Practicing Discernment (Numbers 19: 1-22)

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Episode Notes: Practicing Discernment. (Numbers 19: 1-End)

Introduction:
Welcome , in today's episode, we delve into the concept of discernment as outlined in the Bible, particularly focusing on Numbers chapter 19. Join us as we explore what discernment means, its significance in the Old Testament context, and its relevance in our lives today.

Summary:
In this episode, we examine Numbers chapter 19, where the Lord instructs the Israelites on the importance of discernment, particularly in distinguishing between what is clean and unclean. This chapter addresses the issue of becoming ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body, presenting detailed instructions for purification rituals involving the red heifer.

Key Points:

• The red heifer ritual was a purification ceremony for those who had become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body.
• The chapter outlines both the preparation for the purification ceremony and the purification ritual itself.
• The ritual involved burning a red heifer outside the camp and using its ashes mixed with water for purification.
• Failure to undergo the purification process resulted in remaining unclean and defiling the sanctuary of the Lord.
• The New Testament perspective on purification emphasizes the cleansing power of the blood of Christ, which purifies our consciences from all unrighteousness.

Reflection:
In light of this passage, we reflect on the importance of discernment in our daily lives, both in making decisions and maintaining spiritual cleanliness. We also consider the profound implications of Christ's sacrifice for our purification and service to God with a clear conscience.

Transcript

Practicing Discernment.  (Numbers 19: 1-End)

Transcript

If someone told you that you should practice what is called discernment, you might instinctively think it's wrong. But what if I told you the Bible encourages such things. The subject is discernment - what it is and how to practice it.

In the Old Testament, the Lord emphasized the importance of being a discriminating person. He talked about making a distinction between clean and unclean things, which essentially means discriminating. I'm using the term in a positive sense, not in the negative contexts of race or sexuality. There are times when you should discriminate/discern between what is clean or unclean, what is simple and what is not.

This concept arises in the book of Numbers, specifically in chapter 19. But before we look into that, let's briefly review what has happened up to this point, as it's crucial to understanding this chapter.

After leaving Egypt, the Israelites spent about a year in Sinai. They then journeyed towards the promised land but halted at Kadesh Barnea. The Lord wanted them to enter the land, so they sent in twelve spies, we looked at that yesterday.

The majority of the spies reported giants in the land, leading to a decision not to proceed. However, this decision displeased the Lord, who decreed that the current generation would wander in the wilderness until their demise. 

The lesson here is a massive one: Beig that sometimes, the Lord may allow you to follow your desires, even if it leads to dire consequences. 

And so,we will now see they will wandered for 38 to 40 years, during which approximately 600,000 people will die off, amounting to around 40 deaths per day.

This large number of deaths will pose a problem because touching a dead body rendered one ceremonially unclean. And that's precisely what this chapter addresses: The issue of becoming unclean by touching a dead body.

In Number 19:11 and elsewhere it unequivocally tells us that, "He who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean for seven days." 

These verse are pivotal in understanding this entire chapter, which all revolves around the concept of touching a dead body.

The chapter can be divided into two parts.

The first part deals with the preparation for the purification ceremony. While the latter and longer part describes the purification ritual itself, following ceremonial defilement.

But what can we learn from this chapter?

There I believe there are several intriguing insights that emerge from this chapter and that what we are going to look at today.

Welcome to TBPDP.

So, let's just begin and look at what this passage is about and that means we're going to have to start with verse one.

1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 “This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. 3 Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. 4 Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. 5 While he watches, the heifer is to be burned—its hide, flesh, blood and intestines. 6 The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer. 7 After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. 8 The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening. 9 “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin. 10 The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening. This will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the foreigners residing among them.

(Numbers 19: 1-9)

OK, let's break down the first part of the chapter, which focuses on the preparation for this ceremony of the red heifer.

Some of what I've discussed so far is pretty straightforward: if you touch a dead body, you become ceremonially unclean and need to undergo this ritual of the red heifer.

Let's revisit these verses and highlight a few key points. The first two verses instruct the children of Israel to bring a red heifer without blemish, defect-free, and one never subjected to a yoke for work.

This sets the specifications for the chosen animal.

Moving on, verse three indicates that the person who has touched the dead body must take the red heifer to Eleazar the priest, then both of them must go outside the camp.

There, the red heifer is slaughtered, and Eleazar takes some of its blood back to the Tabernacle to sprinkle it before the Tabernacle. 

Verse five specifies that the heifer is burned along with its hide, flesh, blood, and even dung, and the priest adds cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool to the fire.

It's worth noting that some Bible teachers try to make various symbolic interpretations of these elements, though it's essential to approach such interpretations with caution, as some people can go down a  bit of a rabbit hole that can sometimes be highly speculative. 

Nevertheless, we shouldn’t miss the fact that cedar wood, known for its durability, hyssop, linked to purification, and scarlet, representing blood, are often seen as the three symbols that together make up the entirety of a human life.

Now, the second part of the preparation concerns the individuals involved.

Verses seven and eight outline the priest's actions, while verse nine focuses on the one who committed the sin. The priest must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening. Similarly, the one who burns the heifer must also wash his clothes, bathe, and remain unclean until evening.

Verse nine introduces an intriguing twist to the story: a clean man is instructed to gather the ashes of the heifer and store them outside the camp in a clean place. 

These ashes are to be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel as water of purification for the removal of sin.

This practice of storing the ashes outside the camp allows others who have touched a dead body to use them for purification without having to go through the entire ritual. 

This is declared to be an everlasting ordinance that symbolically strengthens the life of the living Israelites and removes the uncleanness caused by contact with the dead.

In essence, verse 10 emphasizes that this statute is to be observed forever, underscoring its perpetual significance within Israel.

Right now that was sort of just the introduction and the preparation for all of this now we're going to go through the purification itself start with verse 11.

11 “Whoever touches a human corpse will be unclean for seven days. 12 They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean. 13 If they fail to purify themselves after touching a human corpse, they defile the Lord’s tabernacle. They must be cut off from Israel. Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, they are unclean; their uncleanness remains on them. 14 “This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, 15 and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

(Numbers 19: 11-16)

As I mentioned earlier, in such a closely knit community where 40 people were dying each day, someone had to take care of the bodies, and it could happen that one might accidentally touch a dead body. In such cases, they became ceremonially unclean.

This wasn't about the moral law, but about illustrating God's distinction between clean and unclean things.

So, if someone touched a dead body, they remained unclean for seven days. The purpose wasn't to remove sin but to address the uncleanness associated with death due to its connection with sin.

Now, in the rest of the passage, we get more detailed instructions than what was outlined in the initial presentation.

For instance, in verse 12, it's stated that the person must purify themselves with water on the third and seventh days to become clean. Failure to do so results in remaining unclean.

Verse 13 introduces an interesting point: failure to purify oneself after touching a dead body defiles the Tabernacle. This underscores the interconnectedness between individual actions and the sanctity of the meeting place of the Lord. 

The penalty for this offense is seen to be severe—it's either interpreted as at least excommunication or, as some suggest maybe even as being put to death.

Moving on to verse 14, the law is further specified regarding what happens when a person dies in a tent. In such a case, not only the person who touched the dead body becomes unclean, but everyone in the tent at that time and anyone who enters the tent afterward. Additionally, any uncovered vessel in the tent is considered unclean.

So, the passage goes deep into the specifics, highlighting the consequences of coming into contact with death and the importance of maintaining both societal cleanliness and ceremonial purity.

Another cases are described beginning in verse 16.

 16 “Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.17 “For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over them. 18 Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave or anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. 19 The man who is clean is to sprinkle those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify them. Those who are being cleansed must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean. 20 But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean. 21 This is a lasting ordinance for them. “The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening. 22 Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.”

(Numbers 19: 16-22)

In verses 14 and 15, it discussed what happens if someone dies in a tent, and in verse 16, it covers the scenario of someone dying in a field, possibly due to war, though not exclusively. 

In either case, if you touch the dead body, you're unclean for seven days. 

Now, the procedure for all these is outlined in verse 17.

The unclean person takes ashes from the heifer that was burned for purification, and running water is poured over them in a vessel. A clean person then dips hyssop into this mixture and sprinkles it on the tent, vessels, and people present, including anyone who touched a bone, the slain, or a grave.

Verse 18 explains the actions of the clean person, who is to perform the sprinkling ritual on the third and seventh days. Afterward, the clean person must wash their clothes and bathe, becoming clean by evening.

Failure to go through this process results in being cut off from the community because the sanctuary of the Lord has been defiled. This statute is again described as perpetual, emphasizing its importance in maintaining purity within Israel.

Verse 22 reiterates that anything touched by an unclean person becomes unclean until evening, illustrating the strictness of the law. 

The message is clear: avoid contact with dead bodies.

In Numbers 31 we will be told that the ashes of the red heifer were considered a consecration, possessing the essential properties of a sin offering. 

There's a fascinating anecdote I read about how today Orthodox Jews are preparing for the reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, which currently hosts a Muslim Mosque.

These Jews have reportedly gathered all the necessary items for the Temple's service, including clothing and furniture, and have even bred red heifers to ensure the availability of the ashes required for purification rituals when the temple is re-established.

This proactive preparation underscores the significance attached to the red heifer in Jewish tradition.

Moving beyond historical narratives, some interpret this chapter, along with other dietary laws, as having potential medical significance. While the symbolic nature of these laws is clear, there's a debate about whether they might also have had practical health benefits.

For instance, circumcision on the eighth day of a male child's life, as mandated in the Bible, coincides with a peak in certain blood clotting factor called vitamin K. 

This observation, was made to me by a doctor who became a Christian, during his medical training. This highlights for me one of many instances where biblical guidance aligns with medical understanding, suggesting a deeper wisdom embedded in ancient texts.

Indeed, some have suggested that there may be medical principles embedded in all the cleanliness laws of the Old Testament. One interpretation posits that God recognized the typical incubation period for bacterial diseases, which is often within seven days, aligns with what is being taught here. 

This aligns perfectly with tis provision in Numbers 19 that a person who touches a dead body is considered unclean for seven days. 

During this time, proper hygiene practices such as hand washing, clothes washing, and thorough drying were prescribed, which would certainly have been effective in reducing the spread of harmful microbes.

The requirement for sprinkling with running water also has potential hygienic significance. It's known that stagnant water can harbour microbes, whereas running water is less likely to do so. 

Therefore, the use of running water for purification rituals may also have had practical benefits in reducing the transmission of disease.

Considering these insights, it's intriguing to think about how the ancient Israelites, guided by these laws, may have unknowingly followed principles that contribute to modern concepts of hygiene and disease prevention. 

While they may not have understood the microbial aspects behind these practices, the wisdom of the laws is evident in their effectiveness.

It's fascinating to see how ancient biblical customs can align with modern scientific understanding, offering a deeper appreciation for the wisdom encoded in ancient texts. 

And indeed, while we may be thankful to live under different.

The notion of discernment, even discrimination takes on a different meaning in the context of this passage. 

Here, it's about having the ability to distinguish between what is clean and what is unclean, especially when it pertains to matters of life and death. 

God's instruction to discriminate in this sense extends way beyond physical cleanliness to spiritual discernment. It prompts us to consider whether we should engage with things that are unclean and potentially harmful to us spiritually as well.

A modern-day parallel could be found in alcohol and drug abuse like cocaine or heroin. Despite the well-known risks and tragic stories of overdose, many individuals lack the discernment to avoid such substances.

In considering the lack of discernment displayed in certain situations, it's clear that some individuals fail to heed even the most obvious warnings. 

But it not all about the dramatic and obvious things like drugs and alcohol. Take, for example, the case I’ve witnessed particularly of a man who hastily go into relationships or remarry following the death of their wives despite numerous red flags raised by family friend or even professional counsellors. 

This passage for me underscores the necessity of discernment in everyday decision-making. Common sense, once considered prevalent, now seems increasingly rare. It is meant to serves as a cautionary reminder of the importance of exercising discernment in all aspects of life.

Now, what would the New Testament say about this lack of discernment? If we were to seek wisdom from the teachings of the New Testament we should first perhaps seek insight from Hebrews chapter 9. Because it explores this whole issue specifically referring back to this passage in Numbers chapter 19.

Listen to what this passage has to say.

8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order. 11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

(Hebrews 9: 8-13)

Now what the writer to the Hebrews is doing in this passage is simply this.

He's saying there are Jews who have become Christians and they're contemplating going back to Judaism and he's saying look all that stuff in the Old Testament.

The he goes through just a litany of things, the blood of bulls and goats the ashes whenever sprinkling the unclean. And he says that didn't do the job, not eternally anyway.

It only dealt with sin and uncleanliness, death by death, sin by sin, day by day.

But he says the blood of Christ offered without spot to God cleanses your conscience from all unrighteousness.

He said that other stuff couldn't make you perfect, but he says the blood of Christ and purge your conscience entirely and eternally.

So, here's the crux: the blood of Christ washes away all our sins. When we openly admit our wrongs, God, who is faithful and just, forgives us and purifies us from all unrighteousness.

Now, let me pause and ask you something: have you confessed your sins this week? Don't answer aloud; reflect on it today.

But here's the incredible news: you don't need a red heifer, you don't need ashes, you don't need a priest sprinkling holy water. You have the blood of Christ.

Confess your sins, acknowledge them, and you'll be cleansed. Listen to this verse: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 

Did you catch that? 

It's not about confessing every single sin you've ever committed; it's about being living in the perspective of knowing that you should always be in the habit of confessing, acknowledging your faults before God. That's how you're purified from all unrighteousness.

But wait, there's more. It's not just about forgiveness; it's about a clear conscience.

When you've sinned and you confess it, you don't need to carry around that guilt anymore.

The blood of Christ cleanses your conscience, not so you can go back to sinning but so that you can serve the living God.

Remember Hebrews 9:14: "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God."

So, my friends, that's the lesson of the red heifer, New Testament style.

Thank God for the blood of his Son, which cleanses us from all sin. Thank him for giving us the ability to serve him with a clear conscience, not because we're perfect or never tempted, but because the blood of his Son has purified us. 

That's the power of Jesus' sacrifice, and that’s what we can be thankful for everyday.