25-0223a Transcript

Preacher: Mike Mathis

(2:45) Good morning everyone. (2:47) Those that are here in the building and those who may be on the phone, (2:58) it befalls me to give the sermon today in rotation.

(3:07) This morning’s lesson, if you have gleaned from the readings, (3:16) and if you have your Bibles in front of you, (3:21) turn to Numbers chapter 9. (3:27) And I’m going to be in that chapter. (3:31) What I’m going to do is I’m going to talk about observance of the Passover. (3:38) I’m going to talk about when the children of Israel are due to keep the Passover.

(3:49) There’s a couple of incidents where the Passover is kept that I want to deal with. (3:59) But let’s deal with the reading that Roger and John read to you. (4:11) In Exodus 12, the Passover feast was instituted.

(4:22) It would be on the first month of the year for the children of Israel. (4:30) On the tenth day, they were to take a lamb and keep it. (4:36) On the fourteenth day, they were to kill the lamb of twilight.

(4:46) The blood of the lamb was to be put on the doorpost and the lentils of the house where they eat it. (4:58) At midnight, the Lord passed through the land of Egypt and struck all the firstborn of the Egyptians. (5:11) When the Lord saw the blood on the lentils and the doorposts, He passed over the house.

(5:24) The people had to be inside the house where the blood of the lamb was put on the doorposts and the lentils of the house. (5:39) Now, in Numbers 9, the first five verses of this chapter says, (5:54) Now 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, (6:11) saying, Let the children of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. (6:19) On the fourteenth day of this month at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time.

(6:29) According to all its rites and ceremonies, you shall keep it. (6:36) So Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover. (6:42) And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight in the wilderness of Sinai, (6:55) according to all that the Lord commanded Moses so the children of Israel did.

(7:04) So they kept this Passover. (7:09) This Passover they kept the first month it was kept. (7:18) On the fourteenth day it was kept.

(7:23) This is the second year after they had come out of Egypt. (7:30) So let us remember that the children of Israel and Egypt did just what God had told Moses. (7:44) They had killed the Passover lamb, put the blood on the doorposts and the lentils, (7:52) and they ate the Passover as they should in Egypt.

(8:03) So a year had gone by, and now this is the second year, and it’s in the first month. (8:15) And the Lord tells Moses to tell the Israelites to observe the Passover. (8:25) This will be the first Passover since they left Egypt.

(8:34) See that this is a year later. (8:40) Now I’m going to go to 2 Chronicles 30, and I’m going to read 1 through 3 right now. (9:00) And Hezekiah said to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, (9:11) that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel.

(9:23) For the king and his leaders and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to keep the Passover in the second month. (9:37) For they could not keep it at the regular time, because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, (9:49) nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem. (9:56) I found one night in reading this, say, wait just a minute.

(10:03) Let’s just hold things up here. (10:07) They’re supposed to be observing the Passover the first month of the year. (10:18) This is the second month.

(10:23) And then others, when they see this, may take this to justify not observing things as we ought to observe them in our worship. (10:45) Now let’s go back to Numbers 9. (10:50) We’re going to see that they kept the Passover, but a problem arises. (11:04) In verse 5 it says, (11:07) And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight in the wilderness of Sinai, (11:17) according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did.

(11:23) Now there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse so that they could not keep the Passover on that day. (11:36) And they came before Moses and Aaron that day, and those men said to him, (11:44) We became defiled by a human corpse. (11:50) Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the children of Israel? (12:01) And Moses said to them, (12:02) Stand still, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.

(12:11) Then the Lord spoke to Moses, (12:34) He may still keep the Lord’s Passover. (12:41) On the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight, they may keep it. (12:51) They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

(12:57) They shall eat none of it until morning, nor break one of its bones. (13:04) According to all the ordinances of the Passover, they shall keep it. (13:13) Now, the Lord is giving these men and those that come afterward a divine allowance (13:26) to be able to observe the Passover if, when the appointed time for the Passover comes, (13:38) they are somehow unclean or they happen to be on a long journey.

(13:50) So He allows them to observe the Passover in the second month on the fourteenth day of the month (14:02) and to keep the Passover as if they were observing it in the first month. (14:14) They were to observe the Passover. (14:19) Now, some men may take it upon themselves to see this (14:30) and think that they have a way out of observing the Passover on the appointed time.

(14:46) But the Lord says, (14:51) But the man who is clean and is not on a journey and ceases to keep the Passover, (15:02) that same person shall be cut off from among his people (15:09) because he did not bring the offering of the Lord at its appointed time. (15:19) That man shall bear his sin. (15:25) And if a stranger dwells among you and will keep the Lord’s Passover, (15:30) he must do so according to the rite of the Passover and according to its ceremony.

(15:39) You shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger and the native of the land. (15:47) So now we have the Lord giving a divine allowance for someone who happens to be unclean (16:00) when the time of the observance of the Passover is to be taken, (16:08) that they can take it still and may be able to do so in the second month on the 14th day. (16:24) Now, in 2 Chronicles 30, they have agreed to keep the Passover in the second month, (16:43) for they could not keep it at the regular time (16:47) because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves (16:54) nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem.

(17:02) So the priests had not consecrated themselves (17:12) and the people had not come and gathered together at Jerusalem. (17:20) So they have an allowance that they can keep the Passover in the second month. (17:28) And so here it is, in the second month, they are agreeing to keep the Passover.

(17:39) And the people are the ones who are keeping it. (17:51) So these people have a problem. (17:57) There are so many that are going to be there, they need to consecrate themselves.

(18:03) They need to prepare themselves, become clean, to be able to observe the Passover. (18:14) And the people need to gather at Jerusalem. (18:21) So they resolved to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, (18:31) that they should come to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem, (18:40) since they had not done it for a long time in the prescribed manner.

(18:47) We have Hezekiah, who is officiating and who is leading the way (18:56) and telling the people to keep the Passover. (19:01) Hezekiah’s father was a man that did not please God. (19:09) He was a man that worshipped idols.

(19:12) There were other kings that came that didn’t observe God’s ways. (19:24) Hezekiah here is not like his father or those before him that do evil before God (19:40) and that worship idols and such. (19:45) So they didn’t keep the Passover.

(19:49) So here they are agreeing to keep the Passover to the Lord. (20:00) And so there were those that went throughout all Israel and Judah (20:06) with letters from the king and his leaders (20:10) and spoke according to the command of the king. (20:14) Children of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel (20:23) and He will return to the remnant of you (20:27) who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.

(20:34) And do not be like your fathers and your brothers (20:38) who trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers (20:43) so He gave them up to desolation as you see. (20:49) Now do not be stiffened as your fathers were (20:53) but yield yourselves to the Lord and enter His sanctuary (21:00) which He has sanctified forever (21:03) and serve the Lord your God (21:06) that the fierceness of Israel may turn away from you. (21:12) For if you return to the Lord (21:14) your brethren and your children (21:19) will be treated with compassion by those who led them captive (21:26) so that they may come back to this land.

(21:30) For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful (21:34) and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him. (21:48) So they are sending out the letters (21:51) and inviting the people to come back to Jerusalem (22:03) where they need to be in order to keep the Passover (22:10) and to return to God. (22:18) So the runners passed from city to city (22:22) through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh (22:26) as far as Seddon (22:29) but they laughed at them and mocked them.

(22:34) Yes, there are people even today (22:37) that will mock at the Word of God (22:42) that will when they are appealed to return to the Lord (22:46) turn away from the wrongdoings and serve the Lord (22:52) do what the Lord wants. (22:55) There are those that will laugh (22:57) treat it as if it is a joke (23:03) but it’s serious. (23:08) Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun (23:14) humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

(23:19) Also the hand of God was on Judah (23:22) to give them singleness of heart (23:25) to obey the command of the king (23:29) and the leaders at the word of the Lord. (23:35) So in spite of some of them mocking (23:38) and laughing at them as if they had been told a joke (23:45) or something funny (23:48) there were those that humbled themselves (23:53) heard that they should come back to the Lord (23:58) and they came to Jerusalem. (24:05) And so some of them did have a willingness (24:10) to do what they were commanded.

(24:17) Now, even though they were taken to observe the Passover (24:34) in the second month (24:37) they are given the allowance as we saw in Numbers 9 (24:45) because when the time for the Passover came (24:51) people were not there (24:53) and the priest had not become consecrated or clean (25:02) and so they had to become clean. (25:07) And we see that some of the people (25:14) did willingly humble themselves (25:18) and they came to Jerusalem (25:21) that they may observe the Passover. (25:26) Now, you see when man has a rule (25:38) of certain things that they need to keep (25:42) that they need to obey (25:47) somewhere along the journey (25:51) someone sees there is some problem in observing that rule (26:00) that is given some allowance (26:05) to do things a little bit later (26:11) or to do a little bit more (26:18) in easing the strictness of the law (26:22) man comes along and they see a loophole in that law.

(26:31) But you know when it comes to God there is no loophole. (26:38) Yes, they can observe the Passover in the second month (26:45) on the 14th day of the month (26:49) and observe it accordingly as they have been commanded (26:56) but God wants them to know (27:02) He knows all and He sees all. (27:08) He knows whether someone is trying to get around the allowance (27:22) He tells them now if you are clean (27:25) and you are not on the journey (27:27) you need to keep the Passover (27:32) and if you don’t then you will be cut off.

(27:39) So let’s understand that when it comes to our worship (27:48) those things that we are not given an allowance to do (27:55) now some people may want to go ahead and do things (28:04) even though there is no command that says do not do (28:09) they say well then that’s the thing that’s brought up (28:17) well God didn’t say not to do it (28:23) but people we need to read what’s there (28:26) and we need to know that God is the one (28:30) that has the worship for us (28:33) that we need to do it in spirit and in truth (28:39) we need to listen to Jesus (28:47) we need to obey Him

(28:51) Jesus made it clear that if we do not respect the Son (29:00) and do not obey Him (29:03) we are not obeying the Father (29:05) our worship should be in spirit and in truth (29:12) must have a proper attitude (29:15) and must do it according to God’s Word (29:22) and we need to follow it (29:26) and fair keeping the Passover in the second month (29:31) is not justification for all the division that we have (29:38) for the people wanting to circumvent (29:44) the Word that is spoken that we have (29:51) we need to observe it (29:54) now the Lord Jesus has told us what we ought to do (30:02) the Lord Jesus has laid His commands (30:10) what we do must be done in faith (30:16) and He is the one to be obeyed

(30:21) now I don’t have this in my notes, my outline (30:28) but in 1 Corinthians 5-7 (30:32) it is said that Jesus is our Passover (30:37) now He is the one who is our Passover (30:42) it is His blood (30:45) not the blood of lambs and goats and such (30:53) it’s His blood that will cleanse us of our sins (31:01) the Israelites were delivered from Egyptian bondage (31:05) we are delivered from sin (31:08) the bondage of sin (31:11) and it is Jesus, our Passover (31:16) that we need to owe our allegiance to (31:22) and when we do, His blood cleanses us from all sin (31:30) according to 1 John 1 about 5-7 (31:35) we are told that we should walk in the light as He is in the light (31:42) we will have fellowship with Him and with each other (31:48) and His blood cleanses us from all sin

(31:56) so let’s then remember (32:02) that what some people don’t do (32:06) they won’t read the Old Testament (32:10) because they don’t see any need to read the Old Testament (32:16) it doesn’t apply to us today (32:21) but they don’t read the New Testament either (32:25) show them exactly what is said (32:30) they scoff at it

(32:33) but people, we need to be obedient to God (32:41) if there is anyone that wants to be obedient to Jesus (32:45) He died and He shed His blood (32:49) that we may be free from sin (32:54) if there is anyone that hasn’t obeyed that gospel (33:03) and needs to, may do so before it is everlastingly too late (33:11) anyone that is subject to the gospel invitation (33:15) if you wish to now, do so (33:19) while we stand and while we sing