Num 9:10-11 | KingComments | STEP | Wilderness conditions sometimes cause hindrances to the observance of the Passover. That may be in case of defilement. It is not about someone being unworthy as a believer. By nature, every believer is unworthy, but he has been qualified by the Lord Jesus. However, our walk can make us unqualified and this without wanting it ourselves. This is not about a conscious sin. This is about the touch of a corpse, perhaps accidentally, perhaps necessary because someone had to be buried. It is not impurity that has come forth from himself. That it is not a conscious sin, is also shown by the fact that these men are going to Moses. The men show sensitivity toward the Passover by indicating that their touch with death prevents them from observing it now. They are also not satisfied that they will only skip it once. They go to Moses with their problem. We see their good mind and desire in two directions: they are not indifferent to their defilement, nor are they indifferent to the Passover. Moses does not pretend to know the answer to their question. It is true greatness to say that you don’t know something and go to God with it in the confidence that He will answer. Moses approaches God on behalf of these men to ask Him and presents this case to Him. God answers. We always see that in Numbers. Ask Him and He tells you what to do. God provides for every circumstance where the people do not know what to do. God always maintains His holiness. Impurity makes unqualified, but He does give a solution. He provides circumstances in which such a person can observe the Passover. In His answer He gives a way out. He also adds another case that someone was unable to celebrate the Passover. That is in case someone is not able to observe it because of a distant journey. By being on a distant journey someone has removed himself from the place where the LORD is. That is a choice of its own. Application: if we do not see someone in the meeting for a number of weeks, it may indicate that such a person is on a distant journey, i.e. spiritually far astray. We have to take care of that. We can’t miss anyone. God also values the observance of the Passover. It is not a matter of indifference to Him if anyone does not observe the Lord’s Supper, the remembrance of the Lord.

‏ Numbers 9:10-11

Passover Observance in the Second Month

Wilderness conditions sometimes cause hindrances to the observance of the Passover. That may be in case of defilement. It is not about someone being unworthy as a believer. By nature, every believer is unworthy, but he has been qualified by the Lord Jesus. However, our walk can make us unqualified and this without wanting it ourselves. This is not about a conscious sin. This is about the touch of a corpse, perhaps accidentally, perhaps necessary because someone had to be buried. It is not impurity that has come forth from himself.

That it is not a conscious sin, is also shown by the fact that these men are going to Moses. The men show sensitivity toward the Passover by indicating that their touch with death prevents them from observing it now. They are also not satisfied that they will only skip it once. They go to Moses with their problem. We see their good mind and desire in two directions: they are not indifferent to their defilement, nor are they indifferent to the Passover.

Moses does not pretend to know the answer to their question. It is true greatness to say that you don’t know something and go to God with it in the confidence that He will answer. Moses approaches God on behalf of these men to ask Him and presents this case to Him. God answers. We always see that in Numbers. Ask Him and He tells you what to do. God provides for every circumstance where the people do not know what to do. God always maintains His holiness. Impurity makes unqualified, but He does give a solution. He provides circumstances in which such a person can observe the Passover.

In His answer He gives a way out. He also adds another case that someone was unable to celebrate the Passover. That is in case someone is not able to observe it because of a distant journey. By being on a distant journey someone has removed himself from the place where the LORD is. That is a choice of its own. Application: if we do not see someone in the meeting for a number of weeks, it may indicate that such a person is on a distant journey, i.e. spiritually far astray. We have to take care of that. We can’t miss anyone. God also values the observance of the Passover. It is not a matter of indifference to Him if anyone does not observe the Lord’s Supper, the remembrance of the Lord.