The Water of Purification

The Water of Purification

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 

“Here is another legal requirement, commanded by the Lord: 

Tell the people of Israel, to bring you a red heifer, a perfect animal, that has no defects …and has never been yoked to a plow. 

Give it to Eleazar, the priest, and it will be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. 

Eleazar will take some of its blood, on his finger …and sprinkle it, seven times, toward the front of the Tabernacle. As Eleazar watches, the heifer must be burned—its hide, meat, blood, and dung. Eleazar, the priest, must then take a stick of cedar, a hyssop branch, and some scarlet yarn …and throw them into the fire, where the heifer is burning. 

“Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself, in water. 

Afterward, he may return to the camp, though he will remain ceremonially unclean, until evening. 

The man, who burns the animal, must also wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and he, too, will remain unclean until evening. 

Then, someone, who is ceremonially clean, will gather up the ashes, of the heifer …and deposit them, in a purified place, outside the camp. 

The ashes will be kept there, for the community of Israel, to use, in the water, for the purification ceremony. 

This ceremony is performed, for the removal of sin. 

The man, who gathers up the ashes, of the heifer, must also wash his clothes, and he will remain ceremonially unclean, until evening. 

This is a permanent Law, for the people of Israel …and any foreigners, who live among them. 

Numbers 19:1–10 (NLT)

Praise be to God!

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