Deuteronomy 21:1-91If one be found slain in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him: 2Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain: 3And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke; 4And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer's neck there in the valley: 5And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried: 6And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley: 7And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. 8Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them. 9So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 21:1‑9)
“IF ONE be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who bath slain him."
Here we have God taking special care lest the land wherein He dwelt should become defiled by blood. It is a beautiful picture of the application of the death of Christ, by which God will graciously clear the godly remnant in the coming day of guilt connected with the death of Him who was found slain in the midst of guilty Israel.
"Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain: and it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke; and the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer's neck there in the valley.
"And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley: and they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful, 0 LORD, unto Thy people Israel, whom Thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto Thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them."
The slain man and the heifer both speak of Christ. He was found slain in the land of Israel, "lying in the field" — the world.
How many since that day have sought to absolve themselves of the awful crime of crucifying the Lord of glory, but this passage from Deuteronomy brings the law into force in a most remarkable way. The distance from the dead man to the nearest city was to be measured, and that city was held responsible.
And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews; for the place where Jesus was crucified was NIGH TO THE CITY: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin." God has made it clear that the place where Jesus was crucified was "nigh to" Jerusalem. He has left no uncertainty as to this city. Men need not labor to absolve themselves of this guilt; God Himself has measured it.
But then the Gentiles too are guilty of the death of Christ. When Pilate questioned the Lord Jesus and said that His own nation had delivered Him unto him, the Lord Jesus answered, "He that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin." John 19:1111Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. (John 19:11). All mankind stands condemned for rejecting Christ Jesus, but there are measures of guilt. Those who had the Old Testament Scriptures and yet cried out for His death, have the greater guilt. But Pilate, the representative of Gentile power, gave up the Lord to die even though he knew Him to be an innocent man.
The heifer was one which had never known the yoke. The Lord Jesus was never under the yoke of sin, and that "rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown," is a picture of the land of Israel and of this world. What a "rough valley" it was for Him, as He passed through it and became our Sinbearer upon Calvary's cross! The remnant of the coming day may not have done the deed themselves, for it happened long before, nevertheless, God will not pass them by for that. Christ was found slain in that rough valley, "nigh to" Jerusalem. God will not excuse them, nor will He cause them to go into judgment without any recall. It is the death of Christ by which God will cleanse them from the taint of blood. The elders were to cry, "Be merciful, 0 LORD, unto Thy people Israel." And the blood shall be forgiven them.
Messages of the Love of God 7/27/1975