Numbers 19 summary

Numbers chapter 19 is a chapter on the water for impurity. the background of the water for impurity is that in Numbers chappter 11-14 and chapter 16, there were various rebellion, Miriam and Aaron speaking against Moses, the ten evip spies, and the 250 elders under the leading of Korah. so after all these rebellion, especially the 250 elders, which was the moset widespread rebellion among the people of Israel, all God's people were under the negative effect and influence of the death spreading among them. they were all unclean, so they were in need of the water for impurity to annul the effect and impurity of death. 

Numbers 19:2 This is the statute of the law which Jehovah has commanded, saying, Tell the children of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which is no blemish and upon which a yoke has never come.

the red heifer, as the major component of the water for impurity, typifies the redeeming Christ. we can see a few aspects of the red heifer:

1. The color red signifies the likeness of the flesh of sin, for the bearing of man's sin outwardly. When Christ was incarnated, He became in the likeness of the flesh of sin.

2. the heifer wad without blemish or defect, which signifies that Christ is perfect, without any sin. 

3. "upon which a yoke has never come" : signifies that Christ has never been used by anyone, especially by Satan, God's enemy.

4. the heifer was brought and slaughtered outside the camp, signifying Christ, who was crucified on Mt Calvary, outiside Jerusalem.

Numbers 19:6 And the priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet strands, and cast them into the midst of the burning of the heifer.

while the heifr was being burnt, the priest cast cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet strands. 

cedar wood: signifies Christ's dignified humanity.

hyssop: Christ's humbled humanity

scarlet strands: signifies the redemption of Christ.

all these elements of Christ were added into the red heifer to be burnt together into ashes for future use to be put into running water for those who would need purification. this signifies that Christ was reduced to nothing on the cross, and all these components bring us the "final product", the all-inclusive life giving Spirit, with all the elements of Christ's dignified and humbled humanity, His death on the cross and the Spirit of His resurrection, is avalable for us now to clean and purify us from death. 

now at the end of the age, the world has become so evil, corrupted and full of death, with its negative influence spreading, not only among the unbelieving people, but even among the church, among the believers. especially nowadays,  when infomation technology has become so advanced, even though we try not to see, read, or receive anything from media, without our phone, the whole world is still coming to us to invade into our being, to bring us the effect of death, to defile our being, to deaden our spirit. while we are still living on the earth, we have no way to totally or absolutley keep us from any of these. therefore, how we need the water for impurity, to constantly cleansing us, to annul the effect of death which we pick up in our normal daily human life. Thank You Lord Jesus!!