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 bath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither bath he seen perverseness in Israel.” (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.” 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.