Today’s devotional is a simple one. In 1 Kings 7:14b we read, “Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work”. Note that there are 3 words used to describe Huram’s ability to work with bronze. Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.
Wisdom. Understanding. Knowledge.
Why these 3 words, and how do they apply to a craftsperson’s1 trade? Well, the fact is that they don’t merely apply to trade work. They do, in fact, apply to ALL work. Any work that you or I may do should be done with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. In order to more fully understand what this means, let’s take a very brief look at each word in the original Hebrew.
Wisdom. This word carries the meaning of technical knowledge or skill. This is a person who is capable of performing the task.
Understanding. This word means insight. That is, the capacity for discerning a right course. This is a person who can see what needs to be done to bring the task to completion.
Knowledge. This is a knowledge of how to apply wisdom and understanding to the task at hand.
These are the qualities that any of us need to accomplish any given task. We must possess the skill. We must know how to get things done. We must know how to combine those skills to actually accomplish was is set before us. This may seem simple, but I have worked with a great many people who possess only one or two of these — I suspect we all have. In fact, despite these skills being so seemingly straightforward, the last time we saw someone who was explicitly labelled as being in possession of all three was Bezalel in the beginning of Exodus 31! And that was cited as being a gift from God.
So, if you possess wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in an area, that is because God has gifted you in that way. Step out into that gifting and use it for the glory of the One who gave it to you!
- I know the word “craftsperson” is a weird word that doesn’t roll off the tongue well, but the fact remains that the work being done — any work that IS being done — might be performed by either a man or a woman. ↩︎