TITHES AND CLEANSINGS
Numbers 18 Nu 19
1. DUTIES AND SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY
The statutes of chapter 18, are related to the rebellion of Korah
by a clause in Num 18:5, "Ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary
and the charge of the altar: that there be wrath no more upon the
children of Israel." The enactments are directed anew against any
intrusion into the sacred service by those who are not Levites, and
into the priesthood by those who are not Aaronites. It is clearly
implied that the ministry of the tabernacle is held under a grave
responsibility. The "iniquity of the sanctuary" and the "iniquity of
the priesthood" have to be borne; and the Aaronites alone are
commissioned to bear that iniquity. The Levites, though they serve,
are not to touch the holy vessels lest they die. The priesthood,
"for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil," is
given to the Aaronites as a service of gift.
A certain "iniquity," corresponding to the holiness of the
tabernacle and its vessels, attends the service which is to be done
by the priests. Their entrance into the sacred tent is an approach
to Jehovah, and from His purity there is thrown a defilement on
human life. The idea thus represented is capable of fine spiritual
realisation. With this embodied in the law and worship, there is no
need to look in any other direction for that evangelical poverty of
spirit which the better Israelites of an after time knew. Here
prophecy found in the law a germ of deep religious feeling which,
rising above tabernacle and altar, became the holy fear of Him who
inhabits eternity. The creation throughout its whole range, in the
very act of receiving existence, comes into contrast with the
creative Will and is on a lower moral plane, to which the Divine
purity does not accompany it. The seraphim of Isaiah’s vision feel
this severance to a certain extent. They are so far apart from God
that His holiness is not enjoyed unconsciously, as the element of
life. It shines above them and determines their attitude and the
terms of their praise. With their wings they cover their faces, and
they cry to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of hosts: the
whole earth is full of His glory." Even they "bear the iniquity" of
the great temple of the world in which they minister. On fallen man
that iniquity lies with almost crushing weight. "Woe is me!" says
the prophet, "for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips,
and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes
have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts." Thus the soul is brought into
that profound consciousness of defect and pollution which is the
preparation for reverent service of the Highest. The attribute of
holiness remains with God always, and His mercy in forgiving sin in
no way detracts from it. The eternity of God sets Him so far above
transitory men that He can extend compassion to them. "Art Thou not
from everlasting, O Jehovah my God, mine Holy One? We shall not
die." But His touch is, to the sinful earth, almost destruction.
When the Lord the God of hosts toucheth the land it melteth, and all
that dwell therein mourn. {Amo 9:12} When a people falls from
righteousness the Divine holiness burns against it like a consuming
fire. "We are all become as one that is unclean, and all our
righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a
leaf, and our iniquities like the wind take us away Thou hast hid
Thy face from us, and hast consumed us by means of our iniquities" (Isa
64:6-7).
The idea of the identification with the Holy God of the sanctuary
dedicated to Him, so that from the porch of it falls the shadow of
iniquity, is still further carried out in Num 18:1, where it is
declared that Aaron and his sons shall "bear the iniquity" of their
priesthood. The meaning is that the priesthood as an abstract thing,
an office held from Jehovah and for Him, has a holiness like the
sanctuary, and that the entrance into it of a man like Aaron brings
to light his human imperfection and taint. And this corresponds to a
consciousness which every one who deals with sacred truth and
undertakes the conduct of Divine worship in the right spirit is
bound to have. Entering on those exalted duties he "bears his
iniquity." The sense of daring intrusion may almost keep back a man
who knows that he has received a Divine call. To the heavenly muse
the poet can but reply:-
"I am not worthy even to speak
Of Thy prevailing mysteries;
For I am but an earthly muse
And darken sanctities with song."
With regard to the Levites whom Aaron is to bring near "that they
may be joined unto him," it is singular that their duties and the
restrictions put on them are detailed here as if now for the first
time this branch of the sacred ministry was being organised. In the
actual development of things this may be true. Difficulties had to
be overcome, the nature of the statutes and ordinances had to be
explained. Now the time of practical initiation may have arrived. On
the other hand, the attempt of Korah to press into the priesthood
may have made necessary a recapitulation of the law of Levitical
service.
For the support of the Aaronites the heave offerings, "even all the
hallowed things of the children of Israel" were to be given "by
reason of the anointing." The meal offerings, sin offerings, and
guilt offerings, as most holy, were to be for the male Aaronites
alone: heave offerings of sacrifice, again, "all the wave
offerings," were to be used by the Aaronites and their families, the
reservation being made that only those without ceremonial defilement
should eat of them. The first-fruits of the oil and vintage and the
first ripe of all fruits in the land were other perquisites.
Further, the firstborn of man and of beast were to be nominally
devoted; but firstborn children were to be redeemed for five
shekels, and the firstlings of unclean beasts were also to be
redeemed. The children of Aaron were to have no inheritance in the
land. In these ways however, and by the payment to the priests of
the tenth part of the tithes collected by the Levites, ample
provision was made for them.
For the Levites, nine-tenths of all tithes of produce would appear
to have been not only sufficient, but far more than their
proportion. According to the numbers reported in this book,
twenty-two thousand Levites-about twelve thousand of them adult
men-were to receive tithes from six hundred thousand. This would
make the provision for the Levite as much as for any five men of the
tribes. An explanation is suggested that the regular payment of
tithes could not be reckoned upon. There would always be Israelites
who resented an obligation like this; and as the duty of paying
tithes, though enjoined in the law, was a moral one, not enforced by
penalty, the Levites were really in many periods of the history of
Israel in a state of poverty. It was a complaint of Malachi even
after the captivity, when the law was in force, that the tithes were
not brought to the temple storehouses. The Deuteronomie laws of
tithing, moreover, are different from those given in Numbers. While
here we read of a single tithe which is to be for the Levites,
which, if paid, would be more than sufficient for them, Deuteronomy
speaks of an annual tithe of produce to be eaten by the people at
the central sanctuary by way of a festival, to which children,
servants, and Levites were to be invited. Each third year a special
tithe was to be used in feasting, not necessarily at the sanctuary,
and again the Levites were to have their share. It is supposed by
some that there were two annual tithings and in the third year three
tithings of the produce of the land. But this seems far more than
even a specially fertile country could bear. There was no rent to be
paid, of course; and if the tithes were used in a festival no great
difficulty might be found. But it is clear at all events that more
dependence was placed on the free will of the people than on the
law; and the Levites and priests must have suffered when religion
fell into neglect. Israel was not ideally generous.
2. WATER OF PURIFICATION
The statute of Num 19:1-22 is peculiar, and the rites it enjoins
are full of symbolism. It is implied that water alone was unable to
remove the defilement caused by touching a dead body; but at the
same time the taint was so common and might be incurred so far from
the sanctuary that sacrifice could not always be exacted. In order
to meet the case an animal was to be offered, and the residue of its
burning was to be kept for use whenever the defilement of death had
to be taken away.
A red heifer was to be chosen, the colour of the animal pointing to
the hue of blood. The heifer was to be free from blemish, a type of
vigorous and prolific life. The charge of the sacrifice was to be
given to Eleazer the priest, though the high-priest himself might
not undertake a duty the performance of which caused uncleanness.
The ceremonies must take place not only outside the tabernacle
court, but outside the camp, that the intensity of the uncleanness
to be transferred to the animal and purged by the sacrifice may be
clearly understood. The heifer being slain, the priest takes of its
blood and sprinkles it towards the tent of meeting seven times, in
lieu of the ordinary sprinkling on the altar. The whole animal is
then burnt, and while the flame ascends the virtue of the residuent
ashes is symbolically increased by certain other elements. These are
cedarwood, which was believed to have special medicinal qualities,
and also may have been chosen on account of the long life of the
tree; some threads of scarlet wool which would represent the
arterial blood, instinct with vital power; and hyssop which was
employed in purification.
The priest, having presided at the sacrifice, was to wash his
clothes in water and bathe, his flesh and hold himself unclean till
the even. The assistant who fed the fire was in like manner unclean.
These were both to withdraw; and one who was clean was to gather the
ashes of the burning and, having provided some clean vessel within
the camp, he was to store up the purifying ashes for future use by
the people. Finally, the person who did this last duty, having
become tainted like the others, was to wash his clothes and be
unclean for the day. The ashes were to be used by mixing them with
water to make "water for pollution"; that is, water to take away
pollution. Special care was to be exercised that only living water,
or water from a flowing stream, should be used for this purpose. It
was to be applied to the defiled person, vessel, or tent, by means
of hyssop. But, again, the man who used the water of purification in
this way was to wash his clothes and be unclean until even.
Here we have an extra-sacerdotal rite, not of worship-for as
ordinarily used there was no prayer to God, nor perhaps even the
thought of appeal to God. It was religious, for the sense of
defilement belonged to religion; but when under the necessity of the
occasion any one applied the water of purification, his sense of
acting the priestly part was reduced to the lowest point. The
efficacy came through the action of the accredited priest when the
heifer was sacrificed, it might be a year previously. So, although
provision was made for needs occurring far from the sanctuary, no
opening was left for any one to claim the power belonging to the
sacerdotal.office. And in order to make this still more sure it was
enacted (Num 19:21), that though the sprinkled water of purification
cleansed the unclean, any one who touched it being himself clean
should de facto be defiled. The water was declared so sacred that
unless in cases where it was really required no one would be
disposed to meddle with it. The sanctity of the tabernacle and the
priesthood was symbolically carried forth to the most distant parts
of the land. All were to be on their guard lest they should incur
the judgment of God by abusing that which had ceremonial holiness
and power.
The idea here is in a sense directly opposite to that which we
associate with the sacred word, by which Divine will is communicated
and souls are begotten anew. To use that word, to make it known
abroad is the duty of every one who has heard and believed. He
diffuses blessing and is himself blessed. There is no strict law
hedging about with precautions the happy privilege of conveying to
the sin-defiled the message of forgiveness and life. And yet may we
not call to recollection here the words of Paul, "I buffet my body,
and bring it into bondage; lest by any means, after that I have
preached to others, I myself should be rejected." In a spiritual
sense they should be clean who bear the vessels of the Lord; and
every deed done, every word spoken in the sacred Name, if not with
purity of purpose and singleness of heart, involves in guilt him who
acts and speaks. The privilege has its accompanying danger; and the
more widely it is used in the thousand organisations within and
without the Church, the more carefully do all who use it need to
guard the sanctity of the message and the Name. "In a great house
there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and
of earth; and some unto honour, and some unto dishonour. If a man
therefore purge himself from these"-the profane babblings of those
who do not handle the word of God aright-"he shall be a vessel unto
honour, sanctified, meet for the Master’s use, prepared unto every
good work."
3. DEFILEMENT BY THE DEAD
The statute of the water of purification stands closely related
to one form of uncleanness, that occasioned by death. When death
took place in a tent, every one who came into the tent and every one
who was in the tent, every open vessel that had no covering bound
upon it, and the tent itself (Num 19:18) were defiled; and the taint
could not be removed in less than seven days. Whoever in the open
field touched one who had been slain with a sword, or had otherwise
died, or touched the bone of a man, or a grave contracted like
defilement. For purification the sacred water had to be sprinkled on
the defiled person, on the third day and again on the seventh day.
Not only the aspersion with sacred water, but, in addition,
cleansing of clothes and of the body was necessary, in order to
complete the removal of the taint. And further, while any one was
unclean from this cause, if he touched another, his touch carried
defilement that continued to the close of the day. To neglect the
statute of purification was to defile the tabernacle of Jehovah: he
who did so was to be cut off from his people.
The law was made stringent, as we have already seen, partly no doubt
for the purpose of preventing the spread of disease. And to that
extent the preservation of health was presented as a religious duty;
for only in that sense can we understand the statement that he who
did not purify himself defiled the tabernacle of Jehovah. Yet the
stringency cannot be altogether due to this, for a bone or a grave
would not often communicate infection. The general principle must be
received by way of explanation, that death is peculiarly repugnant
to the life of God, and therefore contact with it, in any form,
takes away the right of approach to the sanctuary. That this idea
goes back to the fall and the death penalty then pronounced might
seem a reasonable conclusion. But the same thought does not apply to
the defilement connected with birth. If the statute regarding
uncleanness by death rested on the connection of death with sin,
making "death and mortal corruption an embodiment of sin," the
thought was obscured by many other laws regarding uncleanness. The
aim we must believe was to make the theocratic oversight of the
people penetrate as many as possible of the incidents and
contingencies of their existence.
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