The Purification Ceremony of the Hebrews.
By J. O. Corliss
From former studies of the Hebrew types and ceremonies, it has been established that each sacrifice they called for pointed to some special phase of Christ’s atonement work for men. Heb. 10:1–3, 8–10. There was one ordinance, however, that was designed to demonstrate faith in Christ as the common Saviour for all. This was the ceremony of sacrificing a red heifer. To fulfil the requirements of the statute demanding this, all the people united in selecting from some flock a perfectly formed creature, having no blemish, and upon which a yoke had never been laid. This was brought to the priest, who led her away from the sanctuary and entirely out of the camp of Israel, where some one was chosen to kill her in the presence of the priest. Num. 19:2, 3. The demand for a purely red animal in this case is another example of the exactness of God’s purpose. Were a single spot, however small, of any other color to be found upon the intended sacrifice, it instantly became worthless for the purpose intended. But there was good reason for this. The great Antitype—Christ—to whom this sacrifice pointed, was to be figuratively clothed in “red apparel” (Isa. 63:1–3), which symbolized the blood-stains of His wounded body. Rev. 19:13. Fitly to represent Christ, the red heifer must never have borne a yoke, which was a symbol of bondage. In the sight of heaven sin is a “yoke of bondage.” Gal. 5:1; Lam. 1:14. Christ knew no sin, hence was never under that yoke. 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21, 22. But notwithstanding this, He was chosen to die for the nation (John 11:49–52), and in due time the people led Him to the cross. Matt. 26:47, 57; 27:1, 2, 26. He was led out of the city and away from the sanctuary, to suffer “without the gate,” pursuant to His purification of the people. Heb. 13:12. In view of this, the exhortation of Inspiration is to all: “Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.” Verse 13.4 But since Christ tasted death for all men (Heb. 2:9), why the need of this personal exhortation, to go thru singly what He did for all? It will be seen from the law of the typical ceremony that the rite accompanying the sacrifice of the red heifer did not provide an indiscriminate purification for the whole house of Israel. True, the ceremony of the red-heifer sacrifice was performed once for all, and was for the whole people. But by following the ceremony thru, it will be seen that it all looked to a provision of which individuals might avail themselves in order to be freed from personal impurity. The regulations of that ceremony required that the ashes of the burnt heifer be gathered, and carefully treasured for future use. On coming in contact with any dead carcass, a man was counted unclean, and his body, as the Lord’s tabernacle, was contaminated. Num. 19:13; 1 Cor. 3:16. Should he remain in this condition a certain length of time, he was cut off from God’s people. But that he might be saved from this calamity, it was provided that to a portion of the preserved ashes from the body of the red heifer might be added water from a running brook, and this mixture might be sprinkled with hyssop upon the unclean person, and all his belongings which had been affected by contact with him during his uncleanness. Thus while general provision was made for every one in such an emergency, whoever refused to avail himself of the provision was excluded from all other benefits coming to God’s people. Num. 19:20. The contamination then received by touching a dead body, represented contact with sinners, who are now, in the discretion of heaven’s law, regarded as dead. Thus the apostle speaks of those who are “dead in trespasses and sins.” Eph. 2:1. Again, in representing himself as being tormented with the lusts of the old man of sin, while longing to be free from them, the distressed apostle passionately cried out, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” or as the margin renders it, “from this body of death.” So, now, those who obey the promptings of sin become defiled as by the touch of a dead body, and need to apply the water of purification, and so be sanctified and cleansed, to the removal of every spot, which heaven counts an unholy blemish. Eph. 5:26, 27. There is no stain of sin so deeply seated that it may not thus be cleansed. Even the terrible crime of David’s life was expunged by this process. In praying to this end, the psalmist exclaimed, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Ps. 51:7. This cleansing or whitening process is a quickening with Christ, a passing from death unto life. Eph. 2:1, 4, 5; 1 John 3:14. We may indeed be thankful that the application of the blood of Christ reaches beyond the purification of the flesh, even to purging the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Heb. 9:13, 14.