Read
Regulations
1 During the first month of Israel's second year in the Sinai Desert, the Lord had told Moses 2to say to the people, “Celebrate Passover 3in the evening of the fourteenth day of this month and do it by following all the regulations.” 4-5Moses told the people what the Lord had said, and they celebrated Passover there in the desert in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.
6Some people in Israel's camp had touched a dead body and had become unfit to worship the Lord, and they could not celebrate Passover. But they asked Moses and Aaron, 7“Even though we have touched a dead body, why can't we celebrate Passover and offer sacrifices to the Lord at the same time as everyone else?”
8Moses said, “Wait here while I go into the sacred tent and find out what the Lord says about this.”
9The Lord then told Moses 10to say to the community of Israel:
If any of you or your descendants touch a dead body and become unfit to worship me, or if you are away on a long journey, you may still celebrate Passover. 11But it must be done in the second month, in the evening of the fourteenth day. Eat the Passover lamb with thin bread and bitter herbs, 12 and don't leave any of it until morning or break any of the animal's bones. Be sure to follow these regulations.
13But if any of you are fit to worship me, and yet refuse to celebrate Passover when you are not away on a journey, you will no longer belong to my people. You will be punished because you did not offer sacrifices to me at the proper time.
14Anyone, including foreigners who live among you, can celebrate Passover, if they follow all the regulations.
Reflect
The Passover is so important God excludes no one from its celebration, not the foreigner, not the person who is unclean because of a dead body, not the man or woman who is far away on a journey. All are called to celebrate the Passover and the rules for celebrating it must be the same for both a foreigner and a native born child of Israel.
Why is it so important? We know the Lord passed over the houses of the children of Israel when they were slaves in Egypt. We know he spared them if they had the blood of lambs on their doorposts but killed the firstborn of humans and animals among the Egyptians. Paul tells us that Christ the Passover lamb was sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7) so the connection between the Passover of the exodus and the crucifixion of Jesus has always been strong. The Passover is about salvation. So is Christ’s death on the cross. It is the new Passover. God’s perfect lamb, Jesus, was sacrificed so that we might be saved.
In the same way God wanted to include all within the camp in the Passover blessing, we need to include everyone in the blessing that comes with Christ and his sacrificial death. No one is excluded on the basis of race or religion or gender or nationality. No one is excluded on the basis of being unclean or far away. All are welcome to partake of the blessing that comes with faith in the Passover lamb, Jesus Christ. The only people that are left out are those who are invited to join in but refuse. That is their choice. But for those who wish to be part of the Passover blessing it is a breath of new life.
Respond
Lord, I thank you that the Passover blessing is for everyone. I thank you that Christ, the Passover lamb, has been sacrificed for all of us. May the new life Christ has given me flourish under your love and care as I open myself to you every day. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Murray Pura
Murray Pura, a native of Manitoba, is an ordained minister with Masters degrees from Acadia University and Regent College in Vancouver BC. At Regent he studied under JI Packer and also produced a thesis on William Wilberforce which was subsequently published under the title "Vital Christianity". Murray has served churches in Canada and the US. A writer in Christian theology and Christian fiction both, he currently writes full time and is represented by Steve Laube Agency in Phoenix, AZ. Murray has published with HarperCollins, Zondervan, HarperOne San Francisco, Baker, Barbour and Harvest House, to name a few. He has won the Word Guild Award for Best Historical Novel and has also been shortlisted for the Kobzar Literary Award of Toronto. His devotional writings include the books "Rooted" (Zondervan), "Streams" (Zondervan), and "Majestic & Wild" (Baker). He also wrote the study notes for Exodus and Luke in The Life With God Bible (Harper Collins).