Passed Down - January 30, 2009

Title: Passed Down Topic: Parenting

Scripture: (Exo 31:1-11 NKJV) Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: {2} "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. {3} "And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, {4} "to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, {5} "in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. {6} "And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all who are gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: {7} "the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle; {8} "the table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, {9} "the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base; {10} "the garments of ministry, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests, {11} "and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do."

Observation: Bezalel was Hur’s grandson. Tradition teaches that Hur was Miriam’s husband – Miriam who was Moses’ sister. While God endowed these men with special skills to be able to make all the ornaments of the sanctuary and the clothing to be worn by the priests, my guess is that they were already gifted and experienced in those arts, something they might have learned from their respective fathers as it has been for millennia.

Application: One of those gifts we can give our children is to pass down to them skills, knowledge, good memories, family history, all of which strengthen their roots in their past and enable them to do better in their future. One of the greatest gifts we can pass down to our children is our faith in God and our hope in the soon return of Jesus. While somebody said that God does not have grandchildren, by which they mean that we all have the same opportunity to be children of God, in order for our children to know about God we, as their parents, must pass our personal faith is God as our Father.

Prayer: Father, may we pass down to our children not only useful knowledge and skills but most importantly our faith You that they, too, may come to know You and love You and accept Your gift of salvation.