And let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded:
Exodus 35:10 (JPS)
Wise-hearted – When we think of wisdom, we often think of intelligence. We’d say it’s definitely something that comes from experience and resides in the mind of the person. Wisdom is a deepness in thought.
But the Hebrew worldview shows that wisdom comes from the heart. It’s not something that is related to the mind. These great artists that God blessed to make the assets of the tabernalce were wise-hearted, not wise-minded. This is quite different than we might imagine in the western world.
The Hebrew is וְכָל-חֲכַם-לֵב which means “every wise-hearted.” Their wisdom wasn’t something they learned. It wasn’t by experience that they grew in wisdom, it was given them by God. What’s more interesting is that these wise-hearted people were those that were the builders, and artists. The people who practiced the action of creating were the wise-hearted. They were those who acted as the image of God, the ultimate Creator, in the world. It was action, not inaction that made them special.
Doesn’t this make sense why the law was always meant to be written on our hearts, and why we should love God with all our heart? This is why Jeremiah suggests…
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, […] Jeremiah 4:4 (KJV)
O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, […] Jeremiah 4:14
It’s our hearts that require restoration. It’s our hearts where we need to come to terms with the will of God. It’s our heart from where action comes to bring forth positive creation in a world that desperately needs our help.
When we talk about correct beliefs, or doctrines, or theology, that’s all great, but what you’re doing is what matters. What you’re thinking doesn’t matter. The action that flows from our heart is what God is observing with utmost attention. Now go do something inline with our Creator.
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