Last night the Lord began to speak to me about covering others instead of exposing them. While we are to expose sin, we should never do it in such a way that it destroys a person. So I did a search of the Bible to see what God's Word says about covering and this is what I found.
1Pe 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
Love will cover sin.
Hab 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
with the knowledge of the glory: or, by knowing the glory
God's glory is a covering.
Isa 22:17 Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.
Even in our bondage God is covering and protecting us.
Isa 30:1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:
We can cover with the wrong things. Some of us have covered our sin with shame, self-righteousness, pride, and a boatload of other things.
Reference to covering from 30:1
Isa 4:5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.
We need God glory to be our covering.
Isa 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Isa 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Who are the naked? Aren't the lost, bound and broken still naked, waiting on us to cover them with the knowledge of the love of God.
Isn't the grace of God our covering? Shouldn't we be covering those around us with grace? Not greasy grace, but the grace of God that covers and instead of exposes.
Exo 33:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
cover thee: Deu_33:12; Psa_91:1, Psa_91:4; The rock on which Moses stood, and in the clift of which he was sheltered, was doubtless an emblem of Christ; in whose person, character, and salvation alone, sinners may by faith see the glory of God, and live; for there it appears in softened splendour; as the sun, when his brightness is diminished by a mist, is beheld more distinctly by the human eye. - Scott
Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psa 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Psa 91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
Psa 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Deu 33:12 And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.
This is so beautiful. The picture of Christ wrapping us up in His arms of protection and covering us.
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
God is about restoration.
Gen 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
God did not leave them naked. He did not leave them exposed. He covered them. He covered their sin and their shame.
Gen 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
Gen 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
Gen 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
God wants us to be those who cover. We know what it is to be exposed and how He lovingly covered us, even when we didn't deserve it.
We are going to have to learn how to be like Jesus and cover the sins of others with love. Does that mean that we approve of sin? Heaven forbid! No, God chastises those whom He loves. He says that everything done in the dark will be brought into the light. Maybe our problem is we think we are suppose to do the chastising for Him. Maybe, our idea of bringing things into the light isn't God's idea of bringing things into the light. If you go to your brother or sister and confront them with sin, haven't you brought it into the light with out uncovering their nakedness for the world to see?
I will be the first to admit that I have failed and miserably, at times, with this.
As we grow in God's love and His grace is unfolded before us shouldn't we begin to look and act differently? I'm ready to lay down everything that I thought was right, everything that I thought was wrong so that I may have the mind of Christ.
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