民十九13　凡触着死人，……而不洁净自己的，就玷污了耶和华的帐幕，……因为那除污秽的水没有洒在他身上，他就为不洁净……。

　　罗五17　　若因一人的过犯，死就借着这一人作了王，那些受洋溢之恩，并洋溢之义恩赐的，就更要借着耶稣基督一人，在生命中作王了。

　　除污秽的水要洒在不洁净的人身上：那些触着死人身体的，或进了死人帐棚、在死人帐棚里的，或触着被刀杀的、或是尸首、人骨、坟墓的（民十九11~14、16~20）。这是当时以色列人光景的写照。死亡的不洁遍布各处。

　　民数记十九章的污秽，不是指罪，乃是指死。死出自罪，罪是死的根（罗五12）。由于背叛的罪，死遍布在以色列人中间。因此需要除污秽的水。唯有基督救赎的工作，借着祂尊高而卑微的人性，凭祂的死和祂复活的灵，才能医治并洁净整个局面（民数记生命读经，二二八至二二九页）。

　　Num. 19:13 Whoever touches a dead person,…and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of Jehovah…. Because the water for impurity was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean…

　　Rom. 5:17 For if, by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

　　The water for impurity was to be sprinkled upon the unclean persons: those who touched a dead body, or came into a tent or were already in a tent in which a man died, or touched one who had been slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave (Num. 19:11-14, 16-20). This is a picture of the situation of the children of Israel at that time. The uncleanness of death was everywhere.

　　The impurity in [Numbers 19] does not refer to sin but to death. Death comes out of sin, and sin is the root of death (Rom. 5:12). From the sin of rebellion, death became prevailing among the children of Israel. 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, could heal and cleanse the situation. (Life-study of Numbers, p. 206)

　　民数记十九章说到把一只红母牛与一些别的东西一起焚烧，其灰用来作除污秽的水。阅读整章使我们能明白这里的污秽、不洁，主要是指死亡的玷污。这水是个供应，使人脱离死亡的影响和污秽。……就在十六章的背叛之后，到处都是死亡。在一天之内，一万四千七百人死亡，他们尸陈遍地。在营内许多的帐棚里都有人的死尸。人触着死尸（十九11），或人死的时候在场（18），或进入死尸所在的帐棚（14），就受到污染。以色列人整整二百万的人口，都在死亡的影响之下。他们都在污秽的光景中。因此，需要除污秽的水废掉死亡的影响和污秽（民数记生命读经，二二四至二二五页）。

　　死亡是丑陋的、可憎的，所以我们需要禁戒死亡。……我们该禁戒的死亡，主要的还不是肉身的，而是属灵的。……属灵的死亡……到处都有。不仅犯罪、属世的地方，就连伦理道德最高尚的地方，也充满属灵的死亡。……按旧约的预表，罪还不如死亡那样污秽。人若犯了罪，可以立刻借着献上赎愆祭得着赦免并洁净（利五10）。但人若摸了死亡，必须等几天才得洁净。由此可见，死比罪更玷污人。然而，我们在召会生活中的人，可能认为罪是严重的，而触着死亡是平常的，不严重的。但在神眼中，触着死亡是最严重的事。

　　死亡的毒素能毁坏并败坏圣徒。在罗马十四章，保罗说，我们不该因行事疏忽而拆毁神的工程（15、20）。基督所救赎并拯救的圣徒，我们不该因行事疏忽而败坏他们。在主的恢复中，主已经在信徒身上作了许多恩典、救赎的工作，多年来我们一直作工建造圣徒。人不可拆毁圣徒身上基督恩典的工作，也不可败坏这些我们一直在他们身上作工以建造他们的人。看到圣徒被死亡的毒素所败坏，我们的心怎不伤痛？我们需要清明、公正、平静、温和地想一想，我们是否真的在建造基督的身体，还是不自觉地在作一些事，散布死亡的毒素，拆毁神的工程？（利未记生命读经，三七五、二三七页）。

　　参读：民数记生命读经，第二十八篇；利未记生命读经，第二十二篇。

　　In [Numbers 19] a heifer is burned with other items, and the ashes are used to make a water for impurity. By reading the whole chapter we can understand that the impurity, the uncleanness, refers mainly to the filthiness of death. This water is a provision to get rid of the effect and impurity of death. Immediately after the rebellion in chapter 16, death was everywhere. In one day 14,700 people died, and their carcasses lay everywhere. In many of the tents in the camp, there were dead bodies. A man became contaminated by touching a dead body (19:11), by being present when a person died (v. 18), or by entering the tent where a dead body had been (v. 14). The entire population of two million Israelites was under the effect of death. They were all in a situation of impurity. Thus, there was the need for the water for impurity to annul the effect and impurity of death. (Life-study of Numbers, p. 203)

　　Death is an ugly, abominable thing. Therefore, we need to abstain from death….The death from which we should abstain is not mainly physical death but spiritual death….Spiritual death is everywhere. Not only sinful, worldly places but even the most moral, ethical places are full of spiritual death. According to the typology in the Old Testament, sin is not as dirty as death. If one sinned, he could be forgiven and cleansed immediately by offering a trespass offering (Lev. 5:10). But if one touched death, he had to wait a few days to become clean. From this we can see that death is more defiling than sin. However, we in the church life may think that sin is serious but that touching death is common and not serious. But in the eyes of God to touch death is the most serious thing.

　　The poison of death can damage and destroy the saints. In Romans 14 Paul says that we should not destroy the work of God by doing things carelessly (vv. 15, 20). Christ has redeemed and saved the saints, and we should not destroy them by acting carelessly. The Lord has done a lot of gracious, redemptive work on the saints in the Lord's recovery, and for years we have been working to build up the saints. No one should destroy the gracious work of Christ on the saints. No one should destroy those on whom we have been working for their building up. Would not our hearts be hurt to see the saints destroyed by the poison of death? We need to be sober, fair, calm, and kind to consider whether we are really building up the Body of Christ or unconsciously doing something to destroy God's work by spreading the poison of death. (Life-study of Leviticus, pp. 321-322, 198-199)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Numbers, msg. 28; Life-study of Leviticus, msg. 22