GE:
Re:
“… given to “them that afflict thee”, unmixed with mercy.”
Compare ‘red heifer’ in Isaiah 15:5 with reference to fugitives and judgment without mercy or forgiveness.
Compare ‘red heifer’ in Jeremiah 46:20 with reference to Egypt’s destruction and judgment without mercy or forgiveness.
Compare ‘red heifer’ in Jeremiah 48:34 with reference to Moab’s failing winepresses and destruction and judgment without mercy or forgiveness.
Compare ‘red heifer’ in Jeremiah 50:11 with reference to Chaldea’s spoil and destruction, and judgment without mercy or forgiveness.
Compare ‘red heifer’ in Hosea 4:16 with reference to Israel’s backsliding,
nevertheless
“the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.”
BUT!
“Ephraim is joined to idols: LET HIM ALONE! Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually…” destruction and judgment without mercy or forgiveness.
Compare ‘heifer’ in Hosea 10:11 with reference to Ephraim as taught, but passed over; but “Judah” (for Christ) shall plough, and Jacob (Israel) shall break his clods. Sow to yourselves in RIGHTEOUSNESS, reap in MERCY; break up deep your fallow ground: for it is TIME TO SEEK THE LORD TILL HE COME AND RAIN RIGHTEOUSNESS UPON YOU.”
Forgiveness, despite, “Ye have ploughed wickedness, have eaten the fruit of lies, didst trust in thy own way, in the multitude of thy mighty men …” and followed destruction, and judgment without mercy or forgiveness. Verses 14,15.
But on the other hand …
Compare ‘heifer’ in 1Samuel 16:2 with reference to David for to seal covenant with the view to Christ,
“I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt ANOINT UNTO ME WHOM I NAME unto thee. … PEACEABLY I AM COME, TO SACRIFICE UNTO THE LORD.”
Compare ‘heifer’ in Genesis 15:9 with reference to Abraham for to seal covenant with the view to Christ, “And when the sun had gone down … and lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. … Thy Seed shall be a Stranger in a land not (his), and (He) shall serve them; and they shall afflict (Him) … When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces (of the heifer and other animals, verse 10). In the same day the LORD made Covenant with Abraham, Unto thy Seed give I this land …” and judgment and destruction without mercy or forgiveness on the ungodly nations, verses 19-21.
Now we can think about Numbers 19:2,5,9 and Deuteronomy 21:3,4, and 6.
First of all notice that not Aaron the HIGH priest, but Eleazar the ordinary “priest” was “given” this “red heifer”.
Then notice that “another” than the “priest”, “slayed” the heifer “before his face”.
The heifer was slain “without the camp”.
Eleazar the priest sprinkled its blood “in the direction of the sanctuary of the congregation”. No blood of the heifer was brought into the sanctuary; not even into the camp.
Then there where it was slain the heifer was burned in the priest’s sight, again by another person than the priest. The priest shall only add to the fire of the heifer’s burning.
The priest, before he could enter the camp, had to wash himself and put on clean clothes, and the one who burned the heifer, had to do the same.
Then yet another, “clean man”, “shall gather up the ASHES of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp … and it shall be kept for the congregation for a water of separation- (or sanctification-) purification of sin.
Even this man that “gathered the ashes” and “carried it out into no man’s land without”, was defiled by it and had to wash himself and put on clean clothes before he could enter the congregation again.
NO atonement for sin was achieved through the sacrifice of the red heifer!
Its sacrifice and burning was not done on any altar of the LORD;
Nothing of the heifer reached as far as into the sanctuary where alone, atonement and reconciliation were made.
Notice that the heifer had never worked; it had not ‘earned’ even the fodder it ate.
YET it was sacrificed “to be counted … as the INCREASE of the theshingfloor and of the winepress” and as “REWARD for work / service” in the Church and the holy things of the LORD.
“Ye shall bear no sin by reason of it when ye have HEAVED FROM IT THE BEST of it” … SELF-GAIN!
The heifer was sacrificed for UNKNOWN, and DENIED, sins, Deuteronomy 21. NOT for repented and confessed sins. “Lay not INNOCENT blood unto thy people!” With sacrificing this heifer we “put away the guilt of INNOCENT blood from among (us)”.
Why then did the LORD command such an offering of sacrifice?
To test the people’s HONESTY and consciousness of their sins and SINFULNESS.
To teach his People that “THE LORD”, not ourselves, “IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”, “EVEN YOUR SANCTIFICATION”, AND SALVATION;
to teach God’s People the lesson of Abraham that “righteousness is of grace by faith alone”;
The heifer symbolized man’s vain attempts at self-justification and self-righteousness; man’s FUTILE works of sanctification or holiness of his own salvation.
This is what Hebrews 9:13 in context of verses 12 and 14, declares.
In this New Testament Scripture the blood or spotlessness of the heifer found no place,
but only its ASHES, showing forth
the WORTHLESSNESS OF HUMAN ENDEAVOUR AT HOLINESS AND SALVATION,
AND THE ONLY BLOOD AND SANCTUARY THAT WAS ABLE TO
“OBTAIN ETERNAL REDEMPTION FOR US …
THE BLOOD OF CHRIST WHO THROUGH THE ETERNAL SPIRIT
OFFERED _HIMSELF_ WITHOUT SPOT, TO GOD.”
