Understanding Covering
(week 42/07)
Olubi Johnson
Covering is the power of God channeled through the spirits of those in a position of leadership or authority for the blessing, protection and discipline of those under their authority.
The scripture speaks prophetically and symbolically of this in:
Isaiah 32:1-2(NKJV): Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice. 2 A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
Kings and princes are symbolic of those in positions of authority and leadership. The power of God through their spirits will now be as ‘a hiding place from the wind’, ‘a cover from the tempest’, ‘rivers of water (John 7.38) in a dry place’ and ‘a shadow of a great rock in a weary land’.
Isaiah 4:4-6(NKJV): then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. 6 And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.
In this 3rd. day God is creating, by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the spirits of those in positions of leadership or spiritual authority, spiritual coverings for His people.
This spiritual covering is used to bring blessing to God’s people by complementing (not substituting for) their personal prayers. What this means is that God, through the covering, adds power to our individual prayers, where they are deficient because of weakness, immaturity or even sin (1 Peter 4.7-8).
The covering is also used to provide protection from destruction, which would otherwise have occurred because of lack of knowledge (Hosea. 4.6), spiritual weakness or sin.
Finally, the power of God, through the covering can be used by God to discipline brethren who are living in habitual sin or rebellion:
1 Corinthians 5:4-5(NKJV): In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
So God uses covering to strengthen and preserve us as gradually we grow into the perfection and fullness of Christ, making up for our weaknesses and shortcomings through it.
The degree to which we enjoy this covering is the degree to which we:
1.Esteem those in leadership over us with love (1 Thessalonians 5.13).
2. Practice their instructions from the Word of God (Proverbs 4.13, Hebrews 13. 7,17).
3. Give to them of our tithes (where they are our pastors in a local church) and offerings (where we have been fed with the Word of God through them) (Malachi 3.10, Galatians 6.6-8).
It is crucial to see that in this 3rd.day without covering we will not be able to grow into the perfection and fullness of Christ.
In our article next week we will see how the Holy Spirit generates this covering through the spirits of the leaders and the consequent New Testament fulfillment of the Day of Atonement or covering.
