Peace in the Passover

Peace in the Passover

(Numbers 9:1-14)

Yearly Theme:  “Peace is…”

Series Title:  “Peace in the Wilderness”

February 7^th, 2021

Something to think about:

As we begin a new series today entitled, “Peace in the Wilderness,” we come to the Israelites journey from Egypt out of slavery and bondage, and to the wilderness around Sinai.  At this point in the narrative, it has been a year since they crossed the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds), and saw the Egyptian army overtaken by God’s mighty hand through the rushing water.  Now, they find themselves in need of a reminder of what God had done for them.  So, Moses instructs them to celebrate the Passover again.  This will only be the second time they celebrated the Passover since they first did while in Egypt.  In eating the Passover meal again, they will remember how tense and anxious they were that night a year ago when the death angel would come over the land of Egypt killing the firstborn in each household that didn’t have the blood of the sacrificed lamb on the lintel and doorposts of each home.  Now they’re free from bondage, and this time they celebrate God’s deliverance as they remember what they’ve come from and how God has provided. 

Let’s pick up the story in Numbers 9 today:

Numbers 9:1-14 (NLT),

¹  A year after Israel’s departure from Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. In the first month of that year he said, ²  “Tell the Israelites to celebrate the Passover at the prescribed time, ³  at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. Be sure to follow all my decrees and regulations concerning this celebration.”

⁴  So Moses told the people to celebrate the Passover ⁵  in the wilderness of Sinai as twilight fell on the fourteenth day of the month. And they celebrated the festival there, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. ⁶  But some of the men had been ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, so they could not celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron that day ⁷  and said, “We have become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body. But why should we be prevented from presenting the LORD’s offering at the proper time with the rest of the Israelites?”

⁸  Moses answered, “Wait here until I have received instructions for you from the LORD.”

⁹  This was the LORD’s reply to Moses. ¹⁰  “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people now or in future generations are ceremonially unclean at Passover time because of touching a dead body, or if they are on a journey and cannot be present at the ceremony, they may still celebrate the LORD’s Passover. ¹¹  They must offer the Passover sacrifice one month later, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month. They must eat the Passover lamb at that time with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. ¹²  They must not leave any of the lamb until the next morning, and they must not break any of its bones. They must follow all the normal regulations concerning the Passover.

¹³  “But those who neglect to celebrate the Passover at the regular time, even though they are ceremonially clean and not away on a trip, will be cut off from the community of Israel. If they fail to present the LORD’s offering at the proper time, they will suffer the consequences of their guilt. ¹⁴  And if foreigners living among you want to celebrate the Passover to the LORD, they must follow these same decrees and regulations. The same laws apply both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you.”

So, what’s the main takeaway from this passage?

Key Point:  “There is peace in remembering the past.”

How does remembering the past help us find peace?  Well…

• Remembering the past can bring the  into  .

• Remembering the past can  you of where you’ve come from, but it can also be an indicator of where you’re going.

• Learning from the past can keep us on  for the  .

Something to take home:

When we forget the past, and our purpose for living, we become desperate and depressed, especially when we’re not connected with God.  However, when we live a life connected with God through faith and belief, no matter how desperate we become, we know that God is good, and in control, and able to bring something amazing out of our difficult circumstances.  Now, this doesn’t mean that our past is perfect, or good, or without pain.  We all have things in our past that we would like to forget.  But what this does mean is that though our past doesn’t define us, it can (and should) point us in the direction of God who desires to be the Author of our future.

Like Moses instructing the Israelites to celebrate the Passover once again in the wilderness, God calls us to remember and celebrate His provision and promises in our wilderness experiences.  He doesn’t want us to forget.  Instead, God wants us to look back and remember how He was with us, how He provided for us, how He walked with us, cried with us, and laughed with us.

Why don’t you allow God to take the mosaic of your past and weave it into His grand design?  In doing so, you can find peace that passes all understanding.

Key Point:  “There is peace in remembering the past.”