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The red heifer, the principal component of the water for impurity, signifies the redeeming Christ (Num. 19:2, 9):
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The color red signifies the likeness of the flesh of sin, which is for the bearing of man's sin outwardly.
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The heifer being without defect signifies that although Christ was in the likeness of the flesh of sin, He did not have the sinful nature; that the heifer was without blemish indicates that Christ was perfect.
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The heifer having never been under a yoke signifies that Christ was never used by anyone, especially by or for God's enemy, Satan.
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Like the red heifer, Christ was crucified outside the camp, on Calvary, a small mount outside the city of Jerusalem (v. 3; Heb. 13:12-13; Matt. 27:33).
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"The priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet strands, and cast them into the midst of the burning of the heifer" (Num. 19:6):
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Cedar wood signifies Christ in His dignified humanity, hyssop signifies Christ in His humbled humanity, and scarlet signifies redemption in its highest significance.
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The high and dignified Christ and the lowly and humbled Christ in His redemption were elements for the composition of the water for impurity (v. 9).
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Numbers 19:9 says, "A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and place them outside the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the assembly of the children of Israel as water for impurity; it is a sin offering":
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Ashes signify Christ reduced to nothing (Mark 9:12); these ashes were kept for the water for impurity; it was a purification of sin, or a sin offering.
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The impurity in Numbers 19 refers to death, which became prevailing among the children of Israel (16:49); thus, there was the need for the water for impurity.
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"For the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin offering, and running water shall be added to them in a vessel" (19:17):
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Only the working of Christ's redemption, through His dignified and humbled humanity, with His death and the Spirit of His resurrection (v. 17), could heal and cleanse the situation from the uncleanness of death.
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The living (running) water here signifies the Holy Spirit in the resurrection of Christ; in the water for impurity, there is the efficacy of Christ's redemption with the washing power of the Spirit of His resurrection.
Morning Nourishment
Num. 19:2 This is the statute of the law which Jehovah has commanded, saying, Tell the children of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which is no blemish and upon which a yoke has never come.9 And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and place them outside the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the assembly of the children of Israel as water for impurity; it is a sin offering.
The heifer, the principal component of the water for impurity (Num. 19:9), signifies the redeeming Christ. The color red signifies the likeness of the flesh of sin, which is for the bearing of man's sin outwardly. The heifer being without defect signifies that although Christ was in the likeness of the flesh of sin, He did not have the sinful nature (Rom. 8:3 and footnote 3). That the heifer was without blemish indicates that Christ was perfect....The heifer having never been under a yoke signifies that Christ was never used by anyone, especially by or for God's enemy, Satan (cf. Exo. 12:5 and footnote 1). (Num. 19:2, footnote 1)
Christ was crucified outside the camp (Heb. 13:12-13), on Calvary, a small mount outside the city of Jerusalem (Matt. 27:33 and footnote). (Num. 19:3, footnote 1)
Today's Reading
In Numbers 19:6 cedar wood signifies Christ in His dignified humanity, hyssop signifies Christ in His humbled humanity, and scarlet signifies redemption in its highest significance....The high and dignified Christ and the lowly and humbled Christ in His redemption were elements for the composition of the water for impurity (v. 9). (Num. 19:6, footnote 1)The impurity in Numbers 19 does not refer to sin but to death (vv. 11, 13-16). Death issues from sin, and sin is the root of death (Rom. 5:12). From the sin of rebellion (Num. 11—14 and 16), death became prevailing among the children of Israel (16:49). Thus, there was the need for the water for impurity. Only the working of Christ's redemption, through His dignified and humbled humanity, with His death and the Spirit of His resurrection (19:17 and footnote), could heal and cleanse the situation from the uncleanness of death. (Num. 19:9, footnote 2)
The living water in Numbers 19:17 signifies the Holy Spirit in the resurrection of Christ....In the water for impurity, there is the efficacy of Christ's redemption with the washing power of the Spirit of His resurrection. (Num. 19:17, footnote 1)
Ashes signify Christ reduced to nothing (Mark 9:12). These ashes were kept for the water for impurity; it was a purification of sin, or a sin offering. (Num. 19:9, footnote 1)
In verse 9 the ashes refer to the remains of the red heifer, signifying that the Lord's redeeming death in resurrection is eternally efficacious. This eternal efficacy is what remains after the Lord's death and resurrection; in other words, the eternal efficacy of the Lord's redemption is in His resurrection (cf. Rom. 4:25).
The ashes of the heifer being placed outside the camp in a clean place [Num. 19:9] signifies that the efficacy of the Lord's redemption remains in the place of sinners, whereas the redeeming blood being brought to the front of the Tent of Meeting signifies the efficacy of the Lord's redemption before God.
The running water typifies the Holy Spirit. Whenever we, the people of God, are defiled, we need to allow the Holy Spirit, who is compounded with the eternal efficacy of the Lord's redemption, to be applied to us in order to remove our uncleanness. This corresponds to 1 John 1:7, which says, "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 cleanses us from every sin." This means that if we realize that we have sinned, we should take the blood of the Lord Jesus in order to wash away our sins for the purpose of restoring the fellowship between God and us. (CWWL, 1960, vol. 1, "Synopsis of Numbers," p. 295)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1960, vol. 1, "Synopsis of Numbers," ch. 24