Numbers 9:1-14
“And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season. In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.
And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover. And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.” (Numbers 9:1-5)
The first nine chapters of Numbers all take place during the first month of the second year after Israel departed from Egypt. The Tabernacle was erected on the first day of the month, and God instructed them to celebrate the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, following the instructions in Exodus 12.
“And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day: And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?” (Numbers 9:6-7)
Those who had contact with a dead body were to remain in quarantine for seven days to be sure they had not contracted the disease that killed the other person, and someone had died, causing a few men to be unable to participate in the Passover with their families. Exodus 12:46-47 commands, “In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.” Since it couldn’t be taken to them, but all jews were supposed to partake, this created a conflict.
“And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.” (Numbers 9:8)
Rather than giving them his opinion or getting a group of leaders together to decide, Moses asked God what should be done in this situation. In Acts 15, the Apostles met to discuss what Jesus had taught about the need for circumcision, but they were not formulating some new doctrine, simply verifying what they had been taught. They were not formulating doctrine themselves.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD. The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and 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. But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.” (Numbers 9:9-13)
God’s response was that those who were unable to keep the Passover on the proper date would be allowed to keep it one month later, on the fourteenth day of the second month, but anyone who could and failed to do so was to be segregated from the congregation because he refused to perform his responsibility as a Jew at the proper time. The second date was solely for those who were unable to partake at the proper time.
“And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.” (Numbers 9:14)
Once again it was stressed that anyone who wished to participate was required to follow the same guidelines. While God made provision for special unavoidable situations so everyone could be included, he did not change the requirements for those from different backgrounds, nor were they given the p[rivilege of choosing which time they chose to participate.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season. In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.
And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover. And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.” (Numbers 9:1-5)
The first nine chapters of Numbers all take place during the first month of the second year after Israel departed from Egypt. The Tabernacle was erected on the first day of the month, and God instructed them to celebrate the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, following the instructions in Exodus 12.
“And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day: And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?” (Numbers 9:6-7)
Those who had contact with a dead body were to remain in quarantine for seven days to be sure they had not contracted the disease that killed the other person, and someone had died, causing a few men to be unable to participate in the Passover with their families. Exodus 12:46-47 commands, “In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.” Since it couldn’t be taken to them, but all jews were supposed to partake, this created a conflict.
“And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.” (Numbers 9:8)
Rather than giving them his opinion or getting a group of leaders together to decide, Moses asked God what should be done in this situation. In Acts 15, the Apostles met to discuss what Jesus had taught about the need for circumcision, but they were not formulating some new doctrine, simply verifying what they had been taught. They were not formulating doctrine themselves.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD. The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and 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. But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.” (Numbers 9:9-13)
God’s response was that those who were unable to keep the Passover on the proper date would be allowed to keep it one month later, on the fourteenth day of the second month, but anyone who could and failed to do so was to be segregated from the congregation because he refused to perform his responsibility as a Jew at the proper time. The second date was solely for those who were unable to partake at the proper time.
“And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.” (Numbers 9:14)
Once again it was stressed that anyone who wished to participate was required to follow the same guidelines. While God made provision for special unavoidable situations so everyone could be included, he did not change the requirements for those from different backgrounds, nor were they given the p[rivilege of choosing which time they chose to participate.
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