Numbers 4:1-121And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 2Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, 3From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. 4This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things: 5And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it: 6And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof. 7And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon: 8And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof. 9And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it: 10And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a bar. 11And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof: 12And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a bar: (Numbers 4:1‑12)
THIS VERY interesting and instructive chapter tells how the vessels of the sanctuary were to be carried through the wilderness and here the Kohathites had the highest form of service to the Lord. Perhaps it did not look that way outwardly, but that which attracts and pleases the eyes of men is not always by any means honorable in the sight of God.
So we read, “And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering veil, and cover the ark of testimony with it: and shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.” After Aaron and his sons had cored the sanctuary and all the vessels, it was the part of the sons of Kohath to bear them on the march.
First came the ark, which was in the holiest of all. It represented Christ and all that He is in the presence of God — in all His divine glory as the Son of God but the One who became Man. The ark, covered with the veil, then is the divine Person of the Lord Jesus with the veil of His holy humanity.
The covering of badgers’ skins protected it, for the Lord Jesus kept His perfection free from all evil. Then outside that came the covering of blue, speaking of Him as the heavenly Man. When He was here on earth He could say of Himself, “the Son of man which is in heaven.” Even those who did not believe in Him had to say, “Never man spake like this Man.” John 7:4646The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. (John 7:46).
Next came the table of showbread with its utensils, all of which were covered with a cloth of blue. The twelve loaves on the table bring before us the twelve tribes of Israel. As Son of man the Lord Jesus will come from heaven in power and glory to take the kingdom.
A scarlet cloth then covered the blue on the table for Christ is the anointed One of God, the king of Israel. Once they rejected their gentle monarch crying out, “We will not have this man to reign over us"; but when He comes again all will be changed. His people shall be willing in the day of His power (Psalm 110:33Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. (Psalm 110:3)). Twelve is connected with administration on earth, so in the millennial day when the government shall be upon His shoulder, the twelve tribes, united under Him as king, will have a special place in the administration of the kingdom. The gold of the table upon which the twelve loaves rested speaks of the kingdom established through divine righteousness. Lastly comes the badgers’ skins telling of that power which protects all from evil.
In the case of the candlestick it was simply covered with a cloth of blue and then the badgers’ skins above. The candlestick speaks of the divine light of the Spirit of God in the heavenly sanctuary. There is no thought of royalty or glory of man here.
Carried through the wilderness, these precious mysteries — the ark and the vessels of the sanctuary were hidden by the badgers’ skins. The glory of the coming kingdom cannot be seen without now as it will be when displayed in the millennium — now it is hidden from the eyes of men, but by faith we can see these coming glories and rejoice in the thought of Christ’s exaltation. May we have on, as it were the badgers’ skins, careful to maintain that holy separation from evil in our daily walk, as those who shall share that glory and reign with Him in a day that is drawing near.
ML-03/25/1973