Exodus 37:1-38:31
Much of the book of Exodus is devoted to a description of the Tabernacle and of its furnishings and framework. This passage today lists several items.
1. the Ark of the Covenant,
2. the Table of Showbread,
3. the Golden Lampstand,
4. the Altar of Incense,
5. the Altar for Burnt Offering, and
6. the Bronze Laver.
All of these Old Testament pieces of furniture have tremendous symbolic significance to New Testament Christians. Their very location in the Tabernacle has significance — Outer Court, Inner Court, Holy of Holies, etc. It is well worth the time to study how each has application to us today.
One of the interesting characteristics of many of these furnishings is the mixture in them of wood and gold. The Ark, for example was made of wood that then was overlaid with pure gold. This is a pattern for much that takes place in the Tabernacle.
The symbolism is wonderful. The wood speaks of our humanity. The gold speaks of God’s divinity. Such is the mixture that characterizes our life in God. We remain real, flesh-and-blood human being with all the natural characteristics of man. We hope, we dream, we hunger, we suffer disappointment, we live life in a very practical, real world. At the same time, there is gold that overlays our lives. God finds us as fallen, fragile human beings (the wood), but He redeems us — as it were, He overlays us with His own life and divinity (gold).
We must never forget this. We must not so embrace the wood that we forget the gold. We must not become so engrossed with the gold that we lose touch with the world — to use a familiar phrase, “We become so heavenly minded, we are of no earthly use.” The converse is also true. We, far too often, are so worldy minded that we become useless for the Kingdom of God.
We are a blending of wood and gold.