One of the great benefits of producing videos with Rudy Ross is his deep knowledge of the Old Testament. Rudy offers a unique understanding of the ashes of the red heifer, which is well worth exploring in our videos.
If you’re reading my article, you likely watch our videos too. If not, I encourage you to tune in because Rudy shares valuable insights you won’t want to miss.
Our current video series is a survey the Bible from Genesis to Revelation with Rudy and Bruce. I’ve found that I discover new insights within the Bible that I hadn’t encountered throughout my many years in ministry.
Despite serving as a pastor for over 50 years, I am continually learning vital information, and today’s session is a prime example. This article is based on ideas I’ve drawn from Ronald Allen’s commentary.
Ritual Cleansing Waters
The sacrifice of the red heifer was commanded by God, yet it stood out as an unusual sacrifice, as we see in the following verses.
The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “This is a statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish and on which no yoke has been laid.
You shall give it to the priest Eleazar, and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.
The priest Eleazar shall take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting” (Numbers 19:1-4).
The red heifer sacrifice presents several unique characteristics.
- The animal itself had to be red, a color likely symbolic of blood.
- Distinct from other sacrificial offerings, this ritual required a cow rather than a bull.
- Instead of being dismembered, the entire animal was burned whole, remaining intact throughout the sacrifice.
- It appears that the main purpose of this ritual was to obtain the ashes of the red heifer, which were vital for creating the cleansing waters used in purification rites.
Then someone who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, and they shall be kept for the congregation of the Israelites for the water for cleansing. It is a purification offering” (Numbers 19:9).
Application of the Cleansing Waters
The ashes of the red heifer were used in rituals to cleanse impurity, particularly after contact with dead bodies. Death cannot exist in God’s presence because He is the giver of life.
“Those who touch the dead body of any human being shall be unclean seven days.
They shall purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day and so be clean, but if they do not purify themselves on the third day and on the seventh day, they will not become clean” (Numbers 19:11-12).
The red heifer sacrifice represented a considerable expense for the Israelites. Finding a red heifer was incredibly rare. The animal had to meet specific, demanding criteria: it could not have pulled a plow and had to be absolutely without blemish. Only a perfect specimen was acceptable.
This leads us to think about God’s perfect gift to humanity and how He, through His own sacrifice, transformed death into life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16).
To disregard the essential ministry of the waters of purification was to commit a grave offense.
All who touch a corpse, the body of a human being who has died, and do not purify themselves defile the tabernacle of the Lord; such persons shall be cut off from Israel.
Since water for cleansing was not dashed on them, they remain unclean; their uncleanness is still on them” (Numbers 19:13).
If rejecting the purification waters from the sacrifice of the Red Heifer brought judgment, consider the far greater consequences of refusing God’s gracious gift: the sacrifice of His only Son.
Those who believe in him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil (John 3:18-19).
Reflections
When explaining how to become a follower of Jesus, I often turn to three key Bible passages.
(1) First, I reference John 3:16 to convey that God loves us and desires for us to have eternal life. Eternal life encompasses two aspects: its duration and its quality. It’s not just a long life; it’s the best life possible.
(2) Next, I turn to John 10:10, where Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.” This passage underscores that God wants us to experience the best life now and eternal life after death.
(3) Finally, I refer to Revelation 3:20, which illustrates Jesus standing at the door of our hearts and knocking. He longs to be part of our lives.
If we open the door, He promises to come in and dine with us—a gesture symbolizing deep friendship in biblical times. I tell people that by opening their lives to Jesus, they will gain a true and everlasting friend.
The symbolism of the red heifer’s ashes points us toward this truth, with Jesus being the cornerstone of this marvelous promise.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discuss the ashes of the red heifer from Numbers 19 today.
Real Voices 