I cover a few highlights of our trip here and also teach on calf worship and the antidote The Red Heifer. The significance of the third and seventh day for cleansing are compared and contrasted in scripture. I also cover the Midianite example of uncleanness as regarding touching or proximity to dead people. Of course Yeshua’s shed blood is the ultimate antidote for our sin problem (uncleanness).

— The Golden Calf Incident (Exodus 32 & Deut. 9:6-29) and Revisited by Jeroboam

The children of Israel built a ‘golden’ calf while Moses was on the mountain (Ex. 32:4).

massēḵâ (mas-say-kaw’) means either 1) a libation, or 2) molten metal, or image

Traditionally this has been translated as a golden calf but there is nothing in the word dictating that it did not have a reddish or red elements in the molten image. In fact, depending upon the concentrations of copper or silver embedded in the gold the material can be rose or even reddish of color. So it did not have to be golden (yellow) which is more indicative of pure gold which is unlikely to be sitting around on the ground. I was astonished to learn this.

Even the Muslim recount worship of a golden calf in Al Buqarah (67-73). So this leaves open the likelihood that a golden calf was used by early Caananite tribes to worship. Again, was it golden or more reddish in color. Tradition dies a slow death.

1 Ki. 12:26-29:: Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold (zāhāḇ). He said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

zāhāḇ (zaw-hawb’) means golden, of a precious metal, of brilliance

This is not the same hebrew word used in the original ‘golden calf’ incident meaning the color was probably different but the idea of having a calf to worship was nothing new. We read earlier in the chapter that Jeroboam had fled to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Solomon. So calf worship was probably over the whole region from Egypt north thru Canaan. I am not going to examine more the exact color, since purification is more probable under Jeroboam. What I will stress is this worship departs from the commandment of the LORD.

Ex. 20:3-5:: You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

Perhaps they had not received the instruction as of yet at Mount Sinai but it was well established by the time of King Jeroboam. Pagan worship had re-asserted itself because…

Jeroboam also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites (1 Ki. 12:31).

So while the people had come out of Egypt, Egypt was still in their hearts and minds. Even after 500 years the people reverted back to their pagan ways when left without a good shephard.

— The Red Heifer as the Antidote (Numbers 19)

The Red Heifer is the antidote today for the Children of Israel. Red is the color of the blood, the blood of Yeshua. No man-made sacrifice can take the place of the sacrifice of Yeshua for the remission of sins. Golden or even red calves were objected made by human hands. Sacrifice of an actual bull is what the LORD instituted and this became his only begotten son in the gospels.

The red heifer might have been the color of the original ‘golden’ calf. Color is not the issue with me. It is what did they do with the item? Heifers are real living animals which are sacrificed. Idols never get sacrificed, they are always sacrificed unto. Let me say it another way. A living thing with blood can be a sacrifice. A dead and lifeless object is only an object of veneration which demands sacrifices.

We are commanded to be a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1). This is one of flesh and blood but there is no need to actually die. We rather die to self: to greed, to personal desire, to our goals and ambitions.

We do not serve a dead God who demands sacrifices and offerings for no reason.

Even the red heifer offering had results. It was to cleanse a person of spiritual impurity. What was the purpose of the sprinkling on the third and seventh days?

— We can see many parallels to the third day in scripture:
—- The Earth brought forth life giving trees and fruit trees (Gen. 1:12-13)
—- Abraham looked up on the third day and saw mount Moriah (Gen. 22:4)
—- The LORD descend on Mt. Moriah on the third day (Ex. 19:11)
—- Simeon and Levi slaughtered the males of Hevi on the third day after circumcession. (Gen. 34:25)
—- Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days
—- Esther approached the king on the third day (Esther 5:1)
—- Yeshua rose from the dead on the third day (Hos. 6:2, Matt. 16:21,1 Cor. 15:4)a

So God gave us the tree of life to bring forth healing for the nations twelve months of the year. It was the third day that Abraham, the father of faith, looked up and saw the place of Cavalry, where our Yeshua was to be sacrificed. Instead of sacrificing his only son, Abraham only got to sacrifice a ram. The sacrifice of the son had to wait for another 2000 years. On the third day at Mt. Sinai day the LORD descended upon the mountain in fire. Hebrews 12 speaks of this fire and contrast this to coming to Mt. Zion instead where we go to the heavenly Jerusalem where Yeshua is the mediator of a new covenant. Then there is the story of Dinah and Shechem the Hivite. Shechem raped Dinah, daughter of Jacob. For this, Simeon and Levi killed the Hivite brothers on the third day after circumcision (while still in pain). We two need circumcision of the heart so the old man gets crucified. This is further recounted in the story of Jonah where he spent three days in the belly of the fish, symbolizing death. For just as Jonah needed to repent of running from the Lord we likewise need to change our course and go where the Lord sends us even amongst the pagans. Likewise, Queen Esther had to approach the king on the third day of their fast to negotiate for the salvation of the Jews. She received the royal scepter to save her life and to prepare as feast for the king. We know this king not as King Ahasuerus but as Yeshua HaMashiak. For this is the king who was crucified on Mt. Zion which Abraham saw on the third day.

—We can also see parallels to the seventh day in scripture:
—- God rested from all of the work he did (Gen. 2:2–3)
—- God gave us the sabbath day to rest from our labors (Ex. 20:8-11,31:15)
—- A woman’s menstral period makes her unclean for seven days. If a man gets menstral impurity upon himself he is unclean seven days (Lev. 15:19,24)
—- If a man/woman has a discharge of blood for many days, seven days after being cleanses she shall wait to be considered clean (Lev. 15:13, 28)
—- Yeshua declare He is Lord of the Sabboth (Matt. 12:8,Mark 2:27-28,Luke 6:5)
—- Yeshua appears to the disciples on the 8th day (John 20:26-29)

Rest is essential for the human body. God knew we need a rest day. He also rested on this day, not because he grew tired, but as an example for us to follow. That is why he created the sabbath, our day of rest. The new testament says several things about the sabboth. Since Yeshua is the Lord of the sabbath when we enter into the sabbath we also enter into his covenant with us. Hebrews states there is yet a sabbath of rest for God’s people (Heb. 4:9). Apostle Paul made it clear to the gentile christians that we are not to pass judgement on others for their sabbath rest (Co. 2:16,Rom. 14:5). The point is we should strive to enter into the Lord’s rest (Heb. 4:11). That includes a solemn day of rest but also points us to our eternal rest. It is therefore not surprising that we do not see Yeshua again until the 8th day for he rested on the Sabbath.

Encamp outside the camp seven days. Whoever of you has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. You shall purify every garment, every article of skin, all work of goats’ hair, and every article of wood (Num. 31:19-20).

According to the law of the red heifer the following are unclean for seven days:
1- Whoever touches the body of a dead person (vs. 11)
2- Whoever comes into a tent or stays where a person died (vs. 14)
3- Whoever touches one in a field that was killed with a sword or dies naturally or touches a bone or a grave (vs. 16)

The cleansing in each case has to do with proximity or touching a dead person. We are likewise cleansed thru the blood of Yeshua properly applied. I am one thinking there is more here than a remedy against physical uncleanness like a communicable disease (ebola, e.g.). We are spiritually cleansed of touching dead things. This can include dead bodies even our own bodies for we are continually dying and the Apostle Paul said ‘I die every day’ (1 Cor. 15:31). He goes on to speak of how the dead are raised back to life. We live in a sin satuated environment and death reined from Adam to Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way as Adam (Rom. 5:14). Yet we become aware of what sin is according to the law so it slew us. From Moses forward we have the hope of salvation thru Yeshua. So I propose that even the body of Yeshua had to be thoroughly cleansed for a solid week. I cannot say I understand this fully because it sounds like a mystery.

Can you find evidence of someone before doubting Thomas touched Yeshua on the 8th day? Some disciples walked with Yeshua on the road to Emmaus. He appeared to Mary Magalene on the first day as the gardener. He told Mary to not touch him.

— The Midianite Example (Num. 31)

There is another example of purification on the 3rd and 7th days. It involves the case of those who killed a Midianite or touched their body. When dealing with sin, even touching what is sinful, care must be exercised. Apostle Paul warned us about not being to hasty on the laying on of hands (1 Tim. 5:22). This could have been the case of ordaining elders but I think also it can include a transferral of uncleanness if we are not well armed (defensively). Do you have cracks in your armament whereby sin can enter in?

So I bring up the point here. Can we, as christians, need purification if we touch what is dead? I think the answer to that ceremonially is NO. But everything should be taken thru the lense of the cross. What things do we touch that are spiritually unclean? In the bible, lepers were considered unclean. Leprosy causes nerve cells to deteriorate. It is other communicable skin diseases can cause dead skin or white spotches and white hairs. My point is that our fleshly nature causes us to be unclean. This is what one becomes when they follow after the works of the flesh.

So why were the hebrews considered unclean when they touched a slain Midianite? Because God said so. It is also highly likely that dead skin contains disease.

We are told not to worship any graven image. It is the second commandment. In the case of Midianites there was a heavy penalty imposed upon them by the LORD.