The Covering Part Two

What conditions apply to this “covering” and what authority does this “covering” give us?

I’ll begin with a brief recap of part 1. 

In Leviticus 16 we see that Aaron the high priest, entered the holy of holies once a year and sprinkled the blood of the sin offering seven times upon the mercy seat, which was the lid of the ark of the covenant. He did this to make atonement for “all the congregation of Israel”.

The Hebrew word for atonement kaphar kaw-far means to cover

In sprinkling the blood seven times the sins committed by Israel were completely covered.

Then in Hebrews 9 we see that Jesus, our high priest, entered the “tabernacle not made with hands” (vs 11) and sprinkled his own blood to purge our conscience (vs 14).

The blood of Christ represents his Spirit thus it is the Spirit that purges our conscience, in that it transforms us into a “new creature”.

2 Cor. 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.

On the basis that are old man has passed away through repentance and we’ve been transformed into a new creature by the Spirit, our past life of sin is “hidden” and “blotted out” meaning it’s forgiven and forgotten by God (James 5:20 and Acts 3:19).

The Hebrew word for atonement kaphar kaw-far also means to coat or cover with pitch linking the Ark of the covenant to Noah’s ark (Gen. 6).

Just as blood was sprinkled seven times upon the mercy seat, pitch was generously applied inside and outside Noah’s ark to save eight people from the great flood.

Hence both the ark of the covenant and Noah’s ark point to the fact that abiding in a covenant relationship with God through the Spirit not only “covers” our past sins but protects us from eternal destruction.

Let’s further expand upon these ideas by looking at where, in the new testament, the word “covering” is used. 

1 Corinthians 11

8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.

9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

1 Corinthians 11 describes the relationship between a husband and wife.

It says in these verses that long hair is given to a woman “for a covering”. This covering both distinguishes her from the man and symbolises her submission to him. 

Now, the focus of this article is not wether or not a woman should cut her hair, rather the symbolism behind long hair and what it tells us about the church’s relationship with Christ.

Ephesians 5

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Just as the husband is the head of his wife, Christ is the head of the church.

the church is “covered” by the blood of Christ whilst in submission to him.

SUBMISSION is the CONDITION

As long as we remain in submission to Christ, our past life of sin is “covered”, meaning forgiven and forgotten by God thus we are protected from spiritual death.

It is important to note that if we commit wilful sin, we are not in submission to Christ and are therefore, not covered by his blood.

The blood of Christ does not “cover” ongoing wilful sin. It covers our past sin once we’ve  repented. It does not cover past, present and future sin.

If we are committing wilful sin we probably have yet to experience genuine repentance.

2 Cor. 7:10

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Genuine repentance is not something we do over and over again. If it has to be repeated it wasn’t repentance, possibly the result of worldly sorrow rather than godly sorrow.

Just as Adam and Eve sought to cover their nakedness with fig leaves, people will always twist the scriptures and try, in vain, to hide their ongoing sin from God. 

They turn “grace” into a “magic cover” for wilful sin but God sees through it. He sees the true state of a persons heart and he judges their deeds. 

I want to bring your attention to a verse in 1 Corinthians 11 that has always puzzled me.

10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

I’ve heard this verse used to warn women against trimming their hair, as though it will open them up to demonic attack.

Is that what this verse is really saying?

Let’s go back to the ark of the covenant.

Exodus 25

17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold…

18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings…

21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony…

Notice how on top of the mercy seat are two cherubims.

Cherubims keruwb ker-oob are angelic beings.

Notice also how they are covering the mercy seat with their wings.

The word covering here cakak saw-kak means to hedge, fence about, shut in, to block, stop the approach.

What were the cherubims blocking access to? That which was within the ark, the ten commandments upon tablets of stone.

This leads us to a similar scene in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3

24 So he drove out the man; and he 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.

Keep shamar shaw-mar means to guard

Now that we’ve mentioned Genesis lets go all the way to the other end of the bible, Revelations 22 which describes the “New Jerusalem”

1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life…

Revelation 21 states that the new Jerusalem has… 

12 … twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels…

In all three examples wether it’s the Garden of Eden, the Ark of the Covenant or the New Jerusalem, angels guard the way of the tree of life. They block the approach of those wishing to access it.

Remember in the tabernacle of Moses the holy of holies was a scary place, only the high priest could enter it once and year and had to wear special garments “that he die not” and a golden plate on his forehead inscribed with the words “holiness to the Lord” (Ex. 28:34-36). 

Now lets swing back to 1 Corinthians 11

10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

Power here exousia ex-oo-see-ah means power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases, the power of authority and right

This takes my mind straight to Hebrews 10

16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

21 And having an high priest over the house of God;

22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

When crucified with Christ through repentance, our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience meaning we are transformed into a “new creature” who obeys God from a heart of love and on that basis our past sins are remembered “no more”. 

In this sense we are “covered” by his blood and the fact that we are “covered” gives us authority to enter the holy of holies and right to the tree of life. 

Hence when “covered” not only are we forgiven from our past life of sin and protected from spiritual death but we partake of spiritual life, through the Spirit.

In conclusion:

Just as a wife being “covered” by hair is a sign of submission to her husband. Being “covered” by Christ’s blood is a sign that we are in submission to him.

As long as we remain in submission to Christ, by faithfully living and walking in the Spirit we are forgiven of our past sin, protected from spiritual death and partakers of spiritual life.

Through the “sprinkling of an evil conscience” we have “power on our head” that is, authority to enter the holy of holies and right to the tree of life which is found in the the church, the New Jerusalem.

This covering is not a “magic cover” that hides on-going wilful sin from God. Christ’s blood covers our past sin from which we’ve repented, not present or future sins. 

To abide in a covenant relationship with God we must be in a state of submission to him.

SUBMISSION is the CONDITION

The Covering Part One

This article is part of my “why Jesus died” series in which I explore different aspects of Christ’s death and resurrection. Basically, as I gain the understanding of something I pass it on to you and hope that, over time, these short messages will build one on top of the other to create a bigger, broader understanding of the topic.

What is the covering and what does it cover?

Let’s begin in Leviticus 16

15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:

17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.

19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. 

Under the old covenant, animals were regularly sacrificed as a sin offering. However once a year, Aaron the high priest, took the blood of the sin offering within the veil, meaning into the holy of holies and sprinkled it seven times upon the mercy seat, which was the golden lid of the ark of the covenant.

He did this to make atonement for all the congregation of Israel.

The Hebrew word for atonement kaphar kaw-far means to cover

Why did Aaron sprinkle the blood seven times upon the mercy seat? 

Because the number seven represents, among other things, completion.

Gen. 2

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made…

In sprinkling the blood seven times the sins committed by Israel were completely covered.

Remember this was the old covenant which has long been abolished.

Under the old covenant people were justified by works such as animal sacrifice.

Under the new covenant we are justified through faith in Christ by which we receive his Spirit. 

With that in mind let’s go to Hebrews 9:11-14

11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 

Notice in these verses how Jesus is both our high priest and our sin offering. He entered the “tabernacle not made with hands” on our behalf, with his own blood. For what purpose? To purge our conscience.

Now Leviticus 17:11 tells us that 

The life of the flesh is in the blood…

So just as physical life is in physical blood, spiritual life is in the Holy Spirit thus the blood of Christ represents his Spirit.

Hence it is the Spirit that  purges our conscience meaning through the indwelling of the Spirit the law is written in our hearts and minds (Heb. 8:10, Heb. 10:16) transforming us into a “new creature” who obeys God from a heart of love. Love works no ill (wrong) therefore love fulfils the law (Rom. 13:10).

2 Cor. 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

On the basis that our “old man” has passed away through repentance and we’ve been transformed into are a new creature by the Spirit, God forgives and forgets our past sin.

It’s in this sense that the blood of Christ makes atonement for our past sins.

James 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Convert means “turn to” but it could also be seen as “turn into” because a synonym for “convert” is “metamorphose”, like how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. 

It’s through metamorphosis that our past sins are “hidden”

Acts 3

19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…

It’s through metamorphosis that our past sins are “blotted out”

Let’s go back to the Hebrew Word for atonement kaphar kaw-far. It means to cover but it also means to coat or cover with pitch.

Of course this takes us to the story of Noah’s ark.

Genesis 3

13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. 

Noah and his family were saved from the flood waters by abiding in the ark. Similarly we are saved from spiritual death by abiding in a covenant relationship with God via his Spirit.

Noah’s Ark was water-proof due to the generous amount of pitch covering it inside and out.

The blood of Christ, representing his Spirit, is our “covering”, for through it we abide in his body, the church, thus we are saved from eternal destruction.

1 Peter 3

20 …when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

By participating in Christ’s death and resurrection we are “baptised” into his Spirit resulting in a good conscience towards God.  

Of course this harps back to Hebrews 9:14 also Heb. 10:22

…having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience…

In receiving a “good conscience” through the Spirit we are “saved” from Spiritual death.

In conclusion:

Once a year Aaron the high priest, went into the holy of holies on behalf of the people and sprinkled the blood of the sin offering seven times upon the mercy seat, which was the lid of the the ark of the covenant.

Why? To make atonement for “all the congregation of Israel” in other words to completely  “cover” their sins.

Jesus our high priest, entered the “tabernacle not made with hands” to sprinkle his own blood upon the mercy seat. Why? to purge our conscience thus make atonement for our past sins. 

The blood of Christ represents his Spirit and the Spirit purges our conscience in that it transforms into a new creature. 

Through metamorphosis our past life of sin is “hidden”, “blotted out” and “covered”, meaning it is forgiven and forgotten by God.

This covering also implies protection.

Since the word atonement means not only to cover but to coat or cover with pitch, the blood sprinkled upon the mercy seat is connected to the “pitch” that was generously applied inside and outside Noah’s ark to save eight people from the great flood.

Both the ark of the covenant and Noah’s ark represent the fact we must abide within a covenant relationship with God, through his Spirit, to be both forgiven from sin and protected from the “wages of sin” which is spiritual death.

In my next article I will speak more of the conditions that surround this “covering”.

Please leave comments below. You can also contact me via my email 

crystalriver053@gmail.com

Let us each work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, God bless.

The Cure

This article is a continuation upon the last one I did on why Jesus died in which I contrasted redemption against substitution theology.

In that article I also mentioned 1 Peter 2:24

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

What does it mean that Jesus bare our sin? How does that relate to us being healed and what kind of healing are we talking about?

Under the old covenant the Israelites would regularly sacrifice an animal for a “sin-offering” but before putting the animal to death someone would lay hands upon it’s head (Lev. 4:3&4). 

Why did they do this?

We have the example in Leviticus 16 where Aaron laid both hands upon the scapegoat, confessed over it the iniquities of the children of Israel, “putting” them upon it’s head, thus the scapegoat bare all their iniquities before being sent away into the wilderness (Lev. 16:21&22)

We can conclude from this that whenever a person laid hands upon a sin-offering (Lev. 1:4) it was a type of confession by which the animal figuratively bare their sin.

Now let’s consider Isaiah 53 which was written 700 years before Jesus came forth yet prophesied his coming and described his death using similar language to that in Leviticus 16… “surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (vs 4), “and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all”(vs 6), “be bare the sin of many” (vs12).

vs 10 says that his soul was an “offering for sin” therefore it’s clear that the old covenant’s sin-offering was a type and shadow pointing to that which was to come.

Christ was the spiritual fulfilment of that type and shadow.

If we go to Hebrews 9 we see that Jesus “offered himself without spot to God” (vs 14) Why? “to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (vs 26), “so Christ was ONCE offered to bear the sin of many” (vs 28).

Notice the finality of the word ONCE.

Jesus bare our sin in that he provided the means by which we can put away our sin ONCE and for all.

Just as, under the old covenant, when people confessed their sins they figuratively “put” them on the sin-offering, when we confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9) and forsake them through repentance (Prov. 28:13), we figuratively “put” them on Christ in the sense that our “old man” is crucified and buried WITH him (Rom. 6:4-6).

Let’s look again at 1 Peter 2

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness…

Notice the finality of the word DEAD

In confessing and forsaking our sin we are DEAD to sin that we should LIVE unto righteousness.

Being dead to sin is being crucified and buried with Christ. Living unto righteousness is being resurrected with Christ, born-again by the Spirit.

Let’s return to Isaiah 53

11…by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Justify means to declare righteous. Jesus bear our iniquities that we might be declared righteous by his knowledge.

  

What is the knowledge of Christ?

Genesis says that Adam knew his wife (Gens 4:1) and they became one flesh (Gen. 2:24).

To “know” someone means to become ONE with them like husband and wife.

Paul said in Philippians 3

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death

It’s through participation in the death and resurrection of Christ that we become ONE with Christ. That’s what it means to “know” him. 

Hence it is through the knowledge of Christ that we are declared righteous. 

This is the reason Jesus bare our iniquities!

Let’s go back to 1 Peter 2:24 and examine the last portion of this verse.

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Is Peter here suddenly talking about physical healing? Does that make sense in the context of this verse?

First of all “stripes” refers to how Jesus was whipped as part of the scourging he endured before going to the cross.

Roman soldiers had objects tied into the leather thongs of their whips such as led balls and broken sheep’s bone. 

One can imagine what happened to a person when whipped with such an implement, their blood would be sprinkled everywhere.

Isaiah 52

14 …his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

15 So shall he sprinkle many nations…

Therefore when it says “stripes” in 1 Peter 2:24 it is referring to Christ being whipped and his blood sprinkled.

Leviticus 17 says

11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood…

Just as physical life is in physical blood, spiritual life is in the Holy Spirit hence the blood of Christ represents his Spirit.

Under the old covenant, after an animal was killed on behalf of the people for a “sin-offering”, it’s blood would be sprinkled upon the alter to make atonement for  their sins (Lev. 4:5-7). 

When we consider that Christ is our sin-offering and that his blood represents his Spirit Hebrews 9 makes sense…

13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The sprinkling of Christ’s blood, representing his Spirit, purges our conscience from dead works meaning we no longer require animal sacrifice to make atonement for our sin because we no longer have a guilty conscience.

We no longer have a guilty conscience because through the Spirit, the law has been put into our minds and written in our hearts (Heb. 8:10) meaning we’ve received the “divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4) which is love hence we obey God because we love him. 

Love works no ill (wrong) therefore love fulfils the law (Rom. 13:10).

Heb. 8:11 says ”for all shall know me”.  

Having the law written in our hearts via the Holy Spirit is to “know” Christ.

Now, what does the word “healed” mean in our 1 Peter 2:24? 

healed iaomai means to cure, make whole, free from errors and sins, to bring about salvation 

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit CURES us from our sin-sickness.

Notice the finality of the word CURED.

The cure is love for those who truly love God do not commit wilful sin.

That’s why it says in Hebews 10

26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

Under the old covenant, animal sacrifice was performed over and over again however genuine salvation is not inclusive of a sin-confess cycle.

Jesus offered himself ONCE to put away sin ONCE and for all. 

He bare our sin that we may be DEAD to sin through repentance. He shed his blood that we may be CURED from our sin sickness through the indwelling of his Holy Spirit.

I’d like to finish with this verse in Acts 3

19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Are you heavy laden? Are you sick and tired of carrying a guilty conscience? Would you like your sins to be blotted out? Would you like a fresh start through the Spirit?

Christ’s arms are outstretched to you today. He says “come unto me, enter into my love, be cured from your sin-sickness and you will find rest for your soul.”

Just like the prodigal son “came to himself” while in the pig pen and immediately began walking back to his father’s house, in order to be forgiven by God you must REPENT from your sin!

Stop rebelling against God, submit your will to his will through repentance. 

Today is the day of salvation.  God bless.