The Coverings
“And goats' hair, and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins” (Exod. 25.4-5). The ten inner curtains which together formed the “one tabernacle” over the Sanctuary (Exod. 26.6) were made of the materials we have just been considering. There were, however, three additional “coverings” of other materials, and these we come to now.
The first was the “tent” of the tabernacle and was woven of goats' hair. It was made of eleven curtains of this material joined together. Each curtain was 4 cubits broad and 30 cubits long. Together they covered right over the tabernacle and reached down, at the sides and back. They were folded up over the doorway.
In Proverbs 30.29-31, we read of four things whose progress is comely. There is the dignified gait of the lion; the graceful movement of the greyhound; the surefootedness of the he-goat; and finally, the proud walk of a successful king who has put down all rivals. In this matter of their walk they are all alike beautiful.
It is a great sight to see a lion swimming a swift river, for even when the water is flowing very swiftly and violently, the lion will go right across and will not allow the current to take it away from its course. That is how every Christian should walk, keeping on the straight path and not being carried away by temptation of any kind. When we have seen the path of righteousness, we have to walk upon it. Let there be difficulties, let there be many obstacles and many trials, we have to go straight on and right through. Such a walk is something very graceful, very comely, and very pleasing to God.
The greyhound keeps on running till it catches its chosen prey. An ordinary dog will be diverted, even by a small piece of bone, for it is easily satisfied. But the greyhound will never stop even though you may use many bones. It continues running till it catches that prey on which its purpose is fixed. Our Lord Jesus has given us all a service to discharge upon the earth, and no amount of money, or bribes should be able to take us away from that ministry or service. We have to go with the determination of the greyhound to fulfil our duties. Such a walk too is some thing that is pleasing to the Lord.
A he-goat can climb the steepest hill. The steepness of the hill does not discourage it because it is accustomed to graze at the top. It looks very noble as it climbs upward, seeking the heights. That too is how we ought to walk. The Christian life is like climbing a very high hill. Do you want to enjoy the presence of God? Do you want to see the glory of God? You have got to climb hills of difficulty, refusing discouragement and with no turning back. Do not get frightened and discouraged when you meet problems, but with joy and gladness go on climbing until you are at the top. There are Christians, who, because o£ some very small difficulty, will shed tears on their pillows in the night. They are ashamed to weep in front of other people, but in their bedrooms they take their pillows and cry over them! Such Christians can never grow spiritually. You have got to face every trial and tribulation and difficulty with joy and thankfulness, believing: ‘My Lord will carry me through’.
Lastly, a king against whom there is no rising up is like the others, a pleasure to behold. His progress is something noble and stately. The king who knows that he can defeat any army marches triumphantly through the cities of his enemies. It is such a Christian that you ought to be. Our Lord wants you to live a life of triumph and victory. That is why He came into the world. You should not be a football Christian. Have you seen a football Christian? If you give a football a good kick, it goes very high; but when a tiny thorn pricks it, it becomes flat! Then you wonder what has happened to your footbal! A little while ago it was bouncing very high and now it is lying on the ground, all because a very tiny thorn has gone into its side. Then you have to patch it and pump it up.
Alas, there are so many Christians like that. At meetings they are very happy, leaping very high spiritually, and singing very happily, but when there are no more meetings and there comes a small thorn somewhere, down they go and lie flat for many months on end till again some other preacher comes along to patch them and pump them up again. These are ‘football Christians’. Our Lord wants us to be like a king against whom there is no rising up. He wants us to be like the greyhound, the lion and the he-goat.
There will be difficulties. There are bound to be many trials; but as we hold His hand, and look upto Him, we are more than conquerors by His Cross. That is a lesson from the goat's hair,
The next covering of the Tabernacle was of rams' skins dyed red (Exod. 26.14). We are not told much about how it was made, but evidently it was of whole skins. It covered the tent completely, and outside where it hung down, you could see only the red.
This again is a type of the provision made by our Lord to keep us all covered by His Blood. When Adam was driven out from the presence of God, God “placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life” (Gen. 3.24). God had made that tree of life for man; but now, because of his sin, man could not enjoy the tree of life. Adam was driven out of the garden, -and God put the cherubim and the flaming sword there to safeguard the tree of life, so that Adam as a sinner should not partake of it. That tree of life was being guarded until the day when our Lord Jesus Christ should again open the door. And in the interval we have the long history of the offering for sin of the blood of bulls and of goats and of rams—all pointing forward to Him.
Man had changed, but God cannot change, so how can the love of God change? God had purposed from Eternity past to give this gift to life to man, but man was not yet ready to receive it, so God held it in reserve. Then Adam rebelled, and thus could not receiye it because of sin. But the cherubims were there to remind him: ‘O Adam, what you have lost to-day, even that very same gift, will be given back again to you one day’.
Now, all of us commit many sins even though we are born again. We go on making mistakes, we get angry, we find jealousy coming into our hearts again and again; but because of the covering Blood over us, we are again and again restored, and that Blood of Christ ever ensures and safeguards for us all that we have in Jesus our Lord. In this way, we are given back all that we lost through failures, disobedience and transgression. That covering of rams' skins dyed red reminds us that we are not covered by man's blood, but by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ which will preserve us for ever
The last covering was of badgers' skins. It covered the whole Sanctuary—the whole Tabernacle. The badger is said to be extremely watchful over its young ones. It is always on the watch, and will not allow any other animal to come near and attack them. So, by the covering of badgers' skins, we learn a further lesson, namely that our Lord watches over us as an eagle over its young (Deut. 32.11-12) or as a shepherd watches over his sheep (Ezek. 34.11).
The Lord Jesus Christ is our true, our great Shepherd (John 10.11, 14; Heb. 13.20; 1 Pet. 2.25). On earth there are many so-called shepherds, but very few who are worthy to be called shepherds (Isa. 56.10-12). For only God-given shepherds have the ability and strength to shepherd God's flock. In this world there will be many false prophets, many false teachers, many trials for all God's children; but like the badger over its young, the true Shepherd must watch over God's flock, protecting them from all wild beasts and ravening wolves, who sometimes even come in sheep's clothing to despoil them.
The apostle Paul warned the shepherds that many grievous wolves would arise among God's children, seeking to scatter God's flock and he commanded them to watch, reminding them how night and day, he himself had served them and warned them with tears (Acts 20.28-33). There are three things to note here.
The apostle said: “I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel” (verse 33). Alas! there are many preachers who say: ‘We have no salary; we do not ask for money from anybody’. They may not covet gold or silver, but they go on coveting nice clothes, nice food, and everything else that is nice, very cleverly hinting when they pray, ‘O Lord, you know I have no coat or shirt; Lord, I have no clothes’, and praying so loudly that they can be heard everywhere. Those who want to be God's shepherds must be free from covetousness whether it be of gold or silver, or jewellery, or food, or anything else in this life, so that they may serve God joyfully and cheerfully in all circumstances. Such shepherds can truly watch over you, but the other shepherds cannot watch over you, for they will bring divisions and strife afterwards. Whatsoever Paul received he shared. He said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ (verse 34). He even worked with his own hands for those who were in need. We think because we are preachers, we must be given everything, and what we receive must go into our own pockets. If we think like that we cannot be true shepherds. Only those who know how to give to God, and how to spend for God, are true shepherds.
The sick, the suffering, the needy, the poor, must be shepherded, but where are the men who will be God's true shepherds? We need to pray: ‘O God, give to Thy Church true shepherds who, like the badger with her young, will watch over us.’ Then you will be protected and shepherded from every wild beast.