DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links and a discussion forum 2014 February 24
The Hut (1671)
Adriaen van de Velde (1636-1672)
Baroque Style
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
Explanation: Numbers 19 contains the laws of the red heifer, the ashes of which were used for purifying purposes. The heifer had to be spotless and unblemished; and it had to be a cow which had never borne a yoke. It was to be slain outside the camp. It's blood was to be sprinkled before the Tabernacle seven times. Then the heifer was to be burned entirely -- skin, flesh, blood, and dung. As the heifer was burning, the priest would cast cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet (thread or yarn) into the fire. Then the priest was to wash his clothes and bathe. Afterward, he was to come into the camp and be unclean until the evening. Also, the one who burned the heifer must wash his clothes, bathe, and be unclean until the evening. In the meantime, a man who was clean was to gather the ashes of the heifer and put them in a clean place within the camp to be kept for the water of separation as a purification for sin. Afterward, the man who gathered the ashes would wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. This law applied to Israelites and to the sojourners among them (1-10). Anyone who touched a dead human body would be unclean for seven days. In the midst of this time, on the third day, he was to purify himself with the water of separation containing the ashes of the red heifer. But if he did not do this on the third day, he would still be unclean on the seventh day. Anyone who did not purify himself in this manner defiled the Tabernacle and would be cut off from Israel (11-13). If a man died in a tent, everyone in the tent would be unclean for seven days. Open vessels would also be unclean. Anyone who touched someone slain with a sword, or some other dead person, or a bone of a man, or a grave would be unclean seven days. For an unclean person the priest would take the ashes of the red heifer in a vessel and running water would be put into the vessel. Then a clean person would take hyssop, dip it into the mixture, sprinkle it upon the tent, the vessels, the people who were there, and the one who was unclean. This would be done on the third day and on the seventh day. The clean person would then purify himself, wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be clean in the evening (14-19). If the unclean person did not purify himself he would be cut off from the congregation because he defiled the sanctuary. This statute would be in effect perpetually. He who sprinkled the water of separation would wash his clothes. If anyone touched the water of separation he would be unclean until the evening. Whatever the unclean person touched would be unclean; and the unclean person would be unclean until the evening (20-22).
Numbers 19
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
2 This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:
3 And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:
4 And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:
5 And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:
6 And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.
7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
8 And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.
9 And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.
10 And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.
11 He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.
12 He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
13 Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.
14 This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.
15 And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.
16 And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
17 And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:
18 And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:
19 And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.
20 But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.
21 And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.
22 And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.
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