(26:14; 36:19).
All that we can learn of this covering is told is in a couple of brief sentences.
The Tent covered the Tabernacle, then the rams’ skins were placed over the Tent, while the outermost covering of all were the badgers’ skins. The embroidered curtains inside, and the badgers’ skins outside! The contrast is marked and spiritually deeply significant.
The Tabernacle and the Tent convey different, yet closely related ideas. The Tabernacle was where God dwelt and manifested Himself to the worshippers within. The displays of Christ were many and diversified. But the Tent signified the place where God could meet the people and address them through the Mediator. The priests inside―the Tabernacle. The people outside at the Tent door.
The rams’ skins speak to us of Christ in His absolute consecration to God. The ram was the consecration-sacrificial animal (Lev. 8:22-2922And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. 23And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. 24And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about. 25And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder: 26And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the Lord, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder: 27And he put all upon Aaron's hands, and upon his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the Lord. 28And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt offering: they were consecrations for a sweet savor: it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord. 29And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the Lord: for of the ram of consecration it was Moses' part; as the Lord commanded Moses. (Leviticus 8:22‑29)).
Two things were needed ere Aaron—Israel’s first high priest—could enter upon his priestly work. He had to be anointed with oil and consecrated by blood. In both acts he is witnessed apart from his sons (Exod. 29:77Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. (Exodus 29:7); Lev. 8:2323And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. (Leviticus 8:23)). Aaron, as we have seen more than once, is a type of our Lord as the Christians’ Great High Priest. Now Christ was anointed with the Holy Ghost (the oil) at His baptism (Acts 10:3838How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (Acts 10:38)), and consecrated by His own blood ere he could enter upon His priestly service in the heavenly sanctuary. Aaron was not high priest when anointed, or even when consecrated, but both were needful ere he could officially be recognized as such, so Christ was neither High Priest at His baptism, nor at any time when on earth. He had to be consecrated by His own blood. It was after both, i.e., His life and death, that He entered upon His high priestly service in heaven. Christ could not be a Priest on this side of death, “for if He were on earth He should not be a Priest” (Heb. 8:44For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: (Hebrews 8:4)).
Then Aaron’s sons were consecrated. In the case of Aaron the oil was first applied, then the blood. But in that of the sons it was just the reverse order. We get the Spirit after, and consequent upon the blood being applied. Christ personally pure, was anointed by God with the Spirit — the Divine witness of His absolute purity and personal relation to the Father (Matt. 3:16-1716And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16‑17)).
The tip of the right ear, thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot were each touched with blood; the whole man being thus set apart for God—hearing (ear), service (hand), and ways (foot)—were to be for Him alone. Now Aaron and his sons, in joint association, were thus consecrated. Aaron, as we have seen, was anointed and consecrated alone, as also his sons with him. So Christ and the whole priestly family are together in one consecration. He in the heavenly sanctuary for us, and we down here in service for Him.
The skins dyed red would express absolute devotedness to God, even to death.
This covering was not measured, nor were the badgers’skins, and in this respect these coverings are in marked contrast to the careful and repeated measurements of the Tabernacle and Tent curtains. The embroidered curtains within, signify Christ in relation to God and the heavenly priesthood; while Christ as outwardly witnessed by men in His prophetic service on earth—the rough goats’hair curtains. In both aspects He is infinitely precious to God, which seems the force of those two sets of curtains, i.e., the Tabernacle and the Tent being measured. Measuring is God’s special appropriation for Himself (Ezek. 40: Rev. 11: 21). The outer coverings were not measured: they do not so directly present the Person of our Lord to God: while, of course, they convey truths about Him of profound importance to us.
In Num. 3:2525And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, (Numbers 3:25), we read that “the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof”; that is, the innermost set of curtains; then the goats’ hair curtains, and over these the rams’ skins dyed red. While in chap. 4. we have in one verse the respective curtains and coverings specified. “The curtains of the tabernacle (the embroidered tapestry ones), and the tent of the congregation (the rough goats’ hair curtains), his covering (the rams’ skins dyed red) and the covering of the badgers’ skins that is above upon it” (verse 25).
Accepted, perfect, and complete
For God’s inheritance made meet!
How true, how glorious, and how sweet,”