YHWH has seven appointed feasts -- Pesach (Passover), Chag Hamotzi (Unleavened Bread), Yom Habikkurim (First Fruits), Shavuot (Pentecost), Yom Teruah (Trumpets), Atonement (Yom Kippur) and Sukkot (Tabernacles). They are not Jewish feasts, they are YHWH's Feasts. And these Feasts of YHWH (with the exception of Yom Kippur) are to be times of joy and celebration and remembrance. They are to be feasts, after all! The Israelites, those who loved and followed the Creator of all things, would have naturally WANTED to participate in every one of the Feasts in worship of their Father and God. But what happened if one was "unclean" or far, far away from Jerusalem and the Temple and unable to participate in the Passover celebration? What then?
Well, we don't have to speculate. It actually happened, and scripture tells us all about the provision, the second chance, that YHWH lovingly gave to his children when they asked Him.
"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?'” (Numbers 9:6–7)
What did He do? He gave them a Second Passover! This feast is unique among all the others in the Bible because God gives His people a second chance, the Second Passover, in response to unclean people asking to be included! They LONGED to participate in their Abba's celebration (as should we).
“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.” (Numbers 9:10 -11)
The rules for this second chance were slightly different from those on the first Passover, but nonetheless important. For the Second Passover, the Israelites who celebrated it did not have to clean their houses and then keep the feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days as they were required to the month before. Instead, God gave them a one-day pass to bring their Passover offering to the Temple and eat unleavened bread on that one day!
The Second Passover is a perfect picture of our missed opportunity and the unmerited mercy of our loving Father in heaven. Although YHWH set out a time and way for Israel to observe and celebrate Passover on Nissan 14 of each year, He revealed Himself loving, kind, merciful and caring through the provision of the Second Passover. It is NEVER TOO LATE to worship and thank YHWH His mercy and loving-kindness toward us.
There is very good reason for those who were/are unclean or who were too far from Jerusalem, traveling, to have had to miss Passover, but these followers refused to accept their exclusion, and asked YHWH for any go. In response He gave them their hearts' desires in order that they could worship Him.
As His child I must always remember that I am never too far, or too far gone, to seek His face, to seek to worship Him and to please Him. He longs for me to do just that! He will hear and He will answer! He longs to give me the desires of my heart (as my heart's desires line up with His!).
Therefore, may I always remember the lessons of the Bible from the story of the Second Passover and refuse to be excluded from the fullness of life promised by my Messiah because of circumstances or mistakes from my (distant or not-so-distant) past. YHWH hears me when I call, and Yeshua promises results if I will only ask:
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7–8