Numbers 9 Passover on the Way
God tells the people to observe the Passover on the way to the Promised Land. In fact, it is observed soon after erecting the Tabernacle.
I did NOT know this. I believed that the Passover wasn’t celebrated in the wilderness. But I have learned different. It is interesting to see what gets read over while reading. I KNOW we have gone through all of Numbers. I must have gotten so wrapped up in the ‘numbers’ that this event went on by.
Which brings me to a problem. I’m trying to use a linear timeline to tell the stories of the people of Israel. I’m discovering events that need to be ‘shoehorned’ in to what I have already shared. Today’s revelation is one of those times. Along with the fact that God had Moses make two silver trumpets to give the people instruction, including assembling before the Tent of Meeting. I was using a ram’s horn. When ALL is said and done, I hope to have a fairly accurate progression in the story. Until then, please pardon the back and forth. Let’s join the people as they celebrate the very first Passover as free people.
♥ ♦ ♥
It has been an eventful day. Moses is bone tired. Not so much from physical labor, but from the events of the day. This day was the eighth day since the Tabernacle was erected. Aaron, under Moses’ direction, had offered sacrifices for himself and the people to the Lord. It was a wonderful time for all.
Until Nadab and Abihu made their deadly mistake. They were consumed with fire from the Lord altar for offering unauthorized incense. Moses had to tell Aaron NOT to mourn them; at least publicly. Moses knew the enormity of what he was demanding, but the Lord would have it no other way.
Moses was MORE than grateful when the Lord told him to have the bodies removed from the Tabernacle. He didn’t think he could look on them one more moment and remain calm. He was proud of Aaron, how he did as the Lord commanded; including finishing the offerings. He was NOT pleased with Aaron burning up the goat from the people’s sin offering. But he understood his reasons. He knew that God understood too, and excused him.
It’s late, and all Moses wants is some quiet time alone with the Lord. Honestly, he would like so sleep too, but he has his priorities. After Moses finished his last meal, he walked back over to the Tent of Meeting; the Tabernacle. The lamp was still burning, as the Lord had commanded, and the fire was still lit in the altar. Also, as the Lord had commanded.
Moses felt revived as soon as he walked through the door. He knelt down on the ground in front of the altar of incense. Here he would wait on the Lord. This night, the words from the Lord were heavy. Aaron would no longer be able to bring sacrifices behind the veil whenever he chose. There would be one day a year when he would be allowed to come into the very presence of the Lord. Moses knew that Aaron would be disappointed by this change, but he would also honor the Lord’s command.
Moses shared the Lord’s words with Aaron the next morning. As expected, Aaron was saddened by this change.
Because we have already covered the bringing of the dedication items from each tribe, I’m going to skip forward to the ‘meat and potatoes’ of our story today. I apologize for the disjointed transition. We will pick up the morning of the first dedication. It is the tenth day of the first month. The day the Lord told the people to select their Passover lambs.
Moses was excited about the promised offerings from each of the tribes. The carts and oxen that had already been given would come in quite handy, when they finally moved again. He can hardly wait to spend time with the Lord tonight.
Moses waits until Eleazer has left the Tabernacle for the night before making his way to the Tent. Once through the doorway, he settles into his customary place; kneeling before the altar of incense. Here he waits, soaking in the Lord’s presence.
The voice of the Lord fills the Tent where He and Moses are meeting. “Let the people 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 statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.” (Numbers 9:2).
Moses thinks back to that eventful night. How the whole people were driven from the camp after the angel of the Lord had passed through the land. Death had followed in his wake, but not for those with the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. This time, the blood would be on the doors of their tents.
As the new day began at twilight for the people of Israel, this was the beginning of 10th day of the first month; Nisson. It was the day the people were to select their Passover lamb, as the Lord had shown Moses on the mountain. “Good timing Lord. You are always faithful.”
Morning dawned and Moses was at the Tabernacle watching Aaron with the morning sacrifice. Again, he waited until Aaron was finished before approaching him.
“Good morning Moses.”
“It is indeed! I have a message from the Lord.”
“Do we need to summon the people again?”
“The tribe of Judah is bringing their sacrifice today. I would think that all the people would assemble to bear witness. Let’s wait and see.”
The two men hear the sounds of people approaching. Moses looks out to see the size of the group. He is glad to see that all the people are gathering. “It looks like we won’t have to call them” Moses tells Aaron.
Moses and Aaron waited together at the door of the courtyard for the people to fully assemble and quiet down. Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah stepped forward to greet them. In his hand, he held a rope that was looped over the neck of a male goat. This would be the sin offering. Behind him stood several people. They held the remaining ropes looped over the necks of the burnt offering and peace offering. In the center of the group were three men carrying gold and silver items. The gold plate and silver basin were full of grain mixed with oil. Another gold bowl held incense. All these were the offering from the tribe of Judah.
Moses stepped forward to meet Nahshon. “It is an honor to receive this gift to the Lord, my son. But I need to speak with the whole congregation before we move on.”
Nahshon bows his head and steps back so Moses can address the crowd.
“I’m sure you all know what the date is. It is the Nissan 10th. The Lord spoke to me last evening and told me that we are to celebrate the Passover; just as He gave us instructions while we were in Egypt and again on His holy mountain. This is what the Lord says to the people of Israel; ‘On the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
‘Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
‘This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.’” (Exodus 12:3-11, 14-20)
Moses looked out at the congregation to be certain they were with him before he continued. “While on the mountain with the Lord, He spoke these words to me concerning the Passover Feast; ‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. But you shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.’ (Leviticus 23:5-8) This indeed confirms His statute regarding Passover. We will celebrate it as a memorial to him this month.”
A cheer went up from the people. They were happy to celebrate this feast to the Lord. Moses looked at Nahshon and motioned him forward with his offering to the Lord. “Today, we will accept this offering from the hands of the tribe of Judah. Afterwards, everyone will go and choose their lambs for the Lord’s Passover.”
Aaron performed the sacrifice that was brought by the tribe of Judah. Of the peace offering, those of Judah alone were to eat what was presented. Each tribe would share in their own peace offering’s portion.
As the people were leaving the Tabernacle after the sacrifice, some of the men approached Moses. These were the same men who had carried the bodies of Nadab and Abihu from the Tabernacle.
“We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the Lord’s offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?” (Numbers 9:7)
Moses was distressed by their predicament. They had done this in service to the Lord and to him, yet that did not render them clean. “Wait, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.” (Numbers 9:8)
The men waited while Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak to the Lord on their behalf. Moses had not been in the Tent long before the Lord spoke to him concerning this matter; for he had heard the hearts of these men.
“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the Lord. In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the Lord’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin. And if a stranger sojourns among you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native.” (Numbers 9:10-14)
“Thank You Lord for Your amazing mercy. Your people will do as You have commanded.”
The men were still waiting when Moses stepped from the Tent. He walked straight over to them. “I have an answer from the Lord, but He instructs that the whole people hear it. As we gather together tomorrow morning to receive the offering of the hands of the tribe of Issachar, I will share the words of the Lord.”
The men’s faces fell. Their hearts truly ached to be allowed to participate in the Lord’s Passover. Moses saw their anguish and gave them an answer of their own.
“The Lord has consented to allow anyone who is unclean from touching a dead body, or is on a long journey to celebrate His Passover on the 14th of the second month of the year. You will be clean by then.”
Smiles sprang to the faces of the men and their joy overflowed as they profusely thanked Moses for interceding on their behalf. “I KNEW in my heart that the Lord would listen to you, my lord. Thank you for bringing our heart’s cry before Him.”
“It was my pleasure to bring such a request to Him.”
They all parted company and went about the remainder of their day. Moses would be picking a lamb for himself, his wife, his two sons, Miriam, Aaron, and Aaron’s two sons. Aaron’s sons wives and children would also join them in their observance of the Passover.
The morning of Nisson 14th arrives and the offerings from the tribes halts, for a time. They would resume again after the Passover and the first day of the Feast of Unleavened bread. They would also halt for the seventh day of the feast. The food offering that was to be brought for the seven days would be added to that of the tribes on the rest of the days.
Joy and celebration reigned throughout the camp the whole time the dedication offerings, Passover, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were being observed. By the time they all came to an end, the people were ready for some quiet time.
The second month brought the census, but those who were not able to participate in the Lord’s Passover last month were counting the days until it was their turn. They took extra care to remain clean. They would NOT miss honoring the Lord with this, His mercies’ gift.
On Iyar 10th they chose their lamb for their families. The entire family had to abstain from the original Passover celebration. As there were only a few men who were granted this ‘grace period’ they would only need one lamb between them.
Iyar 14th saw a much smaller Passover celebration, but one none the less solemn to the Lord. The seven days of Unleavened Bread was also observed by this group. Moses made certain that there was a food offering given for their benefit as well. And the people all rejoiced with their brothers.
On the final day of the delayed Feast of Unleavened Bread, the cloud of the Lord lifted from the Tabernacle. The Lord waited for these faithful men to complete their honor to Him.
(to be continued)
Father God, I am in AWE of how You waited for these men. I’m in AWE also of how You show me something new every time I come to Your word. I KNOW I have gone through these chapters in Numbers at least twice before. But this time You opened my mind to the ‘storyline’ and timeline I have been following. Help me to put it all together correctly in the end. I know You have Your reasons for how You ordered it with Moses. It is certainly keeping me on my toes. I THINK it gets easier from here; or at least I hope so. Thank You for sharing Your stories with me. I love climbing into them with Your Spirit.
