15 The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold. Exodus 37
We don't have pictures of what the tabernacle furnishings looked like. Instead we have these written descriptions. So I'm going to go with the assumption that these are wooden poles coated in gold for this devotional.
Looking at a wooden pole covered in gold, what do you see? You see gold in the shape of a pole. You don't see the wood underneath. You only see the prized and perfect outside. We are called upon to be reflections of Christ - to live a life like Christ lived. There are two lives that everyone lives. First, is the life they live that others can see. This is the gold overlay. You can do everything within your power to let others see that you are living a life for Christ. Second, is the life that only you know about. This is the wood underneath the gold covering. The only person who knows about this is you.
Now, acacia wood was durable and ideal for crafting purposes. Its consistency was unpalatable to insects, leaving it to be very dense, which made it water resistant and less prone to decay. This was good quality wood (it also happened to be the only wood in good supply in the desert). There are all types of wood, each with their own unique characteristics. Some are strong, others brittle. Some are dense, others porous. The point is, once it's been covered in gold, no one knows what wood is underneath. So, what wood are you made of? Do you still live for Christ when no one is able to see you?
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