of Workmanship.
WISDOM
The word for "Wisdom" in this passage of scripture is translated, Ability. What is the Source of your spiritual work? There could be three possible sources: God, Human Ability, or Soul Power. Any source other than God is either human ability or soul power. Zechariah 4:6 "Not by might [no mental might], nor by power [not physical or material power], but by My Spirit, saith the Lord."
An Appearance of Flesh Power
What is flesh power? It is anything within us that gives us religious motivation Apart from the Spirit of God. It is seeking to operate in the Spirit by empty Godless motivation. Flesh power is: Everything that can begin with my outer self. Fleshliness is not much different than humanism. That which seeks to do the work of God without first being made of God in the place of prayer is fleshly. That which is super-critical and judgmental of others who are seeking to move on in God [even if they are moving slowly), is not spiritual discernment, but flesh power! Anything that looks for perfection before performance is flesh power! Some people will not do anything spiritual, because they are waiting to do it perfect or better than someone else – That is flesh power!
We become perfect by doing or practicing something; we do not become perfect by sitting around hoping to someday become good at something. We must learn to act, and even how to make a few blunders, and then, through correction, become perfect [mature]! Another element of flesh power is that which is built upon seeking one emotional high after another.
We must learn to live by Faith and let the Lord bring the emotional high when and however He desires. Another thing that is fleshly is, that which has ministry as its goal, rather than the image of the Lord Jesus Christ as its goal. All of our spiritual work must be through the Ability of God rather than the ability of the flesh. Many people are greatly talented, but lack anointing and ability in the Spirit. So wisdom or ability can have three sources; God ability, human ability, or flesh power. The scripture says, “It is not by might (mental might), nor by power (physical or material), but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Let us build the house of the Lord by His Ability!
UNDERSTANDING
The second thing God gave them to build the temple was Understanding, which could be translated as Intelligence. One translation has it as Intelligence or Skillfulness. Exodus 36:1 "...Every wise hearted or skillful man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded."
The Lord is forming His nature in us who are competent to the task of building His temple. What does it mean to have understanding, intelligence, and be skillful? It is one who operates not just in the "in part gift realm" but in the Spirit of the Lord, according to Isaiah chapter 11. When someone comes to you and needs a word from the Lord, you do not have to send them to someone who operates in that gift, because you operate in the Spirit of the Lord realm - You speak the word of the Lord. If someone comes to you and has a need for a healing, you can minister to that individual. You do not have to send the sick to someone who operates in the "gift of healing", you have spiritual skillfulness and intelligence. The builders of the tabernacle seek the "Giver" rather than the "Gift."
Exodus 36:1 "...They shall do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, According to all that the Lord had commanded." I would encourage you not to use the anointing as a license to do or say something you really wanted to say or do for a long time; a message that you really wanted to get to somebody for a while; or you are operating in the real anointing and you stick a few of your Own words in. We do not use the anointing as an occasion to the flesh realm, or for our own profit or gain. Paul said that the spirit of the prophet is Subject to the prophet, but the spirit of the prophet must be subject to God! Our spirit must be subject to God, rather than the flesh. That is what it means where the scripture says that, the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet. We have had many so-called prophets travelling the country, whose spirit is subject to their flesh rather than the Mind of God!
I actually used to be jealous of people that could speak in King James! How silly! We are coming to the place where we can prophesy when we want to and we can heal when we want to, but what is the Lord saying? The anointing is to be used for the construction of the temple only, not for developing our own ministry. The anointing is only for building up the sanctuary. The sanctuary is not the outer court realm. The outer court is not called the temple of God. The Greek word for temple is NAOS, which is always used only for the Most Holy Place realm; the realm that is called the Kingdom of God; the realm that is called the body of Christ. The anointing is for the building up specifically of the body of Christ. Once we progress to the door of the Holy Place and experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then we are truly a part of the body, which will be built up, a spiritual house. That may seem very strong, but it is the word of God. Of course the Outer Court is important, because unless we Begin somewhere, we cannot ever hope to evolve; but there is a further experience beyond the door of the Outer Court, if we are going to be a part of the household of faith. Some might say, "Then are you saying, we should not reach the unsaved?" No, we are to reach the unsaved, but once we reach them, we are not using the anointing correctly, if we just leave them in the Outer Court. We must introduce them to the second experience of the baptism of the Spirit; then the Building of the temple can begin.
KNOWLEDGE
Since we have looked into Wisdom or Ability, and Understanding or intelligence and skillfulness, let's now explore Knowledge. This knowledge is tied in with zeal. We already quoted Psalms 69:9 where it says, “The zeal of Thy house has eaten me up." Any zeal which is Not for building up the house of God is a zeal that goes about to establish its Own righteousness, and has not submitted to God. We must watch where our zeal is! Zeal and knowledge are closely related. Most people who have knowledge have zeal, but the zeal must be channeled in the proper place. I John 2:20 "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." There are a people whom God is filling with the fullness of His Knowledge; not the "Gift of the word of knowledge" but the Spirit of knowledge. There is a people who are beginning to declare the Whole Counsel of God!
WORKMANSHIP
Finally, the last thing they needed to build the tabernacle was Craftsmanship or Workmanship. They were Wise Master Builders. Exodus 35:33 "...in the cutting of stones, To Set them..." It is one thing to Cut Stones, but it's another to set them. I Peter 2:3-5 "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as living stones, are built a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." I suggest, you read the entire chapter, for the full impact of what Peter was saying. There are cut stones that are ready to be Set. That will take Skill and Craftsmanship to set the stones into the House that the Lord is building. I do not want to be involved in cutting a type of stone that does not fit into the building!!! I do want to be involved in cutting a stone or setting a stone that is ready to be set!! Are you ready to be set? Where would you fit in the building? There is a big difference in having a pile of stones, and actually fulfilling what Hebrews chapter 10 says, where we read, "Forsake not the assembling..." Which literally means: Forsake not being built Together, One upon another Forming the Building That God Has!
Proverbs 24:3 “Through Wisdom is a House builded; and by Understanding it is established." What kind of stone are you? Then we read in II Tim. 2:19-21, "Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ Depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth: and some of honour, and some of dishonor. If a man therefore purge [or purify] himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master's use, and Prepared unto Every good work." This refers to a stone that is ready to be Set.
When the Lord put His Spirit upon these builders in these four areas, He did it to basically do three things:
In Exodus chapter 35, verse 32 we see the words "...To Devise…" To devise means, To Plan And To Weave. So that brings us to the truth that it is Spiritual to Plan. There are too many of God's people that fail to Plan. If you fail to plan, apart from the Grace of God,