Cover

"...You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty...You were the anointed (outspread wings, to smear, to rub with oil, to draw the hand over anything, to spread over anything) cherub (angelic guardians- flanking the throne of God, hovering over the ark of the covenant, chariot of Jehovah, angelic representations in the innermost part of the holy tabernacle and temple of Solomon) who covers (covering, defense, hedge in, join together, stop the approach, weave together, interweave); I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones (stones of fire) (precious stones, building stones, altar fire of God, splendor and brightness, wrath)."     Ez. 28:11, 14
These verses above are, to me, some of the most pathetic in all scripture. Although it is written to the king of Tyre (rock used as a knife), these verses in Ezekiel 28 are directed toward Lucifer. It is a picture of wasted privilege, wasted gifting, calling and purpose, wasted glory, and position of trust and honor. The very one who had been created to be a covering, became the remover of covering, the accuser of the brethren, the accuser of the world. The one who was to be the defender, became the adversary. He had the privilege to be a covering to God, to the covenant of God, to the blood of sacrifice poured out upon the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant in the holy of holies. The one who was the "light-bearer" of God, Lucifer, now only uses his light to masquerade and deceive (2 Cor. 11:14).
He is described as "anointed", the anointing being like spread out wings, and his purpose was to cover. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the anointed One, covers with His blood. Many of the anointed ones in scripture were priests and kings, again, those who "cover" the people, and the land. To be priests and kings, as you know, is also our calling (1 Pet. 2:9, Rev. 1:6, 5:10). This calling is not for the purpose of being exalted over others, but in order to cover.
Satan moved King David to number the people of Israel (1 Chron. 21:1). Instead of being a covering as king, David removed the covering over his people. We don't want to be likewise moved by Satan.
Remember, "anointed" here means to cover with spread out wings, to spread or cover with oil. Often, I think, as we consider ourselves "anointed" by God, we forget this meaning, being impressed instead by the privilege of anointing. The name Lucifer, is a lesson to us in itself, as well as being a prophetic decree of his own end. While his name in Hebrew means, "light-bearer, shining one, morning star, to be clear, to be brilliant", in the root meaning of this name, we see a descent from the heights to the depths. His name becomes "to boast, to make into a fool, to act like a madman". We see this similar descent in an earthly king who abused his charge to be a covering over God's people, Judah, while they were in exile. This was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (see Dan. 4). He fell from glory into insanity. As he humbled himself under heaven, God was able to restore him to his kingdom.
As God describes the glory and promise of this creature, the anointed cherub, through His prophet, Ezekiel above, we also hear the pathos and sorrow of a purpose thrown away. Iniquity caused this turning away from his glorious covering purpose (Ezek. 28:15). Iniquity means "injustice, violent deeds of injustice, injustice of speech, wickedness, depravity, iniquity as of a judge, (root) to deal unjustly, distort morally, turn away, turn aside". This is about judging gone wrong. It was not Lucifer's job to judge as the anointed cherub who covers. It was his job to cover. Lucifer judged men (Job 1:11, 2:4-5), and he judged God (Job 1:9). Lucifer's covering was to be a defense, a hedging about, according to the Hebrew meaning. Yet he mocked the hedging about of men by God:
"Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? But now, stretch out Your hand...and he will surely curse You to Your face!"   Job 1:9-10
In all of these things, Satan judged falsely (Job 2:10).
In contrast is the life of Noah. He saw judgment coming, and built a covering by the instruction of God. Even as he covered, he was also covered. Those meant to find the covering, found it (Noah, his family, the animals chosen). Those who mocked and rejected the covering that Noah provided, remained uncovered in the judgment.
At the darkest, emptiest condition of creation, the Holy Spirit covered (Gen. 1:2).
Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, came to cover, although that covering was rejected (Mt. 23:37, Lk. 13:34).
The secret place of the Most High is found under the covering of His wings:
"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty...He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge."
                                                                                                              Ps. 91:1-4
This secret place of the Most High is a place that I covet dearly. Yet, I cast others out of this precious place by carelessly exposing them and removing their covering. If I remove their covering, I will also be uncovered. I don't want to live all my life only to discover too late that I had turned away from the purpose for which God had anointed me as a priest and a king. I would rather err on the side of covering too much, if there is such a thing, than to be one who uncovers.
Noah, our hero of covering, fell into shame through drunkenness. He had three sons. One of his sons saw his father's shameful condition, and told his two brothers. Those two brothers, however, together backed into their father's tent, and covered their father's disgrace with a garment. God blessed the two sons who covered their father. The son who spoke of his father's disgrace was cursed, and his descendants lost the habitation of the land, Canaan. The covering action of the two sons may even have lengthened Noah's life, because we are told that Noah lived an additional 150 years (Gen. 9:20-29). We can choose to cover, or to uncover.
Part of the work of the anointing that covers, as we see in the verses from Ezekiel at the top of the page, is a "joining together, a weaving together, and interweaving".  We see a beautiful illustration of this in Psalm 133. The unity of the brethren was like the oil of anointing that completely covered  the high priest Aaron ("light bringer") from head, over beard, or covering of the chin, over garments, a covering of the body, to the feet and beyond. So even his covering was covered! This covering and joining together of the brethren is equated to the blessing of life forevermore. The anointing, the covering, the joining together, the blessing. One cannot be removed from the other. 
However, often we uncover our spouses, our parents, even our own children, our spiritual brothers and sisters who are fellow members of the body of Christ. We uncover those who have been given spiritual responsibility for us. I try not to uncover, because I instinctively know the harm in it, but it comes out of my mouth sometimes anyway. Often, we uncover others in order to justify ourselves. There will always be those who rip away the covering. We need more of those who will rush in to cover.
God said that He found His chosen, Jerusalem, in a naked condition, and He covered her:
"...so I spread My wing over you, and covered your nakedness...Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk..."   Ezek. 16:8-9
I want to be one who covers.

Our Father anoints us to cover.


    Noah covered by his sons