02.23.2016 Old Testament: Num 9.6–7

To read the Bible in a year, read Numbers 8–10 on February 23, In the year of our Lord 2016

By Don Ruhl

The Lord wanted the children of Israel to observe the Passover Meal annually, but they had to eat it in an undefiled state. However, some men had become defiled and wanted to know why they should not be able to observe the Passover,

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?” (Numbers 9.6–7).

These men knew the importance of the Passover and so they held it in high regard, and they did not want to miss participating in it. However, they did not know what to do, other than to go to Moses with their question, which for us would be like going to Scripture, which has been written by men who received their information from God.

Questions:

• Why was it important for the children of Israel to observe the Passover?
• Do you regard the weekly observance of the Lord’s death during the Communion as just as important as these men did the Passover?