Exodus 13-The Consecration And Redemption Of Firstborn, Eating Unleavened Bread And The Lord Leads Israel
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday December 11, 2011
Journey Through The Bible Series: Exodus 13-The Consecration And Redemption Of Firstborn, Eating Unleavened Bread And The Lord Leads Israel
Lesson # 14
Please turn in your Bibles to Exodus 13:1.
Exodus chapter thirteen is divided into five sections: (1) Introductory statement of the sanctification or consecration of the firstborn (1-2). (2) Importance of observing the feast of unleavened bread (3-10). (3) Regulations for the sanctification of firstborn (11-13). (4) Sanctification of the firstborn in relation to the Exodus (14-16). (5) The Lord leads the Israelites to the Red Sea (17-22).
Exodus 13:1-16 is a single unit and deals with the consecration and redemption of the firstborn as well as presenting new regulations with regards to the feast of unleavened bread.
This section emphasizes the Lord’s right to the firstborn in Israel and that the Israelites were to acknowledge this right.
It emphasizes that because of the Lord’s redemption of the Israelites, the latter is obligated to set apart their firstborn children and those from their flocks for the Lord’s service.
Exodus 13:17-22 begins a section that ends in Exodus 19:25, which deals with the wilderness journey of the Israelites while under the Lord’s guidance and direction.
Exodus 13:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.” (NASB95)
These two verses state the solemn obligation of the Israelites to hand down to their firstborn children what the Lord had done for them in delivering them from slavery to the Egyptians.
Since the Lord spared the firstborn children of the Israelites and the firstborn of their flocks, the Israelites were obligated to dedicate to the Lord their firstborn children and those from their flocks.
Exodus 13:3 Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten. 4 On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go forth. 5 It shall be when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall observe this rite in this month.” (NASB95)
Verse 3 records Moses commanding the Israelites as they were leaving Egypt to remember this day when the Lord delivered them from the bondage of Egypt.
The reason he teaches them is that the Lord delivered them by His omnipotence, which was demonstrated through the ten plagues.
This verse emphasizes with the Israelites that they were a redeemed people who were once slaves.
It emphasizes that the Lord intervened in all of their lives by delivering them from their slavery in Egypt.
The command “And nothing leavened shall be eaten” is a reference to the feast of unleavened bread, which was first mentioned in Exodus 12:15-20, which records the Lord giving Moses and Aaron instructions with regards to this feast, which was to be a national celebration of Israel’s redemption from Egypt.
Verse 5 records that the Israelites were to observe the feast of unleavened bread when the Lord brought them into the land Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which is a reference to one of the promises contained in the Abrahamic Covenant.
The promise of the land of Canaan is often called by theologians the “Palestinian Covenant.”
The “Palestinian” covenant is in fact an extension of the “Abrahamic” covenant, which is recorded in Genesis 12:1-3.
Like the “Abrahamic” covenant, the “Palestinian” covenant that the Lord established with Abram denoted the Lord’s gracious undertaking for the benefit of Abram and his descendants.
Like the “Abrahamic” covenant, the “Palestinian” covenant was “unconditional” meaning that its fulfillment was totally and completely dependent upon the Lord’s faithfulness.
The Lord’s promise of land to Abram and his descendants in Genesis 13:14-17 is an “extension” upon His promise to Abram in Genesis 12:1 and is thus related to the “Abrahamic” covenant.
The “Palestinian” covenant was a confirmation and enlargement of the original “Abrahamic” covenant and amplified the land features of the “Abrahamic” covenant (Gen. 13:14-15; 15:18).
The “Palestinian” covenant was confirmed to Isaac (Gen. 26:3-4) and Jacob (Gen. 35:12), reiterated to Moses (Ex. 6:2-8) who described the geographical boundaries of the land in Numbers 34:1-12 and who prophesied the fulfillment of this covenant during the millennium in Deuteronomy 30:1-9.
In Exodus 13:5, the phrase “a land flowing with milk and honey” first appeared in Exodus 3:8 and describes the goodness of God’s provision for His people in Canaan (cf. 3:17; 13:5).
Exodus 3:6 “For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders. 8 You shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 10 Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.” (NASB95)
Exodus 13:6-7 echo Exodus 12:14-20.
The former reiterates the latter and in fact condenses it.
In verse 8, Moses teaches the Israelites that when they observed the feast of unleavened bread they were to communicate to their sons what the Lord did for them.
In verse 9, he teaches that the observance of this feast was to continually remind the Israelites of the Lord delivering them from slavery in Egypt.
In verse 10, he says that this great deliverance was to be observed by them annually in the ceremony of the seven-day festival of unleavened bread.
Exodus 3:11 “Now when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 you shall devote to the Lord the first offspring of every womb, and the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the Lord. 13 But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.” (NASB95)
This paragraph teaches that the Israelites were to dedicate to the Lord their firstborn sons as well as the firstborn male of every beast they own when they enter the land of Canaan.
The animals are included since they benefitted from the deliverance in Egypt and were spared because of the blood of the Passover lamb that was spread on the doorpost and lintel of every Israelite home.
In verse 13, the first offspring of a donkey was to be redeemed with a lamb.
If it was not redeemed its neck was to be broken.
Donkeys were considered ceremonially unclean animals (Leviticus 11:2-4), thus they could not be sacrificed but they could be redeemed by a lamb.
In verse 13, the firstborn of man was to be redeemed.
Numbers 18:15-16 teaches that the firstborn of man was to be redeemed by their fathers and the redemption price was five shekels in silver.
Exodus 3:14 “And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.” (NASB95)
These verses emphasize with the Israelites that they were responsible to explain to their children the reason for the dedication and redemption of the firstborn.
They were expected to teach the children that these practices were directly related to the Lord delivering them as a nation from the bondage of slavery in Egypt.
This deliverance constitutes their identity as a people.
Verse 14 repeats much of what was said in verses 3 and 9 and verse 16 echoes much of what was said in verse 9.
Verse 15 summarizes Israel’s deliverance and presents the reason why the Israelites dedicate the firstborn males to the Lord.
Exodus 3:17 Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.” (NASB95)
Exodus 13:17-18 reveal that the Lord did not lead the Israelites by the way of the land of the Philistines even though it was near.
Rather He led them by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea.
The reason stated is that the Lord wanted to avoid a possible military confrontation with Egyptian guards which might encourage the Israelites to run back to Egypt.
This verse reveals that the first reason why the Lord took Israel by this route was the presence of the Philistines on the Asian coast of the Mediterranean, which is on Egypt’s northeast border.
So this verse demonstrates that the Lord knew that at this point, Israel was not yet ready to have a military confrontation.
It also clearly implies that Israel would have been defeated easily militarily if God did not take this irregular route.
Exodus 13:19 records that Moses on behalf of the Israelites made good on the promise that Joseph made the sons of Israel swear to him when they left Egypt, namely that his bones would be transported to the land of promise when they left Egypt.
This promise appears in Genesis 50:24-25.
Exodus 13:20 Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness. (NASB95)
In our study of Exodus 12:37 we noted that “Succoth” was a city near the eastern end of the Wadi Tumilat.
This location marked Israel’s first stop after leaving Rameses in their exodus deliverance.
Tell el-Maskhutah, a border fortress site, near Lake Timsah, is identified as the modern site of Succoth.
Like Succoth, the exact location of “Etham” is not certain.
However, Exodus 13:20 does say that it was on the edge of the desert.
Exodus 13:21 The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. (NASB95)
The pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire at night was a visible manifestation of the Lord’s presence in the camp of the Israelites.
This visible manifestation was to guide and protect the Israelites and also would comfort them.