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The first fourteen verses of the chapter perpetuate the emphasis of vv.1-8, that Israel (priest, Levite, or laity) do nothing that would offend the presence of a holy God in their midst and bring upon herself divine wrath. The concern here is proper observance of Passover. Two points are emphasized. First, an individual is to observe Passover one month later than usual if either (1) he was unclean or (2) on a distant journey. A person was not free to ignore these restrictions, either by participating in the first-month Passover or by putting Passover observance on hold, something to be done when it is convenient and schedules permit. The second main point is that all other individuals must observe Passover at the decreed time. The consequences for violation were considerable (v.13).
The second half of the chapter is anticipatory, looking forward to the day when Israel will leave Sinai and continue her trek to the land of promise (vv.15-23). When the camp was at a resting place, the cloud covered the entire tabernacle (v.15). When the camp was on the march, however, the fire cloud rose and was suspended over the parts of the dismantled tabernacle. The rising of the cloud signaled Israel to move on. The descent of the cloud signaled the people to stop and camp.
The critical issue here is that God directed the march, both its moves and stops, as much as he directed Passover observance. In vv.18-23 the key phrase at the Lord’s/his command appears seven times. God did not delegate this responsibility to any person. He reserved that privilege for himself.