Purity and Life | Numbers part 21

We tend to think of holiness as a moral quality. Typically, holiness is synonymous with “good” or “righteous.” While that is part of it, there is another aspect that has to do with “purity.” To be holy is to be uncorrupted, solid, and uncontaminated. It is a quality that goes deeper than the surface. Sin is more than outward acts. It is an inward disposition. As we take a look at Numbers 19, we are taking a look at a set of laws that point us to the inward problem of sin.

Purification Offerings point to the necessity of cleansing the inward person not just atoning for outward acts.

Sometimes I will hear a well-meaning teacher say something like, “The Jews were concerned about actions and rituals, but Jesus pointed us to the heart as the problem.” This statement is only partially true. Yes, the Jews focused on outward actions, but that is because their teachers misunderstood the Law. Just like many Christians today who focus their faith on going to church, giving an offering, or reading their Bible, they developed a list of to-do’s and not-to-do’s as the only dimension of their faith. While Jesus, the whole time desires to transform the heart. Likewise, the Lord gave the sacrificial system, not as a list of to-do’s, but as a means for heart transformation. Every Law, every sign, every testimony of every prophet points to the need for inward transformation.

Today’s passage is the clearest example, and yet, ironically, it is also one of the most misunderstood.

The Red Heifer | Numbers 19:1-10

Now the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come. And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him. And Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. And the heifer shall be burned in his sight. Its skin, its flesh, and its blood, with its dung, shall be burned. And the priest shall take cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn, and throw them into the fire burning the heifer. Then the priest shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. But the priest shall be unclean until evening. The one who burns the heifer shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water and shall be unclean until evening. And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place. And they shall be kept for the water for impurity for the congregation of the people of Israel; it is a sin offering. And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. And this shall be a perpetual statute for the people of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them.

Numbers 19:1-10

In Jewish circles, the Law is broken into three categories: Mishpatim (rational laws), Edot (testimonies/symbolic laws), and Chukim (decrees beyond human logic). This particular ritual and law falls under the last category. The majority of laws concern the people with moral law—whether in their relationship with one another or with God. These would tend to be rational laws. They make sense to those who desire righteousness. A large portion concerns with ceremonial laws—the particular ways to do things in the tabernacle. Much, if not all, of these would be the testimony and symbolic laws. Their symbolism points us to God and communion with Him. But, for the Jewish rabbis, there are some laws that just don’t make a lot of sense. Nevertheless, the Lord commanded them, and so they should follow them. These laws teach humility and point us to the mysteries of the faith.

Perhaps it is coincidence, or perhaps it is a great example of the “veil” over the eyes of unbelievers Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 4, that this particular law is considered the Supreme Chok for the rabbis.

How is it the dead remains of the heifer can purify?

How is it those who prepare the concoction become impure?

Why does the fire of the heifer have cedar, hyssop, and scarlet thread added to the fire?

Jewish symbolism helps answer that last question, but for the Jewish rabbi, there are no easy answers to the first two.

But for the Christian, we know the answer to this Great Mystery. His Name is Jesus.

The symbolism of the Law of the Red Heifer points us directly to Christ.

Hebrews directly points us to Jesus in this Law. And when we look at this Law through the lens of Christ, the symbolism, significance, and purpose becomes clear.

First, the heifer is to be taken outside of the camp. In other sacrifices the remains of the sacrifice were carried outside the camp, but the sacrifice itself was done at the tabernacle. This particular sacrifice was carried outside the camp just as Jesus was taken outside of Jerusalem to be crucified.

Again, Hebrews points us to this truth.

For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.

Hebrews 13:11-12

Second, why is it the priest and those who helped in this ritual have to purify themselves after performing this law? This fact points us to how those who would slaughter Jesus were impure. The Jews who rejected Jesus gave him over to Gentiles who put Him on the cross. Though Christ’s sacrifice was ordained by God, that does not absolve the Romans and Jews of their guilt. This impure act may bring purity, but it is still an impure act.

And this leads us back to our first question, how can the dead remains of a dead animal bring purity? First, the fire transforms the dead animal. We already discussed before how fire transforms and strengthens, but in this case, the ash is mixed with water (some Christians see a type of baptism here) to create the means by which purification can happen. Second, and more importantly, it can bring purification because the heifer has paid the price for purification. It is a sacrifice with an ongoing effectiveness. The difference is with Christ, His one sacrifice covers completely and purifies from the inside-out. The heifer was only able to cleanse the outside.

Once again, this inward purification is typified in the requirements. The priest was to add cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet thread to the fire. Cedars are known for their height and strength. They are a symbol of pride. Keep in mind, the cedars known to the Israelites would be the cedars of Lebanon used in building construction—not the weeds Nebraskans find no use for. Hyssop is a low plant found among rocky terrains. It is a symbol of humility. Scarlet symbolizes blood and sin. The three together form a rabbinic teaching. Pride elevates the person like a cedar, but brings sin and stain. Humility is required for a person to be purified.

At least, that is the version you would hear from the rabbis. For the Early Christians, they understood a person cannot purify himself—no matter how humble he is. Instead, they understand the cedar to be the cross. The scarlet is the blood of Christ. And, the hyssop is a source of cleansing. As the psalmist declares:

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psalm 51:7

Now, if I may be so bold, I would like to merge these two interpretations together. If we, today, desire to be purified, what do we need to bring to the fire of the Lord? What do we offer?

We put in cedar. We give up our pride and look to the cross. Whatever we think we have accomplished that is good, we recognize it is absolute garbage compared to Christ’s redemptive work.

We put in hyssop. We offer ourselves in humility clinging only to Christ just as the hyssop clings to the rock (thank you, St. Augustine, On Christian Doctrine). We allow the Lord to use that hyssop to purge us. We remember that hyssop is a tool for cleaning, and we need to be clean.

We put in scarlet. We recognize the blood on our hands. No, we may not have literal blood, but we certainly have done our fair share of damage to people around us. We put in the stain of our sins that covers us. And we look to Jesus who poured out His blood on the cross to redeem us and establish the new covenant. His sacrifice opened the door of heaven and can cleanse us from every sin.

We put these with the heifer that is Christ’s own body sacrificed for us recognizing we have not earned this gift of salvation and cleansing in any sort of way, but God so loved us that He sent His Son for us to be saved.

The cedar, scarlet, and hyssop remind us of the necessity of Christ’s sacrifice and our humility if we desire to be cleansed.

Applying the Cure | Numbers 19:11-22

“Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days. He shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean. Whoever touches a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him.

“This is the law when someone dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be unclean seven days. And every open vessel that has no cover fastened on it is unclean. Whoever in the open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally, or touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. For the unclean they shall take some ashes of the burnt sin offering, and fresh water shall be added in a vessel. Then a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there and on whoever touched the bone, or the slain or the dead or the grave. And the clean person shall sprinkle it on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day. Thus on the seventh day he shall cleanse him, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and at evening he shall be clean.

“If the man who is unclean does not cleanse himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, since he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. Because the water for impurity has not been thrown on him, he is unclean. And it shall be a statute forever for them. The one who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening. And whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean, and anyone who touches it shall be unclean until evening.”

Numbers 19:11-22

This section points us two main truths regarding sin and purification. First,

Sin’s corrupting effect extends to everything it touches.

Notice whoever touches the dead body and whatever is in the household of the dead body is corrupted by death. The purifying water has to be sprinkled on everything to cleanse the house. A clean person has to sprinkle the water on the unclean person on the third and seventh day. (Remember 3 is the heavenly number, and 7 is the perfected and whole number.)

Second, living in this world requires diligence in cleanliness. No, I don’t mean cleaning your house, though that is good, too. The Israelites had the sacrificial system to cleanse themselves and their nation. Unfortunately, they still lived in this sin-corrupted world. We have Christ who is actively transforming us and this world, but we still have to deal with the corruption of sin around us. And so the question is, “Who is affecting who?” Are we being salt and light, or are we allowing death around us to infect our thinking?

The purifying water points us to the need to bring purity to the world around us.

It is a daily effort and a daily surrender to the Spirit of God to be the salt and light Jesus calls us to be.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1

Salvation comes with surrender. We give everything we have and we are to Christ sacrificing it all in the fire of the Lord. Then, each day, we continue to surrender offering our bodies as a living sacrifice. The Israelites would constantly deal with death and impurities in this world. We, too, still live in this corrupted world. If we are to remain effective as salt and light, we must daily surrender to Jesus sacrificing our pride and self so that we can point others to Him.