Splish Splash
Numbers 19


And so we return to the latest edition of things that make you unclean.  I think we've covered this before- but this passage deals with the consequences of touching a dead body (for the living person, the dead guy doesn't seem to mind much).

First off, it seems that just in case you might come into contact with a dead body (and who knows, there do seem to be quite a few of them around) you or someone in the community need(s) to take a red cow to Eleazar the priest.  Eleazar will watch as the cow is escorted outside of camp and slaughtered.  Eleazar will then get some blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the tent of meeting.  Then Eleazar is to stick around and witness the cow being torched: it's hide, flesh, blood, and intestines.  Then he's supposed to take some cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool and put them on the burning cow.  I have no idea why.

After the priest and the man doing the burning wash their clothes, they can come back into camp, but they are both still ceremonially unclean until evening.

Then somebody clean comes and gathers the ashes and takes them somewhere clean (ceremonially clean- not just tidy)in the camp to be stored until needed.  I get the impression that these are community ashes, not just a jar carefully labeled with your(or your cow's) name. The ash-gatherer also needs to wash his clothes and is unclean until evening.

These ashes are to be used for the water of cleansing- which is for purification for sins.  So, if you touch a corpse (as you may be wont to do) you purify yourself with this water on the third and seventh days following your contact; because what gets you cleaner than water mixed with cow ash?  This seems to be a sprinkling- for ceremony not literal cleaning.  People who aren't purified after shaking hands with a  corpse (or any other contact) are to be cut off from Israel- they remain unclean. They have defiled the sanctuary of the LORD.   Those getting purified are clean after seven days.

Then come all the scenarios for all you what-iffers out there.  If someone dies in a tent?  Everyone in the tent and anyone who enters is unclean- so are all open jars.

You are unclean if you...touch someone killed with a sword, touch someone who died of natural causes, touch a human bone, or touch a human grave.  In all of these cases, if you use the water you are only unclean for seven days.

Finally we find out how the process works- because we were all on the edge of our seats.  If you're unclean you put some of those ashes into a jar and pour some fresh water over them.  Then you find someone who is clean (but don't touch them or they will become unclean) and get them to dip some hyssop into the mixture and sprinkle everything that was involved with the dead body- the tent, furnishings, all the people who were there, and anyone who touched those things listed above. This is to happen on the third and seventh days.  On the seventh day he is to purify them.. I don't know what this would involve for the clean person except maybe just declaring them pure.  The unclean person is to bathe with water and wash his clothes on the seventh day.

The human sprinkler is to wash his own clothes- and anyone else who touches this water is also unclean until evening as is anything an unclean person touches and everyone who touches something an unclean person touched.

If you're in the vicinity, you're probably unclean.

I'm not sure I'm too enriched after reading this passage except for appreciating Jesus making all of this unnecessary.  And really appreciating my job- I wouldn't have enjoyed being the community ash-gatherer.

Meta-tithes
Numbers 18: 8-32


God seems to be emphasizing to Aaron that the Levites are getting a pretty good deal out of this servants of the temple thing.  First off, they get grain, sin, and guilt offerings.  The people bring them as a sacrifice to God - and God gives the most holy part of the sacrifice kept from the fire to Aaron's family.  These are to be treated as holy- and every male needs to eat from them.

Plus- they get wave offerings, and the best olive oil and new wine and grain brought as the first-fruits of the harvest.  Anyone who is ceremonially clean can dig in.  Plus- all firstborn from every womb belong to them- however they must redeem all human firstborn and unclean animals.  At a month of age they are to accept five shekels of silver for them.

But cows, sheep, and goats?  Splash that blood on the altar.  Burn the fat as an offering and enjoy the steak for yourself.   He refers to this as an "everlasting covenant of salt" which is a bit confusing to me- but regardless this seems to be intended as a long term arrangement.

However, this is it- they don't get another inheritance.  The Levites get all the tithes in exchange for all the work they will do- but THEY must do the work.  Israelites must no longer go near the tent of meeting or they will die.

Now the Levites are to take the tithes, and give Aaron ten percent of them.  They are to offer grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress.  It should be the best and holiest of what they were given.  By offering the best, they will be free to enjoy the rest of the blessing without defiling what was offered.

I think it's interesting that the people serving God weren't exempt from paying tribute to Him.  Although their payment came from other's work, God still expected sacrifice from them, too.  Maybe the lesson here is to remember that now matter how noble our work may be- no matter what level of service we label our work with, what we're given in exchange (no matter how large or small) still comes from God.  And us such, He expects us to sacrifice (whether financially and/or otherwise).

Family Responsibilities
Numbers 18: 1-7


Perhaps in an effort to make the point more clear, God speaks to Aaron instead of Moses and says- "Your family is responsible for any mishaps regarding the sanctuary- and you and your sons will bear the guilt for any transgression involving the priesthood.  Bring the Levites to help you  They are accountable to you- and can help with all the tent duties, but they've got to keep away from the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar.  If they come near them, both they and you will die. They will help with all the tent work, but that's it- no one else can come near where you are."

"This set-up is to prevent another situation like we just had- I'm trying to spare the Israelites from My wrath.  I'm  giving you the Levites as a gift which I selected for you.  But remember, anything inside the curtain or near the altar is just for you and your sons.  This priesthood is a gift- anyone else who comes near is to be put to death."

So this massive responsibility is a gift?  Can I just get a gift card to Outback instead?  Would they have viewed this massive undertaking with the potential for death as a blessing?  Or would they too be longing for the slavery of Egypt?

What I find interesting here is the group punishment idea.  Both the lawbreakers and Aaron's family die if these commandments aren't  kept.  If it happens too often, wouldn't they run out of priests?

It seems like the shared responsibility would be an effective tool in keeping the law.  I think that people may be less likely to engage in individually risky behavior if they are reminded that this behavior will result in the death of innocent parties.

It seems like a similar mentality to what a kidnapper does to influence behavior- if you don't follow my rules, your loved ones will get it.  I'm not very comfortable with God being a kidnapper in this metaphor, but perhaps this if you won't do it for Me or yourself, at least do it for others mentality was just the next step in getting people to realize that sin has consequences beyond the sinner.

And in fact, perhaps it's simply a way for us to see that our sin does that too.  We aren't responsible for each other's sins- but if we are aware of the ripple effect- the pain my lies, my greed, my lust, my pride all cause other people, maybe I'll be more conscious of keeping those things in check.

Fat chance, but it's a lovely thought in theory.