Humidity. We kind of take it for granted in North Texas. It might have its moments but overall our North Texas climate is very dry, that is, compared to many other places. Right now in Cozumel, a small island off the east coast of the Mexican mainland, the humidity can reach uncomfortable levels very quickly. When we served in Maui, if the treasured trade winds stopped blowing for long, the humidity would have you sweating in two steps. And the absolute worst humidity I have ever felt was summer in China. The heat combined with soaring humidity in Hong Kong and Shanghai had you sweating bullets as soon as walked outside. One of the sweatiest days of my life I spent walking the streets of Shanghai, wondering just exactly how my body could produce so much moisture. My shins were sweating.
As you live in these high humidity spots, you learn to adopt rituals to combat this uncomfortable air bound moisture. Namely, many showers a day. While in China I showered 3 times a day, a necessity to shed the awful stickiness of existence there. But as I was pondering the study today, I couldn’t help but chuckle as I thought of all things, Jethro. For those of you that remember the Beverly Hillbillies, Jethro was one of the main reasons the show was so hilarious. I remember Granny staying on Jethro about his Saturday night bath. No matter what, once a week, Jethro had to take a bath and it was always on Saturday night. There are also numerous other mentions of this in other movies, tv shows and books. The notorious weekly Saturday night bath. And what’s ironic for our study today is that the Saturday night bath was to prepare one for Sunday morning church. The odd thought that you could stay dirty all week and then clean-up to meet God the next day. And then after the church service you could get dirty all over again. Even though our society overall embraces more frequent bathing today, we are not however presenting cleaner souls before the Lord.
Numbers chapter 19 introduces us to something new today. A new sacrifice commanded by God for the people, the offering of the red heifer. This is the first time we’ve seen a female animal required and the first time we’ve seen this particular process of offering. Why?
Well you see, the Israelites are now as Willie would say, “on the road again.” When God moves the nation moves and they don’t stop until God stops. So, think about this, if they’re out in the middle of the desert, on the march and somebody has a sin issue, how are they supposed to make a sin offering to the Lord? Should all 2 million people stop and setup the tabernacle so that a proper offering can be made? Makes no sense, right? Well God knew this would come up, so here He institutes the red heifer offering.
The red heiffer would be one offering for the entire nation. The heifer would be slaughtered and then burned upon the altar and the ashes would be carried along with the people by the priestly tribe, the Levites. When someone sinned, some of the ashes would be mixed with running water and the guilty individual would be sprinkled with the mixture. An "on the spot" atonement to cleanse the individual before the Lord. There is a very valuable lesson in timing here that you cannot afford to miss. When you need a bath, you need a bath.
Today, when you sin against God, what do you do? Do you immediately stop and take a bath, or do you simply plug right along and forget the whole ordeal? Just kinda bury it and think that it will magicallly disappear? I mean Jesus died on the Cross to save us from our sins, right? So, aren’t all my sins against Him automatically forgiven? Well yes, of course, but let me offer an example to clarify our point.
Say I took my dad’s car without permission and crashed it into a telephone pole. (Wow, that escalated quickly). Don’t worry I’m ok, but my dad’s poor car is totaled. I stroll into his house later that night, toss the keys on the table and walk out. I didn’t apologize, I didn’t show remorse and I didn’t ask for his forgiveness. How do you think he would feel? I know that my dad loves me as much as anything on this planet and I know that he will forgive me out of his endless love, but in simply knowing this should I just assume his forgiveness? Absolutely not. I should go straight to my dad, confess my wrong against him by taking his car without permission and then wrecking it. I would then beg for his forgiveness, I had wronged him and it was all my fault. I created the mess and I need to ask for his forgiveness. You see, without my confession of wrong and my honest request for forgiveness, this single debacle would greatly damage our relationship. It could result in us not talking for months, years maybe ever. The relationship must be maintained at all costs. And that means that I must in utmost honesty, confess and ask forgiveness for my all transgressions against him.
Folks, God is no different. As we sin against God, that sin stains us. We become dirty from walking in this world and brushing elbows with a sin-filled world and the sin-filled people in it. But as we say, think or do anything that displeases God, (sin) we must stop what we’re doing and take a bath. That dried up sinful mud will only be tougher to get off later. As you sin, wash quickly and wash thoroughly. To do this you must go to God, confess your sin and ask His forgiveness. You might not think it's vital, but it's oh so critical to the relationship.
One of the last things that Jesus did before He went to the cross was wash His disciple’s feet at the last supper. As he started, Peter protested, "you will not wash my feet, I should be washing your feet", Peter told Jesus. But Jesus’ response was powerful.
“Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” John 13:8
You see we initially come to Jesus as filthy sinners. As we call upon His name, the power of His blood washes us as white as snow. As we die one day and step into the glory of the God the Father, He will not see the blemishes of our sins, but the precious blood of His Son. But that doesn’t mean we can continue to walk and live in sin. We must strive to live a life that is pure before the Lord. That means we need to continue to be washed by Jesus. He needs to wash our feet each day. But note in the passage where Peter was to be able to be washed. He was in the presence of the Lord. Peter chose to live his life in the very presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Where do you live your life today? I pray you choose to live it close to Jesus. Stay close by studying the power of His Word, it is a living water that will cleanse you. Stay close by staying in constant prayer, the Holy Spirit will convict you of the sin in your life that you need to get rid of. Stay close by enjoying the blessed fellowship of other believers in Jesus, the accountability is needed to keep your walk as straight as possible. At all costs, stay close to Jesus so that He can cleanse you from the sin that will damage your relationship with God.
No matter what Jethro says, you need more than one bath a week. Wash constantly and offer before the Lord a pure heart so that He can use that pure heart to further the glory of His Kingdom.
Praise God for His forgiveness and mercy upon a sinful people.
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