Exodus — Chapter 31

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Behold, I have called by name Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge in all manner of work. The divine bestowal of artistic skill on Bezaleel is for Lapide a proof that all natural talents and artistic genius ultimately derive from God as their source. He cites Ambrose (In Hex. I) and Aquinas (I, q. 45, a. 6 ad 3): beauty in created things is a participation in the uncreated Beauty of God; the artist who creates beautiful works for the worship of God renders back to God His own gift.

Speak thou also to the children of Israel: See thou keep my sabbath, because it is a sign between me and you in your generations: that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctify you. The Sabbath as covenant sign: it is not merely a day of rest but a perpetual memorial of God's creative sovereignty. Lapide notes that the Sabbath sign was given after the instructions for the Tabernacle to remind Israel that even the construction of God's house must pause on the Sabbath—no work, however holy in purpose, overrides the day of the Lord. This teaches the absolute priority of divine worship over human activity.