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This chapter is only concerning the preparing and using of the ashes which were to impregnate the water of purification. The people had complained of the strictness of the law, which forbade their near approach to the tabernacle, Nu 17:13. In answer to this complaint, they are here directed to purify themselves, so as that they might come as far as they had occasion without fear. Here is, I. The method of preparing these ashes, by the burning of a red heifer, with a great deal of ceremony, Nu 19:1-10. II. The way of using them. 1. They were designed to purify persons from the pollution contracted by a dead body, Nu 19:11-16. 2. They were to be put into running water (a small quantity of them), with which the person to be cleansed must be purified, Nu 19:17-22. And that this ceremonial purification was a type and figure of the cleansing of the consciences of believers from the pollutions of sin appears by the apostle's discourse, Heb 9:13,14, where he compares the efficacy of the blood of Christ with the sanctifying virtue that was in "the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean."
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The Ashes of Purification (1471 BC)
简体中文
洁净之灰（主前1471年）
¹ 耶和华对摩西和亚伦说：
² "耶和华所吩咐律法中的条例乃是这样说：你要吩咐以色列人，把一只没有残疾、未曾负轭、纯红的母牛牵到你这里来。
³ 你们要把它交给祭司以利亚撒，他必把牛牵到营外，在他眼前宰杀。
⁴ 祭司以利亚撒要用指头蘸这牛的血，向会幕前面弹血七次。
⁵ 祭司要在他眼前焚烧这牛；牛的皮、肉、血、粪都要焚烧。
⁶ 祭司要把香柏木、牛膝草、朱红色线丢在烧牛的火中。
⁷ 祭司要洗衣服，用水洗身，然后可以进营；但祭司必不洁净到晚上。
⁸ 烧牛的人也要洗衣服，用水洗身，必不洁净到晚上。
⁹ 要有一个洁净的人收起母牛的灰，存在营外洁净的地方，为以色列会众留作除污秽的水；这是赎罪祭。
¹⁰ 收起母牛灰的人也要洗衣服，必不洁净到晚上；这要作以色列人和寄居在他们中间的外人永远的定例。
此处记有神所定的条例，要将一只红母牛庄严地焚烧成灰，并将灰保存，用以调制——不是美化，而是洁净的水；因为律法所能及的最高限度不过如此；它不像福音那样施行装饰，只是洁净而已。这焚烧母牛一事，虽因不在坛上献，并不严格算是赎罪祭，却是基督的死与受苦的预表——基督之死不仅为满足神的公义，也为洁净并抚慰我们的良心，使我们可以与神相和，也在自己心中得享平安；为此基督不仅像在坛上的公牛山羊那样死，也像这营外的母牛那样死。
I. 在挑选当焚的母牛上用了许多细心，远超过挑选任何其他祭物（民19:2）。它不仅必须无残疾，预表主耶稣无瑕无疵的纯洁与无罪的完全；而且必须是红母牛，因这颜色罕见，使其更显特别：犹太人说："只要有几根黑毛或白毛，就不合用了。"基督作为人，是亚当——红土——之子；我们又见他衣服红色，被自己的血染红，也被仇敌的血染红。它还必须是从未负过轭的——这在其他祭物中并未如此要求，如此便预表了主耶稣甘心自愿的献身，当他说看哪，我来了时，除了他自己之爱的绳索以外，没有任何别的绳索捆绑他、拘束他。这母牛当由会众出资预备，因众人都要在其中同享利益；照样，众信徒也都同享于基督。
II. 焚烧之时要有许多礼仪。办理此事的责任交托给以利亚撒，而不是亚伦本人，因他不当行任何使自己在仪式上不洁之事——就是到晚上也不可（民19:8）；然而此事既关系重大，尤其是在其所预表的含义上，便当由仅次于亚伦尊贵的人来执行。那时的众祭司长在基督的死上有主要的参与。如今当看：
1. 母牛当在营外被宰杀，如同不洁之物，这说明仪文律法所规定的方法不足以除罪。它们非但不能有效洁净，自己反倒不洁；仿佛加在其上的玷污仍然附着。然而为应验这一预表，我们的主耶稣既为我们成了罪和咒诅，便在城门外受苦（来13:12）。
2. 以利亚撒当向会幕门前弹血，并定睛向着帐幕（民19:4）。这使此事在某种程度上成了赎罪；因为在一切赎罪祭中，在耶和华面前弹血乃是最主要的礼仪；因此这事虽不在坛上行，却既向着圣所而行，便表明其功效与有效乃依于圣所、由圣所而发。这预表了基督——我们的大祭司——之死对神所作的挽回；他借着永远的灵（安斯沃斯（Ainsworth）留意到，灵被称为神的指头，路11:20）将自己无瑕无疵献给神；他面对圣所，说父啊，我将我的灵魂交在你手里。这也表明，要洁净我们的心，向神的公义作出满足是何等必要。这一弹血之举使灰有了功效。
3. 母牛当全然焚烧（民19:5）。这预表了我们的主耶稣在灵魂与身体两方面极重的受苦，如同火祭。祭司当在火焚烧时，将香柏木、牛膝草和朱红色线丢入火中，这些正是洁净大麻风患者所用之物（利14:6,7），好使这些灰与母牛的灰相混，因为它们都是为洁净而设。
4. 母牛的灰（尽量与烧它的木灰分别出来）当由洁净的人小心收起，并（如犹太人所说）捣碎筛过，按需要存留为会众所用（民19:9），不仅为那一代，也为后代；因为这一只母牛的灰，足够调制以色列人许多世代所需的众水器。犹太人说这一只母牛的灰一直用到被掳，将近一千年，此后直到以斯拉时代他们归回之后才有第二只母牛被焚；对于这一只凭（我想）他们古记录的沉默而来的传统，我看我们没有理由轻信，因为在其教会较晚的时期——关于那时期他们有较完备的记录——他们发现在以斯拉时代到第二圣殿被毁之间，约五百年间，有八只母牛被焚。这些灰在此被称为赎罪祭而存留，因为它们虽然只是为洁净礼仪上的不洁，却是主耶稣借着他的死所成就之赎罪的预表。灰与水相混可用以擦洗，但这些灰的功效完全出于神的设立，其成全与完全则在基督——他是律法的总结，使人称义。如今当留意：(1.) 洁净水之所以有此功效，是因母牛的灰——其血已弹在圣所前；照样，洁净我们良心的，乃是基督之死常存的功效；是他的血洗净我们一切的罪（约一1:7）。(2.) 这些灰足够供众民之用。无需为每个当得洁净的人或家族重新宰杀母牛，这一只已足众人——甚至在他们中间寄居的外人（民19:10）也都够用；照样，基督的血对一切悔改信福音的人都有功效，对每一个以色列人，不仅为他们的罪，也为普天下人的罪（约一2:2）。(3.) 这些灰能历许多世代不腐不耗。没有任何物质比灰更不易朽坏，帕特里克主教说，正因如此，灰成了基督祭司之献永远功效的极贴切的象征。他能拯救，因此也能洁净，无论在人还是时间上都直到极处。(4.) 这些灰作为库藏或财宝存留，为以色列从他们的玷污中不断地作洁净之用；照样，基督的血也为我们存在圣道与圣礼之中，作为永不枯竭的功德之源，我们可以凭信心日日前来，求洁净我们的良心；参 亚13:1。
5. 一切参与此服事的人，都因之在仪式上成为不洁；连以利亚撒自己，虽然只是弹了血，也是如此（民19:7）。烧母牛的人不洁（民19:8），收灰的人也不洁（民19:10）；照样，一切参与将基督处死的人，都因此负上了罪责：出卖他的、控告他的、审判他的、行刑的，都是用恶手行事，虽是按着神的定旨先见（徒2:23）；然而他们当中有些已被洁净——本来也都可以被洁净——就是借他们所使自己招罪的那同一宝血的功效。有人以此表明仪文事奉的不完全及其不能除罪，因为那些为别人预备洁净的人，自己在预备过程中反被玷污。犹太人说：这是一桩所罗门自己也不明白的奥秘——同一物既玷污洁净的人，又洁净不洁的人。然而（帕特里克主教说）对那些思想到为罪所献的一切祭既因此都被人看为不洁、因人的罪都归在它们身上（正如我们一切的罪都归在基督身上，因此他被称为替我们成为罪，林后5:21）的人而言，这并不奇怪。
¹¹ "摸了人死尸的，必不洁净七天。
¹² 那人要在第三天用这水洁净自己，第七天就洁净了；他若在第三天不洁净自己，第七天就不洁净。
¹³ 凡摸了人死尸、却不洁净自己的，就玷污了耶和华的帐幕；这人必从以色列中剪除；因为除污秽的水没有弹在他身上，他就必不洁净；他的不洁仍在他身上。
¹⁴ "人死在帐棚里的条例乃是这样：凡进那帐棚的，和一切在帐棚里的，都必不洁净七天。
¹⁵ 凡敞口的器皿，没有用盖子盖上绑紧的，就不洁净。
¹⁶ 凡在田野摸了被刀杀的，或是尸首，或是人的骨头，或是坟墓的，都必不洁净七天。
¹⁷ "要为这不洁的人取些赎罪祭母牛的灰，放在器皿里，倒上活水。
¹⁸ 当有一个洁净的人拿牛膝草蘸在这水中，把这水弹在帐棚上，和其中一切器皿上，并在那里面的人身上，又弹在摸了骨头，或摸了被杀的，或摸了死尸，或摸了坟墓的人身上。
¹⁹ 第三天和第七天，洁净的人要弹在不洁的人身上；第七天他要洁净自己，洗衣服，用水洗身，到晚上就洁净了。
²⁰ "但那污秽自己而不洁净自己的人，那人必从会众中剪除，因为他玷污了耶和华的圣所；除污秽的水没有弹在他身上，他就是不洁的。
²¹ 这要作他们永远的定例：那弹除污秽水的人要洗衣服；那摸除污秽水的人，必不洁净到晚上。
²² 不洁的人所摸的一切物就不洁净；摸了那物的人也必不洁净到晚上。"
此处给出了关于为洁净所备之灰的使用与施行的指示。这些灰存放乃为取用；因此，虽然此刻以色列安营紧密、一个存放地已够用，但很可能后来到了迦南，各城都存有一些，因每日都需使用。当留意，
I. 在什么情况下需要用这些灰来洁净。此处所提的，只是因触摸死尸，或死人的骨头或坟墓，或人在停尸的帐棚或房屋中而沾染的礼仪不洁（民19:11,14-16）。我认为这是仪文律法中最重的负担之一，也是最难解的一条。摸了不洁畜类的尸体，或任何一个在最重礼仪不洁中的活人，只到晚上就不洁了，只需用普通的水洁净自己；但那挨近死人、死女人、死孩童尸体的，却要担当不洁的羞辱七天，要用除污秽的水洁净两次——这水若无麻烦、无花费便不能得，而且在洁净之前不可挨近圣所，违者必死。
1. 这事确实奇特，若想到：(1.) 凡有人死亡之处（我们常处于死亡之中），必有人无可避免地沾染这污秽：尸体总要被脱衣、沐浴、包裹、抬出、安葬，这事不能没有许多人动手，然而动手的人都成了不洁——这表明在我们败坏堕落的状态中，活着而不犯罪的人是没有的；我们不能不受所经过之污秽世界的玷污，我们天天得罪神；然而我们并非无罪的可能，并不使罪减少其玷污之力。(2.) 照料死人、使他们得体安葬，不仅是必要的，而且是一件善工、一种恩慈的行动，既为尊荣死者，也为安慰生者；然而这事却招致不洁——这表明罪的玷污掺杂并附着于我们最好的事奉。世上没有义人，行善而不犯罪；我们就是在行善时，也往往在某处有所偏差。(3.) 这污秽是在自己家中私下所作的事上招致的，这表明（如帕特里克主教所言）神看见在隐密处所行的事，没有任何事可以向神的威严隐藏。(4.) 这污秽可以沾染，而人却可能毫不知情，如因摸了看不出来的坟墓——我们的主说，那些在上面走过的人并不觉察（路11:44）——这表明因无知的罪使良心受玷污，也表明我们有何等理由呼喊："谁能看出自己的错呢？"并祷告："求你洁净我隐而未现的过错——那些连我们自己都看不出自己有过的过错。"
2. 但律法为何将死尸视为如此玷污人之物？(1.) 因为死亡是罪的工价，由罪进入世界，并借罪的能力作王。死亡对人类而言与对其他受造之物不同：它是咒诅，是律法的执行，因此死亡的玷污表明罪的玷污。(2.) 因为律法不能胜过死亡，不能废除死亡、改变其性质——福音却借着将生命和不朽彰显出来而如此行，从而引进了更美的指望。自从我们的救赎主死了、葬了，死亡对神的以色列民便不再有毁灭之力，因此死尸也不再玷污人；但在教会仍处于律法之下时，为表明律法不能使近前来的人得以完全，因死尸而招致的不洁便不能不在他们心中对死亡生出忧郁而不安的观念；如今信徒借着基督却可以胜过它夸胜。*死啊，你的得胜在哪里？*你的玷污在哪里？
II. 在这些情形下灰当如何使用与施行。1. 当取少量灰放入一杯泉水中，与水相混，这水便因此被称为除污秽的水——因为它要弹在那些因不洁而被隔开、远离圣所的人身上。正如母牛的灰表明基督的功德，活水表明蒙福圣灵的大能与恩典——圣灵被比作活水的江河；正是借着他运行，基督的义才被施行于我们，使我们得洁净。因此我们被称为洗过了——即成圣称义了——不仅是在主耶稣的名里，也是借着我们神的灵（林前6:11；彼前1:2）。那些既不服在圣灵的恩典与感动之下、却指望从基督的义得益处的人，不过是自欺，因为我们不能将神所配合的分开，也不能在活水之外借灰得洁净。2. 这水当用一束蘸在其中的牛膝草来施行，所要洁净的人或物当被弹上（民19:18）；大卫祷告说求你用牛膝草洁净我，正是暗指此事。信心就是那束牛膝草，用以弹在良心上、洁净内心。一次可弹许多人，与灰相混之水可供多次弹洒，直到用尽；只要出于此意，极少一点弹在身上便足以使人洁净。除污秽的水是借弹洒施行的，正是照样，基督的血被称为所洒的血（来12:24），我们被称为心中天良的亏欠已经洒去（来10:22），即我们脱离了因罪疚之感而生的不安。又预言基督要借他的洗洗净许多国民（赛52:15）。3. 不洁的人当在沾染污秽后第三天和第七天被弹这水（民19:12-19）。这日子的计算（我们可以设想）是从他末次摸或挨近死尸之时起算；因为他若仍必须反复接触污秽，便不当开始洁净的日子；但当死尸已经埋葬，再无需与之打交逞时，他便开始计算日子。只有当我们已经离弃罪恶，止息了一切与属死属暗之不结果子的行为的相交，那时——也只有在那时——我们才能以平安将基督的功德施行于我们的灵魂。弹洒的重复教导我们当常常更新悔改与信心的行动，乃缦洗七次；如此必要之事，便需常常去作，方能作好。4. 所招致的不洁虽只是礼仪上的，但疏忽所规定的洁净便要变为道德上的罪：那人若污秽自己又不洁净自己，那人必被剪除（民19:20）。请留意：藐视神所设立的——尽管看似微细——乃是危险之事。小小的伤口若被忽视，也可能致命；我们称为小罪的，若不悔改，便要成为我们的灭亡，然而大罪人悔改时反得怜悯。我们的不洁使我们与神隔绝，但使我们永远与他隔绝的，不是不洁本身，而是不洁却不肯洁净自己：致命的与其说是伤，不如说是轻忽良药。5. 连那弹除污秽水的人，或摸了那水，或摸了不洁之人的，也必不洁净到晚上——即那一日不可挨近圣所（民19:21,22）。神借此要使他们看见那些事奉的不完全及其不足以洁净良心，好叫他们仰望那在日期满足之时、借永远的灵将自己无瑕无疵献给神，从而洗净我们的良心，除去死行（即除去如死尸那样玷污人的罪，因此罪又被称为取死的身体）的弥赛亚，使我们得以坦然进入圣所，用活祭事奉那永生神。
영문 원문
The Ashes of Purification (1471 BC)
¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
² This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:
³ And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:
⁴ And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:
⁵ And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:
⁶ And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.
⁷ Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
⁸ And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.
⁹ And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.
¹⁰ And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.
We have here the divine appointment concerning the solemn burning of a red heifer to ashes, and the preserving of the ashes, that of them might be made, not a beautifying, but a purifying, water, for that was the utmost the law reached to; it offered not to adorn as the gospel does, but to cleanse only. This burning of the heifer, though it was not properly a sacrifice of expiation, being not performed at the altar, yet was typical of the death and sufferings of Christ, by which he intended, not only to satisfy God's justice, but to purify and pacify our consciences, that we may have peace with God and also peace in our own bosoms, to prepare for which Christ died, not only like the bulls and goats at the altar, but like the heifer without the camp.
I. There was a great deal of care employed in the choice of the heifer that was to be burnt, much more than in the choice of any other offering, Nu 19:2. It must not only be without blemish, typifying the spotless purity and sinless perfection of the Lord Jesus, but it must a red heifer, because of the rarity of the colour, that it might be the more remarkable: the Jews say, "If but two hairs were black or white, it was unlawful." Christ, as man, was the Son of Adam, red earth, and we find him red in his apparel, red with his own blood, and red with the blood of his enemies. And it must be one on which never came yoke, which was not insisted on in other sacrifices, but thus was typified the voluntary offer of the Lord Jesus, when he said, Lo, I come, He was bound and held with no other cords than those of his own love. This heifer was to be provided at the expense of the congregation, because they were all to have a joint interest in it; and so all believers have in Christ.
II. There was to be a great deal of ceremony in the burning of it. The care of doing it was committed to Eleazar, not to Aaron himself, because it was not fit that he should do any thing to render himself ceremonially unclean, no, not so much as till the evening (Nu 19:8); yet it being an affair of great concern especially in the significancy of it, it was to be performed by him that was next to Aaron in dignity. The chief priests of that time had the principal hand in the death of Christ. Now,
1. The heifer was to be slain without the camp, as an impure thing, which bespeaks the insufficiency of the methods prescribed by the ceremonial law to take away sin. So far were they from cleansing effectually that they were themselves unclean; as if the pollution that was laid upon them continued to cleave to them. Yet, to answer this type, our Lord Jesus, being made sin and a curse for us, suffered without the gate, Heb 13:12.
2. Eleazar was to sprinkle the blood directly before the door of the tabernacle, and looking steadfastly towards it, Nu 19:4. This made it in some sort an expiation; for the sprinkling of the blood before the Lord was the chief solemnity in all the sacrifices of atonement; therefore, though this was not done at the altar, yet, being done towards the sanctuary, it was intimated that the virtue and validity of it depended upon the sanctuary, and were derived from it. This signified the satisfaction that was made to God by the death of Christ, our great high priest, who by the eternal Spirit (and the Spirit is called the finger of God, as Ainsworth observes, Lu 11:20) offered himself without spot unto God; directly before the sanctuary, when he said, Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit. It also signifies how necessary it was to the purifying of our hearts that satisfaction should be made to divine justice. This sprinkling of the blood put virtue into the ashes.
3. The heifer was to be wholly burnt, Nu 19:5. This typified the extreme sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire. The priest was to cast into the fire, while it was burning, cedarwood, hyssop, and scarlet, which were used in the cleansing of lepers (Le 14:6,7), that the ashes of these might be mingled with the ashes of the heifer, because they were designed for purification.
4. The ashes of the heifer (separated as well as they could from the ashes of the wood wherewith it was burnt) were to be carefully gathered up by the hand of a clean person, and (as the Jews say) pounded and sifted, and so laid up for the use of the congregation, as there was occasion (Nu 19:9), not only for that generation, but for posterity; for the ashes of this one heifer were sufficient to season as many vessels of water as the people of Israel would need for many ages. The Jews say that this one served till the captivity, nearly 1000 years, and that there was never another heifer burnt till Ezra's time, after their return, to which tradition of theirs, grounded (I suppose) only upon the silence of their old records, I see no reason we have to give credit, since in the later times of their church, of which they had more full records, they find eight burnt between Ezra's time and the destruction of the second temple, which was about 500 years, These ashes are said to be laid up here as a purification for sin, because, though they were intended to purify only from ceremonial uncleanness, yet they were a type of that purification for sin which our Lord Jesus made by his death. Ashes mixed with water are used in scouring, but these had their virtue purely from the divine institution, and their accomplishment and perfection in Christ, who is the end of this law for righteousness. Now observe, (1.) That the water of purification was made so by the ashes of a heifer, whose blood was sprinkled before the sanctuary; so that which cleanses our consciences is the abiding virtue of the death of Christ; it is his blood that cleanses from all sin, 1Jo 1:7. (2.) That the ashes were sufficient for all the people. There needed not to be a fresh heifer slain for every person or family that had occasion to be purified, but this one was enough for all, even for the strangers that sojourned among them (Nu 19:10); so there is virtue enough in the blood of Christ for all that repent and believe the gospel, for every Israelite, and not for their sins only, but for the sins of the whole world, 1Jo 2:2. (3.) That these ashes were capable of being preserved without waste to many ages. No bodily substance is so incorruptible as ashes are, which (says bishop Patrick) made these a very fit emblem of the everlasting efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ. He is able to save, and, in order to that, able to cleanse, to the uttermost, both of person and times. (4.) These ashes were laid up as a stock or treasure, for the constant purification of Israel from their pollutions; so the blood of Christ is laid up for us in the word and sacraments, as an inexhaustible fountain of merit, to which by faith we may have recourse daily for the purging of our consciences; see Zec 13:1.
5. All those that were employed in this service were made ceremonially unclean by it; even Eleazar himself, though he did but sprinkle the blood, Nu 19:7. He that burned the heifer was unclean (Nu 19:8), and he that gathered up the ashes (Nu 19:10); so all that had a hand in putting Christ to death contracted guilt by it: his betrayer, his prosecutors, his judge, his executioner, all did what they did with wicked hands, though it was by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God (Ac 2:23); yet some of them were, and all might have been cleansed by the virtue of that same blood which they had brought themselves under the guilt of. Some make this to signify the imperfection of the legal services, and their insufficiency to take away sin, inasmuch as those who prepared for the purifying of others were themselves polluted by the preparation. The Jews say, This is a mystery which Solomon himself did not understand, that the same thing should pollute those that were clean and purify those that were unclean. But (says bishop Patrick) it is not strange to those who consider that all the sacrifices which were offered for sin were therefore looked upon as impure, because the sins of men were laid upon them, as all our sins were upon Christ, who therefore is said to be made sin for us, 2Co 5:21.
¹¹ He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.
¹² He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
¹³ Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.
¹⁴ This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.
¹⁵ And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.
¹⁶ And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
¹⁷ And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:
¹⁸ And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:
¹⁹ And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.
²⁰ But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.
²¹ And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.
²² And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.
Directions are here given concerning the use and application of the ashes which were prepared for purification. they were laid up to be laid out; and therefore, though now one place would serve to keep them in, while all Israel lay so closely encamped, yet it is probable that afterwards, when they came to Canaan, some of these ashes were kept in every town, for there would be daily use for them. Observe,
I. In what cases there needed a purification with these ashes. No other is mentioned here than the ceremonial uncleanness that was contracted by the touch of a dead body, or of the bone or grave of a dead man, or being in the tent or house where a dead body lay, Nu 19:11,14-16. This I look upon to have been one of the greatest burdens of the ceremonial law, and one of the most unaccountable. He that touched the carcase of an unclean beast, or any living man under the greatest ceremonial uncleanness, was made unclean by it only till the evening, and needed only common water to purify himself with; but he that came near the dead body of man, woman, or child, much bear the reproach of his uncleanness seven days, must twice be purified with the water of separation, which he could not obtain without trouble and charge, and till he was purified must not come near the sanctuary upon pain of death.
1. This was strange, considering, (1.) that whenever any died (and we are in deaths oft) several persons must unavoidable contract this pollution, the body must be stripped, washed, wound up, carried out, and buried, and this could not be done without many hands, and yet all defiled, which signifies that in our corrupt and fallen state there is none that lives and sins not; we cannot avoid being polluted by the defiling world we pass through, and we offend daily, yet the impossibility of our being sinless does not make sin the less polluting. (2.) that taking care of the dead, to see them decently buried, is not only necessary, but a very good office, and an act of kindness, both to the honour of the dead and the comfort of the living, and yet uncleanness was contracted by it, which intimates that the pollutions of sin mix with and cleave to our best services. There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not; we are apt some way or other to do amiss even in our doing good. (3.) That this pollution was contracted by what was done privately in their own houses, which intimates (as bishop Patrick observes) that God sees what is done in secret, and nothing can be concealed from the divine Majesty. (4.) This pollution might be contracted, and yet a man might never know it, as by the touch of a grave which appeared not, of which our Saviour says, Those that walk over it are not aware of it (Lu 11:44), which intimates the defilement of the conscience by sins of ignorance, and the cause we have to cry out, "Who can understand his errors?" and to pray, "Cleanse us from secret faults, faults which we ourselves do not see ourselves guilty of."
2. But why did the law make a dead corpse such a defiling thing? (1.) Because death is the wages of sin, entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. Death to mankind is another thing from what it is to other creatures: it is a curse, it is the execution of the law, and therefore the defilement of death signifies the defilement of sin. (2.) Because the law could not conquer death, nor abolish it and alter the property of it, as the gospel does by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. Since our Redeemer was dead and buried, death is no more destroying to the Israel of God, and therefore dead bodies are no more defiling; but while the church was under the law, to show that it made not the comers thereunto perfect, the pollution contracted by dead bodies could not but form in their minds melancholy and uncomfortable notions concerning death, while believers now through Christ can triumph over it. O grave! where is thy victory? Where is thy pollution?
II. How the ashes were to be used and applied in these cases. 1. A small quantity of the ashes must be put into a cup of spring water, and mixed with the water, which thereby was made, as it is here called, a water of separation, because it was to be sprinkled on those who were separated or removed from the sanctuary by their uncleanness. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water signified the power and grace of the blessed Spirit, who is compared to rivers of living water; and it is by his operation that the righteousness of Christ is applied to us for our cleansing. Hence we are said to be washed, that is, sanctified and justified, not only in the name of the Lord Jesus, but by the Spirit of our God, 1Co 6:11, 1Pe 1:2. Those that promise themselves benefit by the righteousness of Christ, while they submit not to the grace and influence of the Spirit, do but deceive themselves, for we cannot put asunder what God has joined, nor be purified by the ashes otherwise than in the running water. 2. This water must be applied by a bunch of hyssop dipped in it, with which the person or thing to be cleansed must be sprinkled (Nu 19:18), in allusion to which David prays, Purge me with hyssop. Faith is the bunch of hyssop wherewith the conscience is sprinkled and the heart purified. Many might be sprinkled at once, and the water with which the ashes were mingled might serve for many sprinklings, till it was all spent; and a very little lighting upon a man served to purify him, if done with that intention. In allusion to this application of the water of separation by sprinkling, the blood of Christ is said to be the blood of sprinkling (Heb 12:24), and with it were are said to be sprinkled from an evil conscience (Heb 10:22), that is, we are freed from the uneasiness that arises from a sense of our guilt. And it is foretold that Christ, by his baptism, shall sprinkle many nations, Isa 52:15. 3. The unclean person must be sprinkled with this water on the third day after his pollution, and on the seventh day, Nu 19:12-19. The days were reckoned (we may suppose) from the last time of his touching or coming near the dead body; for he would not begin the days of his cleansing while he was still under a necessity of repeating the pollution; but when the dead body was buried, so that there was no further occasion of meddling with it, then he began to reckon his days. Then, and then only, we may with comfort apply Christ's merit to our souls, when we have forsaken sin, and cease all fellowship with the unfruitful works of death and darkness. The repetition of the sprinkling teaches us often to renew the actings of repentance and faith, wash as Naaman, seven times; we need to do that often which is so necessary to be well done. 4. Though the pollution contracted was only ceremonial, yet the neglect of the purification prescribed would turn into moral guilt: He that shall be unclean and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off, Nu 19:20. Note, It is a dangerous thing to contemn divine institutions, though they may seem minute. A slight wound, if neglected, may prove fatal; a sin we call little, if not repented of, will be our ruin, when great sinners that repent shall find mercy. Our uncleanness separates us from God, but it is our being unclean and not purifying ourselves that will separate us for ever from him: it is not the wound that is fatal, so much as the contempt of the remedy. 5. Even he that sprinkled the water of separation, or touched it, or touched the unclean person, must be unclean till the evening, that is, must not come near the sanctuary on that day, Nu 19:21,22. Thus God would show them the imperfection of those services, and their insufficiency to purify the conscience, that they might look for the Messiah, who in the fulness of time should by the eternal Spirit offer himself without spot unto God, and so purge our consciences from dead works (that is, from sin, which defiles like a dead body, and is therefore called a body of death), that we may have liberty of access to the sanctuary, to serve the living God with living sacrifices.
民数记第十九章
本章所论，唯独关于制取并使用那些能使除污水生效之灰的方法。百姓先前曾抱怨律法过严，因律法禁止他们就近会幕，民 17:13。为回应此怨言，神在此指示他们如何洁净自己，使他们能照所需前来而不致恐惧。本章所记为：
I. 制取这些灰的方法——将一头红母牛焚烧，并伴以许多礼仪，民 19:1-10。
II. 使用这些灰的途径。
它们专为洁净那因触碰死尸而染了污秽之人，民 19:11-16。
当取少量灰投入活水中，所要洁净的人须借此水得洁净，民 19:17-22。
至于这礼仪上的洁净，乃是预表信徒的良心从罪的污染中得蒙洗净，使徒的论述足以表明，来 9:13,14，他在那里将基督之血的功效，与"洒在不洁之人身上的母牛灰"所具的成圣之力加以比较。