Numbers chapter 19. This is so interesting. We talk about context. I think context has been building in this, so I hope that I can communicate these things. In Numbers, we considered the priesthood of the Lord. In chapter 16 through 18, you have the priesthood rejected by Israel, confirmed to them by the Lord, and to be supported by Israel. The next chapter, which we're coming to now, concerns purification water. If the events of the tragedies of Korah, Dathom and Abiram, and the deaths of so many, 14,700, and the intercessions of Aaron as he stood between the living and the dead. Remember those things? To turn the judgment of the Lord away from Israel. It seems quite reasonable that the next order of business would be to rid them of the defilement for the dead. And that's what we consider here. This is what it's all about. After all, That's the topic of chapter 19. Literally. The nation was greatly affected. By so many that it died. And the Lord required cleansing from this. As a type. This shows the New Testament believer priests need or cleansing from dead works. so that he might continue to serve the living God. Now I kind of stole that from Hebrews because it's there. Paul deals with it and I'll share that if I can remember in a moment. There was much defilement in the nation of Israel on account of the dead in the camp of Israel. And add to this, remember this, The entire generation, from 20 years old and upward, they were numbered of Israel, of the warriors, 603,000 some odd souls. And if they were married, and very likely they were, some of them, or if all of them, that puts you to above a million souls that are gonna die during the sojourn, just of these. A million, a million 200,000 over that. I thought it was interesting. I checked 2019 crude death rate, that's everybody that dies, in Alaska. We have about, well, I don't know how long ago that was, but I remember a number of 600,000. So I have something to touch base with. And our crude death rate was 6.6 per 100,000. That would be, that means that every year about 792, if this rate continues, 792 people died in the state of Alaska. It was above three times that number for Israel. The Lord was doing this, judging them, and they were dying out there. A rate of 20.85 per 100,000. Just to give you an idea how much death was taking place in Israel. The point is that the Lord would have Israel cleansed from this defilement. Very important. So he provides a means for their cleansing so that they might be restored to a state of cleanness. I want to say one more thing before we begin reading. The 19th chapter appears to be one of the last things recorded of Israel's sojourn until they come near to the entering into the land of Canaan. What I'm saying is chapter 20 is a fast forward to the end. In that chapter, Miriam and Aaron die. Matter of fact, all three died within a period of 12 months. We're right at the end, just before they come into the land of promise by the history given here in numbers. So this is the time, 19 jumped forward in chapter 20, and I think that it's true that as Israel did, the greater portion of our Christian experience is lived in need of what's presented here for Israel concerning the red heifer. We actually live under that, for the most part, all of our lives. He saves us, it was a moment's experience. And when we go, it'll be a moment's experience. Everything in between concerns this, if I understand it correctly. So in this chapter, verses one through 10, Israel presents the red heifer to the high priest and instructs him about who shall do and what shall be done to the red heifer, verses one through 10. Verses 11 through 16 tells to whom the elements of the red heifer are to be applied. Verses 17 and 19 through 19 tells us how the elements are to be applied. Verse 20 is a warning to those that refuse to have it applied. And the last two verses implies a mutual relationship of the brethren that are involved in this ceremony concerning Red Ever. Now that's important because if you keep in mind, the high priest never leaves his station. He doesn't get involved in this, okay? He's not there. He will not be defiled by the dead in the manner that we are. Now that's significant in this chapter. So here, verses one through 10, we're making the purification water, and what they're going to do, and how the red heifer is treated. Verse one, the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, saying, this is the ordinance of the law, which the Lord has commanded, saying, speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer, and what that, so what's happening, the heifer is a female of the herd. This animal being female was not only of the costliest of the sacrificial animals, remember that we studied in Leviticus early on, but being a female has some type to it, representing Christ's subjection to the will of the Father, John 5 30, and his weakness or infirmity and a number of scriptures for that, because he took on human flesh. He could sorrow, he could hunger, he could thirst, he could have an holy anger, but all of those things were affiliated with his humanity. And this red heifer is without spot. and wherein is no blemish, and upon which never yoke came." So without spot, to simply say it, he's of a solid red color. There's no difference in the color of this animal. Solid, at least that much. No blemish. without corruptions, sores, diseases, and defects in the flesh. It's not blind, it's not lame, it's not broken or crushed, it's cut. So you get the idea. Well, let's turn, look at this Leviticus chapter 22 verse 22 and forward just a couple of verses. There it reads what, without blemish, the offering should be like in their perfect way. Blind, not broken, maimed, having a wind, a scurvy, or scabbed, some kind of a skin disorder, you should not offer these unto the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them unto the Lord, upon the altar of the Lord, to the Lord. Either a bullock or a lamb, that hath anything superfluous or lacking in his power. He can't have an extra toe, he can't be missing a foot or anything like that, no imperfection. That thou mayest offer for a freewill offering a vow, but for, and it goes on. We just wanted to see that. Deuteronomy 15, 21, if there be any blemish therein, if it be lame, as if it be lame or blind or have any ill blemish, thou should not sacrifice it to the Lord thy God. Now, the animal is unspotted. He's without blemish. As we read in scriptures, Christ is. Hebrews 9, 14. How much more said a blood of Christ, you through the eternal spirit, offered himself without spot to God. And he was also a purger, a constant of dead works to serve a living God. Peter says in the first epistle, 1 verse 19, we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. And so we have the idea of perfection. There's the wording here, and I'm not sure if I understand it correctly, but upon which never yoke came. There seems to be something about this that makes him, this heifer different from the others. And that Christ is different from us. Never a yoke came upon this beast, this animal. It speaks of being under dominion. This animal was not under the dominion of that which the usual burdened beast came under. The implication is that it was usual for beasts to be under the yoke, or unusual that this beast was not under a yoke. But this animal was evidently separated from this burden and so useful only in this sacrifice here. And like this, Christ was never under the dominion of the flesh as sinful men are. You'll, again, Hebrews 7, 26, for such a high priest became us, fits us, we needed this kind of high priest, who is what? He's holy, he's harmless, he's undefiled, he's separate from sinners, made higher than the heavens and so on. So, continuing in this text at verse three, he says, and ye, Moses and Aaron, this is an ordinance of the Lord, this is what they'll do. shall give her, the red heifer, to Eleazar the high priest." So in turn Moses and Aaron are to give this animal to Aaron's son, Eleazar. And at this it's clear that the high priest is not involved in this matter, not involved. He was not to be defiled by the dead, and so he would not be partaking in this ceremony. And you would find that turned to Leviticus chapter 21, verses 10 through 12. He that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated, dedicated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes, neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father." How significant? It's important. He'll not defile himself for his father. If his dad dies, he doesn't have anything to do with this. Or for his mother. Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God, for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him, I am the Lord. He is so reserved to so well typify our high priest, Jesus Christ, not defiled for the dead. And so we have a similarity in those that perform this ceremony. upon the one and the ones doing the service are mutually involved in this issue concerning the defilement for the dead. It seems proper to say that Eleazar presents a picture of a brother among brethren. He shares in the things concerning this issue. So, and ye, Moses Aaron, shall give her, this heifer to Eleazar, the priest that he may bring her, he does it, her forth without the camp, outside the camp. And one, we don't know who it is, it's not revealed. But you know, by us, what's going on here, it'd be one of the brethren. But there is something to the fact that he's not identified. And that silent member really leads my mind, and may yours as well, to the work of the Spirit of God in this thing that's going on. I think it's interesting. The Spirit of God doesn't glorify himself, he doesn't speak of himself, but he speaks of the things of Christ. He does that, and it's very important, and other things as well. But one shall slay her before his face, In this unknown person, verses three, verse five, verse nine, 19, and maybe a couple of others, where you have this one person, an unidentified host. Verse four, in Eleazar, the priest shall take of her blood with his finger and sprinkle it, sprinkle of, of what? Of just enough, not all of it, The blood in the next verse is burned. He takes enough blood and sprinkles it, of it, her blood, directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times. Very interesting. So, from this, he takes the blood and sprinkles just what he needs, seven times with a finger, and it says directly before the tabernacle. This tells me where they are. They're directly east. of the tabernacle, of the gate into the court, of the door, the hanging, to the tabernacle, which leads to the veil inside and the holiest of all. He does that directly there, before the tabernacle. That's where the ceremony is taking place. This is where the blood, so evidently, when this happens, the animal's slain and he takes and does this, he probably looks back and he sees the tabernacle, and is what? By that in my mind, he's reminded that Christ is among his people. He sees fiery pillar there over the mercy seat, all this. He's in their midst and over the place of mercy. And one, there it is again, an unidentified person, and one shall burn the heifer in his sight, literally before his eyes, And what? Her skin, her flesh, and her blood, see, that remained, that wasn't sprinkled. With her dung shall he burn. So you have the idea of the entire animal being consumed in the fire. And the priest, and of course this defines for us the complete sacrifice of Jesus Christ for sins. We see that, we can't, we're not denying that at all. This is forming the basis of what's going to take place. The entire animals burned there outside the camp east from the tabernacle. And what? Verse six, and the priest, we know who he is by name, Eleazar, shall take cedarwood and hyssop, and scarlet. Not just the color, but it leads you to understand that it is scarlet wool. It's just, you know, when you read about a turtle in the scriptures, it's not a turtle. It understands that you know it's a turtle dove, you see. They didn't offer turtles, but doves. And so this is basically the same thing. And scarlet, what I understand to be wool. But what'd he do with it, these elements? As that animal's burning, he cast it into the mist of the burning of the heifer. And it has some significance that I'd love to spend more time digging and finding out. There are a few things that we would say about it in just a minute. But at the moment, we see all of this in the fire and being consumed completely and turned into an ash. But I'll say this. These three elements, the cedarwood, the hyssop, and the scarlet wool, are the very same elements that are used in the cleansing of a leper, cleansing of a leper. And it shows us by that, for example, the very seriousness of sin at all levels, all levels. There's nothing as a small sin. I think I read somebody today about, you know, you tell a little lie, you're gonna be tellin' a big lie. You just keep, it will. But there's no such thing as a white lie or a little lie, it's a lie. But it will, it progresses into worse things as we, sin doesn't, it's not just stagnant, it's always moving to worse and worse things. Verse seven, 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, Eliezer will, until the evening. Now, this very likely, I can't imagine it not taking a good part of the day. They began this, I'm sure it took some time to finish this, and so in the while, he is unclean till evening. And what does it read? The evening, remember the Bible account of a day is an evening and a morning. And so he's gonna start in just a little while, after having done this, just this part of it, with a new slate. Fresh, clean, new day. I think that's cool. And he that burns her, this one that was unnamed, shall wash his clothes in water, bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even. And a man that is clean, it assumes there's another unnamed person involved, and a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes, and this is what we want to get to, the ashes of the heifer, and shall lay them up outside without the camp in a clean place. Now that tells me something. And it should be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for future use, for application ahead of them. What is it for? For a water of separation. A water, literally, a water for your filthiness. It says, it is a purification for sin, and literally, in Hebrew, it's a sin offering. It's another part of taking care of the issue of sin. I wasn't used to reading, you know, I was used to, in Leviticus, I was used to reading the sacrifices for sin, right? Animal sacrifices. But I was totally thrown back to read about how the intercession of Aaron was atoning. And we remember that, we studied it. It kind of set me back a little bit, but it's another aspect to what's going on concerning sin. And this is one of those, where there's a water for a sin offering. And it's doing something, but all of that is based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It all has this at its foundation, and that's very important. This place is not a common place. He took, a clean man, took these ashes to a place that's clean. It wasn't a common place. It wasn't where they threw the trash. It wasn't where people commonly trod upon. It was a clean place, a separated place. It's a place that's sanctified, a place that you would put up the ashes for Israel's future applications. This place, as best I can tell, is the place where the priest would take the ashes at the brazen altar. He'd come out and put them in a clean place. Quite frankly, it's because they put it in this place, it made it the clean place. And so I would think they took those ashes there to this place. And so we read the words as a purification for sin or sin offering. The ceremony of the red heifer has reference to something concerning sin. I want you to remember that the Apostle Paul referred to the fact that almost, remember that? We just read this. Almost all things are purged by blood. This is that instance. You do not see a direct application of it. Moses, remember, he sprinkled the blood upon the people in the book, on the covenant, all that? That's not this. This is what he's talking about here. Almost all things are purged by blood. The atoning of intercessory prayer, that's a part of this. But, and this is important, as I just said, the basis of all of this is the sacrifice of Christ. He says, without shedding of blood is no remission. So intercessory prayer is based on Christ's death for us. And this cleansing is based on Christ's death for us, one of those instances. Verse 10, and he that gathers the ashes of the heifer, he'll do something just like the priest just did, shall wash his clothes and be unclean till even, and it shall be unto the children of Israel and unto the stranger that sojourns among them for a statute. We read earlier it was an ordinance. And so now in verse 11, to whom this purified water is to be applied. He that touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. That's provided he does what he's supposed to do. It would be longer as long as he refuses to follow the Lord's program. He shall purify himself with it, with this water, 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. It isn't so clear, but as we read on, there are two applications of this purification water. The one on the third day and the second on the seventh. Verse 19. And this is like the Christian experience. There are two cleansings. The first is a cleansing which every sinner received by virtue of faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That was a once-for-all cleansing from the punishment of guilt due for sins against God. But the second cleansing, the second is the cleansing the children of God receive when they repent and confess their sins to God as an ongoing experience. It doesn't do any good for someone that hasn't had the first application to do the second. That's kind of like someone that would, that doesn't believe in the Lord that says, oh Lord, I'm sorry for what I did. What is that? He doesn't believe in Christ, it doesn't do him any good. It doesn't do anything. And so you have the whole, you have both involved here, both cleansings. I'm very sure that there are those out there that will tell the Lord they're sorry, and they have confessed their sins, maybe get into the details and such, that don't know Christ. And it does nothing. It's without effect. They don't have a cleansing, they hadn't the first, and the second would cleanse them as well. So in this case, if you didn't have the first application, the second is nothing, you're still unclean. The Lord's provision provides the only remedy And it should have been a quick remedy for the defilement. Literally, as far as the dead are concerned, what this does, I mean, when you think about it, they really had people dying. It made sure that they buried their dead quickly. They put them away quickly and got cleansed from that involvement, literally. And I think that's a good thing for us to think about, literally, concerning our dead. put them to their place, their bodies away quickly. I think it's proper. I have, I did read some where there was elaborate ceremonies and such and they wouldn't bury their dead for a long time. And the Lord by this wouldn't have that. So verse 13, whosoever touches the dead body of any man that is dead and purifies not himself defiles the tabernacle of the Lord. And that soul should be cut off from Israel because the water of separation wasn't sprinkled on him. He should be unclean. His uncleanness is yet upon him. This is the law when a man dies in a tent. All that come into the tent, all that is in the tent shall be unclean seven days. The people and the things, every open vessel which has no covering bound upon it is unclean. Whosoever touches one that is slain with a sword in the open field or a dead body or a bone of a man or a grave shall be unclean seven days. So you get the picture of being unclean, of the uncleanness contracted for dealing with the dead. So now the verses 17 and 19 tell them how to apply this purification of water. The animal has been reduced to ashes. For an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin. And running water, that's the Hebrew haya, living water, a spring, spring of water, shall be put into a vessel. Speaks of new life. And a clean person shall take hyssop. and dip it in the water. Now there was already hyssop put into the burning of the heifer, but here, this one, a clean person, unnamed, shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it upon his tent. Whatever's defiled, been defiled here. Upon the tent, upon all the vessels, upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave. And the unclean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day. You see it? And on the seventh day, what? He shall purify himself. The water was applied, the ash water with the cedar wood and the hyssop and scarlet wool. That mixture was in the water. And this person sprinkled it on those defiled, made unclean. But after all this, he washes his clothes and bathes himself. This had been happening to him, and now that it's completed, he acts. He bathes, he washes his clothes, bathes himself in water, and shall be clean and even. To what? To begin a whole new day in service to the Lord. And now there's a warning to those who reject the Lord's provision for cleaning them from this defilement. But the man that shall be unclean and shall not purify himself, that soul should be cut off from among the congregation because he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of separation has not been sprinkled upon him. He's unclean. Now, defiling the sanctuary of the Lord, now this person very likely, he didn't come maybe to the court, he didn't do, it's talking about, I think it means, in a broader term, wherever the Lord is, is a holy place. When Moses came to the burning bush, he was commanded to take his shoes off his feet, because the place where he was standing was holy ground. Wherever the Lord is, it's his sanctuary. In that vein of thought, in Exodus 15, 17, thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. I think the sanctuary refers to the land as well. The whole camp in Deuteronomy 23, verse 12. The camp is holy. but it seems to be wherever the Lord is. And because they reject this cleansing, they defile the sanctuary, they're put out of the camp, expelled from this which belongs to the Lord. Verse 21, we have now an implication of a mutual relationship of those involved in the ceremony And again, I want to remind you, the high priest didn't leave his station. And it shall be a perpetual statute under them, under them all, all, all involved, that he that sprinkles the water of separation shall wash his clothes, and he that touches the water of separation, notice, shall be unclean until even. Even the process shows that they have become defiled. And whatsoever the unclean person touches shall be unclean, and the soul that touches it evidently what the unclean person touched shall be unclean until even. How easily defilement spreads among the brethren. It's like, in a sense, it's like leaven. Sin is quite pervasive. Matthew 13, 33 says, a parable the Lord spake to the disciples. The kingdom of heaven is likened to leaven. which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened. It pervades the entire lump or meal. In 1 Corinthians 5, 6, your glory is not good. Most of us are familiar with what was taking place here. No, you're not the little leaven, leaven's the whole lump. So you have to rid it, and sin has to be dealt with. And this is the people of God, and they've come into this defilement. Let me say this and maybe I could bring it together a little bit more clearly for your minds. The type that we could draw from this red heifer I believe is equal to resolving private and public sins, to settling offenses and becoming restored to the Lord, to the brethren. But suffice to say just a few things here. As the Israelites would be quick to put away their dead and apply themselves to the provision of the Lord for cleansing, So the child of God should be quick to apply to cleansing at every instance when they become defiled by dead works. That's what you really have in consideration here. Dead works. We're acting like the world. We've gone back doing things that we should not have done. Things that perhaps we did prior to having known the Lord. And it seems to be so. For the Israelite, this cleansing was not a direct result of the death of the sacrificial animal, but a subsequence of it, a consequence of it. This cleansing was an after effect from the death of the animal. It wasn't the blood that was sprinkled upon the defiled, but the ashes of the heifer with the cedar wood, meaning enduring or strength, the hyssop, means of application and purification, the scarlet wool, an emblem for comfort and richness, mixed with what? Living water, typifying new life, cleansing, This was what was for cleansing. The red heifer appears to be what Paul refers to in chapter 10 of Hebrews. Look at this, and I think we can pretty well end this. Chapter 10, beginning at verse 21. I believe this is what he's referring to. And having an high priest over the house of God, implying that has and will not leave his station. Let us, our mutual relationship in this matter, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." Notice that? That seems to be referring to this very thing here. Let us hold the profession. And what? In this way, having been cleansed of the defilements of the flesh and spirit, we can serve the Lord. But once we become defiled, we're hindered in that service. We can't. But what, in this state of being, in a state of holiness, if you will, in a cleansed state, let us hold the profession of our faith without wavering. Now we're fit to do that, we're prepared to do that. How can we unless we're in this place? For he's faithful that promised. And let us consider one another. to provoke to love and to good works. You see the corporate relationship and a mutual relationship that we have in this matter, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some, evidently the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. Four, if we sin willfully, After that, we receive the knowledge of the truth. Now, Moses just wrote that those that would not have this applied to them would be cut off from Israel. And that's parallel to what the child of God will experience. There's no more a sacrifice for sins. What else is there if we won't apply ourselves to what the Lord has given for us? We can go to him again, our Lord, again, and again, and again, and receive cleansing. And John refers to it, cleansing, how do you say that? If we walk in the light, as he's in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ. It's some, you know, people take this Pentecostal idea as if there's a fountain of blood and there's blood and glory and stuff, but that's just not the case. It's talking about the continual, ongoing effect of the work of the death of Christ in our lives. The blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin. And that's what you have. If we won't apply ourselves to this means, which the Lord has given to us as the people of God, believer priests, there's nothing else. There is nothing else that will do. It won't happen. But remember this, all of it is founded upon what Christ did for us on the cross. But what's left? You know it. A fearful looking for of judgment. And if we know the Lord, it's a common. We are not allowed to continue in this state. We're not allowed to as the children of God. He will chasten us, judge us. So when we read this one more text, I believe it's parallel, John in so many words. I just read the last of these two verses. I wanna start with verse six of chapter one of first John. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, what, what is that? We're defiled. We're walking in darkness? We're defiled by the dead. That's exactly what it's all about. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we do not the truth. We're lying. But if we walk in a light, as he's in a light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin. When Christ shed his blood at Calvary, the Father put away the sins of all of the elect of God, all at once. It was done. From this springs all subsequent cleansings from sin. Just like the slaying of the red heifer, her blood was sprinkled earlier, but the ashes are applied later. That's interesting. Thank you for your attention.