The Red Heifer
The sacrifice of an unblemished red heifer that never had been yoked is the strangest rite in Israel’s sanctuary system (Numbers 19). What lessons can we learn from it?
This heifer was to be red, a symbol of blood, Christ’s blood obviously. It had to be without blemish, as well, and never had borne a yoke—another symbol of Christ, a spotless sacrifice who came voluntarily to accomplish the work of atonement. There was no obligatory yoke upon Him, for He was independent and above all law.
The sacrificial heifer was brought forth without the camp, and slain. Thus Christ suffered without the gates of Jerusalem (Heb. 13:12), for Calvary was outside the city walls. This was to show that Christ did not die for the Hebrews alone but for all humanity (Rom. 5:12–20). He proclaims to a fallen world that He has come to be their Redeemer, and urges them to accept the salvation He offers. After slaying the heifer, the priest, clothed in pure white garments, took the blood in his hands as it issued from the body of the victim, and cast it toward the tabernacle seven times. Thus, Christ in His own spotless righteousness, after shedding His precious blood, entered into the heavenly sanctuary to minister in the sinner’s behalf. And there His blood is brought into the service of reconciling God to humanity (see Heb. 10:21–23).
The body of the heifer was burned to ashes, which signified a whole and ample sacrifice. The ashes then were gathered up by a person uncontaminated by contact with the dead, and laid up in a clean place without the camp. When the ceremony of cleansing was to be performed, these ashes were placed in a vessel containing water from a running stream. A clean and pure person then took the hyssop and sprinkled the contents of the vessel not only upon the tent where someone died but also upon its contents and the people inside of it. This purification ceremony was repeated several times in order to be thorough, and was done as a purification from sin.
The cleansing water, sprinkled on the unclean, symbolized the blood of Christ spilled to cleanse us from moral impurities. The repeated sprinklings illustrate the thoroughness of the work that must be accomplished for the repenting sinner. All that he has must be consecrated. Not only should the sinner’s own soul be washed clean and pure, but he or she should seek purity and holiness in all aspects of his or her existence. Look at your life. What things still need to be submitted to the purification process? What are you holding on to, and why?
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