Numbers 9: A Passover Reminder And A Provision Granted
1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2 “Let the children of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time. According to all its rites and ceremonies you shall keep it.” 4 So Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover. 5 And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did.
6 Now there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron that day. 7 And those men said to him, “We became defiled by a human corpse. Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the children of Israel?” 8 And Moses said to them, “Stand still, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”
9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If anyone of you or your posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a journey, he may still keep the Lord’s Passover. 11 On the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight, they may keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break one of its bones. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it. 13 But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and ceases to keep the Passover, that same person shall be cut off from among his people, because he did not bring the offering of the Lord at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.
14 ‘And if a stranger dwells among you, and would keep the Lord’s Passover, he must do so according to the rite of the Passover and according to its ceremony; you shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger and the native of the land.’”
“There are three distinct positions in which we find this great redemption-feast celebrated, namely, in Egypt (Exodus 12:1-51); in the wilderness (Numbers 9:1-23); in the land of Canaan. (Joshua 5:1-15) Redemption lies at the foundation of everything connected with the history of God's people. Are they to be delivered from the bondage, the death, and the darkness of Egypt? It is by redemption. Are they to be borne along through all the difficulties and dangers of the desert? It is on the ground of redemption. Are they to walk across the ruins of the frowning walls of Jericho, and plant their feet upon the necks of the kings of Canaan? It is in virtue of redemption. Thus the blood of the paschal lamb met the Israel of God and the deep degradation of the land of Egypt, and delivered them out of it. It met them in the dreary desert, and carried them through it. It met them on their entrance into the land of Canaan, and established them in it. In a word, then, the blood of the lamb met the people in Egypt…” (C. H. Mackintosh's Notes )
We now focus on the wilderness where death still reigns. A circumstance came up which the ordinance of Passover did not address. A faithful sojourner was ceremonially defiled, by contact with the dead; and therefore he was unable to keep the feast. Moses did not devised a solution which seemed good in his own eyes but rather, as our example, He took it to Yahweh for resolution. “Lovely attitude! Moses had no answer to give; but he knew who had, and he waited on Him.” (C. H. Mackintosh) If you do this, be forewarned that He will never contradict His Word. And thus it was for Moses and the Israelites: “God graciously gave an ordinance that people who were unclean or on a journey when the rest of the nation celebrated the Passover could eat it exactly one month later ( Numbers 9:10-11). However to preclude negligence in observing the primary Passover in view of this exception God prescribed the death penalty for anyone who did not observe it at the preferred time if he or she could ( Numbers 9:13)… ‘The purpose of including this segment of narrative was perhaps to show that God"s laws were not arbitrary and unreasonable. The Israelites themselves even played a part in their formulation.’ [Note: Sailhamer, p380.]”
(Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable)
“If the reader will turn to 2 Chronicles 30:1-27 he will see that Hezekiah, and the congregation in his day, availed themselves of this gracious provision. ‘And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation...Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month.’ v 13, 15 The grace of God can meet us in our greatest possible weakness, if only that weakness be felt and confessed. But let not this most precious and comfortable truth lead us to trifle with sin or defilement. Though grace permitted the second month, instead of the first, it did not, on that account, allow any laxity as to the rites and ceremonies of the feast. ‘The unleavened bread and bitter herbs’ were always to have their place; none of the sacrifice was to remain till the morning, nor was a single bone of it to be broken. God cannot allow any lowering of the standard of truth or holiness. Man, through weakness, failure, or the power of circumstances, might be behind the time; but he must not be below the mark. Grace permitted the former; holiness forbids the latter; and if any one had presumed upon the grace to dispense with the holiness, he would have been cut off from the congregation… The reader will note with interest and profit, the contrast between the acting of Hezekiah, in 2 Chronicles 30:1-27, and the acting of Jeroboam, in 1 Kings 12:32. The former availed himself of the provisions of divine grace; the latter followed his own device. The second month was permitted of God; the eighth month was invented by man. Divine provisions meeting man's need, and human inventions opposing God's word, are totally different things.
Has this no voice for us! Assuredly it has. we must ever remember, as we pass along through the pages of this marvellous Book of Numbers, that the things which happened unto Israel are our types, and that it is, at once, our duty and our privilege to hang over these types and seek to understand the holy lessons which they are designed of God to teach.
What then are we to learn from the regulations with respect to the Passover, in the second month! Why was Israel so specially enjoined not to omit a single rite or ceremony on that particular occasion? Why is it that, in this ninth chapter of Numbers, the directions for the second month are much more minute than those for the first? It is not surely that the ordinance was more important in the one case than in the other, for its importance, in God's judgement, was ever the same. Neither is it that there was a shade of difference in the order, in either case, for that, too, was ever the same. Still the fact must strike the reader who ponders the chapter before us, that where reference is made to the celebration of the Passover in the first month, we simply read the words, ‘according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.’ But, on the other hand, when reference is made to the second month, we have a most minute statement of what those rites and ceremonies were: ‘They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it.’ Compare verse 3 with 11, 12. What, we ask, does this plain fact teach us? We believe it teaches us, most distinctly, that we are never to lower the standard, in the things of God, because of failure and weakness on the part of God's people; but rather, on that very account, to take special pains to hold the standard up, in all its divine integrity. No doubt, there should be the deep sense of failure — the deeper the better; but God's truth is not to be surrendered. We can always reckon, with confidence, upon the resources of divine grace, while seeking to maintain, with unwavering decision, the standard of divine truth.
…
There is this connection between the Passover and the Lord’s Supper, that the former was the type, the latter the memorial, of the death of Christ. Thus we read in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13., ‘Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.' This sentence establishes the connection. The passover was the memorial of Israel’s redemption from the bondage of Egypt; and the Lord’s Supper is the memorial of the Church’s redemption from the heavier bondage of sin and Satan. Hence, as every faithful Israelite would surely be found keeping the passover, in the appointed season, according to all the rites and ceremonies thereof, so will every true and faithful Christian be found celebrating the Lord’s Supper in its appointed season, and according to all the principles laid down in the New Testament respecting it. ”
(C. H. Mackintosh's Notes on the Pentateuch)
“Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-28) And let us ever seek to fill the empty spot at the table with the stranger among us.
Numbers 9: Evening Repost – The Cloud and the Fire
15 Now on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. 18 At the command of the Lord the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. 19 Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not journey. 20 So it was, when the cloud was above the tabernacle a few days: according to the command of the Lord they would remain encamped, and according to the command of the Lord they would journey. 21 So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey. 23 At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed; they kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
“The whole pilgrimage of Israel through the wilderness, had it been pursued, even with a moderate pace, might have been completed in about eleven days; for from Mount Horeb to Kadish-barnea, the borders of Canaan, it required no more.” (Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary) But it took about 40 years-- Yahweh leading the way. There was a lesson for the remnant of Israel to learn on the way, namely that they were sinners in need of redemption. This was a vital truth. It is no coincidence that the manifestation of God's presence tarried above the tent of the testimony, containing the Ark wherein was housed the Commandments of God. Above the tablets was the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant-- a picture of Christ-- and this is where God met with them when they reached that stage of spiritual maturity where they realized their need for forgiveness. We see two ways of man’s approach in the wilderness-- human effort (the natural way) and Yahweh God’s grace to perform (the spiritual way).
"But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” (Gal 3:23-25)
When the sign of the presence of God, which tarried above the tabernacle, moved so did the children of Israel, according the the Command of Yahweh. “Here I am, waiting on my God, to journey and rest at the commandment of the Lord. What thou wilt, and where thou wilt: only let me be thine, and always in the way of my duty.” (John Wesley)
“Have we ever sighed for guidance in our pilgrim way, wishing we had some visible sign to direct? We have to remember what the Epistle to the Hebrews was written to enforce; namely, that the outward and visible things of Judaism were but shadows, which have given place to the realities that have reached us in Christ, and are known to faith. We have His Spirit and His Word, and if we have that meekness, of which Psalms 25:9 speaks, we shall not lack the over-ruling guidance that we need.” (F. B. Hole)
“A more lovely picture of absolute dependence upon, and subjection to, divine guidance it were impossible to conceive than that presented in the foregoing paragraph. There was not a footprint or a landmark throughout that ‘great and terrible wilderness.’ It was therefore useless to look for any guidance from those who had gone before. They were wholly cast upon God for every step of the way. They were in a position of constant waiting upon Him. This, to an unsubdued mind — an unbroken will — would be intolerable; but to a soul knowing, loving, confiding, and delighting in God, nothing could be more deeply blessed.
Here lies the real gist of the whole matter. Is God known, loved, and trusted? If He be, the heart will delight in the most absolute dependence upon Him. If not, such dependence would be perfectly insufferable. The unrenewed man loves to think Himself independent — loves to fancy himself free — loves to believe that he may do what he likes, go where he likes, say what he likes. Alas! it is the merest delusion. Man is not free…
… There is no freedom save that with which Christ makes His people free. He it is who says, ‘Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ And again, ‘If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.’ (John 8:1-59) Here is true liberty. It is the liberty which the new nature finds in walking in the Spirit, and doing those things that are pleasing in the sight of God. 'The service of the Lord is perfect freedom.' But this service, in all its departments, involves the most simple dependence upon the living God. Thus it was with the only true and perfect Servant that ever trod this earth. He was ever dependent. Every movement, every act, every word — all He did, and all He left undone — was the fruit of the most absolute dependence upon, and subjection to, God. He moved when God would have Him move, and stood still when God would have Him stand. He spoke when God would have Him speak, and was silent when God would have Him silent.
Such was Jesus when He lived in this world; and we, as partakers of His nature — His life, and having His Spirit dwelling in us are called to walk in His steps, and live a life of simple dependence upon God, from day to day. Of this life of dependence, in one special phase of it, we have a graphic and beautiful type at the close of our chapter. The Israel of God — the camp in the desert — that pilgrim host followed the movement of the cloud. They had to look up for guidance. This is man's proper work. He was made to turn his countenance upward, in contrast with the brute, who is formed to look downward. Israel could form no plans. They could never say, ‘Tomorrow we shall go to such a place.’ They were entirely dependent upon the movement of the cloud. Thus it was with Israel, and thus it should be with us. We are passing through a trackless desert — a moral wilderness. There is absolutely no way. We should not know how to walk, or where to go, were it not for that one most precious, most deep, most comprehensive sentence which fell from the lips of our blessed Lord, ‘I am the way.’ Here is divine infallible guidance. We are to follow Him. ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:1-59) This is living guidance. It is not acting according to the letter of certain rules and regulations; it is following a living Christ; walking as He walked; doing as He did; imitating His example in all things. This is Christian movement — Christian action. It is keeping the eye fixed upon Jesus, and having the features, traits, and lineaments of His character imprinted on our new nature, and reflected back or reproduced in our daily life and ways…” (C. H. Mackintosh's Notes on the Pentateuch)