Num. 9-11
I love that some of the men in this passage approached God, wanting to be able to bring their offering before Him for Passover, but being unclean through no fault of their own. And I love that God responds with grace, showing that a right heart is what matters most to Him.
Another interesting thing of note in chapter 9 is the mention that the people must not break any of the bones of the Passover lamb, which is significant because none of Jesus’ bones were broken when He was sacrificed.
And one more chapter 9 note – after yesterday’s musing about “staying awake” and being ready, it really struck me how the Israelites lived during their time in the wilderness. They never knew how long they would stay at any given place and when they were going to have to pick up and move on to the next. They might stay a day, they might stay several months, but they always had to be ready to depart fairly quickly when the cloud lifted. So, once again, we see how the Israelites are a representation of our own lives. We, living as strangers here on Earth, waiting for our Savior to return and take us to the Promised Land, are like the Israelites wandering through the wilderness. Everything is temporary now, but we have waiting for us a home we did not build where God will take up permanent residence with us.
Mark 14:1-25
If you get a chance to study Jesus in the Passover, you should – it is fascinating! It is not just any piece of bread or just any cup of wine of which He said, “this is my body” and “this is my blood.” They were specific parts of the feast with specific meanings and significance, making these comments far more important even than what they seem on the surface. I also found it interesting that they sung a hymn before they concluded the meal, something I have never really noticed before.