{"id":1568,"date":"2014-08-16T13:28:48","date_gmt":"2014-08-16T13:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christian-gospel.info\/?p=1568"},"modified":"2021-12-28T21:32:33","modified_gmt":"2021-12-28T21:32:33","slug":"numbers-19-the-red-heifer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/?p=1568","title":{"rendered":"NUMBERS 19 The Red Heifer"},"content":{"rendered":"

There were at least four once-for-all national sacrifices for Israel in the Old Testament.\u00a0 There was the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb, by which they were delivered from Egypt, and which became an annual festival, but only as a memorial of the original deliverance; the covenant sacrifices in Exodus 19 and 24; the sacrifice of a sucking lamb by Samuel in 1 Samuel 7:9-11, and the sacrifice of the red heifer which concerns us now.\u00a0 This in no way slights the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, for the others mentioned were but typical, whereas His was substantial, the reality of which the others were but shadows.\u00a0 The writer to the Hebrews impresses this upon us when he alludes to the red heifer in the words of Hebrews 9:13, “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span> Note the link between the blood of bulls and goats of the Day of Atonement ceremony, (as compared to the blood of goats and calves of the Day of the Covenant ceremony, Hebrews 9:12, Exodus 19), and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean.\u00a0 In physical terms it was water that was sprinkled in Numbers 19, but the writer to the Hebrews is concerned with that which underlay and gave value to the water, namely the ashes of an accepted sin offering.\u00a0 The ineffectiveness in a final sense of the Day of Atonement sacrifices is seen in the fact that they were offered year by year continually; that they were retrospective, dealing with the sins of the nation after the event; and that they only purified externally and ritually, “the purifying of the flesh”, whereas the blood of Christ reaches deep within, to “purge the conscience”.\u00a0 In the intervening period until the next national atonement day, there was provision for defilement as it occurred, in the form of the red heifer offering to which we now turn. Notice first of all the setting in which the offering is detailed.\u00a0 Remarkably, it is found in the book of Numbers, the wilderness book.\u00a0 There were three classes of people banished from the camp of Israel, namely, lepers and those with an issue of blood, whose case is dealt with in the book of Leviticus, in chapters 13,14, and 15, and those defiled by the dead.\u00a0 The latter class is dealt with in the wilderness book, the Book of Numbers.\u00a0 The Jews gave titles to the books culled from the first words, and so they entitled the third book of Moses, “In the wilderness”. Whereas Exodus chapters 12-40 cover only 18 months, and the book of Leviticus only 1 month, Numbers covers 38 years 9 months of the movement of Israel through the desert, see 10:11 and Deuteronomy 1:3. The reason for the long length of time spent in the wilderness, (even though the journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea should only have taken eleven days, Deuteronomy 1:2), was that in chapter 14 they had refused the land of promise after the spies had viewed it for forty days, so they were condemned to spend a total of forty years in the wilderness.\u00a0 Psalm 95 is based on that period, and is quoted by the writer to the Hebrews in his second warning passage in chapters three and four.\u00a0 His phrase is, “Their carcases fell in the wilderness”, 3:17.\u00a0 All who were twenty years old and upward at the beginning of the wilderness journey were condemned to die in the desert because of their refusal of the land.\u00a0 Only Joshua and Caleb, the two faithful spies, were excepted.\u00a0 So it was that the wilderness became a vast graveyard, full of the bones and corpses of dead apostate Israelites.\u00a0 It is this situation that is addressed in the chapter before us, because the special need was for cleansing after contact with death in some form. With these things in mind, we turn to the detail of Numbers chapter 19.\u00a0 The chapter may be looked at from five viewpoints, medically, morally, typically, spiritually, and prophetically.\u00a0 First, medically, because the presence of so many dead bodies presented a health risk, especially to a tented multitude in hot desert conditions.\u00a0 Second, there was the moral lesson being taught the younger generation, as they were constantly reminded of the penalty for not listening to the voice of the Lord, see Numbers 14:22; Hebrews 3:7,8.\u00a0 Third, there is the typical application of the chapter, which we are encouraged to make by the reference in Hebrews 9:13.\u00a0 Fourth, there is the spiritual application, which we may make as we apply the lessons to ourselves in our own day.\u00a0 Then there is the prophetical view, for the ashes of the heifer are “laid up for the children of Israel”, so that however long the interval between the sacrifice and the realisation of defilement, the remedy is available.\u00a0 The nation of Israel in a day to come will find that the work of Christ at Calvary, done so many centuries before, still avails to cleanse the defiled, see Ezekiel 36:16-29. We may divide the chapter as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Verses 1 and 2<\/span><\/td>\nThe selection of the heifer.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Verses 3-8<\/span><\/td>\nThe sacrifice of the heifer.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Verses 9-10<\/span><\/td>\nThe saving of the ashes of the heifer.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Verses 11-16<\/span><\/td>\nThe specifying of the uncleanness to be dealt with by the ashes of the heifer.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Verses 17-22<\/span><\/td>\nThe sprinkling of the Israelite with the ashes of the heifer.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF NUMBERS CHAPTER 19, VERSES 1 TO 10:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

19:1\u00a0 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:2\u00a0 This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:3\u00a0 And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:<\/span><\/strong> 19:4\u00a0 And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:5\u00a0 And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:6\u00a0 And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:7\u00a0 Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:8\u00a0 And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:9\u00a0 And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:10\u00a0 And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 1 and 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 THE SELECTION OF THE HEIFER<\/strong>
\nAnd the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We notice in verse 1 that a word comes to Moses and Aaron as those who receive instruction from God, and then the heifer is brought to them in recognition of that fact by the people.\u00a0 The latter learn by this to recognise and respond to the word of God, in contrast to the older generation that refused the word of God.\u00a0 It is Aaron’s son Eleazar who officiates in the ceremony, however, and Moses and Aaron are not mentioned again in the chapter.\u00a0 We are reminded of the fact that neither Moses nor Aaron entered the land of promise, although for a different reason than the majority of Israel.\u00a0 They both failed to fully comply with the word of God in the matter of the water from the rock in chapter 20, and hence were barred from the land, 20:12.\u00a0 How serious is the refusal to hear the word of God!\u00a0 Let us take note, and if necessary take action.<\/span><\/p>\n

We come now to the description of the animal that God specified in this instance.\u00a0 A red heifer is required.\u00a0 Significantly, the word for red is the same as the word for Adam.\u00a0 The first man Adam had been formed by God as a potter forms the red clay, Genesis 2:7.\u00a0 Not only is Adam a proper name, but it is a race-name too, for all descend from the first man.\u00a0 (Unbelievers speak of different races of men, but there is but one according to Scripture, see Acts 17:26).\u00a0 In Romans 5 the apostle traces the entrance of death into the world to one man, Adam.\u00a0 By failing to obey the word of God, sin came into the world.\u00a0 It is not simply that sin was now present upon the earth, but that Adam passed on the sin-principle to his offspring, so that death passes upon the world of men by reason of their birth. This would have been forcibly brought home to the Israelites as they made their way to Canaan, for the desert was strewn with the carcases of apostates, who had gone back on their commitment to God so far as to refuse the land He had promised to their forefathers.\u00a0 Hence the warning given by the writer to the Hebrews, lest there be found amongst them any with an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.\u00a0 Notice the emphasis on the fact that He is the living God, in contrast to those who were spiritually dead despite their profession, and then physically dead also. An “Adam-heifer” is thus required by God to deal with the consequences of death in the desert.<\/span><\/p>\n

We may see in this a foreshadowing of what Christ would do when He died, for Romans 6:6 says that our old man was crucified with Christ, indicating that in His death the Lord Jesus took account of what we were in Adam, and dealt with it.\u00a0 The particular need in Numbers 19, however, is for a clearing from uncleanness of those who unwittingly have come across the consequences of apostasy in others.\u00a0 And the lesson is not hard to draw in our day.\u00a0 We as believers are surrounded by those who make religious profession of some degree or other.\u00a0 It is manifest that with some there is a full-scale renunciation of that which is properly Christian, and true believers need to clear themselves of any trace of contamination from such a source.\u00a0 We need to make sure that it is well-known that assembly believers have no sympathy with corrupt Christendom.\u00a0 Only so shall the Lord’s people be free from guilt by association.\u00a0 Remember the words of 2 Corinthians 6:17, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The animal required is a female, however, introducing the passive thought.\u00a0 The man who became unclean by touching a dead body or a bone, did not actively set out to touch the unclean item; he was passive in the matter.\u00a0 Nevertheless he constituted a health risk to his fellow Israelites. The gravity with which God viewed the presence of death in the camp of Israel must be emphasised, especially if it came because of apostasy, which He hates. Adam in the garden was only required to be passive to obey God.\u00a0 He was simply commanded to refrain from eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.\u00a0 Alas! he was active, and deliberately transgressed in full knowledge of what he was doing.\u00a0 The last Adam was marked by passive subjection to His Father’s will, “Not My will, but Thine be done”, and this subjection led Him to accomplish the act of righteousness of dealing with our sin at Calvary which directly countered the sin of Adam, Romans 5:19.\u00a0 There was not a shred of that independence and self-will which marked Adam. The red heifer was to be without spot, indicating there was no flaw by descent in the animal.\u00a0 There is no flaw by descent in Christ, either.\u00a0 He has no physical link with Adam through Joseph, although he, importantly, was His legal father, giving Him the direct line of descent from David and Abraham.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is interesting to note the change of wording in Matthew 1 when the birth of Christ is mentioned.\u00a0 From Abraham down to Joseph it was a man begetting, but then it is “Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ”.\u00a0 The word for born is the same as that which has been used for begat throughout the chapter.\u00a0 The only difference is that it is now passive- Mary was the one through whom the begetting became a possibility.\u00a0 Christ is the long-promised seed of the woman, and this as a result of the Holy Spirit coming upon Mary for conception, and the power of the Highest overshadowing her for protection until her child was born.\u00a0 That Holy Thing that was born of her was called the Son of God because He has united Deity with a holy nature, yet remains what He ever was, the Son of God.\u00a0 The angel insists that the Holy Thing born may still rightly be called the Son of God, for His incarnation has not taken away from His Deity.\u00a0 In fact it is true to say that He has added to His Deity by becoming man, for He who is ever in the form of God took upon Himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men, Philippians 2:7.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luke sees the importance of showing that this man is indeed different, so he brings in the genealogy of Christ just before He begins His public ministry, and traces it right back to Adam.\u00a0 Matthew gives the genealogy of Christ beginning at Abraham, and then moves forward through time, for the Messiah was the hope for the future.\u00a0 Luke, however, travels back in time until he reaches the first man.\u00a0 But it is Adam the son of God that Luke goes back to, for creatorially God is Adam’s father, just as all men are the offspring of God by creation, Acts 17:28.\u00a0 It is worthy of notice that the Devil does not think that this is what the title Son means when used of Christ, for his first temptation begins-\u00a0 “If Thou be the Son of God”.\u00a0 If Christ were only Son as Adam was son, then this temptation would have been pointless, for neither Adam nor any other mere man can turn a stone into bread.\u00a0 The Devil knew the sonship of Christ was different. Luke deliberately challenges Satan to be defeated by Christ the Second Man, where he succeeded before with the first man, and this is what happened.\u00a0 The manhood of Christ is not capable of sinning.\u00a0 He was put to the most severe testing in the wilderness by possibly the most intelligent, and certainly the most wicked created being, yet ever distanced Himself from any thought that sin was an option.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the truth the expression “without sin” in Hebrews 4:15 conveys. There is no spot in Christ, and He is totally free from the entail of Adam’s sin, yet He is true man, for as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He has taken part likewise of the same, Hebrews 2:14.\u00a0 He is fully qualified, therefore, to deal with the question of Adam’s sin by His death.\u00a0 He is as much a man as men of Adam’s race are, but not such as they are, in terms of their sin. Ruth found she had a kinsman in Boaz, but she also found there was one nearer than he.\u00a0 It was only when the nearest kinsman defaulted that the second man could act as redeemer.\u00a0 So Adam is nearer to us in the sense that we are sinners as he was, but since he has defaulted, and disqualified himself from acting for God, the Second Man is free to step in and become our Kinsman Redeemer.<\/span><\/p>\n

The red heifer was to be without blemish as well, meaning that it must not have had its coat damaged in any way.\u00a0 This tells of the blameless character of the Lord Jesus.\u00a0 He was blamed for many things, but the three-fold word of the Father from heaven to Him publicly, assures us He was well pleasing to heaven, even though earth found fault.\u00a0 It is expressly said of the majority of Israel as they passed through the wilderness, that with them God was not well-pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness, 1 Corinthians 10:5.\u00a0 Their behaviour left much to be desired, and it is no surprise that they were cut off.\u00a0 The Son of God, in marked contrast, passed through this wilderness world blemish free, for He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens”, Hebrews 7:26. There is a further description of the red heifer.<\/span><\/p>\n

It must never have had a yoke upon it.\u00a0 Peter spoke of the yoke in Acts 15:10 when he rebuked the Judaisers for wanting to put believers under the law. He protested, saying, “Why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear”.\u00a0 Just as a yoke was put upon an ox to force it to do the will of its master, so Israel were yoked to the law to make them do the will of God.\u00a0 Now Christ was made under the law, was circumcised the eighth day to signify this, and He magnified the law and made it honourable as Isaiah said He would, Isaiah 42:21.\u00a0 Yet for all that He did not need the coercion of the law to do the will of His Father.\u00a0 It is noticeable that when speaking of doing the will of God in Hebrews 10, the writer, relating Psalm 40 to Christ, omits the words “Yea, thy law is within My heart”.\u00a0 Like the ark in the tabernacle, which contained within it the unbroken tables of the law, Christ faithfully safeguarded all the commandments of the law.\u00a0 Yet whereas the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came, and are still maintained, by Jesus Christ, John 1:17.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 3-8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 THE SACRIFICE OF THE HEIFER<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Verse 3\u00a0 \u00a0And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Having been selected by the nation, the heifer is brought to Eleazar the priest.\u00a0 The word came to Moses and Aaron, but the work fell to Eleazar, Aaron’s son, the high priest in waiting.\u00a0 Eleazar is expressly spoken of in Numbers 32:29 as passing over the Jordan.\u00a0 He becomes a figure of Christ as one who having made sacrifice at Calvary, “crossed the Jordan” to resurrection ground, and then “passed into the heavens”, Hebrews 4:14.\u00a0 He is spoken of as the apostle (like Moses), and high priest, (like Aaron), of our profession, but whereas they did not enter the land, He did, (like Eleazar).<\/span><\/p>\n

The animal is next taken outside the camp, for it was there that those defiled by the dead were sent according to Numbers 5:1-4.\u00a0 The sacrifice that is to be their substitute must take the same place.\u00a0 So Christ also made His way outside the city walls of Jerusalem to the outside place, the place of the outcast.\u00a0 There had been no room for Him in the inn at His birth, no room for Him in the synagogue of Nazareth, no room for Him in the temple, and now there was no room for Him in the city.\u00a0 He deliberately moves outside, however, that He might deal with that which causes men to be cast out from the presence of God.\u00a0 He was “numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many”, Isaiah 53:12. It is noteworthy that much of the action in this chapter is carried out by unnamed persons.\u00a0 “One shall slay her”, verse 3; “one shall burn”, verse 5; “a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes”, verse 9; “they shall take the ashes”, verse 17; “a clean person shall sprinkle”, verse 18.\u00a0 Since only those who were holy were allowed to touch the holy things, we must assume that these unnamed persons are Levites.<\/span><\/p>\n

This would explain the emphasis on the Levites throughout the book up to this point.\u00a0 The mention of the fact that they were not numbered for war, but were to attend to the tabernacle, especially when it was moved, 1:47-51, 2:33; their ministry unto Aaron as priest, and their genealogy as those thus called, and their respective tasks when the tabernacle was transported, 3:1-4:49; their consecration to the Lord, and their substitution for the firstborn in Israel, 8:5-26; and their being joined to Aaron in the service of the tabernacle, 18:1-7, and the provision for their support in 18:21-32. Hebrews 7:28 makes it very clear that the priesthood of Christ did not begin until the law-age was finished, and this happened when He died.\u00a0 The fact is that the priest and Levite were needed in the Old Testament because of the deficiency of the law-system.\u00a0 There is no such deficiency with Christ.\u00a0 He does not need priesthood, either of Himself or others, to enable Him to offer the supreme and final sacrifice. He offered Himself without spot to God, doing what no animal was able to do, namely, present Himself for sacrifice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verse 4\u00a0 And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The blood, (being the evidence that an acceptable sacrifice has been slain), is now taken, and sprinkled by Eleazar towards the face or front of the tabernacle of the congregation, seven times.\u00a0 It is important to remember that the tabernacle proper, the “Mishcan”, the immediate presence of God, was the innermost curtain of the building.\u00a0 The curtains of goats hair formed a tent, “ohel”, for this tabernacle, as Exodus 26:7 makes clear.\u00a0 The rams’ skins dyed red were a covering for this tent, and the badgers’ skins were a covering over all. The boards of the tabernacle were simply pillars to support the innermost curtain, the tabernacle.\u00a0 That they were not the tabernacle itself is seen in Numbers 3:25,36.\u00a0 In verse 25 the Gershonites have charge of the tabernacle.\u00a0 In verse 36 the Merarites have charge of the boards of the tabernacle.\u00a0 Not the boards consisting of the tabernacle, but the boards belonging to the tabernacle, in the sense that they were necessary to hold the tabernacle up. Returning to Numbers 19:4 where the blood is sprinkled directly before the tent of the congregation.\u00a0 This tent of the congregation was the goats’ hair curtains which covered the linen curtains, thus protecting them.\u00a0 It should be noticed where the apostrophe is placed in the words goats’, rams’ and badgers’.\u00a0 That it is at the end shows that more than one animal is in view in each case.\u00a0 Now goat’s hair can either be plucked from a living goat, or from a dead one.\u00a0 And both a living and a dead goat featured in the Day of Atonement ceremony.\u00a0 The one was sent away into the wilderness bearing its symbolic load of sin, and the other was slain and its blood sprinkled in the Holiest of All.\u00a0 The tent of the congregation was a reminder of this, and performed a two-fold function, for it protected the congregation, being the tent of the congregation, and it protected the linen curtains.\u00a0 God dwelt amongst His people only because the question of their defiling sin was dealt with each Day of Atonement, and this was signified by the protection the goats’ hair curtains provided for His dwelling-place. Now in what way could the blood of the red heifer be sprinkled towards the tent of the congregation, if it was covered over by the rams’ skins and the badgers’ skins?\u00a0 The answer is found in the fact that one of the sections of goats’ hair was visible at the front, being folded in half and hung over the entrance to the tabernacle.\u00a0 This ensured that the need for atonement was always kept in view.\u00a0 Every time the people looked toward the tabernacle they would be reminded of it.\u00a0 So the blood is sprinkled in relation to the acknowledged need for atonement.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fact that Eleazar only used his finger shows that the emphasis at this point is on the quality of the blood.\u00a0 Sometimes blood was poured out, and this signified the abundance of the provision, the quantity of it, so to speak.\u00a0 With Christ, of course, there is both the quality, for His blood is precious to God, and abundant provision, for He tasted death for every man, Hebrews 2:9, and put away sin in its totality, Hebrews 9:26. The blood was sprinkled seven times, not only to ensure that the action was seen by the Israelites, but also to emphasise the sufficiency of what was being provided for cleansing.\u00a0 The Hebrew word for seven means fulness or completeness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verse 5\u00a0 And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The next stage in the ritual is that the heifer is burned, again in the sight of Eleazar, acting for God in the matter.\u00a0 On a practical level, this is in fact the incineration of the animal, thus ensuring that it is completely germ-free.\u00a0 On a spiritual level the heifer must be burnt, for it represents that which man has become through Adam’s fall, and that merits the unsparing judgement of God.\u00a0 For the word for burn used here means to burn up, thus indicating God’s displeasure at death and sin.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is in addition to the killing of the animal, and shows us in typical fashion the need, not only of the death of the Lord Jesus to set aside Adam and his race, but also of His bearing of wrath before He died, which is figured in the flames of the fire.\u00a0 Adam and his race are by nature children of wrath, Ephesians 2:2, yet Christ was prepared to endure wrath in Calvary’s dark night, that those who believe may be shown mercy. What is burnt up is now specified.\u00a0 The skin, flesh, the blood, and the dung are all totally consumed.\u00a0 The offering is a substitute for the man who is defiled.\u00a0 Being defiled, the man merits the judgement of God, and every part of him does so.<\/span><\/p>\n

The skin of an animal is that which corresponds to the clothing of a man.\u00a0 Clothing in Scripture speaks of character, those features which mark him personally.\u00a0 We are reminded of Isaiah 64:6, “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags”.\u00a0 Next the flesh of the animal, which tells of the nature, what a person is within.\u00a0 This too must be burnt, for the apostle states that “in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing”, Romans 7:18.\u00a0 Then the blood.\u00a0 This forcibly presents to us a very important truth, that once this heifer has been sacrificed, there will not need to be a further sacrifice to yield blood to be sprinkled.\u00a0 This is the only time when sacrificial blood was burnt.\u00a0 This comes close to the truth of Hebrews 9, and the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ.\u00a0 This lesson is re-inforced in verse 6, as we shall see.\u00a0 Finally, the dung of the animal is burnt up.\u00a0 Now we may easily connect this with that which is distasteful and abhorrent about the flesh, but we must remember that the apostle counted all his attainments in the religious sphere as dung, Philippians 3:8.\u00a0 Anything which supplants Christ is abhorrent to God, and merits His fiery indignation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verse 6\u00a0\u00a0 And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Then a strange thing happened, for the priest took cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet, and cast them into the burning of the heifer. In the midst, thus ensuring that they did not escape the fire.\u00a0 These three items have been met with before, in Leviticus 14.\u00a0 Two of them are also present in Exodus 24 but not mentioned.\u00a0 It is not until we reach Hebrews 9:19 that we learn that when Moses sprinkled the people and the book with blood, he used scarlet wool and hyssop.\u00a0 Quite possibly the hyssop was tied together by the scarlet wool to make a convenient sprinkler.\u00a0 Certainly in Leviticus 14 the cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop were used to sprinkle the leper.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here in Numbers 19 these items are deliberately burnt, repeating the lesson we learnt when the blood was burnt, namely that there was no need to have recourse to the sprinkling of blood again.\u00a0 The water of separation would be enough to deal with defilement. We know that Solomon wrote about many things, and the writer of the Book of Kings summarises them with the words, “from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon, to the hyssop that springeth out of the wall”, 1 Kings 4:33.\u00a0 Now the fact that the sprinkler facilitated the sprinkling of the leper, and ensured that he was rendered fit to be re-instated in Israel, would suggest to us that there is something about Christ in these three things, for He alone makes the restoration of the sinner a possibility.\u00a0 Is He not like the cedar? and did He not become like the hyssop?\u00a0 And was it not our sins, which were as scarlet, Isaiah 1:18 that which caused He who was like the cedar tree to become like the hyssop?\u00a0 And is it not true that as a result of His work, our sins, which were as scarlet, have become as white as wool?\u00a0 In other words, have been completely removed?\u00a0 We rejoice that these things are so.<\/span><\/p>\n

The cedar tree is that strong, majestic, storm-defying tree which clothes and crowns the slopes, whose excellent wood Solomon used to line his temple.\u00a0 How fitting a symbol of Christ, who being in the form of God, can justly have applied to Him the language of Isaiah 57:15, “that high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy”.\u00a0 What Divine strength and majesty marks Him!\u00a0 How futile the attempts of men and Satan to uproot Him!\u00a0 But He who possessed the form of God eternally, added to Himself the form of a servant.\u00a0 He did this by being made in the likeness of men.\u00a0 Not content with this, having been found by men as one who was in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself still further in His obedience to His Father.\u00a0 The extent of that obedience is seen in that He endured a cross-death, with all its shame.<\/span><\/p>\n

As He made His way outside the city walls of Jerusalem, what was springing out of those walls? The hyssop of which His ancestor had spoken long before.\u00a0 Hyssop, the lowly shrub, yielding its bitterness through bruising- fit symbol of Him who was bruised for our iniquities in Calvary’s low place.\u00a0 Just as the burning of the cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet added to the burning of the heifer, so the features of Christ they symbolised added value to His sacrifice.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is an important principle to be noticed in connection with the burning of the cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop, and it is this.\u00a0 Once a person has truly known cleansing from sin through the blood of Christ, there is no need for that process to be repeated.\u00a0 Just as the work of Christ was once for all, so the cleansing is once for all.\u00a0 The apostle John emphasises this when he speaks of true believers walking in the light, just as Israel walked in the light of the pillar of fire, the priests walked in the light of the lampstand in the Holy Place, and the High Priest walked in the light of the Shekinah glory in the Holiest of All.\u00a0 But on what basis?\u00a0 For Israel, it was the blood of atonement; for believers it is the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, “which cleanseth us from all sin”.\u00a0 Only because the blood of Christ has this character can we move in the light of God’s presence.<\/span><\/p>\n

The blood is not constantly applied, but it is constantly effective in God’s mind, and His people are maintained before Him, despite the fact that they are still in the old body, and often fail.\u00a0 As we shall see, even though there has been the once-for-all cancellation of sin’s guilt, there still needs to be the day-by-day cleansing from sin’s defilement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 7 and 8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.\u00a0 And he that burneth shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This is a startling thing, that even the priest was rendered unclean by the ritual.\u00a0 At the medical level, we can understand that simply going outside the camp puts the priest in danger himself.\u00a0 He must therefore take steps to cleanse himself from defilement.\u00a0 He does not need to have the ashes sprinkled upon him however, since he has not touched a primary source of infection.\u00a0 It must be said, however, that when the leper was dealt with in Leviticus 13 and 14, the priest went outside the camp, but is not said to need to wash his clothes, or bathe, and be unclean until even, as is the case in the chapter before us.\u00a0 And in the matter of those with an issue of blood, the other group which had to be excluded from the camp, the ritual took place in front of the tabernacle.\u00a0 This highlights for us the extreme nature of the defilement in this instance.\u00a0 Leprosy and haemorrhage are clearly not so infectious.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 9-10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 THE SAVING OF THE ASHES OF THE HEIFER<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 9 and 10\u00a0 And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.\u00a0 And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The ashes now claim our attention.\u00a0 A clean person gathers them up from where they were burnt, and lays them up in a clean place.\u00a0 The man and the place must both be clean, lest they infect the all-important ashes.\u00a0 This clean place would be a designated spot outside the camp that was protected in some way from defilement.\u00a0 The ashes are thus preserved for use when the need arose.\u00a0 We see a prophetical aspect to things here, for the reminders of the accepted sin offering of Christ, as represented by the ashes, are held in reserve by God, so that when the nation repents they may come into the good of what their Messiah did for them long ago.\u00a0 Then will come to pass the words of Ezekiel 36, and God will sprinkle clean water upon them and they will be clean, after the defilement contracted by being amongst the Gentiles for so long. The ashes are convincing proof that a suitable sin offering has been made.\u00a0 Yet the very thing that was evidence of their defilement and failure, was the provision made by God for their defilement.<\/span><\/p>\n

The cleansing was not automatic, however.\u00a0 The fact that the ashes had been laid up was not enough, for they were not religious relics, but Divine provision, to be availed of when necessary.\u00a0 The ashes of the heifer must be sprinkled on the unclean, as Hebrews 9:13 indicates.\u00a0 Not the ashes alone, but water that has been brought into contact with them.\u00a0 Now the water was to be running water, or literally “living water”, not scooped from some stagnant pool which was likely to be defiled, but fresh water.\u00a0 No doubt from the rock that supplied them with water.\u00a0 So two opposite things are brought together, ashes, the sign of death, and living water.<\/span><\/p>\n

This water is called the water of separation, because it separated the Israelite from his defilement when he used it.\u00a0 Of course, no amount of water is going to remove some deadly infection contracted by touching a putrefying dead body.\u00a0 So this is where the promise of God comes in, for He had pledged to not put the diseases of Egypt upon His people, provided they were obedient to His word, Exodus 15:26.\u00a0 The man is put to the test, therefore.\u00a0 He has been defiled.\u00a0 Will he avail himself of the Divinely-provided remedy, or will he fail to hear the voice of God, as his elders did when they refused the land?\u00a0 If he does fail to obey, then on the seventh day he is still unclean, and poses a risk to his fellow Israelites, and an affront to God.<\/span><\/p>\n

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF NUMBERS CHAPTER 19, VERSES 11 TO 22:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

19:11\u00a0 He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:12\u00a0 He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:13\u00a0 Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:14\u00a0 This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.<\/span><\/strong> 19:15\u00a0 And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:16\u00a0 And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:17\u00a0 And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:18\u00a0 And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:19\u00a0 And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:20\u00a0 But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.<\/span><\/strong>
\n19:21\u00a0 And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.<\/span><\/strong> 19:22\u00a0 And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 11-16\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 THE SPECIFYING OF THE SINS TO BE DEALT WITH<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 11-13\u00a0 He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.\u00a0 He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.\u00a0 Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We come now to the procedure to be followed.\u00a0 Two particular days are specified, the third day and the seventh day, with the implication that there was a first day.\u00a0 Presumably the first day is the day when the defiled man has been banished outside the camp.\u00a0 Having assessed the situation on the second day, he loses no time, if he is wise, in seeking the remedy that is laid up for him in the form of the water of separation.\u00a0 If he is not wise, the third day passes by, and he has refused the appeal of God in the words, “today, if ye will hear My voice, harden not your hearts”.\u00a0 The word “today” is referred to seven times in Hebrews 3 and 4, and reminds us that many in Israel were found to be still unclean after God had constantly appealed to them.\u00a0 They were unclean on the seventh day because they had not listened to His voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Christian has a first day and a third day.\u00a0 Our first contact with Christ is at the cross.\u00a0 This becomes our first day, as we realise that when Christ was crucified, our old man, ourselves considered as to our links with Adam, was crucified in company with Him.\u00a0 Acting upon this realisation, we got ourselves baptized, so that we might be associated with Christ in His state of death in the tomb, with the question of former associations dealt with.\u00a0 We had a third day also, for, coming up out of the watery grave of the baptismal waters, we were associated with His resurrection, which of course took place on the third day after His crucifixion.\u00a0 This process has life-long implications, for we henceforth are to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed, (that is, in reality and not just in theory), unto sin, but alive unto God because of the link we have with Christ, the Last Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

The apostle reminds us that before we were saved we yielded our members as servants to uncleanness, and the end of those things was death, Romans 6:19,21.\u00a0 Sadly, it is possible for us to do the same after we have been saved.\u00a0 We see that this is true because the apostle has to exhort us to not yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, Romans 6:13.\u00a0 It is possible, then, to have uncleanness upon us as those who are “third day men”, even though in principle we have begun to walk in newness of life.\u00a0 This needs to be remedied, not only for our own sakes, but for the sake of others, lest they unwittingly be defiled by our uncleanness, but also, most importantly, because uncleanness not dealt with “defileth the tabernacle of the Lord”, Numbers 19:13.\u00a0 So it is that in 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 the apostle appeals to the believers to not be associated with unbelievers, “What agreement hath the temple of God with idols, for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; And I will be their God, and they shall be my people”. This is a quotation from Jeremiah 31:33.\u00a0 Next comes a quotation from Isaiah 52:11, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; And I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty”.<\/span><\/p>\n

First there comes the promise of God’s presence.\u00a0 Next comes the condition on which this is to be known, namely separation.\u00a0 Then comes the personal appeal of the apostle “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”.\u00a0 The concern of the apostle is that believers in the local assembly should realise that just as defilement affected the tabernacle, the place where God dwelt amongst His earthly people, so defilement affects the dwelling-place of God today, the local assembly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hence the appeal of the apostle that we cleanse ourselves.\u00a0 There are two sorts of filthiness.\u00a0 That of the flesh, the defilement from base passions and lusts.\u00a0 That of the spirit, the defilement of things in the religious sphere that we have already thought of in connection with the burning of the dung of the animal.\u00a0 The apostle reminds the Corinthians, (many of whom had been idol worshippers, and some of whom, strangely, seemed still to\u00a0 have had contact with such things), that the temple of God can have no fellowship with idols, for that is defilement of the spirit. What if this cleansing is not done?\u00a0 If the first day is our first contact with Christ, then may we suggest that the seventh day is the believer’s last day upon earth, the end of his cycle of time down here.\u00a0 How solemn to go into eternity with these things not dealt with!<\/span><\/p>\n

Such is the grace of God in Christ, that the work of Christ at Calvary allows God to reckon righteous all who truly believe the gospel.\u00a0 Judicially, all is settled, but practically, there may be things still to be dealt with at the Judgement Seat of Christ, where things done in the body, whether they are good or bad, will be brought out into the light if they have not been confessed.\u00a0 “Every one of us shall give account of ourselves before God”, Romans 14:12.\u00a0 “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad”, 2 Corinthians 5:10.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 14-16\u00a0\u00a0 This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.\u00a0\u00a0 And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In verses 11 and 13 there were general statements about the dead body of a man., but in verses 14-16 the details are given.\u00a0 There are two categories, defilement in a tent, or in the open field.\u00a0 First, in a tent.\u00a0 A man dies in a tent, and he, all that is in the tent, and all that come into the tent, are unclean for seven days.\u00a0 If the water of separation is used, then after the seven days there is cleansing, whether for persons or objects.\u00a0 The objects in a tent include vessels, no doubt containing food.\u00a0 If the vessel is covered, then there is no need for it to be cleansed. Second, those in the open fields, whether slain by the sword, a carcase lying on the surface, or a long-dead person, with only bones remaining, or a grave.\u00a0 There is increasing distance between the death occurring and the defilement being contracted.\u00a0 There is one whose death is so recent that its cause can be ascertained.\u00a0 Then one who has been dead long enough so that cause of death is uncertain.\u00a0 Then the carcase is so long decomposed that only bones remain, and finally, all has crumbled to dust, leaving only the grave.<\/span><\/p>\n

The lesson is simple.\u00a0 No matter how distant we are from the death that caused the defilement, there is still the need to remedy it.\u00a0 We must not think that the passage of time deals with the matter.\u00a0 There is defilement amongst the professed people of God, and there is defilement from the world, for “the field is the world”, Matthew 13:38. .\u00a0 David had reminded the nation that the mistakes of their forbears had a lesson, “after so long a time”, Hebrews 4:7, and this also applied to the Hebrews in AD 68, many years after they, as a nation, had rejected Christ.\u00a0 It was some 40 years since John the Baptist had called them to prepare for the coming King and His kingdom. Those who refused his word were like those who rejected Joshua and Caleb’s word, and failed to enter into the land.<\/span><\/p>\n

The writer to the Hebrews is anxious that the next generation should not make the same mistake. Because it was failure to listen to the voice of God that was the root of their sin in refusing the land, the writer to the Hebrews warns that “the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.\u00a0 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do”.\u00a0 Notice the features of the word of God.\u00a0 It is quick, that is, living; it is powerful or energetic; it sharper than a two-edged sword, and it is a divider.\u00a0 All these things have relevance in the matter of the disobedience of Israel when they refused the land. The living word of God came to them in the form of the faithful testimony of Caleb and Joshua.\u00a0 The writer to the Hebrews calls this “gospel”, Hebrews 4:2.\u00a0 Refusal of this word resulted in death in the wilderness for them. The word of God came to them in the form of encouragement to enter the land, assuring them He had power to bring them in, despite the formidable enemies that occupied the land.\u00a0 They refused the powerful word of God.\u00a0 When they did this, they found that the word of God was like a sharp sword, and meted out judgement to them for rebelling against Him. Far from falling by a literal sword in Canaan, as they feared, Numbers 14:3, they fell by a spiritual sword in the wilderness.\u00a0 No wonder special mention is made of a person slain by the sword, in Numbers 19:16.<\/span><\/p>\n

The word of God also discerns and distinguishes, dividing between that which is merely emotional, of the soul, such as national and religious pride, and that which is spiritual, which will take the form of obedience to His word. It can also distinguish between the joints and the marrow.\u00a0 That is, the outward part of the bone and the inward.\u00a0 The joint is that which facilitates outward action, whereas the marrow of the bone produces white blood cells to fight infection, red blood cells to carry oxygen, and platelets to stop bleeding, thus maintaining the life of the soul.\u00a0 The people were marked by inactivity when God instructed them to enter the land, and carnal activity when they went up in their own strength afterwards and were utterly defeated, Numbers 14:40-45.\u00a0 The word of God is able to distinguish between fleshly activity or inactivity, and the sort of exercise of heart which marked Caleb and Joshua.\u00a0 They trusted in the Lord with all their heart, and found that as Proverbs 3 went on to promise, it was marrow to their bones, Proverbs 3:5,8.\u00a0 It was not the bones of Caleb and Joshua that Israelites were defiled by as they made their way through the desert.<\/span><\/p>\n

The word of God also discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart.\u00a0 It can expose the thoughts of men, and the intentions they formulate after they have had those thoughts.\u00a0 Again the inner and outer is in view.\u00a0 Hebrews 3 speaks of the evil heart of unbelief that marked those who rejected the land.\u00a0 Numbers 14 records how these same people had the intention to go into the land on their own initiative, with disastrous results.\u00a0 The word of God discerned both their thoughts, and the intents of their hearts. Not only could defilement come upon them in the open field, but it could also invade their tents.\u00a0 There is nothing hid from the word of God here either, for the Lord knows what happens in the tents of Israel, and they are exposed to view beneath His all-seeing eye.\u00a0 When death came in a tent, then all in the tent, all that came into the tent, were to be counted unclean.\u00a0 There is special mention of vessel which had no covering bound upon them.\u00a0 It is implied that that if a vessel has a covering upon it, then it is not unclean.\u00a0 The defilement would not have come into contact with the food in the vessel.\u00a0 There is here a practical lesson in hygiene for the Israelites.\u00a0 There is no way of knowing when death will strike, so meticulous care must be taken at all times.\u00a0 There is a spiritual lesson too, for the food for the household of faith should always be kept free from the defilement that is prevalent in the world, and especially in the religious world, with its lethal mix of Judaism and paganism.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 17-22\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 THE SPRINKLING OF THE ASHES OF THE HEIFER<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 17-19\u00a0\u00a0 And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:\u00a0 And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:\u00a0 And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Notice the “of”, in the expression “they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin”, so only a portion of the ashes is used, leaving the rest for another act of cleansing.\u00a0 There is no blood involved in this personal part of the ceremony.\u00a0 The blood comes to the fore when the national need is addressed.\u00a0 It is not here a question of guilt for sin committed, but defilement.<\/span><\/p>\n

The counterpart to this is the first chapter of John’s first epistle, where the question of defilement comes up, with the double mention of cleansing.\u00a0 John is not concerned with the judicial side of things, but with the fact that walking in the light necessarily shows up defilement.\u00a0 So sin in that context is defilement, which hinders communion, for God can only presence Himself with those who are pure.<\/span><\/p>\n

We come now to the sprinkling of the water of separation.\u00a0 The man is going to be separated from his defilement by the use of two things, namely, ashes and water.\u00a0 The ashes are evidence of death having taken place.\u00a0 Death, that is, of a suitable substitute which had no liability to death because of breeding or behaviour.\u00a0 The water, as we have seen, is living or running water.\u00a0 We have already noted that the word of God is called “quick” meaning living, in Hebrews 4:12.\u00a0 So this gives us the clue as to the meaning here.\u00a0 The people are vulnerable to defilement because the word of God had not been obeyed in the matter of entering the land.\u00a0 They must disassociate themselves from the attitude of their forefathers if they are to know cleansing.\u00a0 They do this by the use of living water, water which has no trace of defilement, for it is not from some contaminated stagnant pool, but from a running stream.<\/span><\/p>\n

This water is applied by the use of hyssop.\u00a0 The materials for the sprinkling of blood have been burnt in the former part of the ceremony, but water needs to be sprinkled, so hyssop alone is used.\u00a0 Hyssop was one of the bitter herbs used at the Passover meal, which in that context spoke of the bitterness of their experiences as slaves in Egypt.\u00a0 Here it is the symbol of that repentance which befits those who have endangered the health of the camp of Israel, and more importantly, have brought into the camp that which reminds God of the disobedience of their fathers. The word of God having done its convicting work, the unclean man moves to deal with his defilement.\u00a0 By the application of that which speaks of an accepted sin offering, the defilement is removed by God.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is still more personal responsibility for the man however, for he is now required to wash his clothes, bathe his flesh in water, and wait until evening to be clean.\u00a0 From a medical standpoint this was necessary to ensure that no trace of the germ which caused the infection still remained on either his clothes or his person, and that the water that ensured this was perfectly dried up on his skin and clothing. The spiritual application of all this is important.<\/span><\/p>\n

When we realise we are defiled by some manifestation of sin, the word of God needs to be applied to that situation.\u00a0 With repentance because of our lapse, we need to have recourse to the provision God has made for this sort of situation.\u00a0 We are encouraged as we do so that the work of Calvary still maintains God’s people in their position before Him.\u00a0 Nothing can ever undermine the true believer’s position before God- it is settled for eternity.\u00a0 Present condition should not be confused with eternal position, however, and if we fail we must take steps to deal with the matter.\u00a0 The word of God for that particular failure must be applied, and in this manner the defilement is dealt with.\u00a0 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, 1 John 1:9.\u00a0 We need to “wash our clothes”, also, for clothing indicates character in the Scriptures, and there needs to be a change of attitude to the things that have led us into defilement.\u00a0 This is vitally important, since as we have seen in the chapter, defilement in the camp directly affects the tabernacle, significantly called here the sanctuary, or Holy Place.<\/span><\/p>\n

That is why in 2 Corinthians 6:16 the apostle reminds the believers that as an assembly they were a temple of God, and He was pleased to dwell amongst them if only they maintained separation lest they be defiled, and if they cleansed themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit if they did become defiled. The man was also to bathe his flesh in water, so that there was an overall application of the “water of the word” to his whole person.<\/span><\/p>\n

We need to apply the word of God to ourselves overall, for there is no part of us that should be outside of the regulation of the word of God.\u00a0 We are expected to yield our members as instruments of righteousness unto God, and as servants to righteousness unto holiness, Romans 6:13, 19.\u00a0 If we fail to do so, then we shall yield our members servants to uncleanness unto iniquity, and thereby will be in need of cleansing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verses 20-22\u00a0\u00a0 But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.\u00a0 And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.\u00a0 And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The closing verses of the chapter are intensely solemn, for they repeat what has already been stated in verses 12 and 13, namely that one who refused the remedy provided was to be cut off from Israel as being a threat to them both physically and spiritually.\u00a0 He was thereby put into the same position as those who had refused the land, for he too, like them, perished in the wilderness.\u00a0 Now true believers are eternally secure, but we must not neglect the application of this.\u00a0 For it is possible to let the seventh day pass, and be found in an unclean state.\u00a0 If the first day is our start with Christ at the cross, as we suggested in connection with verse 11, then the seventh day must represent our last day of opportunity before we either pass into eternity via death, or because the Lord comes.<\/span><\/p>\n

How solemn to allow this deadline to pass, without recourse to the Divine provision!\u00a0 Indeed if we are set upon such a course, then maybe the Lord will deal with us as He dealt with some at Corinth, as 1 Corinthians 11:29-34 describes. One final point.\u00a0 It was, and is, a great puzzle to the rabbis in Israel, as to why ashes which dealt with defilement made the one who touched them unclean, as verse 21 says they did.\u00a0 Looking at this matter from the medical viewpoint, it is easy to see that if an infected person was being dealt with according to this ritual, then given the highly contagious nature of some organisms, the clean person himself might have transmitted to him the same defilement, and the organism might also infect the water of separation itself.\u00a0 He did not need to go through the whole ritual, because he had been acting in obedience to God, and therefore could claim the promise of Exodus 15:26.\u00a0 Nor did he need to worry that the water of purification was physically defiled, for it was the spiritual meaning of the water that mattered, not the actual water itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Believers are thankful that they have One who acts on their behalf, who sanctifies and cleanses by the washing of water by the word, Ephesians 5:26, and who washes our feet so that we may continue to have part with Him, John 13:8.\u00a0 He can never be defiled, for He passed through this unclean world without a spot or blemish upon Him or in Him.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There were at least four once-for-all national sacrifices for Israel in the Old Testament.\u00a0 There was the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb, by which they were delivered from Egypt, and which became an annual festival, but only as a memorial of the original deliverance; the covenant sacrifices in Exodus 19 and 24; the sacrifice of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[163],"tags":[290,347,382,508,589,678],"class_list":["post-1568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-numbers-19-the-red-heifer","tag-apostasy","tag-christ","tag-defilement","tag-israel","tag-messiah","tag-sacrifice"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1568"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4979,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568\/revisions\/4979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}