Word of Salvation – January 2012

 

Numbers 19 – THE RED HEIFER – by John Westendorp

(Sermon 19 in a series on Numbers)

Scripture Reading: Numbers 19.

Singing: Book of Worship 178 / 102 / 111a / 531 & “Purify my heart”

 

Introduction: In Jerusalem there’s an organisation called The Temple Institute.

And they have been searching for many, many years for a red heifer.

 

This Jewish organisation wants to rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. But they can’t.
One of the reasons for that is supposed to be based on our text in Numbers 19.
Numbers 19 shows that the Jewish ritual of cleansing requires the ashes of a red heifer.
So any rebuilding of the temple requires that the temple grounds first be purified.
And for that ritual they need a young red cow that has been born and bred in Israel.

In 2002 The Temple Institute announced that finally such a red heifer had been born
But the problem is that Numbers 19 says that this red heifer must be without blemish.
For these folk that means that this young cow must not have any non-red hairs.
Even the tiniest patch of black or white hair cancels it out as unsuitable.
Well this little calf messed things up by growing a white tail… so it was disqualified.

 

We could easily dismiss this as irrelevant for us as Christians – except for one thing.
There are Christians (known as dispensationalists) with a particular view of Bible prophecy.
They believe Jesus cannot return until the temple has been rebuilt in Jerusalem.
Some of these dispensationalists are doing all they can to actually make this happen.
They want to help the Jews find a young red cow so as to hasten the return of Jesus.

In the USA many ranchers have red cattle… and some of them are dispensationalists.
Some of them have started a breeding program of cattle for Israel.
They are trying to breed out of their cattle every single hair that is not red.
Jewish tradition is that to date there have only ever been nine red heifers.
The 10^th ushers in the coming of Messiah and these Christians want to see that happen.

 

A] THE NEED FOR CLEANSING.

 

1. Well, those people have got one thing right: Numbers 19 is all about purification.

The major issue in this chapter is uncleanness – that word occurs 17 times in just 22 verses.

 

Behind that stress on uncleanness lies the idea that a holy God requires purity… cleanness.
What is not holy is pictured in the Bible as being dirty… unclean.
That is still so relevant for us today. Isn’t that the way we too speak in our culture?
Someone does the wrong thing by us and we say: He did the dirty on me!
Or when we look for faults and failings in someone… we’re looking for what…?
We’re trying to find some dirt on them. That’s still our way of speaking.

 

Do you see why Isaiah pictures our human condition the way he does?
He wants us to know that there is nothing good in humanity – as we are in ourselves.
So he says that over against a holy God even our best is dirty… unclean.
All our righteous deeds are like filthy rags (64:6).
So here in Numbers 19 the uncleanness is especially a picture of sin-pollution.

 

Our problem is that we don’t like that… we don’t like dealing with dirt… dirt of any kind. Full stop!
How many of us enjoy washing dishes… or scrubbing floors… or dusting…?
We’re tempted to redefine dirt: Well the floor’s not that dirty. This shirt is okay for one more day!
In the same way we’re tempted to play down or ignore our spiritual uncleanness.
But in the final analysis God defines the dirt and deep down we know we are unclean.
Someone once confessed to me after looking at pornography: “It made me feel so dirty.”

 

2. Numbers 12 faces us squarely with this reality of dirt… spiritual and moral pollution.

The worst kind of pollution today is not our pollution of the sea and the air.
The worst kind of pollution is the moral pollution of our world… and that clings to all of us.
Here in Numbers 12 it especially takes the form of ritual and ceremonial uncleanness.
That which made them unfit to worship… or even to be part of the people of Israel.
That which barred them from God’s presence and eventually from the camp of Israel.

 

It’s interesting that this ritual with the little red cow is found here in Numbers.
That’s a little unexpected.
Leviticus is the book in which we would have expected to read about the red heifer.
Because Leviticus has reams and reams of regulations about cleansing rituals.
What to do if you are unclean because you have leprosy.
There’s a ritual for when your house is unclean due to mildew.
Or there’s the purification rituals to deal with the uncleanness of childbirth.

 

Numbers is not about that sort of stuff… it’s about Israel’s journey through the wilderness.
Numbers gives us the details of their forty-year travels from Sinai to the borders of Canaan.
So why do we all of a sudden have this red heifer ritual? And all this stuff about uncleanness?

For the very reason that it is impossible to journey through life without contamination.
It is impossible to travel without getting dirty.
That makes the imagery of Numbers 19 particularly beautiful and meaningful.
It is impossible for us to live and not get polluted… and so God provides for cleansing.

 

Here in this chapter a particular kind of ceremonial pollution is singled out.
The ritual and ceremonial uncleanness that comes because of death.
Life’s journey inevitably brings the defilement of contact with death.
Particularly is that true for the people of those days.
Today we have morticians and undertakers to deal with death and burial.
In ancient times family members took care of those matters.

 

3. So while the primary focus of this chapter is on uncleanness… there is a secondary focus on death.

That is partly because of the unavoidability of regular contact with death in their situation.

In fact… think of their recent history… the things that had just happened to them.
Korah, Dathan and Abiram and 250 leaders rebelled against God and died.
When the people then accuse Moses and Aaron of killing these men, a plague strikes.
And 14,700 people are left dead. Imagine… 14,700 corpses.
That means ritual uncleanness on a massive scale.
And so God provides a simple little ritual to cleanse those ceremonially unclean.

 

But there is a second and more important reason for this secondary focus on death.
The point is that death is the outworking of sin and the climax of its penalty.
Nothing more clearly shows the pollution of sin than death.
Every human being dies. Why? Because every human being has sinned.
Or as the apostle Paul puts it: The wages of sin is death.

 

So there is more at stake here than just some ritual uncleanness.
It’s not just saying that if you’ve had a death in the family you’re unclean.
Contact with the dead makes unclean because death is abnormal in God’s good creation.
Death is the result of sin and that’s why contact with death made Israelites unclean.

 

Put it that way and we realise the heart of the issue here is much more serious.
Numbers 19 is addressing just one small symptom of this huge problem we have.
We are sinful people… polluted in God’s sight… and we desperately need to be made clean.

 

B] THE RED HEIFER RITUAL.

 

1. When we examine this ritual of cleansing God is very precise about the kind of beast that is to be used.

It’s a heifer. A cow. In fact, it must be a young cow that has never done any work.

It must also be a red heifer – and we immediately think: of course; the colour of blood.
In other kinds of sacrificial offerings God never spells out the colour of the animal.
Israelites could bring any coloured animal for a sin offering: Black, white, brindle; it didn’t matter.

But here it does matter. It must be red… and I think I understand the reason for that.
In other sacrifices the animals were openly slaughtered on the altar of sacrifice.
This red heifer was killed and burned outside the camp.
The sacrificial nature of this animal is not immediately obvious.
So God decrees it be red – and if you’ve seen red cows you know they are blood red.

 

God also decrees that this animal be without blemish.
And that’s where the people of The Temple Institute and the dispensationalists get it wrong.
This was never meant to be an animal that had no non-red hair in its skin.

Without defect or blemish meant that it was to be an animal in tip-top condition.
That’s a requirement in all the offerings Israel is to bring.
Israel’s sacrificial system didn’t allow you to palm off on the tabernacle a blind animal.
A lame animal or a sickly animal was not an appropriate animal for sacrifice to the Lord.

For two reasons:
First Israel was being taught that God wants only the best from us.
But more importantly: all the sacrifices of the OT point us to Jesus.
And Scripture calls Him the Lamb of God without blemish.
Our blessed Lord Jesus Christ was sinless in His holiness and perfection.

 

All of this points then to the idea of a sacrifice even though that is not done here on an altar.
A death takes place. Blood is shed. That blood is even sprinkled towards the tabernacle.
The red heifer dies because there is no purification without the shedding of blood.

 

2. We also find some additional elements in this ritual that at first are rather puzzling.

The carcass of the animal is burned in the presence of Eleazar the priest.
And Eleazar is to throw into the fire some cedar wood and some scarlet wool.
He is also to throw in some sprigs from the hyssop plant.

 

These three items were always involved in the other cleansing rituals in Leviticus.
The reasons for that are not so very clear.
Some have suggested that cedar wood was a hard, long lasting wood.
So it may represent the stubbornness of sin’s pollution.
The scarlet thread may have been used simply to tie the hyssop sprigs together.
Or the scarlet may again point us to colour of blood and it’s role in purification.
With the hyssop plant too we’re not sure why it was used in religious ceremonies.
But interestingly, it features in the story of Jesus being given a drink on the cross.

 

The only thing we can say with certainty is that all these things were commonly used in purification.

So the clear message is that the ashes of the red heifer are for the purification of sin’s pollution.

 

What is also interesting is that all those involved became (somewhat) unclean.
The priest and the man who burns the carcass… must wash and will be unclean till evening.
The man who later collects the ashes and he who still later applies the ashes become unclean.
The lesson is that sin’s uncleanness is contagious… it spreads so easily.
Everyone involved in the process of purification becomes unclean.

 

3. God then provides these ashes for purification. They are kept in a clean place outside the camp.

But they are always available whenever anyone needs purification from their uncleanness.

 

I see a wonderful picture of God’s grace in that.
I don’t just mean that God provides a remedy for the uncleanness of His people.
That in itself is awesome. God does not keep unholy people at arm’s distance from Himself.
No. He allows them to worship Him and to be in the camp where He Himself lives among them.
And He does that by providing this remedy for their religious and spiritual pollution.

 

But that grace is highlighted even more as we think about how that actually worked.
The ashes were always there and always available and in verse 17 we read how it worked.
Someone who is ritually clean can take some of those ashes and simply add fresh water.
Then he can sprinkle it on anything and anyone contaminated by contact with the dead.

I don’t want to cheapen things by making this comparison – but it was a little like instant coffee.
Brewed coffee is nice but it needs effort… instant coffee is easier and quicker.
So too God as it were provides instant sacrificial cow… just add water.

I make that comparison because in Leviticus we also have rituals for ceremonial cleansing.
But there they are more complicated… and they are more expensive.
They require animals to be sacrificed for purification.
But now it is as if God in these situations makes it easier for people to be cleansed.
Here is a shortcut for that constant threat of uncleanness in life.
Just take the ashes and add water… instant cow for your purification.

 

Let me add one important point: All this had to do with Israel’s sanctification.
It is not primarily about bringing people into fellowship with God.
God had already done that especially through the Exodus and at Sinai.
And once a year on the great Day of Atonement payment was made for their sin.
But these God’s redeemed people are now called to be a holy people. To be sanctified.
And to live pure lives as they journey to Canaan they need the red heifer for cleansing.

 

C] THE APPLICATION OF CLEANSING.

 

1. The rest of the chapter lists various situations in which this ritual might be used.

In those different kinds of contaminations there is another thing that stands out.
This water of purification with the ashes of the red heifer must be applied twice.
First on the third day and then again on the seventh day.

That raises some questions: why twice? Isn’t once good enough?
And why on third day and why again on the seventh day?

 

Some commentators are quick to say that the third day points to the resurrection of Jesus.
If purification is ultimately through Christ then the third day is meaningful. Well, perhaps.
Others have suggested that the seventh day is because seven is God’s number of perfection.
John Calvin warns us to be careful of fanciful speculation about the details here.

 

I’m of the opinion that this is simply to highlight that purification from sin takes time.
This ritual with the ashes of the red heifer is no magic formula.
It’s not like sprinkling fairy dust that gives a kind of instant fix for the pollution of sin.
Purification from the uncleanness of sin is a process that takes time.

It needs to be done with thought and care.

 

We do well to remember that for our own journey through life too.

Purification from sin’s effects is no quick fix… we’re going to be busy with it for a long time to come.
In fact we know that it’s only after this life that our uncleanness will be totally removed.

 

2. Where then does that leave us as far the need for a red heifer is concerned today?

Do we sympathise with those Jewish people who are looking for perfect red heifer number ten?

Do we support the dispensationalists and donate money towards cow breading programs in Israel?

 

No. None of that.
Our need today for purification from sin’s pollution is no less than in Numbers 19.
But… the book of Hebrews shows us that we do have a far, far better solution.
Turn please to Hebrews 9 which shows us that the Jews and the dispensationalists are wrong.

The Jews are wrong because the Messiah has already come.
The dispensationalists are wrong because the red heifer is no longer God’s appointed means.
Let me read to you Hebrews 9:13-14.
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 than 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.

 

When we think about the saving work of Jesus we often stop with our forgiveness and eternal life.
Jesus died to pay for our sins… to remove the anger of God and reconcile us to Him.
And by doing that we now have eternal life. True. But at that point we haven’t gone far enough.

Jesus deals not only with the guilt of our sin that condemns us before God.
Jesus also deals with the pollution of sin as He purifies our lives and enables holy living.
The pollution of sin is very real in my life and in yours.
I struggled with it yesterday and I will struggle with it again tomorrow.
And you are going to have to deal with the dirt and the filth again too this week.
But the point is that we don’t need to despair and keep wallowing in the filth.

God has provided for our cleansing… not instant cow… but the instant blood of His own Son.
And all we need to do is go with our uncleanness to Jesus… every day again.

 

3. There is just one other element I need to touch on that brings that home to us especially.

When the ashes of the heifer were applied to unclean people in Israel it was mixed with fresh water.
Literally is speaks of being mixed with “living” water.
What is meant is flowing water… or spring water.
But in the gospels the Lord Jesus Christ calls Himself the living water.

And that living water too is always available.
It’s a picture of the Holy Spirit whom God has poured into our lives.
So the way of that cleansing today comes to us is through God’s Word and Spirit.

 

That’s why we must also heed the solemn warning in these verses.
Twice there is a strong warning to the unclean who didn’t make use of this cleansing water.
In verse 13 and again in verse 20 it says that such people shall be cut off from Israel.
They will be banned from the camp and from the presence of the Lord.
Because the ashes of the red heifer were always there for them but they refused to use it.

Do you realise how much worse it is… to neglect the purifying work of Jesus Christ?
The hymn writer wrote: There is a fountain filled with blood / drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
and sinners plunged beneath that flood… lose all their guilty stains.
But woe to us if we neglect that marvellous means of cleansing.

 

I said before that this is not about our right standing with God (our justification).

It’s about sanctification – living a holy life before God.

But let me now add that if you neglect you purification you’re only proving you don’t belong to Jesus.

Don’t grovel in the dirt of sin’s pollution… come to Jesus. Not only for forgiveness but also for cleansing.

 

Amen