What connections exist between Numbers 5:27 and New Testament teachings on purity? Setting the Scene “ ‘When he has made her drink the water, if she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings a curse will enter her to bring bitterness so that her abdomen will swell and her womb will miscarry, and she will become a curse among her people.’ ” Key Observations from Numbers 5:27 • God Himself judges hidden impurity; no human manipulation of the test alters the outcome. • Marital faithfulness is treated as a covenant issue, not merely a private matter. • The consequence of confirmed impurity is both physical (bodily affliction) and communal (becoming “a curse among her people”). • The symbolism of water is two-edged: it can expose and condemn, or it can cleanse. Bridging to the New Testament 1. Purity Moves from External Proof to Internal Reality • Jesus intensifies the standard: “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28) • Purity is no longer tested by an ordeal but measured by the heart before God (Mark 7:20-23). 2. Covenant Faithfulness Remains Central • “Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.” (Hebrews 13:4) • The seriousness found in Numbers is reaffirmed; judgment still belongs to God. 3. The Curse Is Carried by Christ • Numbers 5:27 warns of a curse on the guilty. The New Testament reveals the remedy: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us.” (Galatians 3:13) • Where bitter water once exposed sin, Jesus provides living water that washes it away (John 4:13-14; Ephesians 5:25-27). Water Imagery: From Bitter to Living • Bitter Water in Numbers 5 – Exposes sin – Brings condemnation • Living Water in Christ – Reveals sin through the Spirit (John 16:8) – Cleanses and satisfies (John 7:37-38) Practicing Purity Today • Guard the heart, not just the behavior (Proverbs 4:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4). • Honor marriage as a covenant mirroring Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31-32). • Rely on Christ’s cleansing rather than self-justification (1 John 1:9). • Walk in the Spirit so that desires are purified at the source (Galatians 5:16). Connecting the Threads Numbers 5:27 shows that God alone discerns hidden sin and treats purity as a covenant matter worthy of serious judgment. The New Testament carries this forward by shifting the focus from ritual exposure to spiritual transformation, yet it retains the gravity of God’s standard. What was once bitter water that condemned is now living water that cleanses—all because Christ bore the curse and offers purity of heart to those who come to Him. |
    |