“And Moses said unto them, ‘Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you.’” Lovely attitude! Moses had no answer to give; but he knew who had, and he waited on Him. This was the very best and wisest thing for Moses to do. He did not pretend to be able to give an answer. He was not ashamed to say, “_I do not know._” With all his wisdom and knowledge, he did not hesitate to show his ignorance. This is true knowledge—true wisdom. It might be humiliating to one in Moses’ position to appear before the congregation or any members of it, in the light of one ignorant on any question. He who had led the people out of Egypt, he who had conducted them through the Red Sea, he who had conversed with Jehovah and received his commission from the great “I am,” could it be possible that he was unable to meet a difficulty arising out of such a simple case as that which was now before him? was it indeed true that such an one as Moses was ignorant as to the right course in reference to men defiled by a dead body?
How few there are who, though not occupying such a lofty position as Moses, would not have attempted a reply of some sort to such a query. But Moses was the meekest man in all the earth. He knew better than to presume to speak when he had nothing to say. Would that we more faithfully followed his example in this matter! It would save us many a sad exhibition, from many a blunder, from many a false attempt. Moreover, it would tend to make us very much more real, more simple, more unaffected. We are ofttimes so silly as to be ashamed to expose our ignorance. We foolishly imagine that our reputation for wisdom and intelligence is touched when we give utterance to that fine sentence, so expressive of true moral greatness, “I don’t know.” It is a total mistake. We always attach much more weight and importance to the words of a man who never pretends to knowledge which he does not possess; but a man who is always ready to speak, in flippant self-confidence, we are never ready to hear. Oh, to walk, at all times, in the spirit of these lovely words, “Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command”!
“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ‘Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the Lord. The fourteenth day of _the second month_, at even, they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.’”
There are two grand foundation-truths set forth in the passover, namely, redemption, and the unity of God’s people. These truths are unchangeable: nothing can ever do away with them. Failure there may be, and unfaithfulness, in various forms; but those glorious truths of the eternal redemption and perfect unity of God’s people remain in all their force and value. Hence that impressive ordinance which so vividly shadowed forth those truths was of perpetual obligation. Circumstances were not to interfere with it; death or distance was not to interrupt it. “If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet shall he keep the passover unto the Lord.” So imperative, indeed, was it upon every member of the congregation to celebrate this feast, that a special provision is made in Numbers ix. for those who were not up to the mark of keeping it according to the due order. Such persons were to observe it “on the fourteenth day of the _second_ month.” This was the provision of grace for all cases of unavoidable defilement or distance.
If the reader will turn to 2 Chronicles xxx, he will see that Hezekiah, and the congregation in his day, availed themselves of this gracious provision. “And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the _second_ month, a very great congregation.... Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month.” (Ver. 13, 15.)
The grace of God can meet us in our greatest possible weakness, if only that weakness be felt and confessed.[9] But let not this most precious and comfortable truth lead us to trifle with sin or defilement. Though grace permitted the second month, instead of the first, it did not, on that account, allow any laxity as to the rites and ceremonies of the feast. “The unleavened bread and bitter herbs” were always to have their place; none of the sacrifice was to remain till the morning, nor was a single bone of it to be broken. God cannot allow any lowering of the standard of truth or holiness. Man, through weakness, failure, or the power of circumstances, might be behind the time; but he must not be below the mark. Grace permitted the former; holiness forbids the latter: and if any one had presumed upon the grace to dispense with the holiness, he would have been cut off from the congregation.