BITS and PIECES
283rd Edition – February 22, 2026
A random collection of news and views compiled by Frank McClelland for the Toronto Free Presbyterian Church.
THE TYPOLOGY OF THE RED HEIFER
“If the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ? [Heb. 9:13]
The Children of Israel were to sacrifice a “red heifer” as part of their sacrificial ritual. [Numbers 19]. All the Old Testament sacrifices had a typical meaning, that is, they stood for something yet to come – mostly pictures of Christ and His sacrificial work on the cross.
The heifer was “Red.” This speaks of our sinfulness and its forgiveness. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” [Isaiah 1:18].
“They” [Numbers 19:2] tells us that the heifer was a substitute. It did no sin, but the people did. They should have died for their sin, but the heifer died in their place. What a picture of Christ. We should have died for our sins, but we didn’t; Jesus died in our place as a substitute sacrifice.
The heifer was to be without spot or blemish. It was to be a pure sacrifice, picturing the spotless righteousness of Christ. Only the perfect Christ could take our sins away.
The heifer was never to have worn a yoke. In other words, it was never to be forced to serve. Likewise, Jesus was not forced to die on the cross – it was a purely voluntary act on His part. The heifer was to be slain “without the camp” [Numbers 19:3]. Jesus was not to be in the world’s camp, nor are we. [Hebrews 13:13].
The red heifer was to be completely burned, signifying the complete pouring out of the wrath of God on His Son on our behalf.
The purpose of the red heifer sacrifice was the sanctification of the believer [Ephesians 5:26].
THE CURE FOR SPIRITUAL COLDNESS
Most people like to talk about the weather. They greet one another with comments of how cold or hot it is. It is a useful conversation starter, and those who like to dilate upon the climactic conditions have a lot to talk about this winter.
The world and its seasons are a school to us, and when we suffer from spiritual coldness, as we all do at times, we can learn from the world of nature. Psalm 147:16-18 addresses this very subject and contains lessons for the cure of spiritual coldness.
Notice it is not the laws of nature that send snow, it is the Lord Himself. So, in spiritual warmth, there is our part and God’s part. Our part is to attend to the means of grace – Bible reading, prayer, attendance at the church services etc.
Followers of Christ are called disciples, which comes from the word discipline. If we find ourselves cold of heart, let us discipline ourselves in these areas, and God will do His part and quicken our flagging spirits.
THE FOURTH WATCH
“He went up into a mountain apart to pray… And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea” [Matthew 14:23, 25]
There is something that causes us to stand in holy awe as we consider our Lord’s desire as the God-Man for privacy in the place of prayer. After a long day of labour, He sent His disciples and the crowds away, and went to pray alone through the evening hours until “the fourth watch of the night” (3.00 am – 6.00 am) He enjoyed the solitude of that private time.
He was refreshing His soul. He wanted to be alone with His Father, enjoying precious moments of sweet fellowship, away from the disciples and the multitude that made so many demands on His time.
He was renewing His strength. In His humanity, Christ could grow tired. John records His “being wearied with His journey” [4:6]. The Lord needed to renew His strength both physically and spiritually for the day that was before Him. The secret is to follow the Lord’s example, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” [Isaiah 40:31].
He was remembering His servants. While He was in the mountain, His disciples were in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee, encountering one of the worst storms they had ever experienced. As they panicked in the boat, the Lord was praying for them on the mountain and soon came to quieten their fears and quicken their faith by calming the storm and bringing them to safety on the other side. [Dr. Stanley Barnes].
