The Book of Numbers – The Privilege and Power through the Blood of Christ

Hi all, we are back continuing our series on the Book of Numbers. We are exactly halfway through the book now. A quick recap

Numbers 1-4:  Israel at Sinai, preparation of their journey towards the promised land and the order they are to follow while they will camp in the wilderness.

Numbers 5-9: The Nazerite vow and the observance of Passover

Numbers 10: The journey from Sinai to Kadesh.

Numbers 11: Is a turning point in their journey through the wilderness, they begin to complain about their situation

Numbers 12-18: The people complain against Moses and Aaron and rebel. God disciplines them and reiterates the role of the Priests and the Levites.

And today we land on chapter 19, the water of cleansing. God gives instructions on the red heifer sacrifice.

Num 19:1-3 “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: “This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.”

What is the Red Heifer Sacrifice all about?

The heifer would be killed, the priest would sprinkle the blood seven times towards the front of the Tent of Meeting. The heifer would then be completely burned. A difference in this sacrifice compared to the burnt offering was that the ash would be collected and kept in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp and was to be used with water and sprinkled on the unclean person on the third and seventh day for purification from sin.

Sin was to be acknowledged, not covered up and the holiness of God was to be regarded. For the atonement of sin, blood had to be shed.

Hebrews 9:22 “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

The Power in the Blood of Christ

Today we do not need to carry out such rituals for cleansing from sin. There is power in the blood of Christ. The blood of Jesus washes away every stain and cleanses us from within so that we can be reconciled with God.

Hebrews 9:13-14 “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”

How the Red Heifer foreshadows Jesus’s work on the Cross

Many scholars believe that the red heifer foreshadows Jesus’s work on the cross at Calvary. Let’s take a closer look. The heifer was without defect, as Jesus was without sin. The heifer was never under a man’s yoke just as Jesus went of his own free will to the cross. The animal had to be taken outside the camp and sacrificed, Jesus was taken outside the city to Golgotha. The heifer was taken by the priest and sacrificed by another man. Jesus was taken to the High priest but handed over to Pilate. The priest sprinkled the blood of the heifer at the front of the tabernacle, and we read in Hebrews 9:11b-12 “He (Jesus) went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.”

Acknowledging Sin in our lives

Having to carry out these rituals probably also served as a reminder that as man, they could never live up to God’s standard of righteousness. It probably helped to keep their own fallen nature in light of God’s righteousness at the forefront of their daily living. We are in constant need of God’s grace to live righteously, faltering in our thinking and our actions, many times during the day.

How diligent are we in spending some time reflecting on those moments, taking them to God, asking for forgiveness and praying for grace to do better? We can never overcome sin on our own. We need the Lord to enable us to be victorious over our earthly nature. And how could we overcome if we do not turn to the most powerful means to do so.

In the chapter, even those who became unclean unintentionally had to follow the ritual of cleansing to get right with God. In Leviticus 4:2-3 we read of the difference in offerings that need to be made for unintentional sins. Ignorance is never a good defense for sin. It is still a sin committed. God intends for all sin to be brought before him. Reflect on the thought that ignoring unintentional sin/behaviours would be a willful ignorance towards righteous living.

In verse 13 we read “Whoever fails to purify himself would defile the Lord’s tabernacle.” And further that they should be cut off from the community. An unclean person was defiled and kept one out of the tabernacle, that is out of the presence of God. From the above verse we understand that God does not want us to neglect sin in our lives. Sin if left unattended in our lives grows and creates a distance between God and us. Remember, when Jesus was washing the disciples’ feet and Peter verbalises to Jesus that he did not want the Lord washing his feet. Jesus says that if we do not let Jesus wash us, we have no part with him.

There is power in the Blood of Christ. It is important to take time and reflect on areas that we struggle with and take them to God. If there is lingering sin in your life, we are not meant to tackle it in our own strength. Be real with yourself, acknowledge it, take it to God who will give you the grace and strength to fight those battles to victory. Remember that Satan wants nothing more than to create distance in your worship and communion with God. If there is a distance, reflect on why and whatever it is, know that the Lord is just waiting for you to turn to Him and say Lord, forgive me, help me. Consistent prayer is powerful in breaking sinful habits. The blood of Jesus enables us to transform. Reach out to the privilege and power we have in Christ.

God Bless.