Thoughts on Numbers 19

For every sin, the priests will perform the ceremony for the sin offering. At minimum. There are specific ceremonies for specific occasions, as well as thanksgiving offerings and freewill offerings. I imagine the first few times to be meaningful and sincere, but eventually over time the meaning can be lost. Despair, hopelessness on the human condition ( we just can’t keep up with the standard of holiness ), to maybe eventually, apathy. I wonder, now that we don’t have to do all these ceremonies because Jesus has already finished everything that needs to be done once and for all, are we susceptible to the same struggle? We still fall short, and we can feel helpless – but not hopeless. The act of love, Grace, is the answer to apathy. I cannot just give up on myself, on others, because someone – Jesus – didn’t give up on me.

The Israelites were commanded to distance themselves from the dead, physically. Touching or being in close proximity makes one unclean. I think there is a spiritual application to this. Don’t have anything to do with that which is spiritually dead. It can affect you even without you knowing. Don’t let any part of your body touch it, and don’t get into the same room as it. Instead, be an instrument for purification – Jesus’ love ( expressed through his blood sacrifice on the cross ) can purify, and even raise, the spiritually dead.

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