March 13
Num 19:1-20:29 | PS 56:1-13 | Prov 11:8| Luke 1:1-25
In today's and tomorrow’s reading we get three pictures of Jesus from the pages of the Old Testament. The first is in the water for purification described in Numbers 19. We come to a completely different sacrifice in Numbers 19, for the laws of purification. This sacrifice of the red heifer was introduced years after the other sacrifices, had an entire chapter devoted to it, and is the only sacrifice to be offered outside the camp rather than at the tabernacle. Like the red heifer in 19:2, who was without blemish, Jesus Christ was without spot or blemish, the only One without sin. Just like in 19:3, where the sacrifice was done outside the camp, our Savior was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem in Golgotha. Unlike the participation of the high priest with all other sacrifices, in 19:4, the high priest stands by as another carries out the sacrifice. Just as the high priest stood by as the Romans actually carried out the sacrifice of Jesus. Just as we read in 19:6 that cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet were added to the sacrifice; Jesus was nailed to a wooden cross, likely of cedar, was offered sour vinegar on hyssop, and shed His scarlet blood for you and me. By this sacrifice, the unclean person was rendered clean. By the sacrifice of our Savior we have been changed from unclean to clean, from unrighteous to righteous. Like the ashes of the heifer, our lives have been transformed from ashes to beauty. As an aside, there have only been 9 red heifer’s sacrificed for this purpose since the time of Moses. Since the time of Maimonide’s (1135-1204 AD), the Jewish people have looked to the sacrifice of the 10th red heifer to be associated with the building of the third temple, which we know is associated with the future Tribulation period and the return of Jesus. On 9/15/2022, Texas sent 5 flawless red heifers as candidates to Israel.
The next picture of Jesus is seen in Numbers 20:1-13, as the people are assembled at Kadesh and there is no water to drink. As happens throughout their journey, the people immediately begin to complain to their leaders. Moses is given very specific instructions in 20:8, "You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.” We don't know why, perhaps it was the recent loss of his sister Miriam, or he had finally reached his breaking point, but Moses chose not to follow God's plan, as we read in 20:10-11, "Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill." As a result of this act of disobedience, we read in 20:12, "But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” We read in 1 Corinthians 10:4, " and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ." That Rock was a picture of Jesus. God developed the picture that Jesus would be struck on the cross, which was seen when Moses struck the rock earlier, when water came out (Exodus 17:6). Jesus only needed to be struck once. After that, all that is required is to speak to Him and receive the living water. So Moses messed up the typology by striking the rock again. Jesus paid for our sins, and this act was completed when He said "It is finished" (John 19:30). After that we speak to Him, and by grace and mercy we are healed.
We come to the next picture of Jesus in the Bronze Serpent in Numbers 21:4-9. Once again the people are complaining and we read God's response in 21:6, " So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died." They realized their sin and acknowledged this before God. We see God's response in 21:8-9, " Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!" This serpent on the pole was a picture of sin being judged. We read years later in Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:14-16, "And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." The bronze serpent on a pole was an early picture of Jesus taking our sins upon Himself, hanging on a pole; and if we would just look to Him in a spirit of repentance, we would be healed and saved. No, we don't have to wait until the New Testament to get to Jesus, He is seen throughout the pages of the Old testament.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: