Numbers 9:6-8

So what we see here is that in a way two of God's laws clashed and these men wanted to know what they should do. They came there on the day of Passover knowing that they were defiled and that that would forbid them from keeping the Passover, but they wanted to keep the Passover. They did not want to skip it because they knew that it said that if they skipped it (I believe that is in Exodus 12:47) there is an intimation there that if they did not keep it, they would be cut off from the people and usually that means a death sentence and they did not want to die. This was something that they could not avoid, this defilement by the dead man, and they wanted to know what God would say about their circumstance. So Moses, as is right and proper, he said, "You know, be still, quiet down, take some of the weight off your feet, have a seat. I'll find out what God wants us to do."

Numbers 9:6-7

This reads rather plainly. But, because of what Moses says next, we come to understand that these men were not just excited. They were probably close to terror! They came rushing up to him saying, "Moses. Why can't we take the Passover—even though we are defiled by the body of a dead man?" They probably thought that they were facing the death penalty. They did not want to miss the Passover. If they were able to keep the Passover and did not, it says that that person should be cut off from the congregation. So, here they are saying, "Look, Moses. What are we going to do? We're going to miss the Passover, and we are as good as dead men."