Numbers 9

  1. In this chapter there is a contingency plan for those who were unable to observe the Passover festival as the Lord commanded it to be observed (9:1-14). Still, with the exception given, all other commands associated with the observance had to be observed; only the date of the festival had been altered. We also learn that the Israelites would move only as the Lord directed (9:15-23). The amount of time spent in a location was the Lord’s determination. It was not long after this that the Lord determined a longer stay!
  2. Application: It is worth notice that the contingency plan for Passover observance was directed by the Lord not by a sincere and godly man. All too often sincere and godly people take it upon themselves to alter the Lord’s direction. This is the sin of presumption. In relation to this, as the Israelites would progress through the wilderness, it was only the Lord who determined their progression. In our time, it appears that many want to determine their own progression – never mind what the Lord has said (cf. 2 John 9-11).