Numbers 19:1-9

In all cases, though, it is suggesting judgment. Remember, David took a census, and boy, was he judged! There is a connection, here, not specifically with David, but there is a connection with the word "census." Okay, back to Numbers 19. What we are going to read of, here, is this altar of the red heifer, the Miphkad altar. And if your Bible has little subtitles at the top of the chapter, mine has, "The Purification of the Unclean."

Remember that because it is one of the titles that is ascribed to the Miphkad altar—a clean place, not to the altar itself, but to the area that the altar is in—a clean place.

So a young cow—a red heifer—was burned on that altar. But that was not all that was different about what was sacrificed and burned on this altar.

There are nine differences between what was burned on this altar and what was burned on the brazen altar. So you do not get them confused, each had very specific uses. All that I am going to give you applies to the brazen altar.

So, not one of these specific items applies to the Miphkad altar sacrifice, as shown here in Numbers 19. What was offered there?

First and foremost, it was a red heifer, without blemish. It had never had been hooked to a yoke, and it was virginal in every respect. It was led alive by the high priest across the Kidron Valley, by way of the bridge to the Miphkad altar, located on the southern peak of the Mount of Olives.

Then it was unceremoniously killed. A small amount of the blood was caught and then sprinkled seven times toward the Temple or the Tabernacle. The animal was then completely burned without being skinned or cut up in any way, shape, or form. It was just thrown on there. The flames consumed every part of it, including its dung. Nothing was excluded from the fire.

And while it was being consumed by the flames, the priest added cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet to the mix. Once the animal was completely devoured by the flames, it ashes were collected, mixed with pure water, and set aside, probably in the same general location used for purification rites, that is, purification from sin as it says in verse 9.

So there are many, many, differences, but no part of it was ever brought into the camp. (We will learn about the camp later and what its dimensions were.) It had to be kept—these waters of purification—outside the camp, never to be brought in.