Numbers 19:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The burning of the young woman following her sacrifice appears to symbolize a trial (testing) unto death, mirroring the experience that Christ endured for our sake. Just as silver is refined by fire, as expressed in the Psalms: "Thou hast tried us, O God; thou hast melted us as silver is melted" (Psalm 65:10), so too was Christ, through His obedience, tested even to the point of death. A pertinent indication of this can be found in the words of the prophet Zechariah, who relayed a message from Christ to those justified by faith, or for whom He sacrificed Himself: "And I will say unto them, If it please you, give me my wages; but if not, give me not" (Zechariah 11:12). The response from the people was, "And they shall answer me thirty pieces of silver in payment.

Given that the maiden was wholly dedicated to the burnt offering, it is clear from this that the priest did not sacrifice her for his own purposes.

He instructed that the entire young woman, along with her skin and all associated items, should be consumed by fire; for in the Lord Christ, everything is sanctified.

It is clear, as suggested by the implications of Psalm 1:9 and particularly emphasized in the apostolic writings of Hebrews 9:13-14, that the young woman referred to symbolizes Jesus Christ in several ways. Even in her attributes, which some may argue lack resemblance to Christ, we can observe parallels. Firstly, her being a young woman can be seen as a reference to our first mother, whose transgression appears to have initiated the path to our deep cleansing. Secondly, her appearance reflects the suffering of Jesus Christ, as depicted in Revelation 1:5 and 12:1. Thirdly, her freedom from bondage indicates that Jesus Christ was without the burden of sin, as noted in 2 Corinthians 5:21. Finally, her complete incineration symbolizes how Jesus willingly surrendered Himself on the altar of the cross, consumed internally by the flame of love for humanity and externally by the wrath of God.