Exodus 13
The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”
3 Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. 4 Today, in the month of Aviv, you are leaving. 5 When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to observe this ceremony in this month: 6 For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the Lord. 7 Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. 8 On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. 10 You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year.
11 “After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your ancestors, 12 you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord. 13 Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.
14 “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’ 16 And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”
Crossing the Sea
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.[a] The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”[b]
20 After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
Footnotes
- Exodus 13:18 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Exodus 13:19 See Gen. 50:25.
Saved = Consecrated
Exodus 13:1-2
The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”
Why were the firstborn males consecrated to the Lord? Because they were the ones spared when God killed the firstborns in Egypt but Passed Over the Israelite houses. The firstborns of the Israelites were saved, so they are the ones to be consecrated. To be consecrated means to be dedicated to and set apart for the Lord.
Under the New Covenant in Jesus, God has saved us all, and He’s called us all to be consecrated to Him, hasn’t He? Once we’re saved, we understand that we must live devoted to the Lord. If you’re not devoted to the Lord, you will not be saved. Instead, Jesus will say, “I never knew you. Away from me.”
Will you spend some time in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit, “Am I living a consecrated life?”
Like a Sign
Exodus 13:14-16
“In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’ And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”
Read that last part again: “And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead.” In Revelation, we’re told that those who align themselves with the Anti-Christ will take his mark on their right hands or on their foreheads. But here, the Israelites are symbolically taking a mark when they celebrate the Passover.
Taking the Mark of the Beast will show you’re aligning with him. Remembering and celebrating and sharing what the Lord has done for you is the sign that you’re aligning with Him. How can you show your mark today?
Not the Shortest, but Not the Most Difficult Either
Exodus 13:17-18
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.
Aren’t you glad that our Heavenly Father doesn’t take us on the most difficult route in life?
Sometimes, it seems like He is taking us on the hardest path, but that’s only because we have no idea what would have happened if He had led us a different way. Sometimes, we get impatient and wish the Lord would hurry up and get us to where we’re going – but it could be that the shorter route is more difficult, and the loving Father is sparing us that increased hardship.
If the Israelites had taken the shortest route, they would have had to do battle. They may have given up, and some of those whom the Lord had just rescued from Egypt could have been killed. No, it was much better to go the route the Lord chose for them.
Let’s keep on the path our Father sets for us, and trust it’s the best one. It might not be the shortest route, but it’s not the most difficult either.
Different, Depending On Your Need
Exodus 13:20-22
After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
I wonder if we expect our God to always deal with us the same way all the time, and then get confused when He doesn’t do what He did before or communicate in the same way He did before. The Israelites could have been thrown off track if they became rigid in their thinking and thought, “God appears as a cloud, so He can’t be this pillar of fire.”
But they understood that God was in both, didn’t they? He changed His form based on their need. He Himself was consistent – He was still leading them – but how He did it was a little different.
What I want you to understand from this is that God will not always deal with you or speak to you or answer your prayers in the same way, but He will always lead you in whatever way you most need at the moment. He doesn’t change in His personality or goals, but His method changes based on your need.
So, how do you need God to be right now? Do you recognize the different form He’s taking in your life?
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