Pesach Sheni—a second chance

In Numbers 9, we can read about the background of how this holiday came to be:

A year has passed since the Israelites smeared the blood of the lamb on the doorposts, ate the Passover lamb, and left slavery in Egypt. They are on their way to the land of Canaan and have just begun the annual tradition of celebrating Passover. Imagine you are there; the memory of the exodus is fresh, you are eating unleavened bread, and the first and last days of the seven-day period are holidays when the entire people celebrate and remember the miracle that took place.

When the celebration was over, some men came to Moses and told him that they had been unable to celebrate the Passover (verse 6). The reason was that they were unclean from having touched a dead man’s body. Perhaps there had been a death in the family and they had to arrange a funeral. According to Jewish tradition, these men had brought Joseph’s bone chest from Egypt; see Ex. 13:19; Jos. 24:32. Regardless of exactly what had happened, life circumstances had prevented them from attending the Passover celebration along with the rest of their countrymen. They ask Moses: What should we do?

The first thing we can learn here is that Moses does not answer them immediately but takes the question to the Lord in prayer. He asks them to wait while he consults the Lord (verse 8).

The answer is that they are to celebrate Pesach Sheni—the second Passover, a month later. Rabbis teach that “the second Passover” teaches us not to lose heart; there is a second chance, and it is never too late to get back on the right track.

So we want to share this with you as well: seek the Lord in prayer, and do not lose heart—today is the day of salvation! Life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes circumstances arise that are beyond our control, but God and His Word remain steadfast. God cares for every detail of your life.

(Photo from openbibleimages.org)