Second Passover, Second Chances.

Day 26: Numbers 6–10; Psalms 109–114; John 4–6

There is a lot of mystery to the God of the Exodus and Jesus in John's gospel is also mysterious.  He speaks almost in riddles.  His conversations with others in John are longer than those in the other gospels, often seeming to be repeating Himself in slightly a different way.  Perhaps He hoped His audience would come to understand Him. But if that we the case, why did He not speak more clearly and concisely? 

In Numbers the God of the Exodus fills the tabernacle with His glory in the dense cloud that burns with fire at night (Num. 9:15).  The mysterious cloud lifted at times and the Israelites would break camp and follow the cloud.  Only Moses heard God clearly (Num. 7:89).  The Israelites depended on Moses to tell them the Word of the Lord.

Moses told them if they felt they wanted to dedicate themselves of a child fro a time of holiness, they could live under the holy vows of the Nazarite order.  Modern Hasidic Jews do not cut their beards of sideburns and therefore grow very long locks of hair which they curl. These locks set them apart visually and communicate to all their commitment to holiness.  Anyone cane take a vow to be set apart for God for a time.  So not just priests, sons of Aaron, get the opportunity fore special service to God.  A Nazarite is still restricted from priestly duties or work at the tabernacle.  These are only for the tribe of Levi.  Still it is a special time and way to show this dedication to the Lord.

The Israelites now have completed one full year of freedom and celebrate together their second ever Passover a the foot of Mt. Sinai.  Soon they will move out to the Desert of Paran, but not before they celebrate Passover and as a nation remember God's deliverance.  Some are ritually unholy and are excluded from the Passover celebration.  But they desire to share in the celebration.  Moses asks the Lord and the Lord makes provision to celebrate a month later so that they too may remain faithful to the covenant.  The second passover included the foreigners with them. 

One foreigner in particular, Moses' brother-in-law Hobab, acted as desert guide.  The cloud of God's presence hovered over them as they traveled. And Moses promises Hobab whatever good God does for Israel, Hobab will also share.  This sharing in the blessings of Israel for those who bless Israel is a fulfilment of God's covenant with the children of Abraham (Gen. 12:3).

The gospel of John also shows blessing to foreigners and pilgrims.  Jesus offers living water (the Holy Spirit) to the Samaritan woman at the well. 

He heals a sick and weakened man at the pool of Bethesda who lies paralysed under the portico roof.  It is the festival of Booths where Israel remembers the providence of God in the wilderness where he fed them manna, bread from heaven.  It is ironic the man and the others are under a roof in hope of angels touching the water.  The pagans using the pools hoped in Asclepius, son of Apollo, to give the water healing power.  Jesus heals the man and returns Him to wholeness and to trust in the God of Israel in Jesus' name.

Jesus gives miraculous feeding to 5000 near the second Passover in His ministry recorded in John.  Does this point at all to the second Passover in Numbers 9?  If so, what is the meaning?  The pilgrims on the way to Jerusalem enjoy a feast of bread that Jesus produces miraculously just like the feeding of manna to the Israelites in the desert.

The second Passover in Numbers 9 marks the first year in freedom.  It marks the beginning of a newly formed priesthood, Levites and army ready to move toward the Promised Land.  It includes a concession for traveling Israelites and unclean persons to celebrate a month later and includes foreigners among them.  The second Passover recorded in John 6 takes place in Galilee near the sea.  Jesus sat upon a mountain with a large crowd coming near Him because of His healing ministry.  The Israelites are camped near Mt. Sinai and Jesus is on a mountain near the Sea of Galilee.   Jesus is the same God of the mountain who has now "pitched His tent" among us.  Jesus sets people free from illness and crippling disease.  He helps Samaritans to believe in Him the Christ. He brings liberty just as God liberated the Israelites fro  m slavery and the plagues of Egypt. And Jesus gives bread as His Father had in the wilderness.  The parallels, however slight, are there.

But there is something new.  Jesus is the true bread from heaven.  He is the true food that gives eternal life.  The manna fed for the moment, but to feed on Jesus is to live forever.  The people and some of His disciples could not understand His mysterious message that those who eat His flesh and drink His blood have eternal life.  Jesus warned His opponents that they search the scriptures for in them they believe they have life, but these are the same scriptures that speak about Him and they will not come to Him and have life. 

"Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me.  But if you don't believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"  (Jn 5:45b-47)

The great irony is that the very same God who fed them in the desert walks among them now in Jesus. And Jesus is providing something greater, spirit and life (Jn. 6:63), grace and truth (Jn. 1:17).  Many do not see in Israel, while an entire village of Samaritans do believe.  Israel remains lame and hungry and blind because they cannot accept that Jesus has "the words of eternal life (Jn 6:68)."

There will be many more opportunities to come to Jesus for His stubborn people in John's gospel to come to know Him as the Holy One of God.  There is a liberty exhibited in Jesus as the mystery keeps trying to be understood by the people He has called unto Himself to be His own. Many will come to believe and have life.  But in the end, Jesus is not understood, not believed and is rejected. 

He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. (Jn. 1:11)

But even still there may be concessions for those not yet ready to celebrate God's deliverance, whether they be traveling in other places, under different roofs, unclean or foreign to the whole business of God.

God, Your mercy through Christ is beautiful.  Give us all a heart that longs to come to You and have life in Jesus. Amen.