The Taking of a Red Heifer

19 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 "This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke.


Num 19:1-10
The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God's justice for man's sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as purification from sin, because, though they were only to purify from ceremonial uncleanness, yet they were a type of that purification from sin which our Lord Jesus made by his death. The blood of Christ is laid up for us in the word and sacraments, as a fountain of merit, to which by faith we may have constant recourse, for cleansing our consciences.

Num 19:2
Red—A fit colour to shadow forth the bloody nature of sin, and the blood of Christ, from which this water and all other rites had their purifying virtue.

Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Numbers 19." "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible." .

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

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Wesley, John. "Commentary on Numbers 19." "John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible." . 1765.