to be a real, lasting change, it would take more than him and his closest allies. It would take more than rousing words and eloquent speeches. It would take people, tens of thousands of average citizens, united by a single vision, to change the country. At 11:00 a.m. on August 28th, 1963, they would send a message to Washington that it was time for America to steer a new course.
The organizers of the civil rights movement did not send out thousands of invitations, nor was there a Web site to check the date. But the people came. And they kept coming and coming. All told, a quarter of a million people descended on the nation’s capital in time to hear the words immortalized by history, delivered by the man who would lead a movement that would change America forever: “I HAVE A DREAM.”
The ability to attract so many people from across the country, of all colors and races, to join together on the right day, at the right time, took something special. Though others knew what had to change in America to bring about civil rights for all, it was Martin Luther King who was able to inspire a country to change not just for the good of a minority, but for the good of everyone …
Martin Luther King Jr. was the man for the mission. He had a sense of destiny. He was God’s man for the civil rights movement. Similarly, Bezalel and Oholiab had a sense of density too. They were hand selected by name and given a purpose. And that purpose was BIGGer than just serving themselves. They were constructing the Tabernacle of God Almighty!
What about you?
What are you passionate about? What are you skilled at? After you answer those questions something still remains for you to do. Go, find a need and fill it. Put your talents & gifts to work for something that outlasts you.
Then, like Bezalel and Oholiab, you too will have found your destiny.
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