Symbolism of the Red Heifer

This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:… And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer…. And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin. Numbers 19: 2, 6, 9 (KJV)

The red heifer sacrifice provided purification from sin for the Old Testament Jews. The ashes were mixed with water and applied to the defiled person.

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:13-14 (KJV)

This passage tells us that the sprinkling of the red heifer ashes mixed with water in the Old Testament purified the flesh. Even more than this, the blood of Christ purifies the conscience; our spirits sprinkled clean by Christ’s sacrifice. That which was symbolism in the Old Testament has been fulfilled in the New Testament through the sacrifice and shed blood of Jesus Christ.

In Deuteronomy, we are told that the priest threw cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet into the flames of the burning red heifer. Surely there is some significance to each of these three things. There is- all three pointed to Jesus’ coming death on the cross.

Cedar Wood

Cedar wood speaks of the cross of Christ.

And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: John 19:17 (KJV)

Hyssop

A sponge was soaked in vinegar and placed on a branch of hyssop and held to Jesus’ mouth as He was on the cross.

Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. John 19:29 (KJV)

Scarlet

They placed a scarlet robe on Jesus to mock Him. Also, scarlet represents the color of His blood that He shed.

And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. Matthew 27:28 (KJV)

So, Jesus was crucified on a cross (cedar wood), tasted bitter (hyssop) suffering and death, shedding His blood (scarlet) for us. He became the fulfillment of the red heifer for us to purify us from all sins and to make us right before God. According to II Corinthians 5:17, we’ve been made new creatures in Christ. We can now serve and worship the living God without conscience of sin.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. II Corinthians 5:21 (KJV)

Christ was made a sin offering to make us new and righteous in our spirit man. God looks at us and sees Christ’s righteousness and true holiness because we are in Christ and Christ is in us (Ephesians 4:24).

Thank God that through Jesus Christ we are cleansed and made clean. We can love God and worship Him from pure hearts. We have no more need of the ashes of a red heifer.