THE sacrifices are given us in a very beautiful way in these first books of Scripture. In the book of Exodus we*find the Passover, the work of Christ mainly in its effect as covering sin. In Leviticus, as priests in the sanctuary, we find all the perfection of Christ's work, such as it is to the eye of God Himself. In Numbers we have the application of this to our walk in the world. As in Leviticus we find priesthood and worship, so in Numbers we have Levite service. The order of truth in this book of Numbers is very interesting. Up to chap. 10:10, we have the ordering of everything previous to their actual march through the desert. First, the numbering of thy, camp of the Levites, and the service of the latter in chaps. 1.-4. Then chap. 5. the purifying of the camp from defilement, the trial of jealousy of the wife, not the husband, for there is no question as to the husband in the application. It is the trial as to truth of heart in our relationship to Christ. Next (chap. 6.), in the law of the Nazarite we have the details of what sanctification is, a threefold separation, to which the threefold blessing (close of the chapter) corresponds. Then (chap. 7.) the offerings of the princes (chap. 8.), the consecration of the Levites (chap. 9:1-14), the second Passover for those defiled, or on a journey. Lastly (chap. 9:15; 10:10), we come to the preparations for the journey, the cloud leading, the silver trumpets (the word of the testimony) giving the alarm.
From this point we have the actual history of the people in their journeyings. There is failure at the very start (chap. 10.). Moses would have his brother-in-law to be eyes for them, and the ark moves out of its place as it were in jealousy to search out a resting place for them. In chapter 11. the failure of the people becomes more marked. They loathe the manna and desire flesh; this is where all failure begins, the soul ceases to have its relish for Christ. It is touching to notice how God turns to describe the manna thereupon, and all His care in giving it. Its taste was as fresh oil, all the living freshness of the Holy Ghost in it. God gives them flesh until it comes out of their nostrils. If the heart turns away from Christ to the world, God may give us enough of it until it is utterly distasteful.
In the next chapter (12.) there is further failure Miriam and Aaron (the prophet and priest, the type God's people, whether as teachers or as worshippers) combine to set aside the authority of Moses, that the Lordship of Christ. If we lose heart for Christ Himself; the next thing is we rebel against His lairdship, and want our own way. In the next chapters (13. and 14.) they despise the good land, the people of God give up their heavenly calling and become mere wanderers in the wilderness. In chap. 15. the Sabbath, God's rest, is broken. The Sabbath was given at first in connection with the manna for God's rest, and man's only possible one is in Christ. The manna given up and the people eating flesh, the Sabbath is gone; there is no rest for the soul where Christ is not enjoyed. At the close of this chapter we have the ordinance of the riband of blue; it was to be there where the garment comes in contact with the ground. The heavenly color is to be seen upon us when we are most in connection with the world, and only by looking upon it can we remember and do the commandments of the Lord. Chapter 16 gives us the end of all this declension in the " gainsaying of Kore," where Jude tells us the history of Christendom ends. The authority of both Moses and Aaron is cast off-Christ as King and Priest-and judgment falls upon the people. This ends the history. Now comes the question, how can God carry a people like this through into the land of promise? Chapter 17 gives the answer in the resurrection priest- hood. Aaron's dead rod, taken into the sanctuary, buds and brings forth almonds. In chap. 18. the charge of the sanctuary is committed to Aaron and his sons, and in chap. 19. we have the remedy for the condition of the people. In chaps. 20. and 21. we have a further question; their not going through Mom is the sign of the impartibility of the flesh, and in the serpent of brass we have God's judgment of it. The remedy having been provided for, the failure and the flesh being judged, the enemy may now chaps. 22.-24.) try in vain to accomplish their ruin.
In chap. 19. we have the only type of a sacrifice once offered; there is no provisions made for its repetition. The ashes of it are kept, sign of the fire having done its work; they are the memorial of an already accomplished offering. Notice, too, that this is a sin offering, that in which the judgment of sin is the prominent thing. It is burnt without the camp (the place of distance from God), without the altar that sanctifies the gift. The altar is Christ's person, which gave value to His work. Where He was made an offering for sin, He was treated as if He were not what He was-as one forsaken of God, a worm and no man. Into this fire of divine judgment the cedar wood and hyssop (the old creation from its highest to its lowest) and the scarlet (the glory of the world) are cast and consumed. This is an important point to remember in connection with cleansing and defilement with the world. The redness of the heifer may denote devotedness even to death, as in the case of the rams' skins dyed red, which covered the tabernacle. It was to be " without blemish,' one upon which never came yoke. The tabernacle of the congregation is literally the "tent of meeting." It was where those that sought the Lord went out to meet Him (Ex. 33:7). There the blood is sprinkled seven times to give a perfect way of approach to God. The cleansing is from defilement by the dead. Death is the stamp up-. on the old creation. We find this character of defilement several times in Numbers, as is natural in the wilderness book (chaps. 5:2 and 6., the Nazarite, 9:6). We belong to a new creation and are to let the dead bury their dead.
- Purification is effected by the ashes of the heifer (the memorial of the cross as the judgment of sin and of the world), living water put to it in a vessel, type of the Holy Ghost as bringing it home to our souls. It is sprinkled on the third day, and on the seventh day. The third day gives us the power of resurrection. You cannot cleanse yourself from death except as having come into a new place by resurrection. On the seventh day he was to be clean at evening, ready, that is, for the eighth-the new week. This is net merely resurrection, but new creation. We get th into a scene where no touch of death can ever be-a place where temptation is impossible; for all is yours there? Contact with the dead takes place when of your own free will you take up anything of earth as yours. You have duties upon earth, of course, but we are called to lay aside every weight and run a race for the prize of our high calling, or calling on high (Phil. 3). Real duties are never weights, never hindrances; we can always count upon the Lord for these, but when of my own will I take up what I may be free from, I exchange Christ so far, or what I may enjoy of Him, for the world. Nothing but the spirit of the racer can decide even what is a weight. Nothing is restoration really, which does not restore to the place outside the world which I have left.
A clean person only must sprinkle upon the unclean, and he with hyssop, the type of littleness. " Ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness." After the man is cleansed, he washes his clothes -his habits, as we may say.
We may see how careful we are to be when in contact with evil, even when seeking to cleanse from it, by the fact that the clean person has also to wash his clothes, and to be unclean until the even. Hag. 2:12,13 shows us how sin spreads in contact with holiness. " Until the even," throughout the chapter reminds us of the new day to come.