"AND thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rains' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins."
The Covering of Rams Skins.
And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red.] It is not called a covering for the tabernacle, though in one sense that is true, but a covering for the tent; for it is not the Church in Spirit, but the Church- in testimony, that especially needs this covering. The curtains of goats' hair formed a tent upon the tabernacle. (v. 7, and 26: 14.) These rains' skins dyed red form a covering for the tent.
The lamb was the type of the Lord Jesus in the meekness, gentleness, and lowliness of his character; the ram the type of him in the strength, firmness, and decision of his testimony.
The rams' skins being dyed red add another thought, that of the atoning death and precious blood of the Lamb of God.
The tent under the covering of the rams' skins dyed red shows the Church as accepted in the person, arid under the cover and shelter of the blood of the Lamb.
When the first intimation of gospel grace was given by God himself to our first parents in the garden of Eden, in those words, " The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head," Adam, on the part of himself and of his wife, made his confession of faith, by calling his wife's name Eve, the mother of all living, though the sentence of death had just been pronounced on himself and his posterity on account of sin.. Yet he calls her not the mother of all dying, but of all living, for faith laid hold on the promise, and associated in life and victory with the virgin's seed who was to come, all who should believe in him. Thereupon God made, as a substitute for the aprons of fig leaves, which unbelief had sewed together, coats of skins, and clothed them. Thus Adam and Eve no longer appeared in their nakedness and shame, but clothed and covered by God himself in the skins of those victims which probably were the first sacrifices, foreshadowing the bruising of the heel, and the atoning death of the woman's promised seed.
In like manner the tent, covered with this covering of rams' skins dyed red, shows the Church in its testimony as seen in 'Christ, "in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of God's brace."
And, as thus seen, notwithstanding all the failure in testimony of those composing it, and their unworthiness in themselves, what was said of Israel may be applied to them, " He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel." (Num. 23:2121He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. (Numbers 23:21).) While, at the same time, we know that there was no iniquity or perverseness that God did not discover' and deal with, as walking in their midst. It is important to remember this, that the Church's completeness in Christ above does not exempt her from God's fatherly discipline, and the judgment of the Lord Jesus down here. Totally the reverse. We are called to walk worthy of God unto all well pleasing, and to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. And -we are dealt with on the ground of this high responsibility. "You only have I known," says God to Israel, "of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." (Amos The more God's presence is manifested in the assembly, the more will it be felt that he is of. purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and cannot look on sin.
The Outer Covering.
And a covering above of badgers' skins.]. This typifies the Church in its outward appearance, as seen by man. "As the tents of Kedar." (Sol. 1: 5.) " I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with, badgers' skin." (Ezek. 16:1010I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. (Ezekiel 16:10).)
It is the pilgrim aspect of the Church, which is thus presented, in which it is conformed to the lowly appearance of Jesus when on earth, having no form nor comeliness, and no beauty that man should desire him. (Isa. 53:2,32For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:2‑3).) And therefore, whilst walking in conformity with the pattern. thus set us by our Lord, " the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." (1 John 3:11Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1 John 3:1).)
Solomon's Temple was "exceeding magnificent," for it was the type of the redeemed in glory. The tether nacle, though all glorious within, was covered with a covering of badgers' skins; for it is the figure of the Church in the wilderness.
Everything externally gaudy and attractive to the natural eye is entirely out of character with the present dispensation. How much this truth has been lost sight of When the mustard plant became a tree, its original distinctive character was gone. "A spreading vine of low stature" best comports with the Church's true design. Lowliness and humility best suit its spirit, and unpretending simplicity its external form.
Those upper rooms and private dwellings in which the disciples originally met, witnessed the presence of God, the manifestation of Christ, and the power of the Spirit, blessedly and gloriously beyond compare.. While the finger of God, since then, has been often employed in writing "Ichabod" on the plaster of the interior walls of many of the ecclesiastical-masterpieces of human skill. (Dan. 5:55In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. (Daniel 5:5).)
The wearing of gold, and the putting on of apparel, gives the lie to the profession of discipleship; and the embellishment of the places of assembly contradicts the acknowledgment that we are pilgrims and strangers here.
The world's livery does not look well on the servants of Christ; and the architecture of an idol's' temple is not necessary to secure the presence of Jesus with the two or three assembled in his name. On the other hand, away with the thought that anything is good enough for God and Christ. No! no! "Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase; " but let it be suitable-let it be in accordance with God's mind and word.
"Let all things be done decently, and in order." Whatsoever, things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things- are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, let us think on these things.
A disciple's outward appearance should be so consistent with the position in which God in his providence has placed him, as to give no occasion for remark; and the places of 'assembly for God's saints should leave the hearers and worshippers while there in entire freedom to wait on he Lord without distraction.
The tent of the congregation was not left without a covering: a suitable and substantial one was provided.
And will our God and Savior leave us destitute' of decent clothing, or of suitable places of assembly?: Surely not. Our "heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of these things."
Summary of the Curtains.
Looking, on the Lord Jesus while on earth as typified by the tabernacle (John 1:1414And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)), the inner wrought, curtains answer to him as the Son of God, in his excellency and beauty. " Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness." (Rom. 1:44And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:4).)
The rams' skins dyed red present him as the Son, of Man, who gave his life a ransom for many-God's spotless Lamb. Arid the badgers' skin covering, as Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph, the stranger here, to whom the world was a wilderness wide, and life one weary pilgrimage from the manger to the Cross.
But regarding the tabernacle and tent, with its coverings, as typical of the Church of God, the curtains of fine linen represent the Church in spirit., as the workmanship of the Holy Ghost.
The goats' hair. curtains, the Church in testimony, and in 'outward responsibility.
The rams' skins dyed red, the Church as seen of God in Christ, and under the cover of his atoning blood. And the badgers' skin, the Church as seen by the world in their pilgrimage character, and their outward condition here.
In resurrection glory, however, the internal workmanship of the Holy Spirit, as typified by the curtains of the tabernacle, will appear in all its Divine perfection and beauty.
The flesh, with all its imperfections, will be done away forever, these vile bodies fashioned like Christ's glorious body, this mortal will have put on immortality, and this corruptible incorruption. The goats' hair tent will be exchanged for the " building of God, the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Cor. 5:11For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Corinthians 5:1).)
But the Church will ever appear as accepted in God's beloved, their robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.
While the pilgrim garb wills be exchanged for the becoming robes of royalty and triumph, the priestly garments- of glory and of beauty. No longer the badgers' skin covering externally visible, but "having the glory of God.' (Rev. 21:1111Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; (Revelation 21:11).)
[The Boards of the Tabernacle (D.V.) hi the Number for April.]