NUMBERS LESSON 25
We will begin this in Numbers 19:1 "And the LORD spake unto Moses
and unto Aaron, saying,"
We have seen the LORD speak to Moses separately, and to Aaron
separately. Now, He is speaking to both.
Numbers 19:2 "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 sacrifices of every kind symbolize the Lord Jesus and His
work in some manner, or other. We know that the Lord was not a female,
however. We must look at this from several angles. Notice, there is
just one heifer. This was a collective offering. The one heifer was
for all. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is collective. Even
though it is made up of many people, from many denominations, it is
one church, as far as the Lord is concerned. The Lord is coming back
for a church that is without spot, or wrinkle. The church is the bride
of Christ. "Red" means life, or blood. The Church was born through the
shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Physical Israel and the law were
born on the way to the promised land. The 40 years in the wilderness
established the law, or the male child {Leviticus chapter 12}. The
church of the Lord Jesus Christ {spiritual Israel} was born the 40
days after the resurrection that Jesus walked on the earth. The church
is the maid child. The maid child was taken from the man child. The
80 days of purification for the maid child included the birth of the
law, and then the birth of the church on the fulfillment of the law.
The church is not established on work {yoke}. It is established on
faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Numbers 19:3 "And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that
he may bring her forth without the camp, and [one] shall slay her
before his face:"
In the sense of symbolism, Jesus was brought out of the camp and
crucified at Golgatha. He was taken outside the city wall of
Jerusalem. The priest and all the people thought they had killed the
church at this point, when in fact, Jesus had given her, {church} life
{red} through His shed blood.
Numbers 19:4 "And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with
his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle
of the congregation seven times:"
The sprinkling of the blood 7 times has to do with spiritual
completeness. Certainly the shed blood of Jesus completed the
sacrifice for all time for everyone. This blood was for the church.
This blood was for the remission of sins. Jesus' blood completely does
away with sin for those who would believe. Leviticus 4:5 "And the
priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring
it to the tabernacle of the congregation:" Leviticus 4:6 "And the
priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood
seven times before the LORD, before the veil of the sanctuary." We
must keep in mind that the physical house of Israel is the man child,
and the church {spiritual Israel} is the maid child.
Numbers 19:5 "And [one] shall burn the heifer in his sight; her
skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:"
In all other burned sacrifices, the blood was poured on the earth
near the altar. In this case, it is burned with the sacrifice. The
blood symbolized life. We can see that the life of the church is in
the sacrifice of Jesus. The church is born at the foot of the cross.
Exodus 29:14 "But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his
dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it [is] a sin
offering." Jesus took our sin upon His body on the cross. Our sin died
on the cross, if we are believers in Christ. The skin of the church is
replaced by the righteousness He clothes her in. Her flesh must die,
that her spirit might live. Her earthly life must die, that her spirit
life can live. Her filth {dung must be done away. All of this is done
in Jesus. The church rises to new life in him. I Corinthians 15:44 "It
is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a
natural body, and there is a spiritual body."
Numbers 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."
"Burning" symbolizes purification. The cedarwood and hyssop were
for medicinal purposes, or healing. Scarlet is red. It is His shed
blood that heals us. By His stripes, we are healed.
Numbers 19:7 "Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he
shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the
camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even."
This is speaking of the repentant heart. There is a knowing that
comes, when we are under conviction, of our filthiness. Baptism in
water is symbolic of burying that man of sin, and rising to new life
in Jesus. When we are baptized, we become part of God's unit, the
church.
The even was the beginning of a new day.
Numbers 19:8 "And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in
water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the
even."
The burning symbolizes the purging away of the sin. The washing
in the water symbolizes baptism. The even is the dawning of a new day.
Numbers 19:9 "And a man [that is] clean shall gather up the ashes
of the heifer, and lay [them] up without the camp in a clean place,
and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel
for a water of separation: it [is] a purification for sin."
The one sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient for all generations.
Each person who comes to Jesus, is purified through that one sacrifice
He made so many years ago. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ has
been the keeper of the ashes. The ashes being kept, show that there is
no other sacrifice necessary. Jesus did it all. Anyone can apply that
single sacrifice of Jesus to his life now, and be saved. The blood of
Jesus still purifies each person from sin. Baptism in water still
brings new life in Jesus.
Numbers 19:10 "And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer
shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be
unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth
among them, for a statute for ever."
The cleansing power of the blood of Jesus is forever. The need
for water baptism is forever, as well. The power of Jesus to bring new
life to the believer is forever, as well.
Numbers 19:11 "He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall
be unclean seven days."
The subject has changed here. Seven has to do with spiritual
completeness. This uncleanness is of a spiritual nature. Leviticus
21:1 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of
Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead
among his people:"
Numbers 19:12 "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."
The symbolic meaning of the third day is the resurrection of
Jesus. You must believe that He rose from the grave, to be saved.
Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved." The thing that set Jesus aside from all
others, was the fact that He rose from the grave. Seven, again, has to
do with spiritual completeness.
Numbers 19:13 "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."
The tabernacle of the Lord, in the spiritual sense, is the body
of the believer. This symbolizes those, who are saved, going back to
the sin in their lives. They defile the tabernacle of God, when this
is a personal sin in their body. II Corinthians 6:17 "Wherefore come
out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not
the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you," Ephesians 5:26 "That he
might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,"
The blood saves us. The water gives us new life. The Word keeps us.
Numbers 19:14 "This [is] the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all
that come into the tent, and all that [is] in the tent, shall be
unclean seven days."
Indians will not live in a tent, where someone has died. Perhaps,
this is similar to that. The dead man, possibly, left germs in the
tent. Those coming in the tent could take the disease that killed the
man. Part of the laws God gave the people were to help them in their
civil, as well as spiritual life.
Numbers 19:15 "And every open vessel, which hath no covering
bound upon it, [is] unclean."
This is plainly because of germs that might accumulate.
Numbers 19:16 "And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a
sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a
grave, shall be unclean seven days."
When an unsaved person dies, the devil spirits that have been in
him, seek for another body to inhabit. If there is no body convenient,
they will inhabit an animal. If there is neither a person or an animal
they can inhabit available, they will remain in the area of the dead,
hoping to inhabit a relative of that person, or someone weak enough to
let them come in. The seven day period could be to give them ample
time to leave. A Christian cannot be inhabited of devil spirits. They
can harass you, but not enter you, if you are full of the Light of
Jesus.
Numbers 19:17 "And for an unclean [person] they shall take of the
ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water
shall be put thereto in a vessel:"
The unclean person is made clean by the blood, water, and the
spirit. These ashes, that were saved, show that the one sacrifice that
Jesus made was sufficient for all time. A sinner does not need another
sacrifice, they just need to accept this sacrifice of Jesus. That is
what these ashes symbolize. I John 5:6 "This is he that came by water
and blood, [even] Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and
blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit
is truth." These ashes burn the sin away, the water gives new life. We
are that vessel filled with the water of regeneration.
Numbers 19:18 "And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip [it]
in the water, and sprinkle [it] upon the tent, and upon all the
vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that
touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:"
The person is cleansed by the blood, water, and the Word. Someone
{clean} must care enough to help them be cleansed. Romans 10:17 "So
then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." I
Corinthians 1:21 "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by
wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to
save them that believe." John 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth:
thy word is truth."
Numbers 19:19 "And the clean [person] shall sprinkle upon the
unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh
day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself
in water, and shall be clean at even."
This water of purification was applied twice, to show the
seriousness of the sin. The symbolic meaning of the third day has to
do with the resurrection, and the seven has to do with the cleansing
being spiritually complete.
Numbers 19:20 "But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not
purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the
congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the
water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he [is]
unclean."
This, symbolically, is speaking of that person who refuses
salvation. The blood sprinkling is for the purging of the sin, and the
water is washing of regeneration. He has done neither, so he is lost.
There was a plan of salvation available in these ashes {Jesus'
sacrifice}, he did not accept it.
Numbers 19:21 "And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them,
that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his
clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean
until even."
This everlasting statute is for our cleansing, and taking us from
death to eternal life in Him. There is no other way to heaven, but by
the blood and the water. Revelation 1:5 "And from Jesus Christ, [who
is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and
the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood," Those who are not washed in
the blood of Jesus are still in sin.
Numbers 19:22 "And whatsoever the unclean [person] toucheth shall
be unclean; and the soul that toucheth [it] shall be unclean until
even."
Those who are living in sin pollute everything, and everyone,
around them. The unsaved have a tendency to influence others to be
unsaved, also. There is a way that we can be free from death. I
would like to sum up this lesson with the following verses. 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:" Hebrews 9:14 "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge
your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
Numbers 25 Questions
1. The sacrifices of every kind symbolize what?
2. There is just _______ heifer?
3. This was a ____________ offering.
4. Who is the church made up of?
5. The church was born through the _______ _______ of Christ.
6. What does "red" mean?
7. The 40 years in the wilderness established the ________, or the
______ child.
8. When was the church established?
9. The 80 days of purification for the maid child included the birth
of the _______, and then the birth of the church on the
fulfillment of the _____.
10. The church is established on faith in the __________ of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
11. Where was Jesus crucified?
12. What does the sprinkling of the blood 7 times symbolize?
13. Quote Leviticus chapter 4 verses 5 and 6.
14. What was usually done with the blood of the burnt offering?
15. Jesus took our sin upon His ______ on the cross.
16. Quote 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 44.
17. Burning symbolizes _____________.
18. What were cedarwood and hyssop for?
19. What color is scarlet?
20. What is verse 7 speaking of?
21. What is baptizing in water symbolic of?
22. The even was the beginning of a ____ ____.
23. What is the symbolic meaning of the third day?
24. Quote Romans chapter 10 verse 9.
25. What sets Jesus aside from all others?
26. What is the tabernacle of the Lord in the spiritual sense?
27. Quote Ephesians chapter 5 verse 26.
28. The laws were given for _______ life, as well as for spiritual
life.
29. What is verse 16 speaking of?
30. The unclean person is made clean by the ________, _______, and
________.
31. Quote 1 John chapter 5 verse 6.
32. The ashes burn the _______ away.
33. Quote John chapter 17 verse 17.
34. Who is verse 20 speaking of?
35. Quote Revelation chapter 1 verse 5.
36. Sum up this lesson with two Scriptures.
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