The Bible contains a very important principle—the principle of representation. I have spoken of this before, and I would like to reiterate it here.
As Christians we walk according to two different principles. One is that we walk as individuals before God, and the other is that we walk in the capacity of a representative before God. In the eyes of God we not only live the Christian life individually, but representatively. If I am not deceived, I believe that in the coming judgment we will be judged not only individually but also according to what we do as representatives.
Suppose we have a master with a few servants in his house. The master is a brother, but he treats his servants unrighteously, unjustly, unmercifully, and unreasonably. He will be judged by God in the future for his unreasonableness, unrighteousness, and meanness. But the matter will not stop here. He will receive another judgment. This brother is responsible not only for his relationship with his servants. In the eyes of God and as a master, he represents the Lord. Whenever we are masters, we represent the Lord as the Master. The way we treat our servants should represent the way the Lord treats His servants. If we treat our servants poorly, we sin as individuals and also as representatives; we have misrepresented the Lord. If I am not deceived, I believe that we will be judged for our own sins and for the sin of misrepresenting the Lord in the coming judgment before God.
Suppose I am not a master but a servant. Suppose further that as a servant, I steal, lie, and am slothful in my work. I only pay lip service to my master and deceive him in all kinds of ways. I have sinned, and I will be judged for my sinful conduct. But the judgment will not stop here. On the one hand, I am a servant individually, and on the other hand, I stand as a representative of all the servants who are subject to the Lord in heaven. I could afford to cheat, steal, and be slothful if it were just a matter of my personal service before man. But every time the Bible speaks of a servant, it reminds us that we have another Lord in the heavens. Therefore, we are not only servants individually; we represent all those who are servants on earth. This expresses another relationship.
When Moses was at Meribah in Kadesh, he was angry at the Israelites because they tempted God, and he struck the rock twice. God immediately rebuked Moses. Moses lost his temper, and this was wrong. If this had only been a personal matter or an independent act as a leader of Israel, Moses could have been forgiven. He had lost his temper previously. When he saw the Israelites worshipping the golden calf at the foot of the mountain and then broke the two tablets with God’s own writing, he displayed an even greater amount of anger (Exo. 32:19). However, God did not rebuke him. He represented God’s wrath when he lost his temper then. He was angry on God’s behalf, and his representation was right. But what did God say when Moses lost his temper and struck the rock twice? God said, “You did not believe in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the sons of Israel” (Num. 20:12). In other words, you have not separated Me from your actions; you have misrepresented Me. The Israelites thought it was God who was angry. Actually, God was not angry.
Personal sin is one thing, while representative sin is another thing. First Corinthians 11:3 indicates that every sister, that is, every woman (even though such a woman cannot be found outside the church) must realize that she has an individual standing as well as a representative standing. God is the Head of Christ, Christ is the Head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman. Therefore, the woman must have her head covered. The woman must realize that she represents others. At the very least she has to realize that she represents herself as an individual.
When a sister covers her head in speaking or in prayer, she is proclaiming before God that no one in the world can assume any headship before Christ. She is saying that no head can be exposed before God. No one can be the head before Christ; no one can offer his suggestion or opinion to Christ. Everyone has to cover his head before Christ. He should hide his own suggestions and opinions and say to the Lord, “You are my Head.” A sister has to cover her head as an individual, and she has to cover her head in the position of a representative. She stands as a representative in this universe. The sisters are declaring to the world the proper standing that everyone should take before Christ.
Head covering may appear to be a small thing; yet it is a great testimony!