Numbers 9, The Passover and the Cloud

The first Passover was held in Egypt (Exodus 12). This is the second one, two years later. The regulations for the Passover have already been given (again, Exodus 12), but now the Lord answers some questions about it. What about those who are unclean or on a journey?

Provision is made for them, but judgment for willful neglect for those who are ceremonially clean and in the land, resident and alien alike. The aliens, however, needed to be circumcised before being allowed to participate (Exodus 12:48).

The second part of this chapter has to do with the Shekinah glory cloud, the visible presence of the Lord over the Tabernacle. The cloud moved at the Lord's command, indicating when the Israelites were to break camp and move on, and where they were to go. Verse 23 ends this chapter with

At the Lord's command they encamped, and at the Lord's command they set out. They obeyed the Lord's order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

Two years into their journey, despite some complaining, earlier, about the food and a scare about the water, they are obeying the Lord. Tougher times are ahead, though.

There is no known physical explanation for the cloud above the Tabernacle, which looked like a cloud by day but a pillar of fire by night. For many of the biblical phenomena which are not listed as direct miracles by the Lord we can often find clues to physical realities, such as with the Plagues of Moses. But for the Shekinah glory cloud, this was simply from the Lord, pure and simple to the best of our knowledge, and quite apart from any known physical thing. Miracles are miracles.

Israel will not celebrate the Passover again until many years later, when they have entered the Promised Land (Joshua 5:10)