Consecrated

2 Chronicles 30:2-3 – The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem.

Numbers 9:6-7,9-13 – But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day and said to Moses, “We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?”…Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: ‘When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body or are away on a journey, they are still to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, but they are to do it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations. But if anyone who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, they must be cut off from their people for not presenting the Lord’s offering at the appointed time. They will bear the consequences of their sin.

Application:

• ·         The Lord demonstrates the reality of the distance that uncleanness brings between me and my participation in the worship of the community, but he also provides a merciful alternative.
• ·         Those with ceremonial uncleanness had a keen desire to worship the Lord “in the Spirit and in truth”.
• ·         When Jesus was crucified, it was reported that none of his bones was broken, in fulfillment of Scripture.
• ·         The New Testament also issues grave warnings concerning the abuse or misuse of the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV