“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, “Tell the Israelites to celebrate the Passover at the prescribed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. Be sure to follow all my decrees and regulations concerning this celebration.” So Moses told the people to celebrate the Passover 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. 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 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?” Moses answered, “Wait here until I have received instructions for you from the Lord.” This was the Lord’s reply to Moses. “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. 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. 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. “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. 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.””
Numbers 9:1-14 NLT
Two basic concepts are highlighted in this passage about remembrance. First is that holiness is incredibly important to God. There is a right way and a wrong way to celebrate the things that he has done. It is not enough to merely celebrate them. They must be kept apart in the hearts and minds of the people who are celebrating them. They must have a level of decorum that drives people to not just be reminded of events, but also to be reminded of the context of these events. God must be seen as holy. Likewise, people must be seen as flawed. Beyond this, his love and mercy and grace must shine through. It must be done with ceremony. Secondly, the nature of these things is to be desired. God has no wish to keep a sincere heart from celebrating these things. Even the ceremonially unclean were allowed the opportunity to participate as long as they took the steps to make themselves ceremonially clean first. This is further cemented by the edict that the event of remembrance was made a mandatory one. If you didn’t participate for lack of enthusiasm, you would cut off from the community. These aspects surrounding the event ensured that the history of interaction with God would preserved across generations.
Holiness of God: Celebrations should be conducted with decorum, reflecting God’s holiness and the people’s flaws, showcasing God’s love, mercy, and grace.
Desirability of Remembrance: God desires sincere celebration of these events, even allowing participation for the unclean who purified themselves.
Importance of Participation: Participation in remembrance was mandatory, emphasizing its significance in preserving history and community.
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