“He overlaid it with pure gold…”
Pure gold is a symbol of God’s perfection, glory and divinity. This is perhaps, the reason why most of the furniture in the tabernacle was covered with pure gold. The Ark of the Covenant for example, was made out of wood (a symbol of humanity), but was overlaid with gold inside and out.
“…inside…”
Christians are similar to the wooden ark, in that we were also overlaid with “gold” inside. Christ in our hearts is the pure gold that shines eternally. Even though we are weak and sometimes influenced by sin, our mortal bodies are the temple of God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). On the outside we may look like an old earthen vessel, but on the inside we are more precious than cups of pure gold.
“…and outside…”
One day in the future, this old body of ours will be “overlaid” with glory. On that day we will enter through the gates of immortality and we will shine brighter than any golden cup. Our bodies will be glorified and we shall experience perfect health, perfect joy, perfect holiness and a perfect and eternal life in heaven.
How great is our God! He made us in his image and fashioned our bodies from the dust of the earth. He breathed on us and gave us life, but we destroyed our perfect communion with Him by rebelling and falling into sin. We were naked and ashamed, but God sent his Son to die on the cross for us and those who believed on Him are covered inside with the grace of God, which is finer than the finest gold.
A. G.
