Numbers 4:5, 6

"... 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."

As the Israelites traveled from place to place they took with them everything they needed for worshipping the LORD. In Numbers 4, very strict rules are set forth as to how and by whom the vessels and tools of worship were to be transported. In this passage we find the details about how the ark of the covenant was to be covered and carried. Three coverings were to be put over the ark, and then staves were put into it for transport. It was to be carried by the men of a specific age from a specific family of the tribe of Levi. It may seem odd that God would be so specific about such things. One might think that as long as the job was completed, regardless of details, such as how things were carried, or how they were covered, it would suffice. In fact, during the reign of David two men, at the king's direction(!), attempted to transport the ark of the covenant using a cart, instead of carrying it according to the prescribed method. One of them reached out to steady the ark, as it nearly fell off of the cart. He was instantly killed. Apparently the details are important! This is because the things that God commanded, even the details, show some aspect of the person of our LORD Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself spoke of how the Scriptures speak of Him. He can be found throughout the Bible, if not in person in type. Let's consider the coverings.

The first covering to be placed on the ark was the veil of the temple. This was a large, curtain door which covered the entrance to the Holy of Holies, the very presence of God Himself in the temple. Only the high priest was allowed into this part of the temple, and he was only allowed to go in once a year. Concerning the LORD Jesus Christ Hebrews 10:20 tells us that, "... By a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;" The veil, the way into the holiest of all, is here identified as being a picture of the flesh of Christ. We know from the Bible that He became a man. He "put on flesh." His humanity is represented by the veil. He says of Himself that He is the only way to God. Just as the high priest could not get into the Holy of Holies except by way of the veil, so nobody can come unto the Father except by Christ.

The next covering was badger skins. The only way to get badger skins is to kill the badger. Death and sin are inseparably linked in scripture. In Genesis 2:16, 17 we find, "... the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." The lie that the serpent told Eve, and Adam, who was standing nearby, was, "thou shalt not surely die." Romans 5:14 says "... death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression ..." Even though nobody ever again disobeyed God in the way that Adam did, death still was the end of each and every human born before the law was given. Hebrews 2:14 says, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil..." Jesus took on the nature of mankind to save us from the judgment due to our sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, "For He (the Father) hath made Him (the Son) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin ..." It was Jesus who knew no sin, but He was made sin for our sakes. This may seem similar to the veil. But He not only took on flesh and blood, as we have, but He was also identified with us in that He was made sin, and died. Of course, the difference is we sin ourselves and die. He had to be made sin.

The last covering was a cloth entirely of blue. Numbers 15:38-40 relates blue to the remembrance of the commandments of God. "Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: that ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God." The Israelites were to add a border of blue to their garments as a reminder to do what God had commanded. Galatians 4:4 says of the LORD Jesus Christ that He was "... born under the law..." Not only was Jesus born with a body, not only was he made sin, but He was also born under the law. He was subject to it even as we. The big difference is that He always did those things that please His Father. We always do those things that displease the Father.

Notice the order, first the flesh, next the death, finally the law. And is that not how it came to us humans? Adam was made flesh, then he fell into death through sin, then he (his race) was brought under the law. Also note that when the Israelites arrived at the stopping place, the ark was put back into the Holy of Holies, and then uncovered. There the ark in its full glory could be seen. It was not covered. But only the priest was allowed to see it, and only once a year. After His death and resurrection, Jesus returned to heaven. No longer covered in the flesh, in death, or under the law. Now in His full glory! One day we who have Christ as savior will all see Him in His glory. One day He will come again to earth in all His glory!

HJK