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Numbers 19:14 "This is the law when a man dies in a tent: every one who comes into the tent, and every one who is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days."

 

Many of the laws laid down for the Jews were about protecting their health at a time when the understanding of illness and disease was not very developed. Obviously, the uncleanliness of those who had contact with, or were in the vicinity of, a dead body had to do with that. But God often accomplishes multiple things with His laws. The people who would have been in the tent with a dead person were most likely those closest to him or her, or the ones caring for them. After death, those closest to the deceased need time to mourn, process, and pray. Those who weren't as close to them, but were acting as doctors or nurses, may need time to remember the uniqueness and value of each person to whom they offer care.

 

Outside circumstances at the time of a person's death are not always conducive to a period of mourning or reflection. Doctors can be pulled to the next person who needs them, with patients becoming not much more than names on a chart. Family members can have their own individual life struggles, or busy jobs, or may have inter-family issues that pull their attention away from proper mourning.

 

These seven days of uncleanliness give everyone time to honor the value of the life that was lost before being pulled back into daily life. These days allow for reflection on how each of us is a unique and irreplaceable individual and give time for prayer for the deceased. The seven days are so much more than just a period for preventing the spread of illness, they show that when a life ends, things should slow down a while in order to properly honor the dead.