In this message we will continue to consider the dealing with defilement described in chapter five of Numbers.
In 5:11-31 we have the dealing with a wife over whom her husband was jealous. This case reveals that God is not only sovereign over each of His children but also that He may even do something miraculous in dealing with a particular kind of defilement.
In understanding the book of Numbers, we can easily understand in a logical way the corporate and individual dealings in 5:1-10. However, it is not easy to comprehend logically the dealing in 5:11-31, something that is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. The only way to understand this dealing logically is to take it as part of typology.
The revelation in the Bible is given to us in different ways. First, the divine revelation is given in clear words, such as Genesis 1:1, where we are told that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Second, the revelation is conveyed through historical records. The books from Exodus to Malachi are a long history of the children of Israel, unveiling to us an abundance of divine truth.
Third, the divine revelation is given through the lives of different characters, such as the great men in Genesis (Adam, Abel, Enosh, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph). For example, Enosh was a weak, frail, mortal man, but he was characterized by his calling on the name of the Lord (Gen. 4:26). Although Enosh was weak, by calling on the name of the Lord he was made rich and strong, for he entered into the strength and riches of the One on whom he called.
Finally, the divine revelation is given through typology. Typology implies figures, shadows, types, and patterns. For instance, Abraham's two wives are figures of two covenants: Hagar signifies the covenant of law, and Sarah, the covenant of grace (Gal. 4:21-31). The story of Sarah and Hagar may be considered not only as a figure but also as a shadow. Neither the covenant of law nor the covenant of grace had been enacted at the time of Hagar and Sarah. Nevertheless, Hagar and Sarah are, respectively, shadows of the covenants of law and of grace.
Even clear words and figures of speech may be related to typology. Proverbs 4:18 says, "The path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (ASV). This proverb is a clear word, yet in this word is a figure of speech that is a part of typology. The "dawning light," the sunrise, signifies Christ's coming (Luke 1:78). This figure may also signify our revival in the morning. From this illustration we see that a clear, plain word may include a figure of speech which may be regarded as a part of typology.