Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come. (vv.1-2)
A heifer is a cow which has never been pregnant, and thus cannot yet give milk. They had to find one with a red color – which, of course, would be somewhat rare. Normally the animal’s color did not matter, but this one had to be red to resemble blood. Without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come: These requirements made this particular animal even rarer. This red heifer, therefore, would be valuable, rare, and pure (because she had not yet been impregnated).
The red heifer would be sacrificed in the customary fashion, with a bit of blood being sprinkled on the altar. Yet, the complete carcass of the animal was burnt, and the ashes gathered by one observing the cleansing ceremonies before and after the gathering of ashes. Unlike every other sacrifice in the Old Testament, the blood of the red heifer is burnt along with the sacrifice, instead of being completely drained out at the jugular. Blood was to be part of the ashes that would come forth from the burning of the carcass of the red heifer. This was God's provision for purification, the ashes from the sacrifice of a red heifer.
When the heifer was burnt, the priest would also put cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet into the fire. In Leviticus 14:4-6, each of these three items are used in the cleansing ceremony for a leper. Each of these items has a special significance.
Cedar is extremely resistant to disease and rot and is well known for its quality and preciousness. These properties may be the reason for including it here – as well as a symbolic reference to the wood of the cross. Some even think the cross Jesus was crucified on was made of cedar.
Hyssop was used not only with the cleansing ceremony for lepers, but also Jesus was offered drink from a hyssop branch on the cross (John 19:29), and when David said purge me with hyssop in Psalm 51:7, he was admitting he was as bad as a leper. Scarlet, the color of blood, pictures the cleansing blood of Jesus on the cross.
Scarlet was used in the veil and curtains of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:31), in the garments of the high priest (Exodus 28:5-6), the covering for the table of showbread (Numbers 4:8), the sign of Rahab’s salvation (Joshua 2:21), and the color of the mocking “king’s robe” put on Jesus at His torture by the soldiers (Matthew 27:28).
The residue from the burning of the carcass, the cedar, the hyssop, and the scarlet fabric together would produce a lot of ash, and the ash was to be gathered and sprinkled in water bit by bit to make water fit for purification.
This sacrifice, reached ahead through the centuries, presenting Christ, the Messiah, who would be born of a virgin and become the Representative of God to mankind and mankind to God, who's blood sacrifice would become the purification for the sins of the world.
The Truth: “I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10:17-18)
