“The Ashes of the Red Heifer”
Numbers 19:1-10
By
Dr. Steven G. Cook
I. Introduction
A. Please be patient during the first part of this message - Today I
want to speak to you about 4 Things - 1.) The Red Heifer its-
self 2.) The Offering of the Red Heifer 3.) The Ashes of the
Red Heifer 4.) The Cleansing of the Red Heifer
B. How many of you have ever heard of the “Ashes of the Red
Heifer”? Usually not many have.
C. There are only 2 Mentions of the “Ashes of the Red Heifer” -
Numbers 19 & Hebrews 9
D. In Numbers 19:10; 21 we read that the “Ashes of the Red Heifer”
were to be a “Perpetual Statute” to the nation of Israel.
E. The Purpose of the ashes are found in vs. 9-“Purification for Sin”
F. The time of the ordination of this statute was when during the 40 yrs. of wilderness wandering - approximately 600,000 Israelites died because of their failure to trust God and enter Canaan - (about 40 people per day) died over the age of 20 yrs. During this time, there was serious ceremonial defilement of Israel who had to bury the dead.
G. In the Mosaic Law there are 613 laws that were given at Mt. Sinai: 248 Mandatory Laws and 365 Prohibitionary Laws.
H. There were 18 Mandatory Laws which dealt with “Ritual Purity”.
I. Numbers 19:14-16 declared that “touching the corpse of a dead person, or even their bone or grave” caused defilement.
J. This defilement lasted 7 days - Num. 19:2-9 instructed Israel of the process of ritual purification which involved the use of the “Ashes of the Red Heifer.”
II. Jewish History of Red Heifer (Talmud Histories)
A. The Talmud is a Jewish History written by former Rabbi’s.
B. Explain:
1. Heifer chosen and sacrificed/burned
2. Ashes collected and put into a crock-pot (2-3 gallons)
3. Priest would take a hyssop, place in fresh, running water, take a pinch of ashes, place on the hyssop, sprinkle the sprig of hyssop upon the “unclean person” seven times on the 3rd & 7th day.
4. On the 7th day, the ceremonially unclean person was declared clean.
5. When the “Ashes” were nearly consumed, another Red Heifer was sacrificed, burned, and its ashes “added to” the ashes of the previous heifer or heifers (perpetual statute).
6. From Numbers 19 until AD 69 - there have been 9 such heifers sacrificed.
7. In AD 70, Titus of Rome destroyed Jerusalem’s Temple and ravished the city.
8. Many of the furnishings of the Temple were removed - including the Ark of the Covenant & the Ashes of the Red Heifer.
9. In 1947, in Qumran, a young Arab boy found the Dead Sea Scrolls - including a “copper scroll”.
10. This scroll said that between Jericho & Saccachar there was a cave facing the East which had 2 openings. Explain.
11. Vendel Jones - American archaeologist, found the cave and began to dig - Explain
12. 1st dig - found cave, dug, found new rock, pottery shards
13. 2nd dig - 35 feet back/22 feet deep, Mosaic floor tiles, came back half way and dug 35 feet deep, found pottery shards older than the floor.
14. 3rd dig - found white sand, goat-skin bags with incense, ran out of money again, but was refused permit for 4th dig.
15. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” - sold to Hollywood
III. Significance of Findings
A. Temple worship cannot be established without the Ashes of the
Red Heifer being used to cleanse the priesthood.
B. Today, in Israel, there is a school already in the process of training
men named Cohen, Levy, and Levi who are from the tribe of Levi.
C. Chief Priest - the holiest man in Judaism - can ritually purify him-
self, then the students into the priesthood as soon as they find the
“Ashes of the Red Heifer”.
D. Why is this such a “big deal”? Because when this happens, the
Church will be GONE! Raptured!
IV. Typology of the Red Heifer to Jesus Christ
A. Heifer came from among the people (vs. 2)
Christ came from among the people (Jn. 1:11)
B. Heifer brought as a sacrifice for others
Christ came as a sacrifice for others (Jn. 3:16-17; 1 Tim. 1:15)
C. Heifer was without spot or blemish (vs. 2)
Christ was also (1 Pet. 1:18-19)
D. Heifer knew no yoke of bondage - symbol of sin (vs. 2)
Christ knew no bondage of sin (2 Cor. 5:21)
E. Heifer was to a “Female”
Christ was sold for 30 pieces of silver - the price of a “Female
slave” - male slaves were sold for 50 pieces of silver
F. Heifer was given to the Priest Eleazar (vs. 3)
Christ was arrested and taken to Caiphas - High Priest
G. Heifer was taken outside the camp for sacrifice (vs. 3)
Christ was also taken to Caiphas, Pilate, Herod, back to Pilate,
then outside the camp (gates) of Jerusalem to Calvary.
H. Heifer was slain before the Priest, but not by the Priest (vs. 4)
Christ was slain by the Gentile Romans before, but not by the
Priest.
I. Heifer’s neck was “double-jointed” - one swift blow could kill
Christ too died in only 6 hours - He died at will swiftly!
V. The Ashes of the Red Heifer
A. The Priest sprinkled the “Blood of the Heifer” before the en-trance of the presence of God. (vs. 4) My friend, if you would come to Jesus Christ - It will only be by Blood of the Son of God - Jesus Christ! (Heb. 9:22)
B. All of the “Heifer” was burned (consumed) in the offering (vs. 5)
The same can be said of Jesus Christ - He died every way a man
could die -
1. Physically - He died the death of a man; was buried as a man; but raised GOD!
2. Emotionally - Watched by His mother; Abandoned by the
Father - “Eli, Eli, Lama Sabbacthani” (Ps. 22)
3. Spiritually - 3 times in Isa. 53 the writer says that the “Soul
of the Messiah” was offered as a sacrifice!
C. The “Heifer” was burned with “cedar, hyssop, & scarlet” -
1. Cedar - large tree, regal; speaks of the Deity of Christ
2. Hyssop - most common of all little weeds in Israel; speaks of the Humanity of Christ
3. Scarlet - red dye; speaks of the Blood of Christ
4. Interestingly, when cedar and hyssop are burned together, all one sees is the red of scarlet - The BLOOD!
VI. Imputation of the Sacrifice of the Heifer/Christ (Num. 19:7,8,10)
A. Numbers 19 teaches above all things, the Doctrine of Imputation.
B. In vs. 7,8,10 we find that a person was “Unclean until even”.
C. How can we, who are born in sinful uncleaness, become clean or righteous before God?
D. Imputation of Jesus Christ -
E. Read 2 Cor. 5:21 - “For He (God) has made Him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (Christ).”
VII. What Happened to Those Who Refused Cleansing? (Num. 19:20)
A. Those who refused cleansing were “cut off”- separated from God!
B. What about YOU? Have YOU come for a Cleansing at Calvary’s Tide? The Blood of Jesus Christ is greater than the Ashes of the Red Heifer! Why not come today and be cleansed???
