The Inside Too?
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Read Time: 13 mins
“Bezalel made the ark [of the covenant] of acacia wood—it was two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a molding (border) of gold to go all around [the top of it].”
Exodus 37:1-2 AMP
I’ve been trying to take on the enormous task of reading through the Bible from cover to cover. I’ve loved Genesis. I’ve loved seeing the flow of familiar stories and allowing God to highlight them in a new way for me. I even loved the early parts of Exodus as the people call on a God who hears their cry and calls on Moses to call them out of oppression. But if I’m being honest, I can understand how people lose motivation around the end of Exodus, especially into Leviticus.
The details of the laws and development of the tabernacle can seem boring, but I believe that even in the specificity of Israel's legal, civil, and religious requirements, we can get pictures of the gospel of God's goodness and grace. We can see His character and call for our salvation and sanctification if we let the Spirit unpack the text for us.
The Spirit stopped me in my tracks around chapter 37. There’s a detail towards the end of the Exodus that we see when Moses is describing the development of the tabernacle and its furnishings back then, which I believe can speak to us now. It says that when Bezalel, the master craftsman who was filled with the Holy Spirit and gifted with the wisdom and creativity to design and develop the decor of the tabernacle, made the ark of the covenant, he overlaid it with gold both outside and inside. Gold, representing beauty, glory, and purity, wasn’t just overlaid on the viewable outside; it was intentionally placed on the more private inside too. Again, this can easily be a forgotten detail, but think about it.
The tabernacle had a few sections or compartments. There was an outer court where everyone could come. That led to the holy place where only the priests were allowed, and that led to the most holy place where only the high priest was allowed. The ark would be housed there and only be seen by the high priest once a year. The ark was one item that would be confined to one room and seen by one person once a year, but God still saw it necessary that the inside as well as the outside be overlaid with gold.
Why does this matter? Because many of us would’ve cut corners on the things we believe will only be seen by one person in one room at one time. Many of us would’ve seen it as a waste of time, energy, and gold to prioritize what wouldn’t be seen. I mean, who would even know if just the outside of the ark was gold? Only Aaron saw it, and it’s not like he was opening it up every day to check if the inside was gold too. He could’ve easily forgotten that it wasn’t gold on the inside too, but no. However, God still saw it necessary that the best also be given to what was unseen. Purity wasn't just prioritized in public but in private also.
God and the craftsmen saw it fit that every aspect be intentional. Every area was to be the best. Every crevice was to be considered, and every corner was to be consecrated. My question for us is whether or not that is how we think about the person and things God is calling us to build and develop. Can you say that you’re that intentional about making sure what you’re building is pure, not just on the outside but on the inside? Can you say you’re intentional about allowing the Spirit to search every corner of your heart to cleanse and purify even the areas no one sees? Can we say that our priority is for the private inside to be just as pure as the public outside looks?
Prioritizing the Public vs the Private
Jesus described the Pharisees as whitewashed tombs. They were beautiful and ornate on the outside but dead and decaying on the inside. People praised them for how successful they looked on the outside without recognizing that it was only a matter of time before the sickness on the inside boiled to the top. While we scoff at the Pharisees, many of us have this same Pharisaical posture. We too think public before we think private, and this is how many of us have been taught to arrange our lives. We’ve prioritized what looks good or impressive to others publicly at the detriment of what is truly healthy and sustainable privately. We’ve elected to choose financial respect over familial relationships. We’ve chosen career over character. We think that if we build outward health, inward health will come, but this is a backwards mindset.
Life is like a tree. Healthy fruit doesn't create healthy roots, but healthy roots create healthy fruit. You can paint and polish the leaves and trunk and tie fruit to its branches to look prolific. But if there is decay in the roots, it’s only a matter of time until it shows up in the branches. Life is like a house. You can repaint walls and add new furniture and appliances. But if you never address cracks in the foundation or mold in the walls, it’s only a matter of time until unaddressed inner decay will spill over into the outward facade.
Look what Jesus says to the publicly posturing Pharisees. “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed). You [spiritually] blind Pharisees, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also (Matthew 23:25-26 AMP).”
Did you catch that? If you clean the inside, the outside will follow. If you prioritize inner health, the outward health will be an expected byproduct. So what is inner health? Your genuine walk with God. Your personal spiritual growth. Your family. Your health. Your God-given mission and mandate of spreading the gospel and making disciples. Put much before that, and the house will crumble.
I’m not saying other things don’t matter. It’s ok to have money or prestige, and oftentimes it’ll come when you prioritize your God-given mission. But the Proverbs remind us that an empty mansion or feast with contention and fighting is far worse than a small meal with a joyous family. This is why we must check our role models. Some of us are trying to copy the lives of people who made millions but have no one to enjoy it with. They accomplished great things, but no one at their funeral will have anything of true value to say about them. Their children are simply waiting for an inheritance while giving up on intimacy. They have possessions but no peace. Is that what you want?
The Gap
When we believe that what is seen matters more than what isn’t, it leads to a gap between what we look like and who we really are. There is a gap between who we are and how we’re viewed. There’s a gap between how the church sees us and how our spouses see us. There’s a gap between how we’re viewed at our job and how we’re viewed at home. There is a gap between how we present on social media vs the true state of our heart, and God is saying that both the inside and the outside must be surrendered and consecrated.
Sometimes we don’t even recognize the gap between who we are and who we were called to be, and this is why David says, “Search me, O God.” Don’t just cover me, but cleanse me. Study my heart and motives. David is asking God to look under the hood at what others don’t see. He’s asking Him to get to the nitty-gritty, and it’s only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, you can and should consider doing work with Christian counselors and coaches. Yes, you should study your habits and develop systems to move forward. But even the good things you could do on your own are nothing compared to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. The Spirit may lead you to therapy or confession with trusted community, but without the Spirit in those meetings, it can only go so far. God has to lead the work of unpacking.
I love how the Message Bible words it. “Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life (Psalms 139:23-24 MSG).”
Let God see everything, and then He can have full control to guide you to the path of eternal life. As we seek to be instruments that God can use for His glory, the same prayer must be on our lips. God, don’t just let me be intentional about what people see. Purify what they don’t. Cleanse me from the inside out.
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
The issue is that many of us don’t want God to search and cleanse because we’re well aware that the inner parts are more cancerous than consecrated. We know ourselves, our idiosyncrasies, our weaknesses, and our lack. We know our secret sins, fears, and faultiness. We can be honest enough to admit that the inner parts of us are more rotten than righteous, and this can lead to a fear of the honesty required to walk into healing.
It’s after we can admit it and ask for help that the Holy Spirit can do the work of closing the gap and cleansing us from the inside out. The issue is that many of us have a hard time allowing God to close the gap and cleanse our inner parts because we have a fear that if anyone, God included, saw how it really was, they’d abandon and punish us.
I heard the story of someone who won an event, and the prize was the lifetime services of a professional cleaning company. For the rest of their life, someone else would clean their house, car, and clothes. Someone else would do their laundry. Someone else would wash the dishes. Someone else would clean the bathroom. Isnt that a great gift? The cleaning service didn’t just specialize in messes; they were excited and happy to get another opportunity to clean up what someone else messed up. But the person who won their service would deep clean the house before the professional cleaners would arrive each morning. They’d spend money, time, and effort, working and rushing so that they could clean before the cleaners could see the mess. They were stressed and strained as they tried to scrub every surface before the cleaning service could see the space. They weren’t doing this simply to be polite, to say thank you or because they couldn’t bear to see someone else clean without helping. No, they cleaned beforehand because they were afraid of the cleaners seeing how dirty they really were. They were afraid of the cleaners who agreed to clean their mess seeing their mess and judging them for it. Sometimes they’d even tell the cleaners to go home or cancel the service on days when they felt extra embarrassed. Think of how much this person missed out on because they were afraid of letting the cleaners clean? Think of how much unnecessary work, stress, and strain they carried because they wouldn't accept help.
It sounds crazy, but this is how many of us function. We feel like we have to get ourselves together before inviting God and others into our mess to help us clean. We have won the cleaning service of a lifetime. But we feel like the Holy Spirit and spirit-led community God has promised to help us clean will judge and condemn us more than they'll liberate us.
So how was David able to ask God to search and cleanse him without fear of condemnation or rejection? It wasn't because he was perfect. David was a man with blood on his hands and skeletons in his closet. But perfection wasn't a necessary prerequisite before the Spirit could function.
David was able to ask for and accept the complete cleansing of the Holy Spirit because he understood the gospel. He wasn't afraid of condemnation because he recognized that there was no condemnation to those who accepted Christ’s cleansing. This is why we are told that perfect love casts out fear. Fear has to do with punishment or condemnation but love reminds us that were called, chosen and covered in spite of the pentantly we deserve. We see evidence of this throughout Psalm 139. Go read it for yourself.
He says, Oh Lord, you have already searched me thoroughly and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up. You know everything about me and everything I do. You know my entire life intimately and completely. David continues by saying that God sees, hears, and understands all of his thoughts and actions. Even before he speaks, God knows what he is going to say. God is well acquainted with his ways, yet God’s hand of blessing is still on David's life. David is still chosen, covered, and called in spite of being known. David even argues that this concept is hard for even him to grasp. God’s thoughts are too transcendent, unattainable, and impossible for men to grasp. God knows all, even the parts David hides, and still chooses him. How? Why?
The Gap and the Gospel
David explains further by saying that there is nowhere he can go without the Spirit or presence of God being there also. This is big. It's not just reiterating that God knows everything but explaining that He goes everywhere. David isn't too dirty for the presence of God to still seek and save. He’s not too corrupt for the Spirit to cover and comfort. It reminds me of the beginning of Genesis, where we were told that the earth was total chaos, yet the Spirit was still there. Others may walk out or give up, but God doesn't. He isn't afraid of your mess or mistakes.
This is big because we’ve studied how important the Holy Spirit is. The Spirit is the one that points you in the direction of your source in Christ. The Spirit is what leads and guides you to all truth. The Spirit is what comforts and covers. The Spirit is the proof that God is still working and walking with you. The Spirit is the symbol that you have been claimed and called by God. The Spirit is proof that there's still hope. David says If I go to heaven, you're there. Duh. But he also says if I intentionally make my bed in hell, you’re also there. Whoa. In a world where many of us have been taught that we can outrun God’s grace, this is big. He knows where you were last night. He knows what you did. He knows what you wanted to do. Yet there is still hope. There's still a covering. There's still a Father with open arms inviting you back into His comfort. If I flew with wings, I'm not too far. If I went to the most remote part of the sea I’m still not too lost. He says even there, your strong hand will lead me and take hold of me.
This is messing with some of your theology because you still believe you are strong enough to stop God’s grace. You think your mistakes, choices, and cycles disqualify you or run God away, and David is reminding us that the doors of salvation are still open for as long as you are breathing. You aren't too far gone! You aren't too wayward! God is still pouring out everything He has to give you ample opportunity to come home. All you have to do is accept that gift.
David continues by arguing that God doesn’t just know and cover, He created. He formed the depths of his heart. He knit him together in his mothers womb. No part of him was hidden from God. God knew how faulty he would be. God knew how many mistakes He’d make. God knew how far he would go and how unlikely he was to get it together. But in spite of that, before he was born, God had a plan to bless him. In spite of everything God knew david would do and think, verse 17 says “How precious are your thoughts of me.”
This is where I wanna park. God knows the house is dirty and stull thinks well of you. God knew how dirty it would get but still committed to clean it if you’ll just let Him in. This is why david, inspite of his weakness is able to call on God’s strengh and beg Him to serch him. Judgment is a good thing when you trust the judge.
God wants us to be fully pure and that is only possible if we allow Him to fully cover us. It’s only possible if we allow Him access to every part of us so He can make us new. Allow the Spirit in today. Don’t just build a public persona in your own strength. Allow the Spirit into every nook and cranny of your private life so that from the purity on the inside can flow the production you crave on the outside. God wants you to shine. But it starts with allowing Him to purity the inside of you, even the parts you dont think anyone sees.
Questions to consider:
Have you prioritized public or private growth? How do you know?
What does it mean to completely seek God first?
Are there parts of you that you won’t let God touch?
How do you know you are safe to be seen by God inspite of your sinfullness? How do you know you’ll be covered and not condemned?
