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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 19
LESSON #22
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RED HEIFER TO ISRAEL AND TO THE CHRISTIAN
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 51:7
v READ NUM 19:1-9 THE OFFERING OF THE RED HEIFER
v READ NUM 19:17-19
Ø THE OFFERING OF THE RED HEIFER WAS A VERYUNUSUAL KIND OF OFFERING. IT WAS THE ONLY OFFERING THAT USED A FEMALE ANIMAL. ELEAZAR, THEPRIEST WAS TO KILL AND BURN THE RED HEIFER OUTSIDE THE CAMP. THEN THE ASHES WOULD BE KEPTOUTSIDE THE CAMP.
§ THIS LOCATION OUTSIDE THECAMP WAS TO INDICATE THAT SIN MUST BE KEPT SEPARATE FROM THE PEOPLE.
§ THIS LOCATION OUTSIDE THECAMP WAS ALSO PROPHETIC BECAUSE IT WAS OUTSIDE THE CITY OF JERUSALEM WHERE JESUS BECAMESIN FOR US ON THE CROSS.
§ WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE FORTHE OFFERING OF THE RED HEIFER?
· REMEMBER THAT THE PEOPLE AREMARCHING THROUGH THE WILDERNESS. WHEN THEY MARCHED, THE TABERNACLE WAS IN PIECES. IF APERSON SINNED, THEY WOULD NOT STOP TO SET UP THE TABERNACLE SO HE COULD OFFER AN ANIMALFOR HIS SIN. THEREFORE, THIS OFFERING OF THE RED HEIFER WAS TO BE FOR A PEOPLE ON THEMOVE. THE ANIMAL HAD ALREADY BEEN OFFERED TO GOD. NOW THEY SIMPLY HAD TO SPRINKLE WATERWITH THE ASHES OVER THE SINNER.
§ IN THEIR HISTORY, THEJEWISH PEOPLE HAVE FREQUENTLY BEEN DISPERSED AND WANDERING IN THE WORLD. HOWEVER, THEY DIDNOT OFTEN AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THIS KIND OF OFFERING. THEREFORE, THIS OFFERING HAS AGREATER SIGNIFICANCE IN PRESENT DAY ISRAEL AS WELL AS IN THE FUTURE.
· BEFORE THE JEWS CAN REBUILD ATEMPLE IN JERUSALEM, THEY MUST PURIFY THE SITE BY SPRINKLING THE ASHES OF A RED HEIFEROVER THE TEMPLE MOUNT. TO DO THIS THEY MUST HAVE TWO THINGS:
¨ THEY MUST HAVE A PERFECT RED HEIFER WITH NOWHITE HAIRS ANYWHERE ON HER BODY. THEY ARE CURRENTLY BREEDING A SPECIAL EGYPTIAN TYPE OFRED HEIFER TO ARRIVE AT THE PERFECT ONE. THE FIRST SHIPMENT OF THIS KIND OF RED HEIFER WASFIRST SENT TO ISRAEL IN 1994 FROM TEXAS. IN THE SPRING OF 1997 THE FIRST OFFSPRING WASBORN BUT IT STILL HAS WHITE HAIRS. WHEN THEY ARRIVE AT THE PERFECT RED HEIFER,IT MUST BE 3 YEARS OLD BEFORE THEY CAN OFFER IT ON THE MT. OF OLIVES.
¨ THEY MUST FIND THE ASHES OF THE LAST REDHEIFER THAT WAS OFFERED. THE ASHES FROM THE CURRENT RED HEIFER MUST BE MIXED WITH THEASHES OF THE ONE PREVIOUSLY OFFERED. THIS IS NOT AN EASY TASK BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN ONLY7 TIMES IN ISRAELS HISTORY WHEN THIS OFFERING WAS DONE. ACCORDING TO A COPPER SCROLLFOUND AMONG THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS, THE LAST TIME THE OFFERING WAS DONE WAS IN 68 AD JUSTBEFORE THE ROMANS DESTROYED JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE IN 70 AD.
Ø WHERE ARE THE ASHES FROM 68 AD.? IN 70 AD.THE TREASURES FROM THE TEMPLE (INCLUDING THE ASHES OF THE RED HEIFER) WERE PROBABLY HIDDENTO PREVENT THE ROMANS FROM DESTROYING OR LOOTING THEM. ACCORDING TO THIS COPPER SCROLL,THESE TREASURES WERE HIDDEN IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS AROUND JERUSALEM: SOME OF THEM IN CAVESAND SOME UNDERGROUND ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ORTHODOX JEWS ANDARCHAEOLOGISTS LOOKING FOR THESE TREASURES, WHICH MAY ALSO INCLUDE THE ARK OF THECOVENANT.
Ø THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RED HEIFER TO THECHRISTIAN LIFE:
§ READ JOHN 13:4-12
§ HOW DOES THE WASHING OF THEDISCIPLES FEET RELATE TO THE OFFERING OF THE RED HEIFER? (NUM 19:17-19)
· REMEMBER THAT THE OFFERING OF THERED HEIFER WAS FOR UNSETTLED PEOPLE WANDERING THROUGH THE WILDERNESS. THE CHRISTIAN IS INTHE SAME CONDITION. THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME. WE ARE A PEOPLE WANDERING THROUGH THEWILDERNESS OF THIS EVIL WORLD SYSTEM.
¨ WHEN JESUS WASHED HIS DISCIPLES FEET HESAID TO PETER THAT HE DID NOT NEED TO BE WASHED ALL OVER HIS BODY, ONLY HIS FEET WEREDIRTY. HE MEANT THAT PETER HAD BEEN BORN AGAIN AND HAD HIS PAST SINS WASHED AWAY. HOWEVER,LIVING IN THIS EVIL WORLD SYSTEM, THE DISCIPLE GETS HIS SPIRITUAL FEET DIRTY. THEREFORE,ONLY OUR SPIRITUAL FEET NEED CLEANSING FROM THE SINS AND EVIL THAT CLING TO US AS WEWANDER THROUGH THIS EARTHLY LIFE.
Ø FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIAN, THECLEANSING OF THE RED HEIFER IS THE SAME AS ASKING GOD TO FORGIVE US OF OUR PRESENT SINS.
§ READ 1JOHN 1:7-10
§ THE ASHES OF THE RED HEIFERWERE APPLIED WITH WATER USING HYSSOP. WATER IS ALSO A CLEANSING AGENT. THATS WHYEPHESIANS 5:26 SAYS THAT JESUS CLEANSES US WITH THE WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD.
§ WHAT DOES HYSSOP REPRESENT?
· HYSSOP WAS A PLANT USED TO APPLYTHE BLOOD TO THE DOORPOSTS IN EGYPT AT THE PASSOVER. IT WAS ALSO USED TO APPLY BLOODDURING ANIMAL SACRIFICE FOR SIN. THEREFORE, WE SEE IT MENTIONED IN LEVITICUS IN RELATIONTO OFFERINGS TO GOD.
¨ SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING, IT REPRESENTS FAITH. ITIS BY FAITH THAT WE APPLY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST TO OUR SINFUL LIVES. WE CANT SEEFORGIVENESS. WE CANT SEE GODS PARDON. HOWEVER, BY FAITH WE CAN KNOW WE HAVEIT. OUR ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS COMES FROM THE WORD OF GOD. (1JOH 1:9)
v APPLICATION:
Ø THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE CHRIST ASTHEIR SAVIOR AND ARE FORGIVEN OF THEIR SINS UP TO THAT POINT IN TIME. THEN THEY NEVER ASKGOD FOR FORGIVENESS AGAIN. AS WE WANDER THROUGH THIS WORLD OF SIN WE CANNOT HELP BUT GETOUR SPIRITUAL FEET DIRTY. WE MUST KEEP SHORT ACCOUNTS WITH GOD.
§ 1JOH 1 TELLS US THAT WE ALLARE SINNERS. EVEN THE MOST SPIRITUAL BELIEVER, STILL SINS. PAUL SAID HE WAS THE CHIEFOF SINNERS (1TIM 1:15).
v STEP #13 IN BECOMING A MOVE-ER IN THEKINGDOM OF GOD
Ø KEEP SHORT ACCOUNTS WITH GOD. ASK HIM FORFORGIVENESS WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS YOU OF SIN.
v HOMEWORK
v NUMBERS20
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION FOR NUM 19
Ø EVALUATE THE CLOSENESS OF YOUR RELATIONSHIPWITH THE LORD.
Ø [CHOOSE ONE] WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTSYOU OF SIN:
· ____DO YOU IMMEDIATELY REPENT ANDASK FOR FORGIVENESS?
· ____DO YOU REPENT WHEN YOU FEELLIKE IT AND THEN ASK FOR FORGIVENESS?
· ____DO YOU REPENT AND ASK FORFORGIVENESS ONLYWHEN YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN CHURCH ON COMMUNION SUNDAY?
· ____DO YOU AVOID CHURCH SO YOUWONT HAVE TO REPENT?
· ____DO YOU NEVER ASK FORFORGIVENESS?
Ø IF YOU WANT A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH THELORD, DETERMINE TO IMPROVE THIS ASPECT OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 20
Ø READ NUM 20
§ WHAT WERE MOSESFEELINGS TOWARD THE PEOPLE?
§ WHY WAS GOD ANGRY WITHMOSES?
§ WHY DID THIS INCIDENTPREVENT MOSES FROM ENTERING THE PROMISE LAND?
v MEMORY VERSE: 1COR 10:4
