Hebrews 9:14 and Numbers 19:6
In this
article we will seek to enter into that which the Holy Ghost would have us
learn from the words set before us in Numbers 19:6 “ And the priest shall take
cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the burnings of the
heifer”.
This
burning of the heifer was typical of Christ Jesus in his sacrificial death.
When He burning with the zeal of love for the honor of God’s law, the glory of
God in that law, and the love for those given him in the covenant of grace from
eternity, willingly and with delight obeyed unto death; in order to satisfy the
justice of the law, to honor the law by fulfilling the law, and to free them
that were then under the curse of the law. All this and more did the Lord
Christ accomplish in his substitutionary, and representative death as the head
of his mystical body the church.
First then
we would observe the operative office in these proceedings, it is the priest
that is called to duty. Our human family, is in the first place, in deepest
need of someone to save us from our sins, and from that sin nature which is the
fountain of our actual sins. When John the Baptist first introduced the Lord
Christ to his disciples he said “behold the Lamb of God” this was answerable to
our need, John 1:29 and 36. John the Baptist did not introduce the Lord Jesus
as the King of Israel, though he is. John did not introduce him as the perfect
man, though he is that. But John introduced the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God.
This speaks of his high priestly office, which fallen and ruined creatures as
we are, are in abject need of. If we are left to our own devises we will surely
perish to all eternity in the everlasting burnings, Isaiah 33:14.
Satan
and sin have ruined us, man kind is not as he was when he came from the hand of
his creator. We all sinned in the first man, Adam, Romans 5: 12-14. We were all
condemned in Adam, and in Adam we were sentenced to death, (literally) “dying ,
ye shall die” Genesis 2:17. When Adam partook of the forbidden fruit he began
to die physically and he died spiritually at that moment. Because of the action
of the natural covenant head (Adam) all his race are born into this world in a
state of spiritual death. In that state spiritual darkness, and death reign
over us, we do not know God, nor do we know the way to return to God, nor are
we in any manner searching to find the way back to God, (Isaiah 65:1 and Romans
10:20). We are lost, and with death, Satan, and sin reigning over us we delight
to stay just as we are, deceived by sin and Satan, spiritually separated from
God, we think ourselves independent from all external powers, and we will not
seek the Lord for as far as we are concerned we have no need of his help,
(Jeremiah 6:16 and 17; Jer.13:11,23,27) “.. the carnal mind is enmity against
God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, Romans 8:7
and “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for
they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned, I Corinthians 2:14, “And ye will not come unto me, that
ye might have life, John 5:40. Natural men and women think they have free will,
but their will, their hearts, and their affections are taken captive by the
devil as he wills, 2 Timothy 2:26. They are the bond salves of sin, Satan, the
flesh, and the world, and have absolutely no power, nor have they any desire to
know their undone condition, nor to return to peace with God. “But God”
(blessed be these words, Ephesians 2:4,5)had loved a people whom he had chosen
out of Adam’s race from the days of eternity, and had secured them in a surety,
so that the fall of Adam could not plunge them into hell, but they shall be
saved from wrath through him (the surety Christ Jesus). The Lord Jesus Christ
took on him the suretyship of his church and spouse before the world was made, (Hebrews
2:16; 7:22) and that necessitates the office of a priest, (Psalm 110:4) and a
priest must have a sacrifice, (Hebrews 8:3) and the sacrifice must be ordained
of God; (Hebrews 5:1; 10:5) and so it was announced by the angel “ thou shalt
call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins, Matthew 1:21.
To bring this message of the angel out more emphatically to our attention; the
angel did not say; if his people will do this or that, or if his people will do
enough good, but the statement was unconditional, he shall, certainly,
infallibly , absolutely, independently of themselves, save his people from
their sins. We may thank God for an absolute savior, who saves his people, he
does not try to save, it is not that he wants to save men who will not
cooperate, but he absolutely saves his elect, his chosen people from their sin.
Some
may object; the writer has laid all the emphasis on the part of God in
salvation, and has disregarded the responsibility of man, as for example
according to scripture we must believe and we must repent. The writer does
certainly concur, we must believe and we must repent. However both these are
spiritual commands and require spiritual life in those that are commanded, in
order first to hear the command and then to obey the command, and both and
every other command of God requires spiritual strength in order to obedience.
Therefore we who are born in this world spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1;
Colossians 2:13, John 5:24) can neither hear nor obey God’s command. Therefore
God must first give us spiritual life, (Ezekiel 16:6; 37:1-11; John 11:43) then
after we have become spiritually living persons, and in possession of eternal
life (John 10:28) then and only then are we capable of believing, repenting,
seeking the Lord or any other spiritual operation. The spiritually dead are certainly not
willing, but the invitation is who so ever will, well, who will? The answer is
sun beam clear, it is those who have received spiritual and eternal life, the
free grace gift of God, Romans 6:23. It is God who saves, it is men and women
that are the objects of his saving operations, it is men and women that are
saved, God creates and we are created, God gives life and we are made alive. “
And the Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say, come. And
let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of
life freely. Revelation 22:17.” Only the living can; say come, only the living
can hear and say come, only the living are capable of thirst, only the living
are willing to come, and only the living can and do take the water of life
freely. The spiritually dead cannot say come, they cannot hear and say come,
they cannot thirst, the spiritually dead are never willing, and left in their
death and left to their own spiritual strength they can never take the water of
life. Therefore does the writer places all the emphasis on the goodness, love,
mercy, and power, of God in the salvation of those he has known and loved from
all eternity. Salvation is of the Lord, (Jonah 2:9)
And
the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the
midst of the burnings of the heifer, Numb.19:6. We may learn from this that all
that is necessary for the salvation of our souls is to be found in the one
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. For by one offering he hath perfected for
ever them that are sanctified, Hebrews 10:14. Reader would you, think you could
add to the sufficiency of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus? Surely you have (in
your heart) answered no, yet some think they have something to do in to their
salvation, all that is to be done is done by God, in those who are the
recipients of God’s salvation. Those who have received life eternal, are what
they are Godward because of that life, therefore do they act in the strength of
that life which is the free grace gift of God, II Corinthians 3:5; 9:8.
Casting
the cedar wood into the burnings of the heifer, may illustrate the durability
of God’s salvation for his elect. The salvation the elect, first rests on Gods
purpose to save, God resolved in eternity past to save his people by Jesus
Christ. We are called to salvation in Jesus Christ, then according to his
purpose, Romans 8:28-31, and we are instructed in scripture that God “hath
saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began,” II Timothy 1:9. The Lord Jesus quickeneth whom he
will, that is he gives life to whom he will, John 5:21. And he declares “I give
unto them (His elect) eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater
than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand, John
10:28,29. All the forces of hell cannot take the weakest of the Lord Christ’s
little ones from his saving hand.
Casting
hyssop into the burnings of the heifer may have reference to the sprinkling of
the conscience with the precious blood of Christ, to serve the living God,
Hebrews 9:14. Hyssop was a shrub used in Old Testament ceremonies as the instrumental
means of sprinkling the blood of that testament, Exodus 24:8; Hebrews 9:19. The
blood of the Old Testament was the blood of bulls and goats, and that blood
could never take away sin, Hebrews 10:4. The blood of the New Testament is the
blood of Christ, Our Lord Jesus Christ’s blood is called the blood of the
everlasting covenant, Hebrews 13:20. His blood is the precious blood of
sprinkling, Hebrews 12:24; I Peter 1:2. Under the New Testament it is the
office of the Holy Ghost, to sprinkle the conscience of believers with the
blood of Christ, the precious blood of sprinkling.
In the sinner
made sensible of his sin, that sin committed, brings a since of guilt, guilt
before a thrice holy God brings an expectation of vengeance and wrath, of
condemnation and of the sentence of death eternal. If the sinner undertakes to
remedy his situation by the performance of good works, his conscience will
continually cry; it is not enough, do more, more is required, and his torment
will continue. If the sinner applies to free will, works religion, then his
conscience will challenge his faith, is it strong enough, is his repentance
deep enough, are his works good enough, are his thoughts pure enough, has he
done enough good, and so must his misery continue, for he is under a since of
bondage and fear. But if the sinner is given faith to look upon the Lamb of God
crucified in his place, under the wrath of God, executed in his room and stead,
and to look to Jesus as a sin offering, to put away sin forever, to pay the sin
debt the sinner owes to God’s law and justice. If the sinner can look upon
Christ resurrected from the dead and know that it was sin that caused his
execution and death, and that sin was not Christ’s but those of his people; and
that his resurrection is God’s declaration that Christ is justified from the
sin that caused his death, Christ has satisfied the debt by death; then can the
sinner rest in Christ alone, the sinner can cease all his work for acceptance
with God and know that he is accepted in the beloved, Ephesians 1:6. Then is
his conscience sprinkled from dead works to serve the living God. Our Lord’s
invitation is “come to me and rest”.
The casting of
scarlet into the burnings of the heifer may speak of our guilt having been cast
upon the Lord Jesus Christ when He was made to be sin for us II Corinthians
5:21, when he was cursed in the stead of His people Galatians 3:13, when the
Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all, all his people Isaiah 53:6. Scarlet
being the color of guilt, Isaiah 1:18, and it being cast into the burnings of
the heifer, may signify the expiation of the sin of those for whom Christ was
offered as a sin offering. For those who have covenant interest in Christ, his
death must avail to take away their sin, his resurrection declares them not
guilty, they are in the sight of God perfectly holy, beloved children, a chosen
people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, I peter 2:9,10.
Some may wonder, how can I know whether I have
covenant interest in Christ? Am I of his chosen ones? Could it be that the God
of heaven and earth has loved even me from all eternity? These are pertinent
questions, and cannot be kept from the mind of those who have any acquaintance
with the Holy Scripture. These are the secret things that belong to God,
Deuteronomy 29:29 and this, in itself and for its own sake, is not for us to
know. But we do know that all the promises of God are to those who believe, who
have been given life and enabled to believe. The question then becomes, can I,
do I, believe the true gospel? Can I rest in the Lord Christ completely? And
put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3), that is I put no confidence
in my own doings (that is my works, anything that comes from myself) for
justification before God? If you are enabled to believe the true gospel which
relies upon Jesus Christ for all and every thing that pertains to salvation
then you may rest in the Lord. Actually believing the true gospel is evidence
of covenant interest in Christ. For no man can say that Jesus is Lord but by
the Holy Ghost, I Corinthians 12:3.
A.J. Ison
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