53:181118
Thirty days of Grace
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. 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?” And Moses said to them, “Stand still, that I may hear what
the Lord will command concerning you.” Then the Lord spoke to
Moses, saying, “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. On the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight, they
may keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter
herbs. 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. 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. ‘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..” Numb 9: 6~14
In the scriptures there is Grace heaped upon
Grace, wow just imagine that if you will for moment. What I’m talking about is of cause is the ‘Passover’. From this there is a question raised?...
Q “ If a man was
in a condition to observe that feast on the appointed day, was he to be
debarred for a whole year? Some men found in this position were heard
saying..’wherefore are we kept back” (V7)
So, let’s
look at FEAR, from 5 different points.
1) Unfitness. . . . . 2) Confession . . . . . 3)
Provision . . . . .
4) Warning . . . . . 5)Invitation
This was
now a totally new difficulty, and Moses deal with it, just as in today, how we
should deal with it all when it springs up before us. So without any hesitation
Moses went out, and called upon our Lord God for direction.
If any
man lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives to all, literally. The answer was
plainly given, there has to be a special ‘Passover
feast’, to be held on the fourteenth (14th) day of the second
day of the month. Though this has to be a special case, even all the provisions
have been met. What would have to be made known, is that His Grace won’t always
mean that these Riches’ are not of money, per-say.
1 Unfitness
“..Certain men were defiled that they could not keep
the ‘Passover’ on that day..” (V6)
The cause of their Unfitness to profit by the provision made by God on the fourteenth
day of the first month was their uncleanness. There’ll be a number of you who
will cry out, and profess they are without blemish. Here’s why we all have al
sinned and so fallen short. It’s what we
do next on realization of committing sin. Due to this sin, we’re no longer in a
place to receive God’s riches.
“..If a person touches any unclean thing, whether
it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the
carcass of unclean livestock … ‘Or if a
person swears,
speaking thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to
do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath,
and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be
guilty in any of these matters.." Leviticus 5: 2
Being
already sinners, not them, but only help to show their sinfulness. By the law
knowledge of sin, unbelief unfits a man from receiving the benefits of Christ
Jesus redeeming death. The defilement has been their own doing/making.
2 Confession
“..And those men said to him,
“We became defiled..” (V7)
Passover
was one of (if not the..) the most important dates on a Jewish Calendar, and
today it is still as important. It was and is time they confessed Unfitness,
and sought not to justify themselves. So, they presented themselves as ones disqualified because of their
defilement, and begged for mercy & grace that these might reach and satisfy
their souls.
So many
them can only try and imagine what it must be & feel like to be stoned by
you community, even close friends as well as Family! Some would welcome being
stoned because then they can try to heal at last the broken bones, with bruises
fading over time.
#Confession will finally open the
door#
The
grace of God, like a river that flows down into every crevice, or like the
light of the Sun, will illuminate every corner, no matter how dark and dirty
the corner may be, if only there was an opening toward it?
#If only there was a man who open
the door,
I will come into him#
(1 John 1:9)
“..if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us..”
(1 John 1:9)
3 Provision
"..Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “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. On the fourteenth day of the second month,
at twilight, they may keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and
bitter herbs.." (v9~11)
I
know what you’re thinking, boxes of chocolate, sexy clothes for your loved one.
Cards professing our everlasting love, and so much more. Gentiles have taken
this date ’14 February’, then told on this date told to spend a month’s wages.
Just to tell and be told how much it is to be loved on this date.
#When truthfully it is Passover
time and
NOT valentines!#
Between
the first and the second Passover there are thirty days, these are days of Grace.
If you somehow were to manage to miss both, there was no possibility of
receiving a Passover blessing for the coming year. That has to be unbearable?
This little blessing was instituted for the benefit of those who were disabled,
is a beautiful little picture of the grace of God devising a plan of salvation
for the helpless sinful man.
Moses
was only able to say in V8 “..Stand still and hear
what the Lord will command concerning you..”
#Salvation is of the Lord#
The law
was given unto Moses, but grace and truth come by Jesus Christ. It’s suggestive
that this special grace for the defiled, or the man that was ‘a far off’ on an
journey, and so could not keep the feast of Passover.
“..that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from
the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the
covenants of promise, having no hope and without God
in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were
far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ..”
Eph 2 :
13/13
4 Warning
“..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..” V13
The Passover speaks of redemption. To those
who willingly neglect this there is nothing for them but a fearful attitude
towards ‘the Judgement day’. There is no
escaping this time when, all will be stripped bear, and all their life’s
actions will be read out. Back then there was another action that was thought
to be such a slight, that it would hold back all men that ‘not’ circumcised.
“..And the uncircumcised male child, who is not
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut
off from his people; he has broken My covenant..” Gen
17: 14
For if we sin willfully after we have
received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice
for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery
indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without
mercy on the testimony of two
or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy
who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the
covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the
Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Heb 10: 26/31
Surely to
despise or even to neglect Grace, is to choose death? Hoe can it have been seen that they would
have escaped if they neglected even salvation?
5 Invitation
“.. If a stranger will keep the Passover so..” (V14)
By invitation a
total stranger (Gentile), may come with them and may be a participant of the
blessing of this memorable feast. This action denotes of redemption by the
blood of the Lamb is offered to all who will come into the camp.
“..Likewise He also took the cup after
supper, saying,
“This cup is the new
covenant in My blood,
which is shed for you..” Luke 22: 20
How wonderfully fitting this is a typical of the great salvation,
through the blood of the lamb of God. Through the sacrifice of our Lord, being
covered by the blood has such power it should be one or the greatest gifts
given unto us. But yet even today it still remains one of the most undervalued.
“..And
the Spirit and the
bride say, “Come!”
And let him who
hears say, “Come!” And
let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life
freely.." Rev 22: 17
“.. And He
came and preached peace to you who were afar off and
to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to
the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members
of
the household of God..”
Eph 2: 17/19
Prayer
In your love let all who are laden with burdens and worries, come freely and find shelter and rest. Let us ofer up our praises to the one true God in Heaven. No matter you concerns for today God has the answer. In our Lord Jesus' Name, Amen.
