Does “clean” or “dirty” come to mind when you think of ashes? Dirty
comes to my mind. However, God gave the Israelites instructions on using ashes
in their water of cleansing.
Numbers 19:9 9 “A
man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a
ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite
community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin.
It may seem
strange, but that’s what God decided as a way for the Israelites to purify and
cleanse themselves in His sight. Jews followed this law for centuries,
otherwise they would have been cut off.
Numbers
19:20-21 20 But if
those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the
community, because they have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of cleansing has not been
sprinkled on them, and they are unclean.
21 This is a lasting ordinance for them.
Now
that God sent Jesus as our once and for all sacrifice for sin, accepting Jesus’
blood in our place purifies us from sin. Then, we can live a life pleasing to
God, in fellowship with Him and others.
Hebrews 9:13-14 13 The blood of goats and bulls and
the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them
so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through
the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished
to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so
that we may serve the living God!
I John 1:7 7 But
if we walk in the light, as he is
in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Are you cleansed and purified and forgiven by God?
Are you trying to clean yourself your own way?
Or have you accepted and submitted to the one way God
determined?
Alice
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