Numbers 19

The Slaughter of the Red Heifer and Storing of the Ashes (Num 19:1-10 ).

In this we may reverently suggest that we have a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ Whose sacrifice through His death for us is in one sense ‘stored up’ that we might draw on it in time of need (1Jn 1:7 ). Through His sacrifice we can be freed from the grip and taint of death, so that it cease to be an enemy but becomes powerless (Heb 2:14-15 ).

Firstly the procedures for the slaughter of the red heifer and the preparation of the ashes from which the water of uncleanness could be made, are described.

Analysis.

a A permanent statute. The red heifer to be selected, free from blemish and never yoked (Num 19:1-2 ).

b The red heifer to be brought outside the camp by Eleazar and slain before him (Num 19:3 ).

c Eleazar to apply the blood of the red heifer by sprinkling towards the front of the Tent of meeting seven times (Num 19:4 ).

d The remains of the heifer to be totally burnt before his eyes (Num 19:5 ).

c Eleazar to cast the cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet into the burning remains of the heifer (Num 19:6 ).

b Eleazar to wash his clothes and bathe and return to camp and to be unclean until the evening (Num 19:7 ).

a The one who burns the heifer to wash his clothes and bathe and to be unclean until the evening, and the one who gathers the purifying ashes to store them outside the camp and then cleanse himself . A statute for ever (Num 19:8-10 )

It should be noted that all who come in contact with this procedure are rendered mildly unclean. It is to enter into the domain of death. Thus the High Priest himself could not be involved. Furthermore the ashes themselves had to remain outside the camp. Anything connected with death had no right inside the camp.

The Red Heifer to be Selected, Free from Blemish and Never Under the Yoke (Num 19:1-2 ).

Num 19:1 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,’

Once more it is stressed that these were the words of Yahweh to Moses and Aaron.

Num 19:2 “This is the statute of the law which Yahweh has commanded, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without spot, in which is no blemish, and on which never came yoke.”

Note the solemn stress laid on the importance of this issue. ‘This is the statute (what is prescribed) of the Instruction which Yahweh has commanded’. It was something especially to be taken notice of (compare Num 31:21 which also referred to purification).

The children of Israel were to ‘bring you a red heifer without spot, in which is no blemish, and on which never came yoke.’ The heifer ( literally ‘cow’, but one that had not worked) was to be reddish in colour, without any defacing marks, without blemish, and never having been used for work. It was necessarily to be female, as the producer of life (Gen 3:20 ). It was to be young and innocent and free and full of life. The ‘reddish’ colour may signify wellbeing and good health, the unblemished state signified its perfection, and its not having yet worked signified its exuberance of life. It epitomised the life of the ideal clean man or woman in innocence.

It was to be brought by the children of Israel. By this they were acknowledging it as their representative, slaughtered on their behalf.



The Red Heifer To Be Brought Outside the Camp by Eleazar and Slain Before Him (Num 19:3 ).

Num 19:3 “And you shall give her to Eleazar the priest, and he shall bring her forth outside the camp, and one shall slay her before his face,”

Here was one full of life and without imperfection, brought to the priest. But she was to be brought by the priest outside the camp, for all procedures related to death had to be dealt with there. They must not involve the camp. And there she was to be slain by a member of the congregation of Israel. The sinless life was taken in the shedding of blood, in a life poured out in death, poured out by one whom she represented. Here we have one being the substitute for, and representing, the many. The resulting combined sprinkling, the sprinkling of her shed blood, and then its application through the sprinkling of the water of uncleanness, is indicated in both Isa 52:15 and Eze 36:25 .



Eleazar to Apply the Blood of the Red Heifer by Sprinkling Towards the Front of the Tent of Meeting Seven Times (Num 19:4 ).

Num 19:4 “And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle her blood towards the front of the tent of meeting seven times.”

Eleazar the priest, Aaron’s eldest son, was to be present, deputising for the High Priest who could not come into contact with a ceremonial which spoke of death. The slaughter was not specifically an offering, for it was not offered on the altar (although it was a purification for sin offering - verses 9. 17), but Eleazar’s next action was to take some of the blood from the red heifer on to his finger and sprinkle it towards the front of the Tent of meeting seven times (compare Lev 16:14-19 ). The idea was to apply the blood before Yahweh even though outside the camp. This was done seven times in order to signify the divine completeness of the atonement.

This may be compared with the original sacrifice of the Passover lamb. That too was not on an altar. But it was also stated to be a sacrifice ((Exo 12:27 ).



The Remains of the Heifer to be Totally Burnt Before His Eyes (Num 19:5 ).

Num 19:5 “And one shall burn the heifer in his sight, her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, will he burn.”

The whole of the heifer, even the dung (this was because it represented total death), was then to be burnt to ashes by a member of the congregation of Israel in the very presence of Eleazar who was to act as witness to what was done. All the proprieties had to be observed. Even the blood was to be burned. It had its essential part to play among the ashes for application to those tainted by death who were to be cleansed, restored to the covenant and re-sanctified (Exo 24:8 ; Exo 29:21 ; Lev 14:51 ).



Eleazar to Cast Cedar Wood, Hyssop and Scarlet into the Burning Remains of the Heifer While It Burned (Num 19:6 ).

Num 19:6 “And the priest shall take cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.”

The priest was then to cast into the place where the heifer was burning, cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet (compare here Lev 14:4 ). Cedar wood denoted strength and size and long life in a living thing. It was an indication of fullness of life. The cedars of Lebanon were famous for their height and beauty and long life. Hyssop was a plant used for the application of sacrificial blood and water. It was a purging and cleansing agent (Psa 51:7 ; compare 19:18 ; Exo 12:22 ). Scarlet was the colour of blood and might represent sacrificial death. Or it may represent the destruction of the sin that caused death (Isa 1:18 ), or the emergence of new life (Gen 38:28 ; Gen 38:30 ). Thus this emphasised the introduction of life, cleansing and atonement into the ashes.



Eleazar To Wash His Clothes and Bathe and Return To Camp and To Be Unclean Until the Evening (Num 19:7 ).

Num 19:7 “Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterwards he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.”

Having fulfilled his function the priest would then return to the camp, indicating that he had accomplished what he had come to do (Num 19:3 ). But preparatory to this he had to wash his clothes to remove defilement, and bathe himself in order to remove any element of his participation in the ceremony (contrast the man in Num 19:10 ). He had been in contact with what represented death. He was then to remain in isolation within the camp until the evening. The isolation was to be within the camp of the holy people, indicating its part in the cleansing process, but he could not approach the Sanctuary. He was temporarily ‘unclean’.



The One Who Burns the Heifer Also To Wash His Clothes and Bathe and To Be Unclean Until the Evening, and The One Who Gathers the Purifying Ashes to Store Them Outside the Camp and Then Cleanse Himself ( Num 19:8-10 )

Num 19:8 “And he who burns her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the evening.”

The one who had burned the heifer also had to go through the cleansing process of the washing of clothes, bathing and the waiting until evening. All in contact with this ritual were tainted by death, even though only lightly.

Num 19:9 “And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up outside the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water for uncleanness. It is a purification for sin offering.”

Then one who had not participated in the ceremony (he was clean) and was ritually clean in every regard, was to gather up the ashes of the heifer and store them outside the camp in a clean place. The ashes were sacred not impure, and care had to be taken to avoid uncleanness. They were to be kept pure. But their function connected with death prevented their being brought into the camp.

Num 19:10 “And he who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening, and it shall be to the children of Israel, and to the stranger who resides among them, for a statute for ever.”

The one who gathered the ashes had also come in mild contact with the taint of death and was to wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. It will be noted that he was not required to bathe. He had not participated in the ceremony. The taint of death connected with that did not affect him.

“And it shall be to the children of Israel, and to the stranger who resides among them, for a statute for ever.” The question must be as to whether this applies to what precedes or what follows. It connects back with Num 19:2 and forward to Num 19:21 . This suggests that it may be a connecting phrase conjoining both sections of the chapter. Both sections were to apply to all involved in the camp, and then in the land, for ever.



The Uncleanness of Contact With Death And Its Removal (Num 19:10-22 ).

In view of our earlier analysis of the whole chapter the following section is necessarily chiastic.

a The one who touches the dead to be unclean seven days (Num 19:11 ).

b The application of the ashes on those who have touched the dead (Num 19:10-12 ).

c Judgment on those who refuse the use of the ashes (Num 19:13 ).

d The description of what is unclean (Num 19:14-16 ).

d The application of the ashes to the unclean through the ‘water of uncleanness’ (Num 19:17-19 ).

c Judgment on the one who refuses to be cleansed (Num 19:20 a).

b Those who have not had the ashes applied to them, and on whom the water of uncleanness has not been sprinkled, are unclean (Num 19:20 b).

a Those who touch the water of uncleanness, containing the ashes applied to the one who has touched the dead, are to purify themselves and all who have touched the unclean person are unclean until the evening (Num 19:21-22 ).

We must now consider this in more detail.

Num 19:11 “He who touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days,”

To come into contact with the dead body of any person was to be unclean for at least seven days. Such was the intensity of the uncleanness that there was no way in which that uncleanness could be removed before the passage of a divinely complete period for its cleansing. And even then it could only be after due process. But once that process was completed the person could feel totally released from its taint.

Num 19:12 “The same shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean. But if he does not purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.”

The person who needed to be cleansed from the defilement of contact with death had to purify himself on the third day by the application of the water of uncleanness. Should he fail to do this he would not become clean on the seventh day (see Num 19:19 ).

Num 19:13 “Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of Yahweh, and that person shall be cut off from Israel, because the water for uncleanness was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is yet on him.”

The situation was considered to be so serious that to fail to take advantage of such cleansing would make the person liable to the death penalty. By such behaviour they would be defiling the Dwellingplace of Yahweh by introducing permanent death into the camp, and treating death lightly. Death was an enemy that had to be excluded, a disease that had to be eradicated. Of course, if they remained for ever outside the camp it would not matter. There would be no problem. The problem lay with those who were careless with regard to contact with death but thought that they could live among the holy people in the camp which surrounded the dwellingplace of Yahweh. That was not possible.

This ‘cutting off’ might be through death or permanent banishment. But usually being cut off denotes death, and it probably therefore does here. It would not, however, presumably be applied to one who remained permanently away from the camp. It should be noted that this is speaking of sin with a high hand, a deliberate refusal to submit to cleansing. It is not speaking of those who innocently were unaware of their need to be cleansed.

Num 19:14 “This is the law when a man dies in a tent. Every one who comes into the tent, and every one who is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.”

The taint of uncleanness when a man died affected everyone who came into his tent and everyone who lived there. They lived under the shadow and taint of death for seven days and had to be cleansed.

Num 19:15 “And every open vessel, which has no covering bound on it, is unclean.”

The uncleanness even extended to any open vessel, any vessel with no ‘lid’ on it. The taint of death affected it and what was in it. It permeated everywhere within the tent.

Num 19:16 “And whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.”

The same applied to contact with a dead man as a result of battle, or coming across a dead body and touching it (which presumably any merciful person would do under most circumstances), or even touching the bone of a man, or a grave. All possible contact with human death is involved. It would be a regularly occurring event in the lives of many people. But such was the awfulness of death that it rendered those who came in contact with it as unclean (see introduction to the chapter).

Num 19:17 “And for the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the purification for sin offering, and running water shall be put to it in a vessel,”

For any rendered unclean the ashes of the purification for sin offering (as described in Num 19:1-10 ) were to be put in a vessel with ‘running water’, such as water taken from a spring which was untainted and ‘living’. This water could then be utilised for cleansing. (In this regard we should note that this is the only water which in itself is ever said to have ‘cleansed’ anyone, and it cleansed because it contained sacrificial ashes).

Num 19:18 “And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, and on all the vessels, and on the persons who were there, and on the one who touches the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave,”

The process was to be carried out by a clean person, untainted by the taint of death or impurity. That person would take hyssop and dip it into the water and with it sprinkle the tent in which the man had died, all the vessels and persons who had been there, and anyone who touched a bone, or a slain man, or a dead corpse, or a grave.

Num 19:19 “And the clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day, and on the seventh day he shall purify him, and he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean in the evening.”

This sprinkling was to be carried out on the third day and on the seventh day. The sprinkling on the seventh day would purify him, but only if he had also been sprinkled on the third day (Num 19:12 ). Then each person sprinkled must wash their clothes, bathe themselves in water and be unclean until the evening. They were, as it were, having a new beginning, arising from their uncleanness and contact with death. That this would be hygienically wise is undoubted, but the main purpose cultically was that the person might feel themselves removed from the grip of death, and that all might know that it was so. Now they could recommence normal life and approach Yahweh in as far as an ordinary person could do so.

Num 19:20 “But the man who shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of Yahweh. The water for uncleanness has not been sprinkled on him. He is unclean.”

However, the person who refused cleansing, and thus sinned against Yahweh with a high hand, was to be cut off because he had defiled the Sanctuary of Yahweh (compare Num 19:13 ). He could have no further part in the assembly. He was as one dead. And this was because he had accepted ‘death’ by refusing to be cleansed from it. The water of uncleanness had not been sprinkled on him. He was unclean by choice. He would be either excluded or put to death. He had the choice there too (no one would prevent his flight).

Num 19:21-22 “And it shall be a perpetual statute to them: and he who sprinkles the water for uncleanness shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for uncleanness shall be unclean until the evening. And whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean. And the person who touches it shall be unclean until the evening.”

This was to be a perpetual statute for all Israel. Meanwhile the one who had performed the sprinkling must wash his clothes, presumably lest any drop had fallen on them. And anyone actually touched by the water of uncleanness would be unclean until the evening. And whatever was touched by such a person would become unclean, as would anyone who touched what had become unclean. Such was the scrupulousness with which the taint of death should be avoided.

Thus was the taint of the enemy death to be removed from the people of God, so that they might serve the living God without fear. Death was the opposite of all that God wanted for them, and all that God is. This passage is the foundation for Isaiah’s teaching that death would one day be swallowed up (Isa 25:8 ). It was unnatural to God’s purposes. And it would result in Isaiah’s teaching concerning resurrection (Isa 26:19 ). Compare also Paul’s description of death as the last enemy which will be abolished (1Co 15:26 ). Adam had introduced death into the world by sin. Through the death of His own Son God would remove it for ever. And this was what the sacrifice of the red heifer pointed to (Heb 9:13-14 ). We come to a better cleansing through the blood of Jesus (1Jn 1:7 ).

It may be asked why such a procedure was necessary for cleansing from such contact with death. Both theologically and psychologically its effect was profound. It illustrated that death was an enemy, that it was foreign to God. It illustrated the fact that God is the living God to Whom death is abhorrent. It illustrated the fact that God gives life from death. But above all it comforted those involved in the process with the recognition that the death had no power over them. They were freed from it and no longer affected by it. They need not fear it or feel defiled by it. They were once more acceptable to God and free from every taint of it. (It also incidentally helped to prevent disease).

So the first part of Numbers stressed the mobilisation of Israel for the possessing of the land (chapters 1-10). The second part has now demonstrated Israel’s failure to obey God and enter the land (chapters 1:0-14 ), and their subsequent wilderness wandering, but with the last part stressing the future that would be theirs once they entered the land. It has thus ended with the promise of life (chapters 1:5-19 ). The second half, and remainder of the book will outline the preparation and first moves towards again moving forward to possess the land, establishing the hope of life (Num 20:1 to Num 21:21 ) and certainty of victory (chapters 2:2-25 ), while also establishing Israel in Transjordan as a kind of firstfruit of future victory and the final possession of the land. It will end with the final settlement in the land of five outstanding representatives of faithfulness to the covenant, the daughters of Zelophehad (chapters 2:6-36 ).