Centred on Passover and led by the Spirit

‘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, “Make the Israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time … at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, in accordance with all its rules and regulations’ Numbers 9:1

Numbers 9 is the point of departure.

The three systems (that were mentioned yesterday) are in place to ensure that the Lord has the central place in the Israelite community.

Nevertheless, all the systems of Numbers 1-8 are, as it were, the supporting structures. Front and center were two essentials; the annual celebration of the birth of the nation through the Passover, and the daily following of the Spirit’s leading.

It is exactly the same for the disciple of Jesus.

The foundation of our salvation is the death of Jesus on the Cross, which we celebrate in Baptism (our public expression of faith), and in the Lord’s Supper, which we celebrate with our church communities. All disciples are united by our baptism into the death of Christ. All disciples are united through our participation in the body and blood of Christ; 1 Corinthians 10:16.

And just as the Israelites were led forward through the desert by the cloud and fire above the tabernacle, so disciples of Jesus are led by the Holy Spirit; ‘for those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons and daughters of God’, Romans 8:14.

Jesus said to Nicodemus, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit’, John 3:5.

So the people of Israel proceed towards the land of Canaan united in the Passover and with God’s presence at the heart of their community. Similarly, the community of Jesus’ disciples proceeds into their inheritance in the kingdom of heaven united at the Cross, 1 Corinthians 1:10-25 and led by the Spirit; Romans 8:14-17.