Red Heifer Redo 1
Genesis - The promise of the Land to Abraham‘s seed;, The building, breakup
an reuniting of the seed of Abraham.
Exodus - The Birth of the nation of Israel; The construction of the Tabernacle,
Leviticus - God and the people’s condition defined through the Law.
4. Numbers -
Begins with the numbering of the army - 603,550 men twenty years and over able
to go to war (1:46)
Searching of the Land and the desire to return to Egypt (13:1-14-3)
God’s judgment of 40 years of wondering in the wilderness so those who came out
of Egypt that were 20 years and older would die in the wilderness. (14:4-25)
(600,000 army, their wives, and those to old to go to war could be 1,200,000 -
1.500,000 would die in the wilderness - 14,400 days = 100 per day would die
Ashes of the red Heifer Chapter 19
Numbers 19:1-2 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, This is
the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the
children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is
no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:
The nature of the beast
A heifer - female of the cattle, likely around 15 months of age the age when she
would usually be bred the first time. But this heifer (without spot or blemish)
would never had the opportunity to be bred (breeding caused internal damage).
The heifer would probably be under 24 months of age because a heifer not bred by
24 would be considered infertile and removed from the breeding herd and used a s
beast of burden
No yoke - The yoke would cause wear and calluses to form. Calluses are a outward
blemish. The yoke places the beast under power of an other. The whip would be
applied the back causing blemish.
No blemish Inside or on the outside of this heifer.
Red in color, only time God demand a color. This heifer perfectly red, no single
hair would be any other color. Red is the most recessive color in cattle and is
effected by every other color. Not only would this heifer be perfectly red
genetically.
The picture of the beast; a type of Christ
1) While never bred the heifer had the ability to produce life - Jesus has no
fleshly children but the ability to give life in is Him.
John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give
eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
1John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and
this life is in his Son.
2) The uniqueness of the completely red heifer (I believe never one like her
before or since ) [Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the
ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the
flesh:] Never one equal to Christ before Him and no one has come after Him close
to His equal.
3) The heifer had no blemish inside or outside. The complete sinless Christ
2) Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1Peter 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him
is no sin.
4) This heifer was never broke to the yoke. Never under the control of others,
never under the whip, until she was led to the place of sacrifice. This is the
first time someone had power to control her and the knife used to slice her
throat was the first blemish. Christ gave the authority to others to place the
yoke of the cross upon his shoulders and the apply whip that cut his flesh.
Never before His journey to the cross was he able to be touched by the hand of
man.
The red heifer was a special work of God - a miracle. The perfect body that was
prepared for God The Son by God The Father was only possible through the power
of God The Spirit.
The Sacrifice
The heifer was not to be slain by Aaron the high priest, but Eleazar. {Eleazar
was going to be declared unclean until evening. The high priest could not allow
himself to be unclean} Eleazar would take her to one outside the camp who would
slay her before the his face (had to be killed as the Eleazar demanded). Eleazar
would dip his finger into the blood of the red heifer and sprinkle the blood
before the tabernacle seven times. The other man would than burn the entire red
heifer as overseen by Eleazar.
Eleazar would add to the burning heifer
1) Cedar wood: the wood most often chosen by builders. It is resistant bugs and
disease, and strong and fragrant. The palaces David and Solomon full of cedar
(2Sa 7:2) [The righteous: Ps 92:12; Nations: Eze 31:3 Is 2:13] Lord’s strength,
power, majesty: Song 5:15 – A picture of strength and power – from God
2) Hyssop: It was to be used to apply the blood of the Passover to the doorposts
(Exodus 12:22) and offer vinegar to Christ on the cross (John 19:29), a very low
bush two or three feet in height often it would be see growing out of the walls,
it could be considered as a weed. It is a hardy plant, with an aromatic smell
and a warm, pungent taste [picture of God’s picture of purging: Ps 51:7 –1John1:
7- cleansing comes through the application of the blood]
3) Cedar & Hyssop: (1Ki 4:33) were contrast to each other in size and grandeur.
Their fragrance would help mask the stench given off from the burning heifer.
4) Scarlet: The color of Iniquity (Isaiah 1:18); the color of blood; and man.
Jesus was put in a scarlet robe as he was mocked (Mt 27:28, 2Co 5:21, 1Pe 2:24)
- Those who placed the scarlet robe on Christ did not know they were showing how
our sin was placed upon the shoulders of. Christ.
The picture: Jesus Christ: The one who is seen as high and lifted up ((Isa 6:1)
Full of power and strength and majesty (cedar) made lower than the angles
(hyssop) (Heb 2:9). The perfect sinless one (red heifer) who was made sin for us
(scarlet) so we could be white as snow. His beating, the crown of thorns, the
sin he became, made him so polluted that the Father had to turn his back to him
and forsake him (Mt 27:46). But through all the suffering and blood he was
sacrificed as a sweet savour to His Father (Eph 5:2) - My sins be as scarlet
Another man who was clean was to gather the ashes of the heifer (containing the
ashes of the cedar, hyssop, and scarlet store them in a clean place outside the
camp.
Two possible thoughts
1) This ceremony had to be repeated with a different red heifer every time they
set up camp and the tabernacle put together and Eleazar must have a part in
every time a red heifer was slain. This stopped when they entered the promised
land - no tents - permanent dwellings see next lesson
2) Only one red heifer to last until they entered into the promised land.
Hebrews 9:13
A) How could the ashes from one heifer last until they entered the land
Five loaves & 2 fish fed 5, 000 men & their families with 12 baskets left over
Mt 14 ( more left than when they started)
In 1Kings 17:8 when a woman by faith fed God’s prophet the last bit of meal and
oil that she was preparing for her child’s last meal before they starved to
death (kill her son then herself)– saw her meal barrel and oil cruse never run
out. ( More than when she started)
B) The grace, the love the, forgiveness has never ran out and is just as
plentiful as when he died on that cross. Maybe even more – there is more sin
today (Rom 5:20)
Next lesson: a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.