04.07. SHADOW: Red Heifer- The Sacrifice That Looked

SHADOW: Red Heifer- The Sacrifice That Looked Ahead

Numbers 19:1-10 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/7%20Shadow-Red%20Heifer.mp3

    Almost without exception, the sacrifices offered in the Old Testament were for the present. They did not look ahead so to speak but took care of the sins that were already done. The offering on the day of atonement which was offered one time a year was for the sins that had been committed during the past year. The day to day offerings were for ongoing current sins.

The Sin Offering was to provide for pervious and present sins. The Burnt Offering was to provide a continual daily sacrifice. The Peace Offering was to provide for a voluntary offering of devotion. There is one exception to this and that is our topic today. The sacrifice of the Red Heifer recorded in Numbers chapter nineteen was a sacrifice that looked ahead to sins that would be committed in the future. It gave a way of purifying being available prior to contamination by sin. In the last few years there has been a great deal of excitement across the world about several calves that have been born. One or two have been born in Israel, another was born in Texas. The reason being is that the ashes of a Red Heifer is needed in order for the temple that will be built and the priests who will minister in it in the future to be purified. Since the time of the destruction of the temple there has not been a red heifer born. When one is born, it is considered a sign from God. Some have developed white or black hairs before they reach three years of age and are disqualified. One source says, "In the Mishnah, Tractate Parah, we learn that there have been a total of nine red cows in history." They go on to say the tenth is being looked for now. Some Hebrew scholars say that the ashes of the last Red Heifer must be found before they purification begins. We will not concern ourselves with much of these mattered today as we look at the Red Heifer as a type of Christ.

    Numbers 19:1-10 "And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 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: 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: 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: ⁵ And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn: ⁶ And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer. 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. 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. 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. 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."

    There are many things about this sacrifice that we need to understand as they picture Christ in Shadow. We know that it is a type of Christ from Hebrews 9:13-14 "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: ¹⁴How 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?"

    Lets look at the text at the same time we see the ways this is a foreshadow of Messiah.    

I- Red Heifer: Numbers 19:2

    All the offerings of animals in the Bible are male except for this one. This one was to be a heifer. Some acquaint the Red Heifer with the Golden Calf because it was ground into powder and it is the powder form of the Red Heifer that purifies. Some see the color in the verse in Isaiah that says, Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Some also see the red as reference back to Adam who’s name means red.

There may also be a connection in a blasphemous way to the sacrifice of Egyptians. On Commentary said, "This is the only case in which the color of the victim is specified. It has been supposed the ordinance was designed in opposition to the superstitious notions of the Egyptians. That people never offered a vow but they sacrificed a red bull, the greatest care being taken by their priests in examining whether it possessed the requisite characteristics, and it was an annual offering to Typhon, their evil being. By the choice, both of the sex and the color, provision was made for eradicating from the minds of the Israelites a favorite Egyptian superstition regarding two objects of their animal worship." (Jamerson, Fausset, and Brown) So we do not really know for certain why it was red or why it was a Heifer.

II- Without Spot: Numbers 19:2

    One of the reoccurring themes of all the sacrifices was that they be without spot or blemish. This one had to be so perfect that if it had a black or white hair it was rejected. This certainly speaks of Christ.

    Hebrews 9:14 remember says Christ, "….offered himself without spot to God."

    1 Peter 1:19 "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." I remind us all that when they came to break the legs of those on the cross that they did not break the legs of Jesus because He was already dead. This is a very significant fact when we realize that Jesus was the perfect Sacrifice to God.

    We as believers are exhorted by Peter in 2 Peter 3:14 "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."    

III- Never Yoked: Numbers 19:2

    The animals that had worn a yoke and been used in farming were disqualified. A yoke speaks of bondage. Christ became sin for us but He was never yoked with sin.

IV- Without the Camp: Numbers 19:3

    The Red Heifer was to be taken outside the camp and not be killed inside the tabernacle like all the other sacrifices. This points to the sacrifice of Christ. He was not killed in the temple, yea not ever in the city walls of Jerusalem but was taken outside the camp to be sacrificed for us. Notice Hebrews 13:11-13 "For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. ¹² Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. ¹³ Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach."

V- The Sprinkling of the Blood: Numbers 19:4

    The blood was the only thing that was not burned of the Red Heifer. The priest was to take the blood and turn toward the tabernacle and sprinkle it. This was offered to God. God requires a blood sacrifice for sin. Colossians 1:14 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins."    

    Remember Hebrews 9:13-14 "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: ¹⁴How 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?"

    I believe the Bible teaches us that Jesus offered His blood on the altar of heaven.

VI- Unusual Components: Numbers 19:6

    There were three unusual things that were cast into the fire with the Red Heifer. Notice Numbers 19:16 "And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer."

    These three components were used in purification of a leper. Leviticus 14:4-7 "Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: ⁵ And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water: ⁶ As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: ^s And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field."

    May I add that Jesus is the great Physician who heals us from all our sins and ultimately all our diseases that happen because of sin.

VII- Future Cleansing:

    One of the most precious things to my heart concerning the Red Heifer as it pictures Jesus is that fact that the offering was for the future. Some say that this one Heifer lasted until the exile. Numbers 19:9-10 "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. 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."

    I remind us all of two important facts concerning Christ that this pictures for us. First when He died all our sins were yet future. Second, His sacrifice was sufficient for our past, present and future. It is by His blood we are kept as well.