What's In Your Water? Part 7 Of 9

Numbers 19:17-22

"And for an UNCLEAN (PERSON) they shall take some of the ASHES OF THE HEIFER burnt for purification from sin, and running water shall be put on them in a vessel.  A CLEAN PERSON shall take HYSSOP and DIP IT IN THE WATER, SPRINKLE IT on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, or on the one who touched a bone, the slain, the dead, or a grave.  

The CLEAN PERSON SHALL SPRINKLE THE UNCLEAN on the THIRD DAY and on the SEVENTH DAY; and on the SEVENTH DAY he shall purify himself, wash his clothes, and bathe in water; and at evening he shall be clean.

²⁰ ‘BUT THE MAN WHO IS UNCLEAN AND DOES NOT PURIFY HIMSELF, THAT PERSON SHALL BE CUT OFF FROM AMONG THE ASSEMBLY, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of purification has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean. ²¹ It shall be a perpetual statute for them. He who sprinkles the water of purification shall wash his clothes; and he who touches the water of purification shall be unclean until evening. ²² Whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the person who touches it shall be unclean until evening.’"

Here we go again with more cryptic phrases.  The ashes of the red heifer has several phrases that are puzzling as you have discovered if you've been following along in this study.  More reasons why Solomon was confused. 

What is all this "clean" and "unclean" business?  God says it must be a "clean person" who sprinkles the WATER MIXED WITH ASHES ON THE UNCLEAN PERSON TO PURIFY HIM.  The UNclean cannot clean himself.  

Who is this clean person?  One who has been washed by the blood of Jesus!  A saved individual!  Only a clean person can preach the gospel to the unsaved.  IT'S MISSIONS!  

But it isn't only about reaching the lost.  The Church needs this water; yes, saved individuals. 

 

(Two Cherubim at the empty tomb.)

NEW COVENANT APPLICATION.    
Here's how this law applies to the Church today.

In part 1 we discussed that this law is mentioned in the book of Hebrews.  This is the passage below: 

Hebrews 9:11-15

"...Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but WITH HIS OWN BLOOD He entered the Most Holy Place ONCE FOR ALL, having obtained ETERNAL redemption. 

For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ASHES OF A HEIFER (see Numbers 19), sprinkling {with water} the UNCLEAN, sanctifies for the PURIFYING OF THE FLESH {Sarx:  flesh, body, human nature, materiality; kindred.}, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, CLEANSE {with water} YOUR CONSCIENCE FROM DEAD WORKS to serve the living God?    

"And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the ETERNAL INHERITANCE."

 

(The Apostle Paul)

The Apostle Paul was given the full-up revelation of the gospel by Jesus Himself.  Hebrews,  which most scholars believe he wrote, is a wealth of resource for interpreting the Old Testament.  It can help us understand the shadows and types hidden there.  Bet Solomon would have loved to have gotten his hands on it! 

JESUS IS THE KEY that unlocks ALL mysteries.  Remember the upper room feet washing when they only understood the physical act?  What Paul taught them in Hebrews helped them finally understand the spiritual truth that they did not grasp in the upper room which is "THE WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD." 

The content of the water is key.  

In Ephesians 5:25-27 Christ uses the water of the word like this:  "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, THAT HE MIGHT SANCTIFY AND CLEANSE HER WITH THE WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD..."      

Why does Jesus have to cleanse us if we are already clean, washed in the perfect blood of the Lamb?   "...that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, NOT HAVING SPOT {spílos} OR WRINKLE {rhytís} or any such thing, but that she should be HOLY AND WITHOUT BLEMISH." 

The word in Greek for spot in this passage is "spílos," meaning an actual stain or spot or, in a figurative sense, a moral or spiritual fault or blemish.  Moral and spiritual stains or spots come from living outside God's preferred-will.  The word for wrinkle is "rhytís" which means "bunched up, contracted; a wrinkle.  What is a wrinkle?  A sign of old age.

This is not only spiritual or moral cleansing but PHYSICAL HEALING as well.  Remember in the passage from Hebrews where Paul said this water "sanctifies for the PURIFYING OF THE FLESH?"  What happens when you fall prey to law-centric teaching?  You come back under the yoke of bondage, condemnation and fear of punishment and death.  The "dust" of such deadly teaching attaches.  YOU NEED TO WASH IT OFF or your wI'll eventually become sick.  Condemnation ultimately kills.....LITERALLY.

Please proceed to part 8.

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