“God sets his people free”
Numbers chapter 9:1-14
According to legend eight hundred years ago, ten Malay datus from the island of Borneo settled in Panay island. The Ati population which came earlier granted the new settlers access to the island and allowed them to cultivate the lowlands. After years of settlement, the Ati who lived in the highlands experienced famine. In order to escape starvation, the Ati decided to go down and seek help from the malay lowlanders. The malay lowlanders gladly shared their food with the Ati and the festival known as Ati-atihan started. Originally the festival was not associated with the Santo Nino, but with the harmonious relations between the Ati and the Malay. However, when the Spanish came, the festival was given religious significance. Today, I wonder if those who are celebrating ati-atihan remember the original meaning of the festival.
There is a festival recorded in the Bible which will be celebrated by the Jews for generations to come. It is the feast of the Passover as instructed in Numbers chapter 9:1-14: “The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month of the second year after they came out of Egypt. He said, “Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time. Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, in accordance with all its rules and regulations. So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover, and they did so in the Desert of Sinai, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses. But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day and said to Moses, “we have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting to the Lord’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time? Moses answered them, “wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: “When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body or are away on a journey they may still celebrate the Lord’s Passover. They are to celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations. But if a man who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, that person must be cut off from his people because he did not present the Lord’s offering at the appointed time. That man will bear the consequences of his sin. An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must do so in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for the alien and the native born.
The celebration of the Passover is a lasting ordinance for the Jews and failure to celebrate it will bring serious consequences. Every member of the house of Israel is required to celebrate the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. Even Jesus and his family celebrated the Passover while he was in this world. But if a person is ceremonially unclean on that date or on a journey, he is required to celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month. The person is given enough time to prepare himself and his offering to the Lord. He is not removed immediately from his people on account of being ceremonially unclean at the time of the celebration. However, if a man is ceremonially clean during the celebration but refuses to make the necessary offering, then he will be subjected to punishment. His unwillingness to celebrate the Passover is a sign of ungratefulness to God. There are three reasons why the Jews should celebrate the Passover.
First, the Passover is a reminder to the Jewish people that they were saved by blood in Egypt. An animal died on behalf of a family the night the angel of death came to Egypt. The animal was killed and its blood was placed on the door posts of the house. When the angel of death saw the blood on the door posts he did not enter the house and spared the family from the death of the first born of both humans and animals. However, the house where there was no blood on the door posts, the angel of death killed both the first born of humans and animals.
The Jews were no different from the Egyptians in terms of physical attributes, and even the animals of the Jews were no different from those of the Egyptians. They were all made of flesh and blood. What made the Jews different from the Egyptian that very night when the angel of death came was the presence of blood. The angel of death had only one instruction, and that was to kill the first born of humans and animals in the household where there was no blood on the door posts.
Second, the Passover is a reminder that the deliverance of the Jews from Egypt was not a result of their superiority in number and military strength, but a demonstration of God’s mercy and power. When the Jews obeyed the instruction from God through Moses, they were spared from death. The covering of the blood meant salvation while those who were not covered by the blood experienced death.
It was the first time that the Jews were instructed to kill an animal and place its blood on the door posts. For hundreds of years in Egypt, the Jews did not have any experience concerning animal sacrifice as a requirement for spiritual reality. How can the blood of an animal do something about their situation as slaves? The blood of an animal in itself had no power to save the Israelites. Although ancient peoples practiced covering themselves in blood as a way of warding off evil spirits, but the blood that was placed on the door posts of the house was not a charm. The obedience of the Israelites to the instruction of God made the difference between life and death for them.
Third, the celebration of the Passover is a reminder to the Jews that God did something new in their lives. The Passover marked the time when they ceased to be slaves and started their lives as members of the community of God. The Jews were instructed to eat the Passover meal prepared to leave their homes for the journey. Egypt was no longer their home as free human beings who were enjoying God’s favor. The Passover was a time of separation from the ugly and dark past and the start of the new and beautiful experience with God.
After seeing the reasons why the Jews were required to celebrate the Passover, the question that comes into our minds is, “what are the implications of this truth in our lives as followers of Jesus Christ?” Since we are not Jews and we are not required to celebrate the Passover, what is the meaning of the Passover for us today?
First, the Passover should remind us that as followers of Jesus Christ our salvation is by blood. If the Jews were saved from Egypt through the blood of an animal, our salvation today is based on the blood of Jesus Christ. Anyone who is covered by the blood of Jesus Christ is set free from the guilt and condemnation of sin. 1 Peter 1:18,19, For we know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as lamb without blemish or defect. If those who were covered by the blood of animals were saved from physical death, how much more for those who are covered by the blood of Jesus will be saved from eternal death. The Passover of the Jews then should serve as an illustration for us who are followers of Jesus Christ, and we should appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our salvation.
Second, the Passover should remind us that obedience to the words of Jesus will spell the difference between life and death for the people today. If the Jews who obeyed the instruction through Moses were spared from the death of the first born of humans and animals, our obedience to Jesus will save us from the wrath of God. Hebrews 5:8-10, Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and , once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Third, the celebration of the Passover reminds us that God created something new in our lives when Jesus died for us. We are no longer slaves to sin but we are now co-heirs with Jesus. Just as the Israelites were changed from a life of slavery to membership in the community of God, we too are changed from garbage to glory. 1 Peter 1:3-5, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
The Jews are celebrating a moment of physical salvation through a physical instrument, the blood of animals. We who are followers of Jesus Christ are in a better situation with a better privilege because the blood of Jesus Christ is the instrument for our salvation. The blood of animals cannot compare to the value of the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of the creator is far greater and more precious than all the blood of the creatures combined.
The Jews experienced a physical freedom from slavery. The followers of Jesus Christ experience a spiritual freedom from slavery to sin. Freedom from physical bondage is a great blessing, but freedom from spiritual bondage is even greater.
The Jews were transferred from one earthly place to another earthly place because of the Passover. We who are followers of Jesus Christ are transferred from our spiritual nothingness to a life of fullness through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The life Canaan was a lot better than the life in Egypt. But the life in the presence of God is even greater than the life that is filled with darkness.
What then is the challenge for us who have received this freedom from slavery to sin? I believe It is our responsibility to tell others that freedom is now available in Jesus Christ through his sacrifice on Calvary. Let me end this messge with this story.
A story is told about slaves on the Island of Jamaica. I read how on July 3l, 1838 on the Island of Jamaica, a man named William Knibbs, gathered 10,000 slaves for a great praise gathering. They were celebrating the New Emancipation Proclamation Act that would abolish slavery on the island. They had built an immense coffin and into it were placed whips, branding irons, chains, fetters of all kinds, slave garments and all the things that represented the terrible slavery system that was now coming to a welcome end.
At the first stroke of the midnight bell, Knibbs shouted out, "The monster is dying." At each stroke of the bell that followed this cry was repeated and the great crowd began to join in the cry. At the twelfth stoke 10,000 voices cried out, "The monster is dead, the monster is dead, let us bury him." They then screwed the coffin lid down and lowered it into a huge grave and covered it up. That night, every heart rejoiced and 10,000 voices grew hoarse, shouting and crying with joy. Once they were in bondage to slavery, but now they were free.
There is a tragic side to this story. While many rejoiced in their new liberty and freedom, there were some slaves, that lived in remote areas of the island, that did not know they had legally been set free. Because they didn’t know, for many years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been made a law, they still continued to serve their slave masters. Their former masters successfully kept the news from them as long as they could. By law they had been declared free men and did not have to live as slaves any longer. However, ignorance of the truth kept them in bondage.
Now let me tell you an even sadder story. Today, if we’d hear a story of something like that happening, we’d be shocked, sympathetic and even angry. But the truth is, the same type of thing is happening in our day. Jesus Christ, because of his victory against sin on the cross, has issued an Emancipation Proclamation of liberty and freedom from sin to everyone on this earth. But like some of the Jamaicans were, there are those today that just don’t understand that they no longer have to live as slaves to sin any longer, and the devil is trying to keep them in that mind set.
The message of the cross is this: Satan has been defeated and sin’s penalty has been paid. We no longer have to surrender to sin or be controlled by Satan. We can belong to Jesus and live to please God.
