Cleansing from sin

Text Numbers 19 Time 07/10/12 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

Numbers 19 is quite a strange chapter in some ways as it is the only place where the particular ritual that is spoken of is referred to. There is nothing like this in Leviticus where most of the details of such matters is to be found or in Deuteronomy, either. Then there is the question of what all the symbols mean. Why does the heifer or young cow need to be red? Why does it have to be killed outside the camp? Why is Eleazar spoken of rather than Aaron? What is the significance of cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool? The matter is certainly referred to in the New Testament. In Hebrews 9:13 the writer says The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.

An article appeared in the New York Times in September 1999. It began

“If the Rev. Clyde Lott has his way, several hundred cows will be flown to Israel in December. And the Mississippi preacher has some unlikely allies in his quest: Jews living in Israel and the West Bank.”

The article went on to say that these would be the first what the cattle rancher and ordained Pentecostal minister hoped would be 50,000 sent to the Jewish state. His idea in part comes from this passage and the idea that a new Temple needs to be built in Jerusalem on the old site. If a new Temple was built then the ritual of Numbers 19 would also come back in, it is believed by some. Lott's quest began in 1989 when he heard a sermon saying the Second Coming was near. Lott was working at the time with the Jewish Temple Institute and he is not the only one to have worked with them in an effort to see red heifers born in the Jewish state. At the time Lott had given up his family's livestock business to focus on the red heifer project full time "It's become a lifelong goal," he said. "I don't do anything else."

I'm not sure what happened to Mr Lott but a red heifer was apparently born in Israel in 2010. No sign of a Temple yet, however

Now the significance of the passage does not lie in some new Temple in Jerusalem. Rather, the passage surely has something to teach us about how we can be cleansed not simply from ceremonial uncleanness as existed under the Old Covenant but from sin itself. Hebrews 9:13 is followed by verse 14 -

The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

The first thing to notice here in Numbers 19 is that the chapter easily divides into two parts. Firstly, in verses 1-10 we are told what has to happen in order to make the water of cleansing, how cleansing can be made possible. Then from verse 11 we are told how the water of cleansing is to be applied in the case of ceremonial uncleanness. Now in the same way, if we are to be cleansed from our sins two things need to happen. Firstly, there needs to be a sacrificial act that will provide a cleansing agent, as here. This is the work of Christ. Secondly, the purifying agent then needs to be applied. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. And so we say

1. Understand what Christ has done that you may know cleansing from sin

The chapter opens with the LORD speaking to Moses and Aaron. A rather unusual phrase is used to introduce the subject - This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded. What is required is that the Israelites should be told to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. It is then to be given to Aaron's son Eleazar – perhaps because Aaron is soon going to die or because Aaron would have been busy with duties at the Tabernacle itself. Eleazar is to witness the death of the animal outside the camp and then take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting. In verse 5 it says While he watches, the heifer is to be burned - its hide, flesh, blood and offal. Along with the burning heifer some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool are to be thrown onto the burning heifer too.

7, 8 After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening.

The final part (9, 10) is that

A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They shall be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin. The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening. This will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the aliens living among them.

Now there are nine elements in this description that we can isolate and point out the way they point to Jesus.

1. A red heifer is to be taken. Perhaps the redness of the young cow is intended to stress the shedding of blood. It was to be one that has never been under a yoke. The Lord Jesus certainly came ready to die and though he was under the yoke of the law, he was young and tender when he died, only 33 years old.

2. It is to be without defect or blemish and one that has never been under a yoke. Like all sacrifices not just any animal would do but it had to be a perfect specimen. This points us to the perfect holiness of Christ. He was entirely without sin and so fit to be a perfect sacrifice.

3. The animal is to be slain outside the camp. The writer to the Hebrews draws attention to the fact that in the providence of God Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem, outside the camp. In Hebrews 13:13 he says Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. What shame he knew. We should be willing to share that shame.

4. Blood is to be taken and sprinkled before the Tabernacle seven times. Seven is the complete and perfect number. The death of Christ here on earth was effective because the blood was in a sense sprinkled before the throne of God in heaven. As he died so the fact was registered in heaven and atonement was made there.

5. The heifer is to be burned up. The heifer was not only to be slaughtered but burned up. When Christ was on the cross he not only died but there was a sense in which he went to hell. Remember how it was dark for three hours as he hung there, signifying the Lord forsaking him. It is as if eternal hell was contracted to that short period of time and he suffered its pangs.

6. With the heifer some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool are to be thrown in. These three items were also used in the cleansing of lepers described in Leviticus 14. The Jews say that the three were put together, the hyssop being bound to the cedar wood with the scarlet wool. It is difficult to be sure why they were used but perhaps the scarlet wool speaks of sin that is burnt up through Christ and his enduring and sweet smelling sacrifice brought about by the shedding of his blood.

7. After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water before coming back into camp. The same goes for the man who burns the heifer and the man who gathers up its ashes. This reminds us that those who put Christ to death were sinners. What they did was not right. Even though it brought about a way of purification they needed forgiveness for such an act.

8. Finally, the heifer's ashes are to be gathered up and put in a special place outside the camp. They are then to be used in the water of cleansing which is for purification from sin. The lesson here is surely that it is only through Christ's death that our hearts can be washed clean and cleansed from the sin that so easily clings to them.

9. The ordinance is both for the Israelites and for the aliens living among them. That is not to be missed. When Christ died there was a statement above his head that he is King of the Jews. He is not only King of the Jews but Saviour of the world and the death he died he died for Jews and Gentiles, Israelites and aliens. He died for all sorts of people, people like us.

2. Understand what the Spirit can do for you that you may know cleansing from sin

The rest of the chapter then describes uncleanness and how it can be removed. Verse 11 says

Whoever touches the dead body of anyone will be unclean for seven days. In order to be purified he needs to use the water spoken of on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean.

Verse 13 warns

Whoever touches the dead body of anyone and fails to purify himself defiles the Lord’s tabernacle. That person must be cut off from Israel. Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on him, he is unclean; his uncleanness remains on him.

We then have more detail about becoming unclean. In verses 14, 15 we read

This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

16 Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.

We are then told that

Ashes from the burned purification offering are to be put into a jar and ... fresh water is to be poured over them. Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave or someone who has been killed or someone who has died a natural death. This is to be done on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify him. The person being cleansed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and that evening he will be clean. The chapter ends with further dire warnings about what happens if cleansing does not take place. Finally, The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening. Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.

All this reminds us that we need not only Christ's atonement but the Spirit to apply the cleansing. Again there are a number of points to note.

1. There are things we do that defile us and leave us defiled.

2. In order to be purified we need to make use of what through sacrifice has been provided for our cleansing.

3. If we fail to make use of the cleansing God provides we will remain unclean

4. There is something contagious about the uncleanness of sin

5. The danger of falling into sin is all about us

6. To benefit from the cleansing God provides we must also cleanse ourselves

7. Even the person God uses to bring about cleansing is a sinner and needs to be cleansed too

We are told near the end that

The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening.

That reminds us that even those who preach so that people are cleansed from sin are themselves sinners and need forgiveness. It can be a trial to some Christians to learn how sinful those who preached the gospel to them are but it should not be. Though preachers should endeavour to be holy they are often not. Nevertheless cleansing is possible through the Spirit.