Numbers 9:8-13: a reflection

8Moses answered them, “Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you.” 9The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10“Say to the children of Israel, ‘If any man of you or of your generations is unclean by reason of a dead body, or is on a journey far away, he shall still keep the Passover to the LORD. 11In the second month, on the fourteenth day at evening they shall keep it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break a bone of it. According to all the statute of the Passover they shall keep it. 13But the man who is clean, and is not on a journey, and fails to keep the Passover, that soul shall be cut off from his people. Because he didn’t offer the offering of the LORD in its appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

When some people come to Moses with a hard question, about those who could not keep the Passover at the appointed time because they were unclean, Moses does not answer on his own, but waits to hear from God. Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you, Moses says. Faced with a genuine question he did not know how to answer, Moses did not rush to give his own opinion or make a hasty ruling; he paused, and waited to seek God's word on the matter, and then answered according to what God said. And God gave gracious provision, a second time to keep the Passover for those who had been prevented. This shows the wisdom of not answering hastily, but waiting to seek God's word when we do not know. Do not answer hastily; wait to seek God's word when you don't know. Moses waited to hear from God before ruling on a hard question. When you don't know, pause and seek God's guidance rather than rushing. Waiting for God's word is wiser than a hasty answer.

Notice Moses' response to a question he could not immediately answer. People came to him with a genuine difficulty: what about those who could not keep the Passover at the appointed time because they were unclean or away? Moses, though the leader, did not rush to give his own answer, to make a quick ruling on his own authority; he said, wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command. He paused, and waited to seek God's word on the matter, rather than answering hastily out of his own opinion. And then he answered according to what God revealed. This is a wise example. When we face genuine questions we do not know how to answer, difficult decisions, situations that require guidance we do not have, our instinct can be to rush to an answer, to give our own opinion quickly, to make a hasty decision. But there is wisdom in Moses' example: to pause, to not answer hastily, but to wait and seek God's guidance, in his word and in prayer, before deciding. We do not always have to answer at once; when we do not know, it is better to wait and seek God's direction than to rush to a hasty answer of our own. We do well to pause and seek God's word when we face what we do not know, rather than rushing to answer. When you don't know, pause and seek God's word rather than rushing to answer. Waiting for God's guidance is wiser than a hasty opinion. Do not always feel you must answer at once; seek God's direction. It is better to wait for God's word than to give a hasty ruling.

That is worth taking to heart, for it is wise not to answer hastily but to wait and seek God's word when we do not know, as Moses waited to hear from God before ruling on a hard question. We can rush to give our own answer or opinion when faced with questions we do not know how to answer; but Moses paused and waited to seek God's word, and then answered according to it. Waiting for guidance is wiser than a hasty answer. When you face a question or decision you do not know how to answer, do not rush; pause and seek God's word and guidance before deciding. Do not rush to give a hasty answer when you face a question or decision you do not know how to answer, but pause and wait to seek God's word and guidance, as Moses, when people came to him with a hard question about those who could not keep the Passover at the appointed time because they were unclean, did not answer on his own but said, wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command, and then answered according to what God said; for faced with a genuine question he did not know how to answer, Moses did not rush to give his own opinion or make a hasty ruling on his own authority but paused and waited to seek God's word, and God gave gracious provision, a second time to keep the Passover for those who had been prevented, which is a wise example, since when we face genuine questions we do not know how to answer, difficult decisions, or situations requiring guidance we do not have, our instinct can be to rush to an answer, give our own opinion quickly, or make a hasty decision, but there is wisdom in Moses' example, to pause and not answer hastily but to wait and seek God's guidance in his word and in prayer before deciding, since we do not always have to answer at once, and when we do not know it is better to wait and seek God's direction than to rush to a hasty answer of our own.

Lord, when some people come to Moses with a hard question, about those who could not keep the Passover at the appointed time because they were unclean, Moses does not answer on his own, but waits to hear from you. Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you, Moses says. Faced with a genuine question he did not know how to answer, Moses did not rush to give his own opinion or make a hasty ruling; he paused, and waited to seek your word on the matter, and then answered according to what you said. And you gave gracious provision, a second time to keep the Passover for those who had been prevented. This shows the wisdom of not answering hastily, but waiting to seek your word when I do not know. Show me Moses' response to a question he could not immediately answer. People came to him with a genuine difficulty; and Moses, though the leader, did not rush to give his own answer on his own authority; he said, wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command. He paused, and waited to seek your word, rather than answering hastily out of his own opinion. And then he answered according to what you revealed. This is a wise example. When I face genuine questions I do not know how to answer, difficult decisions, situations that require guidance I do not have, my instinct can be to rush to an answer, to give my own opinion quickly, to make a hasty decision. But there is wisdom in Moses' example: to pause, to not answer hastily, but to wait and seek your guidance, in your word and in prayer, before deciding. I do not always have to answer at once. Take that to my heart, for it is wise not to answer hastily but to wait and seek your word when I do not know. When I face a question or decision I do not know how to answer, keep me from rushing; help me pause and seek your word and guidance, Lord, before deciding, waiting for your direction rather than rushing to a hasty answer of my own, as Moses waited to hear from you.