Ordinance or statute

Parasha:  Chukat  “Ordinance or statute”
Torah: (B’midbar) Numbers 19:1 – 22:1

“…of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Avinu.”

1 And Avinu spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying, 2 This is the ordinance of the law which Avinu has commanded, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and on which never came yoke: 3 And you shall give her to 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 middle 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 burns 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 (holy water): it is a purification for sin. 10 And he that gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be to the children of Israel, and to the stranger that sojournes among them, for a statute for ever.

11 He that touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. 12 He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. 13 Whoever touches the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifies not himself, defiles the tabernacle of Avinu; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet on him.

14 This is the law, when a man dies in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days. 15 And every open vessel, which has no covering bound on it, is unclean. 16 And whoever touches one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

17 And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel: 18 And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, and on all the vessels, and on the persons that were there, and on him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave: 19 And the clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even. 20 But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he has defiled the sanctuary of Avinu: the water of separation has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean. 21 And it shall be a perpetual statute to them, that he that sprinkles the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that touches the water of separation shall be unclean until even. 22 And whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the soul that touches it shall be unclean until even. (B’midbar 19:1-22)

What does a red cow and people walking around in a state of spiritual “uncleanness”  because of some form of direct or indirect contact with a corpse have to do with us? 

Some people will tell you that this passage was “done away with” when Yeshua died.  Others, from another belief system, will tell you that there is nothing that we can do about this spiritual condition so we must “just live with it”. 

Lets see what scripture teaches us.

19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, jealousies, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21  Contentions, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Elohim. (Ga 5:19-21  )

Notice the third “practice” on the list.  The last part of this passage warns, “…those that practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of Elohim”. Spiritual “uncleanness” comes from various sources. One of the “more toxic” sources, coming into close contact with a human corpse  is being discussed. Fortunately, for the Messianic Community, we have been given a solution for this condition. Shaul teaches us

16  And what agreement has the temple of Elohim with idols? for you are the temple of the living Elohim; as Elohim has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people. 17  Why come out from among them, and be you separate, said Avinu, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18  And will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, said El Shaddai. 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of Elohim. (2Co 6:16-7:1  )

..perfecting holiness in the fear of Elohim.” Is another way of saying, “Why, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Php 2:12  )

Both of these verses are commands to observe Torah to the best of our ability with the attitude of “the fear of Elohim”. Lets get back to dealing with “spiritual uncleanness” in our lives.

For this you know, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Meshiach and of Elohim. (Eph 5:5  )

This is the second time that Shaul specifically tells us that “practicing” uncleanness keeps us out of the Kingdom of Elohim! “I know, and am persuaded by Avinu

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. (1Co 7:14  )

Notice that the opposite of ‘unclean’ is ‘holy’. The assumption here is that a “Believer” is supposed to be practicing a “holy” lifestyle that is acceptable to and at least partially followed by the “unbelieving spouse”. If the “unbelieving spouse” wants to continue living with a “Believer”,the household  must be under the umbrella of Torah observance. This is the only way that the children could be considered “holy”. 

Prior to 70 AD, when  a Believer came into direct or indirect contact with a whole or partial corpse, he/she would go to a place outside the Temple and request being sprinkled with spring water, ashes from a red heifer, cedar wood and scarlet thread combination by a priest. The process took seven days and included the washing of their clothes, a full body immersion, a second sprinkling of the water / ashes combination and waiting until sundown after the seventh day to return to society.

When the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the process for cleansing was no longer available.  The Torah states, 

And it shall be a perpetual statute to them, that he that sprinkles the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that touches the water of separation shall be unclean until even. (Nu 19:21  )

The statute is still in force.  How do we deal with it?  Shaul teaches in Hebrews, 

12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh: 14  How much more shall the blood of Meshiach, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to Elohim, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim? (Heb 9:12-14  )

The shed blood of Yeshua brings us atonement, which gives us access;  which allows us to ask Avinu to remove the “uncleanness” that has come upon us. The really good news is that not only is our flesh cleansed but our soul and spirit as well!    

Access to this physical / spiritual cleansing enables us to continue living a Holy life until Meshiach returns. This new way of accessing purification for our “Temples” is a “game changer” for us. Think about the following:

16 Do you not know that you are the temple of Avinu and that the Spirit of Avinu dwells in you? 17  If anyone defiles the temple of Avinu, Avinu will destroy him. For the temple of Avinu is holy, which temple you are. (1Co 3:16-17)

And what agreement has the temple of Avinu with idols? For you are the temple of the living Avinu. As Avinu has said: I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their Avinu, And they shall be My people. (2Co 6:16)