Then, too, as natural men and women, we desire a part of the grandeur and show of this world. Now, scarlet, in Scripture speaks of what is grand and showy in this world. Scarlet is the outward display of that which is gorgeous in this world. Purple, as we know, speaks of earthly royalty, but scarlet, rather of earthly grandeur and display. Now, all of which man boasts, all that he covets and desires, the whole range – from the towering cedar to the humble hyssop that springs out of the wall, and the scarlet between, is thrown into the death of Christ. All form a part of the ashes. The ashes that were used to cleanse one that was defiled, were composed of the remnants of the cedar, the hyssop and the scarlet as well as of the red heifer.
Now, dear young Christian, in the death of Christ, there was not only death to sin, but there was death to all that this world counts worthwhile. Its power, its boastings, its vauntings, all came to an end in the death of Christ. Satan came to offer those things to Christ when a man here below. Thrice he approached our Lord, with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. He spread all the grandeur of this world before our Lord; and let it flash before His mind for a moment – all the might, and the kingdoms, and the grandeur of the world. Satan wanted Him to depart from His pathway. The blessed Lord said, “No,” and turned His back on it all.
That refusal of our Lord to receive those things from the hand of Satan, led Him to the alternative of the cross; and there He hung, the ruler of the kings of the world, as a criminal, suffering a criminal’s death. He was classed with the very lowest, a thief on each side; and died there amidst the jeers of the multitude. All of this world’s grandeur came to its end at the cross of Christ.
When our blessed Lord takes the kingdom, as He eventually will, when He is proclaimed the King of kings, and Lord of lords, He will not take it from the hand of Satan, nor from the hand of man, but from the hand of His God and Father. He will receive it as the One who was always subject to the will of God, the One that sent Him.
Now I wonder if we are willing to bow to the fact that all this world counts worthwhile – its ambitions, its fame and glory – for us as the children of God, those things had their end in that cross of Christ.
But if we find ourselves in the position where these things are beginning to lure us, and we are beginning to dream about and try to gain them, What do we need? We need cleansing by the red heifer, that is, we need the memorial of the death of Christ, with the cedar, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, to bring our souls to see things in their true value. The whole thing, from the highest range to the lowest, has been in the midst of that burning. It is reduced to ashes in the death of Christ. Would to God that we might have grace to reckon it so! How willingly, then, would we let this world pass by!
I have thought of it as of one traveling across country on a railway train. One looks out of the window, and there sees a constantly changing panorama flitting by. Various objects take the interest as the train moves along. But there is no effort to grasp any of these objects: One sees, perhaps, a beautiful residence on top of a hillside, and perhaps admires it, in passing; but there is no effort to obtain it. All sorts of things of interest pass by, but there is nothing permanent in their attraction. I believe that is the way the child of God, in the power of the Spirit, is to pass through this world. We have something infinitely better. The death of Christ has given the fatal blow to these other things; they are all dead to us. We pass them by – we are through with them. What a blessed state that is!
And if we find ourselves involved with something that we feel is inconsistent with our position as pilgrims and strangers passing through this world on our way to glory, what we need is this precious truth: Christ died for me, and made me free from that very thing.
So in our portion of Scripture we find that when one is defiled, he takes the ashes of the heifer of purification for sin, and running water. A clean person sprinkles the water upon the tent, the vessels and the person; and they are cleansed, and again on the third day, and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he that was unclean washes his clothes.
You know clothing, in Scripture, typically speaks of our habits and surroundings.
Leprosy of the person speaks of that that is wrong inside; leprosy of the clothing, of that that is wrong in our surroundings and in our habits; leprosy in the building, of that that is wrong in the assembly.
How often we find ourselves in surroundings that will not stand the test of the truth of God. Sprinkle on them the water of separation – the truth of the death of Christ.
O, we need to draw the sword, and have no more to do with these things. And then God will bless us.
Is it business surroundings? Is it an unequal yoke of some kind? Wrong associations? Wrong business methods that are a defilement? Is it clubs, society, lodges? What is it? What is the character of defilement? For any of them, we need the water of separation; and if we will just place ourselves into the hands of our blessed High Priest, how gladly He will sprinkle that water of cleansing upon us! and we shall find ourselves back again happily in communion with God and His people.
What a wholesome thing it is, what a happy thing it is, to pass through this world in the power of that truth, that the cross of Christ has now come in between me and this world, and I am now set free – that cross whereby the world is crucified to me. That is practical deliverance to the soul. And it is victory too.
But, dear young Christian, just as sure as you try to live a life of compromise, and you neglect the water of separation and purification, you are going to be unhappy, you are going to be miserable – and if you are not so miserable now as you might be, remember that you haven’t reached the end. O, the end! To come dragging in at the end of life with the bitter sense, in your soul,
“O, what I might have been! How I might have lived! But the precious time has past and gone; I can’t re-live it, and I am at the end!”
Listen, dear young Christian, nothing satisfies but Christ, either now or in eternity. The lost will have the sense that they have never satisfied their souls, and never can. But Christ satisfies. And shall we not be satisfied with Him? We need to let the truth of His death have its place in our daily lives, delivering us from the power of this world.
This world is a sham. It is a painted, hollow thing. It is not what it represents itself to be. Millions of persons have tested this world through all ages, and the testimony of all is that the world is a vain, empty thing.
Bismarck of Germany received a letter once from a young man, who said he had ability and ambitions, and wanted advice from this wonderful old Chancellor. Bismarck wrote back, saying, “I have been fortunate enough to have experienced all the successes of public life; I know what it is from one end to the other; and my advice to you is that the thing is not worth going after.” He further said, “Were it not for the consolations that I have in Christ Jesus, I would not esteem that my life had been worthwhile; for, apart from the hope that I have in Christ, this life is not worth the dressing and undressing!”
That is the testimony of one who rose to the heights of this world, and that is the advice he gave to a young man who was starting out and attempting to follow his footsteps.
But Christ satisfies. But the only way He satisfies is that we shall let the truth of His death have its place in our lives, practically.