As I keep going back to the stories of the past two weeks of scripture, I can’t help but notice how much attention God is drawing towards a special place. In class, we calculated the value of the gold and the silver in the tabernacle (1 ton = 2,000lbs = 32,000ozs * $905 ($gold/oz) = ~$29million. Silver = 3.75 tons = 120,000ozs * $16 ($silver/oz) = $1.9million). It’s a significant stash!
If just a bar or two of gold travel today, they’re guarded in armored vehicles by men with sub machine guns. Anything more valuable ends up with a helicopter escort, and if the Italian Job was accurate, a few heist attempts along the way! When God’s glory-cloud entered a new land though, the gold of the tabernacle followed it and led the people. His presence alone was enough to overshadow the greatest financial treasure man could imagine. God’s presence is awesome.
We’re his temple today (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and surrounding). Have we thought of what an honor it is to be the home of his spirit? Have we thought of how terrible it would be away from his spirit? (Romans 8:9-11). Maybe we should quit looking at the gold around us and focus on his spirit within us!