(Exo 13:1 NASB) Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
(Exo 13:2 NASB) “Sanctify to Me every first-born, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.”
Exo 13:2: The firstborn of the people were to be sanctified to Elohim. The firstborn of Egypt, both man and beast were killed that night (Ex. 12:12). With that being the case, the firstborn of Israel belonged to Elohim in a special way.
The word qadash is translated “sanctify.” It means to consecrate, separate, or set-apart a person or thing from all common or secular purposes for use for service to Elohim.
These first-born dedicated to Elohim were later replaced by the tribe of the Levites (Num 3:12-13).
This is the reason Yeshua qualifies (according to Torah) to be our High Priest while not being a Levite. He is the first-born of all creation (Col. 1:15-18). The Levites were merely a substitute for the first born among the people to serve Elohim for a time. For Yeshua to take the position of High Priest is merely to revert back to the original appointment by Elohim and to no longer use the substitute.
(Exo 13:3 NASB) And 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.
Exo 13:3: This day is to be a remembrance. The Hebrew word for “remember is Remember – H2142. zakar, [269c]; a prim. root; remember:– been mindful(1), boast(m)(1), bring to remembrance(1), bringing to mind(m)(1), brings to remembrance(1), burns(m)(1), call to mind(1), celebrate(1), certainly remember(1), come to remembrance(1), confess(m)(1), consider(m)(2), extol(m)(1), invoke(1), invoked(1), keep in mind(m)(1), make mention(2), memorial(1), mention(4), mentioned(5), mentioning(1), mindful(1), named*(1), preserve(m)(1), put in remembrance(m)(1), recorder(9), remember(132), remembered(42), remembering(1), remembers(4), remind(1), reminder(1), report(1), surely remembers(1), take thought(m)(1), well remember(1). That is why Yeshua reminded us that Passover is a remembrance of Him (Luke 22:15-19).
We are to remember our deliverance from the house of slavery. We were delivered by the powerful hand of Yahweh.
This exodus from Egypt is to be remembered because it foreshadows Messiah (both His first and second arrivals) in so many ways. For us to neglect this command to remember this event and celebrate this feast is a sin and an atrocity.
(Exo 13:4 NASB) “On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go forth.
(Exo 13:5 NASB) “And 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.
(Exo 13:6 NASB) “For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD.
(Exo 13:7 NASB) “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.
Exo 13:7: Leaven represents sin in Scripture. It is symbolic of the sin in our lives. During this time, they were to have all leaven removed from their houses for seven days. It is not to be seen anywhere within their borders.
Along the same lines, since we are saved through the blood of Yeshua, we are to avoid sin in our lives (Isaiah 1:16-20).
(Exo 13:8 NASB) “And 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.’
(Exo 13:9 NASB) “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.
(Exo 13:10 NASB) “Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.
Exo 13:10: The Feast of Unleavened Bread is to be a reminder of the Torah of Elohim in our lives. When we keep the leaven out of our dwellings for seven days, it is a reminder of His Torah and His ways. It serves as a reminder for us and for our children.
We are to keep the Torah of Elohim, it is as a sign to us on our hand and as a reminder on our forehead. In the same way, the mark of the beast is a mark on the hand or forehead, which is those who obviously follow Islam (Rev. 13:16-17). It is not literal “mark” any more than Torah is a literal sign on our hand or a reminder on our forehead. The mark of the beast is the overt sign of being a Muslim.
(Exo 13:11 NASB) “Now it shall come about 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,
(Exo 13:12 NASB) that 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.
Exo 13:12: When they get to the Land, the firstborn of all males is to be dedicated to Elohim. Elohim is telling them this again to make sure the matter is established.
(Exo 13:13 NASB) “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 first-born of man among your sons you shall redeem.
Exo 13:13: Elohim says the first born among your sons will be redeemed. The Hebrew word for “redeemed” is H6299. padah, [804a]; a prim. root; to ransom:– any means redeem(1), in a way redeemed(1), ransom(4), ransomed(7), redeem(26), redeemed(16), redeems(1), redemption price(1), rescued(m)(1), surely redeem(1). This means they will be ransomed or purchased. This is very similar to the description of the set-apart 144,000 (Rev. 14:3-5). It is possible they are representative of all of Israel (Exodus 4:22).
(Exo 13:14 NASB) “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.
(Exo 13:15 NASB) ‘And it came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed every first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and the first-born of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every first-born of my sons I redeem.’
(Exo 13:16 NASB) “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.”
Exo 13:16: Why do the sacrifices and offerings to Elohim? It is a reminder of His providential deliverance from Egypt and from our sins! Those offerings and sacrifices will serve to remind us as if we had a sign in our hands or silly boxes on our foreheads.
(Exo 13:17 NASB) Now it came about when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war, and they return to Egypt.”
(Exo 13:18 NASB) 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.
(Exo 13:19 NASB) And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God shall surely take care of you; and you shall carry my bones from here with you.”
Exo 13:19: Elohim led the people by the Red Sea because He did not want them to go back to Egypt.
Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. Joseph did not want his remains to stay in Egypt. His heart was in the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ge. 50:24-26).
(Exo 13:20 NASB) Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness.
(Exo 13:21 NASB) And 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.
(Exo 13:22 NASB) He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
Exo 13:22: The pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day cannot be taken metaphorically because the references to it are very literal (Exodus 14:19, 40:38, Num. 9:21).
Patrick McGuire
Copyright 2014 Patrick McGuire and Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly All rights reserved, no portion of this Lesson may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly Fort Smith, Arkansas