People of the Third and Seventh Days
The third and seventh days have great significance in Scripture. Life comes out of the ground on the third day of creation. Jesus rises on the third day. The third day is mentioned far more than the second, fourth, fifth or any other day in all of the Bible. We are the people of the third day.
But the seventh day is another important concept in the Bible. Creation is finished and God rests with man on the seventh day in the beauty of the work He has accomplished. The seventh day runs throughout the Bible as almost equally significant as the third day.
In Numbers 19, while talking about a very long and hard to understand passage about water for purification, the third and seventh days come together to bring Israel an understanding of their need for cleansing from the defilement of death.
Numbers 19:11–13 (ESV) “Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days. 12 He shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean. 13 Whoever touches a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him.
Earlier in this chapter God institutes the law for creating a water of purification. This was done with the blood of a red heifer, cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop being burned and the ashes gathered up in a clean place outside the camp. The water mentioned was the water the men used to cleanse themselves for each part of this long process of sacrifice. The water was then used for anyone who would have had contact with the dead.
In order to reenter community, the defiled person had to cleanse himself with water on the third and seventh days. It's an incredible picture of New Testament faith.
Of course we know that Christ is the one who bore our sins on the cross and washes us clean. His resurrection on the third day solidifies for us justification before the Father.
Romans 4:25 (NIV) He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
But the seventh day is another important concept in the Bible. Creation is finished and God rests with man on the seventh day in the beauty of the work He has accomplished. The seventh day runs throughout the Bible as almost equally significant as the third day.
In Numbers 19, while talking about a very long and hard to understand passage about water for purification, the third and seventh days come together to bring Israel an understanding of their need for cleansing from the defilement of death.
Numbers 19:11–13 (ESV) “Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days. 12 He shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean. 13 Whoever touches a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him.
Earlier in this chapter God institutes the law for creating a water of purification. This was done with the blood of a red heifer, cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop being burned and the ashes gathered up in a clean place outside the camp. The water mentioned was the water the men used to cleanse themselves for each part of this long process of sacrifice. The water was then used for anyone who would have had contact with the dead.
In order to reenter community, the defiled person had to cleanse himself with water on the third and seventh days. It's an incredible picture of New Testament faith.
Of course we know that Christ is the one who bore our sins on the cross and washes us clean. His resurrection on the third day solidifies for us justification before the Father.
Romans 4:25 (NIV) He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Without the resurrection we are dead in sins with no access to God's presence.
Yet every Christian knows there needs to be a 7th day cleansing. We are in that process from the moment of salvation. God is cleansing us through the Word.
Ephesians 5:25–27 (ESV) Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
We are being washed right now by the Word of God spoken, read and studied. The Word brings our minds to the work of God. The Word reminds us that we are no longer unfit. The Word is the good news of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. Through the Word we are reoriented toward the plan and purpose of God.
Every seventh day, the Church should gather to worship and hear the Word. It is important not just for a sense of community but for a mind-cleanse from all the false messages we get all week long.
Through Christ's resurrection we have a third day cleansing. But through the practice of worship and continuance in our gathering we experience the cleansing word of God's Word over our lives. All week we rub shoulders with those who are spiritually dead. If we do not gather in worship and hear from God, we will not receive the cleansing and life-orienting power of God's truth.
Come to the cleansing of calvary... stay in the cleansing of Christian worship!
Come to the cleansing of calvary... stay in the cleansing of Christian worship!
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