Numbers 19:9-13: a reflection

9“A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up outside of the camp in a clean place; and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for use in water for cleansing impurity. It is a sin offering. 10He who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. It shall be to the children of Israel, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them, for a statute forever. 11“He who touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. 12He shall purify himself with water on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean; but if he doesn’t purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. 13Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and doesn’t purify himself, defiles the LORD’s tabernacle; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is yet on him.

God provides the water of cleansing, made from the ashes of a heifer, for those who have become defiled through contact with death; it is to be sprinkled on them that they might be clean and able to draw near again. And God warns of the danger of neglecting it: whoever is defiled and does not purify himself remains unclean, his uncleanness still on him. The cleansing was provided; but it had to be availed of. To neglect it was to remain defiled, unfit to draw near, the uncleanness not dealt with but still clinging.

Notice the warning: the cleansing was provided, but the defilement remained until it was availed of. God had provided the means of cleansing; the water was there. But it did no good if it was neglected; the one who did not purify himself remained unclean, his uncleanness still on him. The provision had to be used, the cleansing actually applied, or the defilement stayed. It was not enough that cleansing was available; it had to be availed of, or the uncleanness remained, unfit to draw near.

That is worth taking to heart, for God has provided cleansing for us in Christ, but it must be availed of, not neglected. God has provided a full cleansing for our defilement in Christ; but this does us no good if we neglect it, if we do not avail ourselves of it, coming to Christ for the cleansing he offers. To neglect the cleansing God provides is to remain in our defilement, though the cleansing is available. Do not neglect the cleansing God has provided in Christ, leaving your defilement undealt with though the remedy is at hand; avail yourself of it, coming to Christ for the cleansing he offers. The cleansing God provides must be availed of, not merely available; come to Christ for the cleansing of your defilement, rather than neglecting it and remaining unclean, as the water of cleansing did no good to the one who neglected it, whose uncleanness remained still on him.

Lord, you provide the water of cleansing, made from the ashes of a heifer, for those who have become defiled through contact with death; it is to be sprinkled on them that they might be clean and able to draw near again. And you warn of the danger of neglecting it: whoever is defiled and does not purify himself remains unclean, his uncleanness still on him. The cleansing was provided; but it had to be availed of. Show me the warning: the cleansing was provided, but the defilement remained until it was availed of. You had provided the means of cleansing; but it did no good if it was neglected; the one who did not purify himself remained unclean. The provision had to be used, or the defilement stayed. It was not enough that cleansing was available; it had to be availed of. Take that to my heart, for you have provided cleansing for me in Christ, but it must be availed of, not neglected. You have provided a full cleansing for my defilement in Christ; but this does me no good if I neglect it, if I do not come to Christ for the cleansing he offers. To neglect the cleansing you provide is to remain in my defilement. Keep me from neglecting the cleansing you have provided in Christ, leaving my defilement undealt with though the remedy is at hand; help me avail myself of it, coming to Christ for the cleansing he offers, Lord.