Numbers 19:4
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.
And the priest Eleazar
The mention of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, highlights the continuity of the priestly line and the importance of maintaining sacred duties within the family chosen by God. Eleazar's role signifies the transition of priestly responsibilities from Aaron, emphasizing the importance of obedience and faithfulness in leadership. The Hebrew root for "priest" (כֹּהֵן, kohen) underscores the role of a mediator between God and the people, a foreshadowing of Christ as our ultimate High Priest.

is to take some of its blood
Blood, in the Hebrew context (דָּם, dam), symbolizes life and atonement. The act of taking blood signifies the seriousness of sin and the necessity of a sacrificial system to maintain holiness before God. This prefigures the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, whose blood was shed for the remission of sins, fulfilling the sacrificial system once and for all.

with his finger
The use of the finger indicates precision and personal involvement in the ritual. It reflects the care and intentionality required in worship and service to God. This detail reminds believers of the personal nature of God's covenant and the meticulous care with which He orchestrates His plans for redemption.

and sprinkle it seven times
The number seven in Hebrew culture (שֶׁבַע, sheva) represents completeness and perfection. Sprinkling the blood seven times signifies the thoroughness of purification required to approach a holy God. This act points to the complete and perfect work of Christ, who purifies believers wholly and eternally.

toward the front of the Tent of Meeting
The Tent of Meeting, or Tabernacle, was the dwelling place of God's presence among His people. Sprinkling the blood toward it symbolizes the need for cleansing before entering God's presence. This act foreshadows the access believers have to God through Christ, who tore the veil, granting direct access to the Father. The Hebrew term for "Tent of Meeting" (אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ohel mo'ed) emphasizes the appointed place and time for divine encounter, reminding us of the sacredness of worship and communion with God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Eleazar the Priest
Eleazar, the son of Aaron, is the priest responsible for performing the ritual of the red heifer. His role signifies the continuation of the priestly duties after Aaron.

2. The Red Heifer
A unique sacrificial animal used for purification purposes. Its ashes were used to create the water of cleansing, which purified those who were ceremonially unclean.

3. The Tent of Meeting
The central place of worship and the dwelling place of God's presence among the Israelites. It symbolizes God's holiness and the need for purification before approaching Him.

4. The Ritual of Sprinkling
The act of sprinkling blood toward the Tent of Meeting signifies purification and atonement, emphasizing the seriousness of sin and the need for cleansing.

5. The Number Seven
Represents completeness and perfection in the Bible, indicating the thoroughness of the purification process.
Teaching Points
The Necessity of Purification
The ritual underscores the importance of being spiritually clean before approaching God. In our lives, we must seek spiritual purity through repentance and faith in Christ.

The Role of the Priest
Eleazar's role points to the mediating work of Christ, our High Priest, who intercedes for us and provides the ultimate purification through His sacrifice.

Symbolism of Blood
Blood symbolizes life and atonement. The sprinkling of blood foreshadows the sacrificial death of Jesus, whose blood cleanses us from all sin.

Completeness in Christ
The number seven signifies completeness. In Christ, we find complete purification and redemption, fulfilling the law's requirements.

Approaching God's Presence
Just as the Israelites needed purification to approach the Tent of Meeting, we must be cleansed by Christ's sacrifice to enter into God's presence.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the role of Eleazar in this passage point to the work of Jesus as our High Priest?

2. In what ways does the ritual of the red heifer foreshadow the sacrifice of Christ?

3. How can we apply the concept of spiritual purification in our daily walk with God?

4. What does the number seven teach us about God's work of redemption and purification?

5. How do the themes of purification and atonement in Numbers 19:4 connect with the teachings in Hebrews 9?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 16
The Day of Atonement rituals, which also involve blood sprinkling, highlight the theme of purification and atonement for sin.

Hebrews 9
Discusses the limitations of the old sacrificial system and points to Christ's ultimate sacrifice, which fulfills and surpasses these purification rituals.

Psalm 51
David's plea for cleansing and purification, reflecting the spiritual need for God's forgiveness and renewal.
Purge Me with Hyssop, and I Shall be CleanW. Binnie Numbers 19:1-10, 17-19
Defilement from the DeadD. Young Numbers 19:1-22
The Law of the Red Heifer AppliedD. G. Watt, M. A.Numbers 19:1-22
The Ordinance of the Red HeiferW. Jones.Numbers 19:1-22
The Ordinance of the Red HeiferJ. M. Gibson, D. D.Numbers 19:1-22
The Red HeiferSpurgeon, Charles HaddonNumbers 19:1-22
The Red Heifer a Wilderness TypeC. H. Mackintosh.Numbers 19:1-22
The Red Heifer an Analogue of the ChristW. Jones.Numbers 19:1-22
The Water of Purification, and its LessonsE.S. Prout Numbers 19:1-22
People
Aaron, Eleazar, Israelites, Moses
Places
Wilderness of Paran
Topics
Blood, Congregation, Direction, Directly, Eleazar, Elea'zar, Finger, Front, Meeting, Over-against, Priest, Seven, Shaking, Sprinkle, Sprinkled, Tabernacle, Tent
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 19:4

     5152   fingers
     7454   sprinkling

Numbers 19:1-6

     4424   cedar

Numbers 19:1-8

     4552   wood

Numbers 19:1-9

     7416   purification

Numbers 19:1-10

     4470   hyssop

Numbers 19:1-13

     6648   expiation

Numbers 19:1-22

     7340   clean and unclean

Numbers 19:3-5

     5172   offal

Library
Nor, in that the Law Orders a Man to be Purified Even after Intercourse...
23. Nor, in that the Law orders a man to be purified even after intercourse with a wife, doth it show it to be sin: unless it be that which is allowed by way of pardon, which also, being in excess, hinders prayers. But, as the Law sets [1999] many things in sacraments and shadows of things to come; a certain as it were material formless state of the seed, which having received form will hereafter produce the body of man, is set to signify a life formless, and untaught: from which formless state,
St. Augustine—On the Good of Marriage

Fifth Sunday in Lent
Text: Hebrews 9, 11-15. 11 But Christ having come a high priest of the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, 12 nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh:
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Li. Dining with a Pharisee, Jesus Denounces that Sect.
^C Luke XI. 37-54. ^c 37 Now as he spake, a Pharisee asketh him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat. [The repast to which Jesus was invited was a morning meal, usually eaten between ten and eleven o'clock. The principal meal of the day was eaten in the evening. Jesus dined with all classes, with publicans and Pharisees, with friends and enemies.] 38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first bathed himself before dinner. [The Pharisee marveled at this because
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
(from Bethany to Jerusalem and Back, Sunday, April 2, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXI. 1-12, 14-17; ^B Mark XI. 1-11; ^C Luke XIX. 29-44; ^D John XII. 12-19. ^c 29 And ^d 12 On the morrow [after the feast in the house of Simon the leper] ^c it came to pass, when he he drew nigh unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, ^a 1 And when they came nigh unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage unto { ^b at} ^a the mount of Olives [The name, Bethphage, is said to mean house of figs, but the
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

John the Baptist's Person and Preaching.
(in the Wilderness of Judæa, and on the Banks of the Jordan, Occupying Several Months, Probably a.d. 25 or 26.) ^A Matt. III. 1-12; ^B Mark I. 1-8; ^C Luke III. 1-18. ^b 1 The beginning of the gospel [John begins his Gospel from eternity, where the Word is found coexistent with God. Matthew begins with Jesus, the humanly generated son of Abraham and David, born in the days of Herod the king. Luke begins with the birth of John the Baptist, the Messiah's herald; and Mark begins with the ministry
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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