by Magdalena Kessy | 22 March 2021 08:46 pm03
The Swahili word Sitara comes from the root “sitiri,” meaning “to cover” or “to conceal.” A Sitara, therefore, refers to anything that hides, shields, or protects something else. This concept of covering appears repeatedly throughout Scripture and has deep theological meaning. In everyday life, examples of Sitara include clothing (which covers our nakedness) and curtains (which shield what is behind them). In biblical theology, the idea of covering relates to themes of holiness, protection, and atonement.
One of the clearest biblical examples of a Sitara is the veil (curtain) used in the Tabernacle the mobile sanctuary God commanded the Israelites to build. This veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies), where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. The Ark represented God’s presence and was so sacred that only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) (see Leviticus 16).
Numbers 4:5 (NIV) – “When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and cover the Ark of the Testimony with it.”
This veil served as a physical and spiritual Sitara, concealing God’s glory from sinful humans and preventing them from perishing in His holy presence.
Other relevant verses:
- Exodus 26:33–34 – “Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the Ark of the Covenant law behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.”
- Exodus 40:21 – “Then he brought the Ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the Ark of the Covenant law, as the Lord commanded him.”
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ becomes the ultimate Sitara not one that conceals, but one that covers our sin and gives us access to God.
At the moment of Jesus’ death, the veil in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom:
Matthew 27:51 (NIV) “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split.”
This act symbolized the removal of the barrier between God and humanity. Through Christ’s sacrifice, we are no longer separated from God’s presence. He now covers us with His righteousness, making us acceptable before a holy God.
Hebrews 10:19–20 (NIV) “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body…”
Thus, Jesus is our eternal Sitara He not only hides our sin, but replaces our guilt with His holiness. He fulfills the Old Testament imagery of atonement and covering.
In addition to atonement, the Bible uses imagery of God as a hiding place, a refuge from trouble. These are spiritual Sitara metaphors showing that God shields us from danger, judgment, and fear.
Psalm 32:7 (NIV) – “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”
Psalm 119:114 (NIV) – “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”
The Bible warns against placing our trust in human beings or earthly systems for protection or salvation. Trusting in man rather than God is described as a curse:
Jeremiah 17:5–6 (NIV) – “This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes.’”
In contrast:
Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NIV) – “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream…”
Science, human wisdom, or even religion itself cannot be our true Sitara. Only Christ can cover us completely both for eternity and for the trials of this life.
To make the Lord your Sitara is to receive His righteousness, His protection, and His love. It is to trust Him above all else for salvation, for peace, and for your future. Rejecting Him leaves you uncovered, vulnerable, and spiritually exposed.
Let us, therefore, continually seek to dwell under His covering.
Psalm 91:1 (NIV) – “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus!
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2021/03/22/what-is-a-sitara-in-the-bible/
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