Numbers 19 - Questions

So this chapter left me more questions than it answered. I can see throughout scripture that God is looking for a clean and pure heart, but that rituals start to make it seem like it is a clean body and this is where the Jewish priesthood has gone wrong by the time Jesus comes on the scene. I also recognize that there is symbolism between the clean body representing aspects of a clean heart, but I am somewhat lost with this one. Maybe someone out there can help me.

So here we have God setting up the laws revolving uncleanness in regards to a dead body. So in essence being around a dead body either when the person dies or after the person is dead makes you unclean. I am not seeing the spiritual representation in that. Instead what I am seeing is that showing respect for the dead makes you unclean. This just doesn't sound like God to me, so i am wrestling with what is going on here. Here are my thoughts:

• There was a fear of disease from dead remains and this law is man's creations not God's.
• God is requiring a sacrifice of love to honor those dead that you love...meaning you have to love them enough to be willing to become unclean.
• When a person dies, their soul (which is every thing good in them) goes to heaven and all that is left is sin (which is in their body) and we shouldn't honor the body.

Truthfully to me, nothing jumps out to me a a strong God reason for this.  if you have insights please share. i admit that I have thought about this since yesterday when I first read it and I haven't come up with anything that I feel is from God on this one.

But, it is OK, because, i know I don't need to understand everything and that I can bring my questions to God (which I have been doing) and to God's people (which I am doing right now). I look forward to the wisdom that comers of it.