Exodus 13:1 Then Yahweh. spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”
"Sanctify unto me all the first-born—To 'sanctify' means to 'consecrate,'to 'set apart' from a common to a sacred use. The foundation of this duty rested on the fact that the Israelites, having had their first-born preserved by a distinguishing act of grace from the general destruction that overtook the families of the Egyptians, were bound in token of gratitude to consider them as the Lord's peculiar property (compare Heb 12:23)." (Jamieson-Fausett-Brown)
"God’s further requirement, that henceforth all the future firstborn should also be His, was intended to perpetuate the memory of the recent deliverance, and to help to fix it in the mind of the nation... The Jews still observe the ordinance, so far as the children are concerned, and redeem the son which has 'opened the womb' on the thirtieth day after the birth." (Ellicott's Commentary) Like the firstborn of Israel, those who have been delivered from spiritual Egypt- those who have been delivered from slavery to sin and death- "were our Lord was slain"(Rev11:8) should consecrate themselves to the Redeemer, their God.
Afternoon Repost: Consecration of Firstborn to Yahweh
Exodus 13:1 Then Yahweh. spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”
"SANCTIFY unto me all the first-born—To 'sanctify' means to 'consecrate,'to 'set apart' from a common to a sacred use." (Jamieson-Fausett-Brown)
"UNTO ME — To my use and service, in a manner I shall hereafter explain;" (Benson Commentary) "The firstborn having the birthright, were, according to the patriarchal economy, the priests of God." (Sutcliffe Commentary)... according to their families.
"God’s further requirement, that henceforth all the future firstborn should also be His, was intended to perpetuate the memory of the recent deliverance, and to help to fix it in the mind of the nation." (Sutcliffe Commentary)
"The foundation of this duty rested on the fact that the Israelites, having had their first-born preserved by a distinguishing act of grace from the general destruction that overtook the families of the Egyptians, were bound in token of gratitude to consider them as the Lord's peculiar property (compare Heb 12:23)." (Jamieson-Fausett-Brown)
"The firstlings of the clean beasts were to be offered in sacrifice, those of the unclean were to be redeemed. Numbers 18:17." (Sutcliffe Commentary) They were redeemed "with a price,... because it was not lawful to sacrifice them; and the money for the redemption of them was given to the priest." (Gill's Exposition)
All of creation will be saved (Romans 8:22) but Yahweh God makes a distinction between clean and unclean for us. The distinction for animals had implications for atoning sacrifice, as well as for the completeness of it for those redeemed by the price of the blood of Christ.
“What God has cleansed you must not call common.” (Acts10:15)
We come into the world under the sentence of death. Like the firstborn of Israel, those who have been delivered from spiritual Egypt- those who have been delivered from slavery to sin and death- "where our Lord was slain"(Rev 11:8) should consecrate themselves to God and wait for the Holy Spirit to cleanse them by His Word.
Exodus 13:3 And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand Yahweh brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 On this day you are going out, in the month Abib.
"This injunction had been already given (Exodus 12:25) almost in the same words; but on the former occasion it was delivered to the elders only; now it is laid upon the whole people." (Pulpit Commentary)
"The remembrance of their coming out of Egypt must be kept up every year. [Likewise] The day of Christ's resurrection is to be remembered, for in it we were raised up with Christ out of death's house of bondage." (Matthew Henry)
5 And it shall be, when Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. 6 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 seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. 8 And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what Yahweh did for me when I came up from Egypt.’
It shall be, not only when the Lord has brought you out of Egypt,...but when when He brings you into the Land of Promise... Not only when you mortify the Egypt of self, but when.you shall begin to live unto God, then you shall begin to practice these things: "Thou shalt show thy sons... you shall instruct your children in the meaning of your killing the lamb, and abstaining from leaven, that so you and they may be excited to gratitude to God for his goodness." (Benson Commentary)
And if these things be done, perhaps they likewise may one day keep the Passover in truth- in their hearts.
9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that Yahweh's Torah may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand Yahweh has brought you out of Egypt.
"The Israelites must keep the feast of unleavened bread. Under the gospel, we must not only remember Christ, but observe his holy supper. Do this in remembrance of him. Also care must be taken to teach children the knowledge of God." (Matthew Henry)
It shall be a sign to you..."Upon thy hand, between thine eyes — Proverbial expressions, denoting that these things were never to be out of their minds. The Jews, however, understood this literally, and hence the use of phylacteries among them, pieces of parchment inscribed with sentences of their law, which they bound upon their left hand, and placed upon their foreheads between their eyes."(Benson Commentary)
"On the use of phylacteries, Dr. Lightfoot quotes Rabbi Joshua. 'He who will assume the yoke of the kingdom of heaven, let him wash his hands, rehearse the texts, and say his prayers; for this is the complete yoke of the kingdom of heaven.' It is added, and very coarsely, 'A man has need to recite his phylacteries every evening, to fright away evil spirits.'..." (Sutcliffe Commentary)... devils.
Matthew Henry says: "Here is an old law for catechising. It is of great use to acquaint children betimes with the histories of the Bible. And those who have God's law in their heart should have it in their mouth, and often speak of it, to affect themselves, and to teach others."
10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.
Firstborn of Israel
Exodus 13: 11 “And it shall be, when Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 that you shall set apart to Yahweh all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be Yahweh's.
And it shall come to pass when you inherit the land-the Kingdom, when you are converted to the Hebrew religion, that you will have an interest in redemption.
That you shall set apart... "every firstling of a beast shall be the Lord’s — That is, every firstling male of a clean beast, as of the cow, sheep, or goat kind, was to be offered in sacrifice; and the blood being sprinkled, and the fat burned on the altar, the flesh of them was to be given to the priests, Numbers 18:17-18." (Benson Commentary)
13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.
"But every firstling of an ass... In default of camels, [or horses] which they seem not to have owned, the Israelites must have carried their tents and other baggage on asses." (Ellicott's Commentary)- the animal of burden of the common man.
Asses were "regarded as ‘unclean’ (the terms of Leviticus 11:3 exclude it from the ‘clean’ animals), and could not consequently be either eaten, or offered in sacrifice (Leviticus 1:2; Leviticus 22:19). Nevertheless its firstling was claimed by Jehovah, and could only be retained for its owner’s use by being redeemed with a lamb." (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) Yet, "If a man had not a lamb, he was to give the price of one. This lamb was to be given to the Lord; that is, to his priest." (Benson Commentary)
For any law to be effective and just, the penalty for transgression must be affixed--> If thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck.—"There will always be in every nation those who grudge to make any offering to God, and who will seek to evade every requisition for a gift. To check such niggardliness, the present law was made." (Ellicott's Commentary)
14 So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that Yahweh killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to Yahweh all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
Here is the message: Israel, nor their animals of burden, helped to deliver themselves. "The [life of] firstlings of beast not used in sacrifice, were to be [ex]changed for others so used, or they were to be destroyed. Our souls are forfeited to God's justice, and unless ransomed by the sacrifice of Christ, will certainly perish."(Matthew Henry)
"And Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'" (Gen 2:16-17) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes.
"These institutions would continually remind them of their duty, to love and serve the Lord." (Matthew Henry)... And keep them in the way that leads to eternal life.
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah: The Way of the Wilderness
Exodus 13:17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.
"And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go... that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; the land of the Philistines was the Pentapolis, or five cities of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath, which lay between Egypt and Canaan; and their way through it to Canaan, out of Egypt, was the nearest they could go; and was, as Aben Ezra says, about ten days' journey; but Philo the Jew says it was but three days' journey; and it seems, by the sons of Jacob going to and fro for corn, that it was no very long journey:
for God said: within himself, or he declared the following reason of so doing to Moses:
lest peradventure the people repent: which is said not as ignorant or doubtful, but, as Aben Ezra says, after the manner of men:
when they see war: the Philistines coming out against them to hinder their passage through their country; they being a warlike people, bold and courageous, and the Israelites, through their long servitude, of a mean, timorous, and cowardly disposition; and indeed as yet unarmed, and so very unfit to engage in war, and therefore would at once be intimidated:
and they return to Egypt; judging it more eligible to continue in their former bondage, than to fall a prey into the hands of such fierce and cruel enemies...” (Gill's Exposition)
19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.”[Genesis 50:25]
"By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones." (Heb11:22)
"Moses took the bones of Joseph - i.e., his body, which had been embalmed, and deposited in a mummy case (Genesis 50:26), most probably at Tanis, which was the capital of the Shepherd kings, no less than of Menephthah. He had straitly sworn the children of Israel. See Genesis 50:25. Joseph, firmly believing in the promise of God to give Canaan to the descendants of Abraham had made them swear to take his body with them when they left Egypt. The desire to be laid in their native earth was common to most of the nations of antiquity, and, in the case of the Israelites, was intensified by Canaan being the 'land of promise.' Jacob had had the same feeling as Joseph, and had been buried by Joseph in the cave of Math-pelah (Genesis 50:13).” (Pulpit Commentary) Likewise, Lord Jesus, I believe in your promise of eternal life. If I die before you come, resurrect my body and bring me in that blessed Heavenly Land.
20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness.
21 And Yahweh went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.
In the meantime, Lord Jesus lead me as you lead the Israelites in the wilderness. "Jehovah not only selected a path for His people, but He also came down to walk with them therein, and make Himself known to them according to their need. He not only conducted them safely outside the bounds of Egypt, but He also came down, as it were, in His travelling chariot, to be their companion through all the vicissitudes of their wilderness journey. This was divine grace. They were not merely delivered out of the furnace of Egypt and then allowed to make the best of their way to Canaan. Such was not God's manner toward them. He knew that they had a toilsome and perilous journey before them, through serpents and scorpions, snares and difficulties, drought and barrenness; and He, blessed be His name for ever, would not suffer them to go alone. He would be the companion of all their toils and dangers; yea, 'He went before them.' He was 'a guide', a glory, a defence, to save from every fear. Alas! that they should ever have grieved that Blessed One by their hardness of heart. Had they only walked humbly, contentedly, and confidingly with Him, their march would have been a triumphant one from first to last...” (C. H . Macintosh)