Red Heifer Water (Numbers 19)

Is death the ultimate result of sin? Do hatred, verbal abuse, lust, lying, ignoring the needy and greed ultimately cause our own destruction? Does cleansing us from sin involve someone dying for us? Is this dramatically pictured in the water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer? Let’s review Numbers 19.

Adam means red earth. Could a young red cow picture the second Adam, Jesus? Could it also picture blood? Was Jesus also killed outside the gate?

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. (Numbers 19:1-4 ESV)

Does the priest even become unclean until evening by cleansing Israel of sin?

The cow must be burned in his sight. Its hide, flesh, and blood, are to be burned along with its dung. The priest is to take cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson yarn, and throw them onto the fire where the cow is burning. Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may enter the camp, but he will remain ceremonially unclean until evening. The one who burned the cow must also wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he will remain unclean until evening. (Numbers 19:4-8 HCSB)

What was the water mixed with ashes used for? Could this picture both the waters of baptism and the sacrifice of Jesus?

Then someone who is clean is to gather the ashes of the heifer and lay them outside the camp in a clean place. This is to be done for the community of Israel to use for water of purification from sin. Whoever gathers the ashes of the heifer is to wash his clothes and is to remain unclean until the evening. This ordinance is to remain for the benefit of both the Israelis and the resident aliens who live among them.” (Numbers 19:9-10 ISV)

Could the third day picture Christ’s resurrection? Could the seventh day picture our ultimate cleansing in that eternal Sabbath rest?

He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. He shall purify himself with it 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. Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him. (Numbers 19:11-13 KJV)

Was there perhaps a sanitary reason for treating a dead body as unclean?

This is the law when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be unclean for seven days. And every open vessel, which has no covering tied down on it, shall be unclean. Also, anyone who in the open field touches one who has been slain with a sword or who has died naturally, or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days. Then for the unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the burnt purification from sin and flowing water shall be added to them in a vessel. (Numbers 19:14-17 LSB)

What was to be done with this ceremonial water mixed with ashes?

And a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, on all the furnishings, on the persons who were there, and on the one who touched the bone or the one who was killed or the one who died naturally, or the grave. Then 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 will be clean by evening. (Numbers 19:18-19 NASB)

What was to happen to those who refused this ceremonial cleansing ritual?

But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean. This is a lasting ordinance for them. “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.” (Numbers 19:20-22 NIV)