Just when you think you finally have a grasp on all the sacrifices and feasts and rituals that the Old Testament has to offer, the Bible throws a red heifer at you.
I mean that literally. Although I vaguely remember hearing about the red heifer sacrifice, I’ll admit that the section in Numbers 19:1-9 threw me for a loop. Why specifically a heifer? What’s the goal of this sacrifice? And why does it have to be red?
These are all questions I was left with after reading through this section for the first time (in a long time). Fortunately, the explanation is given in Numbers 19:9—the sacrifice of the red heifer is for “purification of sin.”
But it also says that the sons of Israel shall “keep it as water to remove impurity.” Does that mean “in place of” water? Is it a different type of cleansing?
As with anything, let’s start at the beginning. A red heifer is identified on which there has been no yoke placed. It has no defect, either. It’s perfect and unworked.
But why does it need to be red?
Although red heifers aren’t necessarily rare, later Israelites had such stringent qualifications for the red heifer sacrifice that a “qualifying” one was rarely discovered. At the same time though, because you’re only using the ashes from the sacrifice to mix with water, it’s possible you wouldn’t need very many cows. That ash can last a long time.
Once you’ve identified the red heifer, the sacrifice goes like this. She is slaughtered outside the camp (instead of in the Tabernacle courtyard) in the presence of the High Priest. In this section, it’s identified as Eleazar instead of Aaron, presumably because of Eleazar’s eventual ascension to the High Priesthood (Aaron will die in Numbers 20).
Then, the high priest takes some of the blood and sprinkles it toward the Tabernacle seven times. The carcass of the red heifer is burned; while the flame is lit, the priest throws in cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet material into the fire. Both the priest and the one who burned the red heifer then must go through a cleansing process.
Once the sacrifice is over, a “man who is clean” gathers up the ashes and puts them in a clean place outside the camp, where it is stored until needed for purification.
As you might expect, there are Messianic allusions all over the place.
The red heifer is killed “outside the camp,” just as Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem (Hebrews 13:11-13). The wood cast into the fire mirrors the cross. Hyssop is used to cleanse someone of their sins (Exodus 12:22; Psalm 51:7).
As a matter of fact, the three elements contained here—cedar wood, hyssop, scarlet thread—are all used in the purification of the leper in Leviticus 14. They’re also used in Hebrews 9:19-22 to seal in the old covenant.
Does that mean that we are spiritual lepers? And that Christ’s sacrifice is a way to cleanse us under the New Covenant which He sealed with His blood? You could make that argument. The points line up.
Jews have looked at the red heifer as a sign that the Messiah is incoming, but Hebrews makes plain that that time has already come (Hebrews 9:13-14). He’s already here. He’s been sacrificed, we just need to cleanse ourselves with His blood.
But still…why did the heifer need to be red?