A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Numbers · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
Verſ. 2. SPeak unto the children of Iſrael that they bring thee a red hoifer, &c.]
This is the Law for making the water of ſeparation, as it is called ver. 9. that is, the water that was to be kept for the cleanſing of thoſe that were legally unclean, and for that cauſe were ſeparated from the holy things of the tabernacle. When this Law was given we cannot ſay; but very fitly it is added here to that which went before: for as in the foregoing chapter to appeaſe the peoples exceſſive fear, chap. 17. 12. the prieſts and Levites were appointed to do the ſervice of the tabernacle, and to watch over the people that they might not tranſgreſſe about any of the holy things; ſo here alſo the Lord appoints a water of ſeparation to be made, that ſo if any of the p…ople had contracted any legall uncleanneſſe, by the ſprinkling of this water upon them they might be cleanſed, and ſo might come freely again to the ſervice of God in the tabernacle without fear of thoſe plagues, which otherwiſe their pollutions might have brought upon them. The legall pollutions were to affect them with the filthineſſe of their ſinnes; and this water of ſeparation was to teach them, that if they deſired to be cleanſed from their filthineſſe, they muſt go out of themſelves, and obtain it from God, from his Sanctuary and ſacrifice. For the making of this water a red heifer was to be provid…d, and that by the common care and charge of all the children of Iſrael, becauſe it was to be for the common good of them all▪ even for the cleanſing of any one amongſt them that was by any accident legally unclean: And indeed as all other ſacrifices, ſo this in ſpeciall was a notable type and figure of Chriſt: for firſt, it muſt be a heifer, that the imbecillity of the ſex might ſhadow forth the mean and humble and deſpiſed condition wherein Chriſt ſhould live in the world; ſecondly, a red heifer, either to denote the truth of his humane nature, that he was indeed the ſonne of man, who was at firſt called Adam, which in the Hebrew ſignifies red, becauſe of the red earth of which he was made; or rather to betoken the bloudineſſe of his paſſion, (whereto the Prophet ſeems alſo, as ſome conceive, to allude, Eſa. 63. 1, 2. Who is this that cometh from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah?—Wherefore art thou red in thine apparrel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-preſſe?) and that by his bloud it is that we ſhall be cleanſed from all our ſinnes, even thoſe ſinnes that are red as crimſon or ſcarlet, Eſa. 1. 18. He hath loved us, and waſhed us from our ſinnes in his own bloud, ſaith S. John, Rev. 1. 5. thirdly, it muſt be a heifer without ſpot, wherein is no blemiſh, to ſignifie the purity of his nature without any blemiſh of ſinne, and the perfection both of his righteouſneſſe and ſuffering; and fourthly, a heifer upon which never came yoke (for they uſed in thoſe times to plow and to draw their carts with heifers and cows as well as with oxen, Judg. 14. 18. and 6. 7.) and that to ſignifie his fr…edome from the bondage of ſinne, as alſo his voluntary doing of thoſe things that were to be done for our redemption, John 10. 17, 18. I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of my ſelf; and Heb. 9. 13, 14. If the aſhes of an heifer ſprinkling the unclean ſanctifieth to the purifying of the fleſh; How much more ſhall the bloud of Chriſt, who through the eternall ſpirit offered himſelf without ſpot to God, purge your conſciences from dead works to ſerve the living God?
Verſ. 3. And ye ſhall give her unto Eleazar the prieſt, &c.]
This heifer muſt be given to the prieſt, to ſignifie that our redemption and purification was the work of Chriſts prieſthood, who was both prieſt and ſacrifice; yet not to the high prieſt, but to Eleazar, becauſe by doing this ſervice that was now to be done he was to be unclean, ver. 7. and it was fitter that he ſhould be defiled then Aaron; and ſecondly, it muſt be carried without the camp, as an accurſed thing, figuring Chriſts being made a curſe, and ſuffering without the citie, Heb. 13. 12. Wherefore Jeſus alſo, that he might ſanctifie the people with his own bloud, ſuffered without the gate.
Verſ. 4. And ſprinkle of her bloud directly before the tabernacl… of the congregation ſeven times.]
Signifying that though it bore the curſe, yet it was accepted of God for the cleanſing of the unclean, and that by Chriſts bloud we are made clean in Gods ſight, and have an entrance into heaven thereby.
Verſ. 5. And one ſhall burn the heifer in his ſight, her skinne and her fleſh, &c.]
This was done to ſignifie the grievous ſuffering of Chriſt in the whole man, both ſoul and body, as alſo, ſay ſome, the ardent love which he bore unto his people, in that he did offer up himſelf as a ſacrifice to God in their behalf.
Verſ. 6. And the prieſt ſhall take cedar-wood, and hyſſope, and ſcarlet, &c.]
To ſignifie that theſe things ſhould be uſed for a ſprinkle in ſprinkling the unclean with the water of ſeparation, Lev. 14. 4. and that was by the virtue of the ſacrifice that theſe things ſhould be ſanctified to this end, that to them might be applyed the cleanſing virtue of Chriſts death and ſpirit for the purging of our ſinnes.
Verſ. 7. The prieſt ſhall w…ſh his clothes &c.]
The like is ſaid of him that burnt this heifer, ver. 8. and of him th…t gathered up the aſhes, ver. 10. and of him that ſprinkled an unclean perſon with the water of ſeparation made of theſe aſhes, ver. 21. They that were imployed in preparing this water were defiled by that which was for the cleanſing of others that were defiled. And this was firſt to diſcover thereby the abominableneſſe of ſin, in that the ſinnes of the people being, as it were, imputed to this heifer, that ſhe might die for them, every one that touched her was thereby polluted; ſecondly, to ſignifie that Chriſt, of whom this heifer was a type, by the imputation of our ſinnes ſhould be made a curſe for us, and ſhould be numbred amongſt tranſgreſſours; thirdly, to teach them that it was not ſo much the ſigne, as the thing ſignified thereby, that had virtue in it to purifie thoſe that were ſpiritually unclean, and conſequently to ſhew the imperfection of the legall prieſthood, becauſe by preparing the means of the Churches ſanctification themſelves were polluted.
Verſ. 9. And a man that is clean ſhall gather up the aſhes, &c.]
This branch of the Law, that the aſhes of the heifer muſt be gathered up by a man that is clean, and laid up without the camp in a clean place, was becauſe they were now conſecrated to a holy uſe, however the man that gathered them was thereby made unclean (as is expreſſed in the following verſe) becauſe they were the remainder of a heifer ſlain, as I may ſay, for the ſinnes of the people: and hereby was ſignified that Chriſt our ſacrifice was pure in himſelf, though made ſinne for us; yea and ſome Expoſitours adde that this laying up of theſe aſhes in a clean place ſignified that Chriſt ſhould be buried in a new tombe, wherein never man before was laid, Luke 23. 53.
And it ſhall be kept for the congregation of the children of Iſrael for a water of ſeparation.]
Why it is called a water of ſeparation, ſee before in the note upon ver. 2. As for the place where theſe aſhes were kept when they came into the land of Canaan, it is not expreſſed; yet many hold that it was diſperſed into all the cities, that thoſe that were unclean might have wherewith to purify themſelves.
Verſ. 10. And it ſhall be unto the children of Iſrael, and unto the stranger that ſojourneth among them for a ſtatute for ever.]
To wit, the making and reſerving theſe aſhes for a water of ſeparation. Whether there was a new heifer burnt at every ſtation, where the Iſraelites tarried any time; or whether every tribe or Iſraelite (which I ſhould rather think) fetched of the aſhes from the place where they were laid without the camp, and ſo kept them for their own uſe when occaſion ſerved, becauſe it is not expreſſed we need not curiouſly enquire: OnelyOnly this we muſt know that as the burning, ſo alſo the aſhes of this heifer, was a ſigne of Chriſts moſt ignominious and accurſed death (for to be brought to aſhes upon the earth, is noted for the extremity of Gods fierie judgments, Ezek. 28. 18.) and that the memoriall of Chriſts ignominious death is to be kept by us in the Sacrament of the Lords ſupper as a moſt glorious monument of our life, juſtification and ſanctification through faith in his name. See 1. Cor. 11. 24, 25, 26. and Gal. 6. 14.
Verſ. 11. He that toucheth the dead body of any man, ſhall be unclean ſeven dayes.]
He that touched a dead beaſt was unclean but one day onelyonly, Lev. 11. 24. &c. Whoſoever toucheth the carcaſe of them ſhall be unclean untill the even, &c. neither was he to be ſprinkled with thoſe aſhes. By theſe legall pollutions therefore, contracted by the touch of a dead man the Lord did undoubtedly teach his people, firſt, to obſerve Gods curſe in death; ſecondly, to take heed of being defiled by the ſociety of dead men, that is, wicked men, men dead in treſpaſſes and ſinnes, Eph. 2. 1. and of polluting our ſouls by any ſinne or communion with dead works. See 2. Cor. 6. 17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye ſeparate, ſaith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you; and 1. Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands, ſuddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other mens ſinnes. Keep thy ſelf pure: and thirdly, that if they had defiled themſelves they ſhould ſeek preſently to be cleanſed of their uncleanneſſe, namely by repentance from dead works, and ſaith towards God, which purifieth the heart, Acts 15. 9.
Verſ. 12. He ſhall purifie himſelf with it on the third day, and on the ſ…venth day he ſhall be clean.]
The third day was myſticall, having reference to the reſurrection of Chriſt; ſo was alſo the ſeventh, being a perfect number and ſignifying how full and perfectly we are cleanſed from our ſinnes by the ſprinkling of the bloud and ſpirit of Chriſt.
Verſ. 13. And that ſoul ſhall be cut off from Iſrael.]
That is, if he do it preſumptuouſly; but if he have done it ignorantly he was to bring a ſacrifice, Leviticus 5. 3, 6.
Verſ. 16. And whoſoever toucheth one that is ſlain with a ſword, &c.]
That is, whoſoever toucheth any ſlain man (for though the text ſpeaks onelyonly of ſuch as are ſlain with a ſword, yet hereby all other are implyed alſo) or a dead body, that is, any other dead body of a man, though not ſlain, but dying his naturall death, yea or the bone of a man, or a grave, he ſhall be unclean ſeven dayes: and therefore it was that to avoid theſe pollutions they uſed to have their places of buriall without their cities, Luke 7. 12. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the citie, behold there was a dead man carried out. See alſo John 9. 41.
Verſ. 17. And running water ſhall be put theret… in a veſſel.]
Becauſe ſuch water is pureſt. See Lev. 14. 5. This figured the ſpirit of God, which they that believe in Chriſt do receive, John 7. 38, 39.
Verſ. 18. And a clean perſon ſhall take hyſſope, and dip it in the water, and ſprinkle it about the tent, and upon all the veſſels.]
For though a veſſel were melted, yet it was not clean till it was ſprinkled with this water, Numb. 31. 23. Every thing that may abide the fire ye ſhall make it go through the fire, and it ſhall be clean; nevertheleſſe it ſhall be purified with the water of ſeparation.
Verſ. 22. And what ſoever the unclean perſon toucheth ſhall be unclean, &c.]
The unclean perſon here ſpoken of muſt needs be meant of the unclean perſon mentioned in the foregoing verſe (as by the immediate inference of this upon that is evident) to wit, the perſon that was made unclean by touching the water of ſeparation; yet withall it may be extended to all the unclean perſons mentioned before in this chapter, as thoſe that were made unclean by the burning or touching of the red heifer, or her aſhes, or by the touching of the dead body of a man, &c. and the Law here given concerning thoſe is, that every thing ſhould be unclean that ſuch unclean perſons touched, and that every perſon ſhould be unclean that touched any thing that was defiled by the touch of an unclean man: and thus hereby was figured the contagion of ſinne, ſpreading from one to another, to the infection of many.