– 6 Min Read
But there were some men who were unclean because of a dead person, so that they could not celebrate Passover on that day; so they came near before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 And those men said to him, “We are unclean because of a dead person. But why are we restrained from bringing near the offering of Yahweh at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?” 8 Moses therefore said to them, “Wait, and I will listen to what Yahweh will command concerning you.”
Numbers 9:6-13 (LSB)
9 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If any one of you or of your generations becomes unclean because of a dead person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, celebrate the Passover to Yahweh. 11 In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight, they shall observe it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until morning nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall celebrate it. 13 But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet neglects to celebrate the Passover, that person shall then be cut off from his people, for he did not bring near the offering of Yahweh at its appointed time. That man will bear his sin.
Introduction
At what point do we no longer allow for certain excuses? Far too often, we see professing believers missing church, not partaking in the Lord’s Supper, and putting off their baptism. This appears to be done as if it is unimportant to them. Why does there seem to be a lack of eagerness to obey Christ and keep His ordinances? How should we warn these people? Let us briefly examine Numbers 9:6-13, with an emphasis on v.13, and see what understanding we might gain.
A Helpful Study Outline
I. The People’s Predicament (v.6-7)
A. An Unforeseen Circumstance (v.6)
B. A Sincere Question (v.7)
II. The Prophet’s Inquiry (v.8)
A. They Wait (v.8a)
B. Moses Listens (v.8b)
III. The Permissions of Yahweh (v.9-13)
A. Permitting Observance (v.9-10)
1. Permits the Unclean (v.10a)
2. Permits the Distant (v.10b)
IV. The Prescriptions of Yahweh (v.11-12)
A. Passover Statutes (v.11-12)
V. The Penalties for the Neglectful (v.13)
A. Shall Be Cut Off (v.13a)
B. Shall Bear His Sins (v.13b)
A Quick Exegesis
This is the second year after Israel departed from Egypt (v.1) and Yahweh reminds Moses to instruct the people “to observe the Passover at its appointed time” (v.2). It is in this context when a few men believe to find themselves in a predicament; they are unclean because of a corpse (v.6-7). Moses does not rush a decision, for it is not Moses’ decision to make. All Moses could do was follow the law of God; it was up to God to speak on the matter and grant permissions if they were to be given. We see the graciousness of God in the response. The Lord not only permits the unclean to partake of the Passover but also the distant traveler (v.10). If there was a death in the family and the people are now unclean, God sees that. He understands that they did not choose this to happen and so extends grace to them. But then, we observe God’s strong warning in v.13; He says, “But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet neglects to celebrate the Passover, that person shall then be cut off from his people, for he did not bring near the offering of Yahweh at its appointed time. That man will bear his sin.“
Yes, God is gracious, but His grace is not to be interpreted as Him being lenient with His laws. Some of the Israelites may have been inclined to think that the Passover didn’t mean a whole lot if God was going to water-down the rules for others. It is here that we are shown two different hearts. One heart is broken over the fact that they cannot partake of the Passover because of an unforeseen circumstance. The death of a family member, an out-of-town emergency, whatever the dire situation may be, this type of individual would not be missing the Passover out of neglect but out of necessity. The other heart can partake but simply won’t. The latter is done out of pure neglect for the ordinance. They do not partake because they do not want to. The excuses could be endless, but they are not valid in the eyes of the Lord.
Our God is quite clear as to what constitutes a valid excuse; someone is either unclean or traveling, and both of these circumstances were unforeseen. The person was not planning to become unclean by a corpse, nor was the person planning a trip out of town over the Passover. And so, because of this, God grants them grace. God knows the providence of His own will. There is no fooling God with an excuse, for He knows all things. For the person who has no real excuse, they are not given grace but a warning instead. The man is warned that he will be “cut off” from the people of God and will have to “bear his sins“. This is quite terrifying language. This certainly communicates to us how much God cares about His holy observances. This is because they draw attention to His gracious deliverance, His powerful works – His glory. By one saying that the ordinances of God are not important to him, he is saying that God is not important to him. These ordinances are but a reflection of our hearts, expressing how much we appreciate what God has done for us and our desire to worship Him.
A Quick Application
The Spirit of God does not take kindly to being lied to. Remember Ananias and Sapphira, who lied and were struck down by God because of it (Acts 5:1-11). It is not a wise thing to lie to God or His body. But unlike giving a gift offering to the church, the sacrements of the covenant are not optional. If able, we are to gladly do what is required of us. We are joyfully to obey God’s commands if there is nothing truly hindering us. The idea that someone would simply neglect the Passover for no valid reason at all baffles the mind. But does it? We see this all the time in the New Covenant, and we have circumcised hearts and the Spirit dwelling in us. There are people today that frequently and flippantly skip the New Covenant ordinances. They desire something over obedience to God. They are being neglectful.
Part of the reason we are seeing such a lack of enthusiasm could be because it is being directed elsewhere. The modern church is putting all of its emphasis on the latest “gospel-centered” fad. Churches today in America tend to have more sight focused outside the church rather than what is going on inside the church. More missional than ministerial. We need not sacrifice one for the other, but we must be diligent at both. Certainly, we never want to lose sight of the gospel, but Jesus did tell us to talk about other things: “…baptizing them… teaching them to keep all that I commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). Pastors are also abandoning the position that the ordinances of God are a means of grace to the Christian. Partaking of the Lord’s Supper does not administer a special grace, but it administers grace to the Christian in a special way [1]. Whatever the plethora of reasons it may be as to why Christians are frequently abstaining from keeping ordinances of the New Covenant and forsaking the assembly, they are doing so by and large.
Our Lord’s punishments are always just. In the case of the neglectful in Numbers 9:13, it is as if the Lord is saying, “If you don’t want to participate with my people, then you will be cut off from my people. If you don’t want to remember how I delivered you from slavery, then I will not forget your sins.” To be “cut off” from the people of God and having to “bear [your] sins” is a weighty thing. What we see here is nothing short of church discipline. Yes, church discipline was present in the Old Testament, and it is certainly to be practiced in the New Testament (Matt. 18:15-20; 1 Cor. 5:1-13). This is a fitting consequence. If the “professing” believer will not partake in the corporate professing of Christ, then they should be cut off from the people. To deny partaking of Christ’s ordinances is to deny being saved by Christ.
Ordinances—they are the golden ladder by which the soul climbs up to heaven; they are conduits of the water of life. O how precious should these be to us! They that are against ordinances are against being saved.
– Thomas Watson
Conclusion
We should encourage others not to view the Lord’s Supper, the assembly of God’s people, and baptism neglectfully. If we are able, may we partake. The institution of the church is by Christ, for His glory, and for our good. It is for our well-being to obey. Because the gathering of the saints for divine worship, the Supper, and baptism are means of grace to the believer, we should be eager to partake in them. God has designed His laws in such a way that when we obey them, we receive blessings. This is true under the Old Covenant, and it is certainly true in the New Covenant.
Works Cited
[1] Richard C. Barcellos, The Lord’s Supper as a Means of Grace: More than a Memory, (Christian Focus Publications, Scotland, 2013), 53.