ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Tu’apuleulu Sune 17, 2021

Let the people of Israel keep the Passover

Ke fai foki ‘e ha‘a ‘Isileli ‘a e kātoanga ‘o e Pāsova

Nōmipa 9 (Numbers 9)

(v. 1-2) 1 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time.

(v. 1-2) 1 PEA folofola ‘a Sihova kia Mōsese ‘i he Toafa ‘o Sainai, ‘i he ‘uluaki māhina ‘o hono ua ‘o e ta‘u hili ‘enau hū mai mei ‘Isipite, ‘o pehē, 2 Ke fai foki ‘e ha‘a ‘Isileli ‘a e kātoanga ‘o e Pāsova ‘i hono taimi totonu.

 

* G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible*

As the time approached for entry to the land, the Passover feast was to be observed In the arrangements now made, the sweet reasonableness of the government under which the people lived was manifested. Certain men were unable to participate in the feast because of having become defiled and others because of distance from camp. For all such a special provision was made in a second observance of the Passover a month after the regular one.

When everything was ready, the hosts awaited only the divine Will which was to be made known through the cloud. There was to be no movement of the people save in response to the movement of the cloud. It was at once a beneficent and drastic provision. No responsibility rested on the people save that of obedience. They were not called on to consider the time or direction of their march, but it is equally true they were not permitted to object or delay. All of which served to keep the fact of the sovereign authority of Jehovah perpetually before them.

 

*Commentary: David Guzik Study Guide on Numbers 9*

Israel celebrated Passover as they were leaving Egypt (Exodus 12). The Passover here marked the one-year point of their journey out of slavery and into the Promised Land.

According to all its rites and ceremonies you shall keep it: Passover was meant to be a reminder of God's "passing over" Israel in the judgment of the firstborn at the Exodus from Egypt.

The blood of the lamb, applied to the door posts of the home, would be seen by the angel of God's judgment - and seeing the blood, the angel would "pass over" and spare the home covered by the blood. Passover was meant to be a continual reminder of this occasion of being spared judgment, and of the deliverance that followed in the Exodus.

Jesus fulfilled the Passover sacrifice by His death on the cross (1 Corinthians 5:7); the covering of His blood causes the judgment of God to "pass over" us. We are commanded to continually remember our occasion of being spared judgment and the deliverance that followed, by remembering Jesus' work on the cross through the Lord's Supper.