Read Time:5 Minute, 55 Second

By William Van Zyl (published 9 June 2024)

A goldsmith prepares the gold to be melted in the fiery furnace.

The extravagant plans of a unique chest lay on the goldsmith’s bench. He worked tirelessly—smoke billowed from his tented outdoor workshop. He melted gold in a large crucible over a blazing fire. The intense heat caused sweat on his brow, showcasing his physical endurance. With a swift motion, he wiped away the sweat while maintaining his focus. His well-worn leather apron hung heavily around his neck, bearing burn scars and traces of extensive labor, symbolizing his years of steadfast dedication to his craft.

The goldsmith pumped the bellows, coaxing the flames to a fierce glow. The fire flared up in response to his command. The tools of his trade—chisels, hammers, and tongs—lay organised on a table behind him. As the gold melted into a molten pool, the goldsmith’s keen and focused eyes monitored the process with almost reverent attention. His mind was fully absorbed in the task at hand.

Once the gold reached the perfect consistency, he skimmed off all the impurities from the top layer. He then carefully poured the molten gold into a large flat pan; the liquid metal shimmered with an almost otherworldly brilliance. He set the heavy pan aside, allowing the gold to cool and solidify into a gleaming sheet. As he waited, the goldsmith’s thoughts wandered to the sacred task of creating the lid for the Ark of the Covenant. He checked the instructions and the measurements.

After the cooling process, he lifted the solidified gold sheet and placed it on the wooden box, which still lacked a lid. He hammered the remaining gold sheets into a thin, flexible veneer following meticulous instructions. The Ark was now fully adorned with a breathtaking layer of gold.

The goldsmith hammers the thin layer of gold into a large sheet of gold in preparation to cover the sacred ‘box.’

Beside him stood the golden box crafted from acacia wood, its surface now smooth and covered with gleaming gold, a container worthy of its divine purpose. The lid was almost ready now. He then attached two golden cherubs, each hammered to perfection, onto the lid, ensuring every detail was in place.

As he worked, the goldsmith paused to admire his reflection in the polished gold. His face, lined with years of labour and wisdom, stared back at him from the precious surface of the lid. He thinks about the bronze laver at the front of the tabernacle – it is like a mirror – you can see your face when you look down into the laver. The Ark of the Covenant was the final artefact to be added to the last room, the Holies of Holies. After making a sin sacrifice, he regularly washed his hands at the laver. He made sacrifices to honour Yahweh. He would offer a goat or a young bull at the brazen altar. The priest would take the blood of the sacrificed animal with his finger and spread it over the horns of the altar. The priest then poured the rest of the blood at the altar’s base.

The goldsmith’s devotion to his craft was not merely a skill but a sacred duty, a sign of his reverence for the divine. Moses chose him to create the Ark. As he constructed and assembled it, he had to continuously purify himself, ensuring that he was fully sanctified.

Two cherubs facing one another were affixed on the ark’s solid gold lid.

This was no ordinary lid. The cherubs knelt facing each other, their wings outstretched and nearly touching, creating a space between them—the Mercy Seat. It was a covering and a sacred space, the revered lid of the Ark of the Covenant. This chest held the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s rod, and a Pot of Manna, all of which were symbols of God’s covenant with His people.

Between the cherubs, the mercy seat, a place of divine connection, awaited its holy purpose. Once a year, the High Priest would perform a solemn act – the High Priest would meet there with Jehovah – as he atoned for the sins of the Jewish people. He would sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial lamb on this spot, a ritual of atonement for the sins of the Israelites. This act underscored the lid’s significance, marking it as a place of divine forgiveness and mercy. Just as the lamb’s blood covered the mercy seat, so does God’s forgiveness cover our sins, allowing us to approach Him without fear.

The goldsmith stepped back, his work complete. The lid shone with an ethereal glow, the gold reflecting the fire’s flickering light and the task’s solemnity. At that moment, the goldsmith felt a profound connection to the divine, his hands having shaped a vessel for God’s presence.

The Ark of the Covenant, now adorned with a solid golden lid, was ready to take its place in the Tabernacle of Moses. The high priest – the only one fit – would place the stone tablets, Aaron’s budding rod, and the pot with manna into the Ark. Once placed into the chest, touching these items could cost one’s life. Sudden death would follow if anyone should attempt to touch it. That is why the Ark was carried hanging on two poles – running parallel to each other. Two poles were pushed through golden rings attached to the Ark. Only the priests could carry it – never physically touching it. The Ark was sacred and holy, a testament to the power and holiness of God.

When God looks at born-again Christians, what does He see?

When God looks at those who have experienced a spiritual rebirth, what does He see? Remember, we are the temple (or the Tabernacle); God’s Holy Spirit dwells in us. Does He see our inability to obey His Laws, our rebellion not to follow His leadership, and our doubt that He could not provide for us? The answer is no. He does not see us as weak sinners. He sees the golden lid – the mercy seat. He sees His reflection in it, for we were made in His image. He sees us as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (‘Yeshua, the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world’).

Isn’t that just wonderful!

He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness]. 2 Corinthians 5:21