July 12, 2013

SHADOWS AND REMEMBRANCES

Numbers 9

Greg Crooks
Friday's Devo

July 12, 2013

Friday's Devo

July 12, 2013

Central Truth

Throughout God's Word, He calls us to look back and remember His faithfulness shown through wonders like the Passover and the Exodus. These events serve as "shadows" of something much greater to come in the person and saving work of Jesus Christ.

Key Verse | Numbers 9:1–3

Thus 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, "Now, let the sons of Israel observe the Passover at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall observe it at its appointed time; you shall observe it according to all its statutes and according to all its ordinances." (Numbers 9:1-3)

Numbers 9

The Passover Celebrated

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, “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.” So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did. And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. And those men said to him, “We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the LORD's offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?” And Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you.”

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the LORD. 11 In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. 13 But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the LORD's offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin. 14 And if a stranger sojourns among you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native.”

The Cloud Covering the Tabernacle

15 On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day 1 9:16 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks by day and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. 18 At the command of the LORD the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the LORD they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19 Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the LORD they remained in camp; then according to the command of the LORD they set out. 21 And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. 22 Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. 23 At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out. They kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by Moses.

Footnotes

[1] 9:16 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks by day

Dive Deeper | Numbers 9

Can we see Jesus in the Old Testament? In Exodus? In Numbers? Let's see.

Here, we read about the one-year anniversary of the Passover, a celebration and remembrance of the time in Israel's history when the Lord went through Egypt killing every firstborn child. This was the final plague God brought about to set His people free from captivity. God's people were commanded to take the blood of a male lamb, without blemish, and smear it on the door posts of their homes. When the Lord passed through and saw the blood of the lamb, He would "pass over" that home and spare the firstborn son from death.

Sound like another story you know? Fast-forward to when another spotless Lamb, Jesus, comes on the scene. His blood covers our sins and causes God's wrath and judgment to "pass over" our "houses" if we have trusted in His provision and atoning work on the cross. God sees the blood and knows that the Lamb died instead of us.

In Numbers 9, God's people are commanded to remember, celebrate, and proclaim the Passover and the Exodus. Today, many years later, some are remembering these very events, which are important, but we know that a much greater event, a much greater Passover and rescue has come. The Passover lamb was a model, a type of messiah, representing the Lamb of God through whom would come redemption and freedom for His people.

Pause with me now, and let us remember, celebrate, and thank God for this even greater Exodus -- "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14) May we be overwhelmed today and always with what He has done for us. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. (1 Corinthians 5:7)

Discussion Questions

1. Have you trusted fully in the blood of the Lamb on the cross -- the blood sacrificed on your behalf to fully satisfy God's wrath against your sin?

2. Are you pausing regularly to reflect and remember His provision for us through Jesus?

3. What other events in your life remind you of God's love and faithfulness? How can reflecting on those today bring you hope and comfort? Who can you tell, remind, and encourage?

4. Diving deeper into God's Word and learning to understand our history (His story) leads to a greater appreciation for Christ's coming, death, burial, and resurrection. Do you know the story? What is your next step of learning God's Word this year?