Exodus 13 – Don’t Forget To Remember

God told Moses to consecrate all of the firstborn to Him. He said whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, whether of man or beast, they belong to Him. So does that include the females if they are the firstborn? Yes, I googled. Most sources concur that this only applied to the firstborn males that opened the womb. So if the firstborn was a female, and a son was born afterwards, the rule did not apply to that son. The reason being that the firstborn son in this case didn’t open the womb. Now, what did it mean for the firstborn to be consecrated to the Lord? For humans, this meant that the firstborn male would be sanctified for the Lord’s service. For clean animals, like sheep, this meant they would be sacrificed to the Lord. For unclean animals, like the firstborn of a donkey, a clean animal could be sacrificed.

Moses told the people to remember the day in which they were brought out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. It was by the strength of the hand of the Lord, they were brought out of Egypt. Therefore, no leavened bread shall be eaten. He said that they left in the month of Abib. Previously, I wrote that the name of the month was Nisan according to Google sources. So, I googled again to compare Nisan to Abib. According to neverthirsty.org, “The month of Abib is now the month Nisan in the current Jewish calendar.” He told them that when God takes them to the Promised Land – the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and the Jebusites – which He swore to their fathers He would give them, they shall keep this service in this month. The Promised Land is a land flowing with milk and honey. For seven days they should eat unleavened bread. On the seventh day, they should have a feast to the Lord. They shouldn’t have leavened bread anywhere near them or their quarters. They should explain to their children that they hold this feast because of what the Lord did for them when they left Egypt. To keep the Lord’s law in their mouth, a sign for them to remember was to be put on their hand and a memorial between their eyes. This would remind them of how God brought them out of Egypt with His strong hand. The children of Israel were to keep this ordinance in its season every year. Does your family have traditions that you follow and the history of why you do so has been explained to you? Does your church (faith/religion) have such traditions?

Verses 11 – 15 elaborate on God’s instruction in Verse 2 regarding the consecration of the firstborn. Moses told the people that when the Lord takes them to the Promised Land (as mentioned previously, but this time he only said “the land of the Canaanites”), that the firstborn of the animals that opens the womb, the males belong to the Lord (clean animals). Every firstborn of a donkey (unclean animal) shall be redeemed with a lamb. If they do not redeem it, they should break its neck. The firstborn of man among the people, they should redeem. When their children ask about this practice of setting aside the firstborn, they again shall say it was by the strength of the Lord’s hand that they were brought out of bondage in Egypt. They should remember to tell their children that Pharaoh was stubborn about letting them go, so the Lord killed all of the firstborns in Egypt, of both man and beast. Therefore, the firstborn males that open the womb of the animals are sacrificed to the Lord, but the firstborn of man should be redeemed (for the Lord’s service). Again, so that they didn’t forget to remember, a sign shall be on their hand and as frontlets between their eyes because it was by the strength of the Lord’s hand they were brought out of Egypt. Is there an event in your life that you should not forget to remember how God delivered you?

When Pharaoh did let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though that way was near. God said that the people might change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt. So, He led them around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. The children of Israel left Egypt in orderly ranks. Do you trust God enough for Him to take you a roundabout way to your destiny?

Moses took Joseph’s bones with him just as promised due to the solemn oath placed on the children of Israel. They journeyed from Succoth and camped in Etham as the edge of the wilderness. So that they could travel both day and night, the Lord led them by a pillar of cloud during the day and by a pillar of fire to give them light during the night. He did not take either away from before the people.

We continue on to Exodus 14 next week.

To God Be The Glory!