Exodus 13: 1 - 22
What is this?
13 Then the LORD 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.” 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 the LORD brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. 5 And it shall be, when the LORD 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 the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.’ 9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year. 11 “And it shall be, when the LORD 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 the LORD all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD’s. 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. 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 the LORD 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 the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.” 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. 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.” 20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the LORD 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.
A Jewish father's responsibilities to his son are outlined in the Talmud, Kiddushin 29a. According to the text, a father is obligated to circumcise his son, to redeem him if he is the firstborn, to teach him Torah, to find him a wife, and to teach him a trade.
These directives are all intended to help a child grow into a successful and independent adult, one who will be part of the Jewish community, establish a household and find meaningful work.
Our Holy Lord God Yahweh wanted His people to remember His rescue of His people. Thereby His instituted the festival of Passover as a yearly reminder of His Great Mercy. We will read in this chapter instruction from our Holy God in regard to making sure future generations will understand exactly what He did to free the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt. Sons and daughters will ask their dad’s in the future, ‘what is this all about?’
As Gentiles we have learned the importance of this feast for our Jewish brothers and sisters. Since we are not Jewish perhaps we can look in the windows and watch the celebration.
The Passover Seder is a celebration observed in Jewish homes with relatives and friends. It is led by an elder member of the family, but all who attend are active participants. The celebration tells the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. It includes special activities to hold the interest of children.
The Haggadah is a guide for the celebration (like the bulletin is the guide for our worship service). The Haggadah tells us the proper order of the Seder and the story taking us from the bitterness of slavery to the hope and struggle for liberation. Even today, it is important for us to acknowledge the problems and injustices of our times, but we must have hope that things are not inalterable.
On the table are cups for each person and the symbols to be used:
• a roasted shank bone—representing the ancient Passover sacrifice
• parsley—symbolizing the beginning of springtime, of hope and renewal
• a radish—reminding us of the bitterness of slavery of our ancestors in Egypt and all who are enslaved
• charoses—a combination of apples, nuts, cinnamon and a little wine—representing the mortar used in Pharaoh’s work
• a roasted egg—standing for the festival offering brought to the temple in ancient days and also a symbol of life and hope
• two matzohs in a folded napkin—representing the loaves of bread that did not have time to rise when the Jews made their hasty departure from Egypt
Each cup is filled with enough juice for three drinks—symbolizing God’s promises to the chosen people.
THE SERVICE
Gathering at the Table
[The family is seated at table, leaving one empty chair.]
Lighting of the Festival Candles
Elder: ‘Now in the presence of loved ones and friends, we gather to learn about the Passover.’
All: ‘You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this day I brought you out of Egypt. You shall observe this day throughout the generations for all times.’ (Exodus 12:17).
Elder: ‘We gather to fulfill the Mitzvah.’
[A woman lights the candles, and then all say:]
All: ‘We praise you, God, Lord of all life, as we light the candles of Passover.’
Kiddush—The First Cup
Elder: ‘Our story tells us that in diverse ways with different words; God gave promises of freedom to our people. With cups of juice we recall each of God’s promises. Let us say the first promise together.’
All: ‘I am the Lord, and I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians.’
[Elder picks up cup of juice.]
Elder: ‘We take the Kiddush cup and proclaim the holiness of this Day of Deliverance!’
[All pick up their cup of juice.]
All: ‘We praise you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us in life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.’
[All drink one swallow from cup.]
Urchatz—Washing of the Hands
Elder: ‘We wash our hands as a symbol of purification and preparation for this religious service.’
[A child offers the towel to each person around the table.]
Karpas—Rebirth and Renewal
Elder: ‘Passover brings the message of spring and new life. The parsley reminds us that our ancestors were tillers of the soil who were grateful for the earth’s bounty. The salt water reminds us that they suffered in slavery. Listen to a reading from the Song of Songs ‘(2:10-12; 7:12).
[At the end of the reading, all take a sprig of parsley and dip it in salt water.]
All: ‘Praise to you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who causes fruit to grow from the earth.’
[All eat the parsley.]
Yachatz—A Bond Formed by Sharing
Elder: ‘Among people everywhere the sharing of bread forms a bond of fellowship. The story of freedom begins when we join together with all the needy and oppressed. Our redemption is bound up with the deliverance from bondage of people everywhere. When the Jews fled from slavery in Egypt, they had no time to let their bread rise. They quickly mixed flour and water and baked flat loaves in the sun. So we eat matzoh on Passover.’
‘Now I will break the middle matzoh and hide half as the afikomen. At the end of the meal the children will get a chance to look for it and trade it back to us.’
[Elder breaks the middle matzoh in half and hides half of it. Elder then breaks the remaining half and all eat.]
All: ‘This is the bread of poverty, which our fathers and mothers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat; let all who are needy come to the Passover feast. Now we are all still slaves. Next year may all be free.’
The Passover Story—The Four Questions
Elder: ‘Long ago our ancestors worshiped idols, but now the Lord is our God. The Bible tells us that God called Abraham and Sarah and took them to the land of Canaan. God gave them a son named Isaac and to Isaac God gave two sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob and his children went down into Egypt when there was a famine in their land. There they became a nation, mighty and numerous. And the Egyptians began to fear them. The Pharaoh made slaves of the Israelites and treated them harshly. He put them in labor gangs and forced them to carry heavy loads and build temples and pyramids. But the Israelites continued to multiply and grow strong. So the Pharaoh hit upon a new and more terrible plan; he commanded that every baby boy born to the Israelites be tossed into the river Nile and drowned. The Jews cried to God for help, and God knew it was time to liberate the chosen people.’
‘God called Moses to be their leader and sent him to the Pharaoh to demand that the people be released. But the Pharaoh was obstinate and would not obey God. So God sent ten plagues upon the Egyptians.’
[Each person recites one of the ten plagues from a card at his/her place.]
Elder: ‘Even though the suffering was great, the Pharaoh remained obstinate. When the tenth plague came—the death of all the firstborn sons of Egyptians—the Pharaoh finally set the Israelites free. Tonight we are celebrating their escape.’
Children: ‘Why do we eat matzoh tonight?’
Elder: ‘We eat matzoh to remember that when our ancestors left Egypt they could not wait for the breads to rise so they took with them a flat bread called matzoh.’
Children: ‘Why do we eat bitter herbs on Passover night?’
Elder: ‘We eat bitter herbs to remind us of how bitter life is for people caught in slavery.’
Children: ‘Why do we dip the herbs twice tonight?’
Elder: ‘We dip the parsley in salt water to replace tears with gratefulness, and we eat radishes with sweet apples to sweeten bitterness and suffering.’
Children: ‘Why is this meal different from all other meals?’
Elder: ‘Tonight we celebrate freedom. We are grateful for God’s mighty acts: splitting the Red Sea for us, sustaining us in the wilderness, giving us the Ten Commandments, and bringing us to Israel.’
Motzi, Matzoh, Maror—Unleavened Bread and Bitter Herbs
Elder: ‘The three most important symbols of the Passover Seder are the Paschal lamb, the unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs.’
[Elder holds up the shank bone and says:]
Elder: ‘This bone reminds us that the Lord passed over our homes marked with the blood of a lamb when God killed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians.’
[Elder holds up the matzoh and says:]
Elder: ‘This is the flat, unleavened bread that our ancestors ate during their departure from Egypt, for in their haste they could not wait for the dough to rise.’
[Elder distributes the top matzoh around the table, two pieces to each person. Then, holding up a radish, says:]
Elder: ‘This maror, or bitter herb, reminds us that the lives of our ancestors in Egypt were made bitter with slavery and hard service.’
[Elder distributes a radish to all.]
Elder: ‘The bitterness of slavery was sweetened by God’s redemption of the chosen people. Charoses is a mixture of sweet apples and nuts to remind of the hope given us by God.’
All: ‘Together they shall be the matzoh of freedom, the maror of slavery and the charoses of redemption. Praise to You, O Lord God, King of the universe.’
[According to ancient tradition, the people put the radish and the charoses between two pieces of matzoh and eat like a sandwich.]
Kos G’ulah—the Cup of Redemption
Elder: ‘With the second drink of juice, we recall God’s second promise. Listen to a reading from the book of Exodus (6:6).’
All: ‘Remembering with gratitude, we praise you, O God, Redeemer of Israel! We praise you, Lord of all, who creates the fruit of the vine.’
[All take a second drink from the cup. At this point in a traditional Seder, a meal would be eaten.]
Tzofun—The Search for the Hidden
[The smallest child at the table should look for the hidden half of the matzoh and hand it to the elder, who gives each child a piece of chocolate candy in exchange. Everyone now eats some of this hidden afikomen so that it is all eaten. Then a blessing is spoken.]
Elder: ‘Friends, let us say Grace. The name of the Eternal be blessed from now to eternity.’
All: ‘Let us praise God of whose bounty we have partaken. Through the Lord’s kindness, mercy, and compassion all life is sustained. God is faithful forever. God’s bounty is there for all. None need ever lack, no being ever want for food. We praise our God, the One, sustaining all.’
Boraych—The Third Cup of Wine
Elders: ‘Together we take up the cup of juice, now recalling the third promise from God. As it is written: “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.”
All: ‘Praised are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who created the fruit of the vine.’
[All drink the third drink from the cup, draining it.]
Kos Eliyahu—The Cup of Elijah
Elder: ‘At our table there is an empty chair, an extra cup of juice, and one remaining piece of matzoh. Jewish history tells of a beloved prophet by the name of Elijah, who appears in times of trouble to bring promise of relief, to lift downcast spirits, and to plant hope in the hearts of the downtrodden. The injustice of this world still brings to mind Elijah who, in defense of justice, challenged power.’
[An elder opens the door.]
Elder: ‘The door is opened, reminding us to be open to the hope for a better world—to hold on to the dream that we may live in a world without hunger, slavery, or any kind of injustice. We invite Elijah to come to our Seder.’
All: ‘May the all merciful send us Elijah the prophet to comfort us with tidings of deliverance. Let us open the door for Elijah!’
[One child from the table is sent to the door to look for Elijah.]
The instruction that follows in this chapter covers what Israel’s immediate response was to be to what had happened on Passover night. They were to ‘sanctify the firstborn’ which had been spared, and to ‘continue to eat unleavened bread’ until the seven day feast was over. It then covers how both were to be commemorated in the future. The commands are not given haphazardly.
As we consider this chapter we must remember the situation in mind. Israel has just experienced the amazing deliverance of the first Passover. That terrible night has passed and their firstborn alone have been spared of all the firstborn in Egypt. They have now begun their journey with grateful hearts in the midst of ‘the feast of unleavened bread’, looking with gratitude at the fact that their firstborn had been spared. Thus they are now given brief instruction on how they are to respond to this situation. Even in the midst of their flight they must not forget their present responsibility towards Yahweh. This is now dealt with in 13.1-4. The principles are then expanded on in order to tell them how they must similarly behave once they have reached the land God has promised them, so as to be continually reminded of it.
With regard to this second point it may be thought that the instructions were somewhat premature, for we think in terms of a delay of forty years. But we must consider that God wanted them right from the start to recognize that they must perpetually remember their life changing experience.
And we must remember that they were at this stage on the point of leaving Egypt for a journey which could, at least theoretically, have brought them to Canaan within a short period, depending on how long they spent at their sacrificial feast in the wilderness and how speedily they moved on. For Canaan was theoretically only eleven days journey from Sinai (Deuteronomy 1.2).
So it was quite reasonable that at this stage Moses should encourage the people by indicating both what they should do immediately, the moment that they had the opportunity, and then what they must continue to do on arrival in the land as an indication of their dedication to Yahweh and of their gratitude for their deliverance, connecting it with their current situation. It would be a confirmation to them that their future was assured.
Moses would not, of course, at this point be aware of all that lay before them, nor of the problems and delays that lay ahead. He had himself after all arrived in Egypt from Midian fairly quickly, and he would not learn until later the very great difference there was between that and travelling when accompanied by a huge body of men, women and children with all their household possessions. Thus his view was probably that ‘it will not be long’.
13 Then the LORD 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.”
The firstborn of the children of Israel had been spared by Yahweh, but now we learn that a price has to be paid. They have, as it were, to be ‘bought back’. This is because Yahweh had sanctified them to Himself by their deliverance (Numbers 3.13) and as a result had delivered them from His judgment and they had therefore become ‘holy’, set apart as uniquely His, to be devoted to Him, along with the firstborn of domestic animals. And the only way that this could be accomplished was by death or redemption through the death of a substitute and representative.
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 the LORD brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 On this day you are going out, in the month Abib.
Moses then tells the people to remember this day in which they have been freed from bondage and ceased to be slaves and to remember that it was Yahweh Who by His strong arm has delivered them. This is what the eating of unleavened cakes, which they are to continue for the next few days, is to remind them of, the haste with which they have left Egypt, and the reason for that haste, their own salvation.
The month of Abib will later be called Nisan, but this is the more ancient name for the month. It indicates ‘greenness’ or ‘ripening of corn’. This was the ancient name in use from the time of the patriarchs, referring to the time of ripening corn in Canaan. The first bread fully made with newly ripened corn would then necessarily have been unleavened. It would only be by adding ‘old dough’ that they could have leavened it, and that would spoil the picture of the newness of the bread. So unleavened bread may have been connected with this month from those days and here simply be given a new significance.
5 And it shall be, when the LORD 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.
Moses had no doubt now that somehow Yahweh would ensure that they were going forward to freedom, to the land of plenty. Although he was not sure how He would bring it about, for they only had permission to enter the wilderness a short way in order to offer sacrifices. And the border posts would know where they were. But he knew Yahweh would find a way. He was only there to obey. And possibly he considered that the children of Israel were under no obligation to a Pharaoh who had turned them into bondmen and constantly broken his treaties concerning them
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.
All leaven was to be excluded from their dwellings. The word for ‘borders’ may simply mean the ‘bounds’ within which each family dwelt.
The whole seven days was to be a feast. This therefore means that the seventh day was to be a special feast, a day set apart. In the words of Yahweh it was ‘a holy assembly’ (12.16) in which no manner of work was to be done except what men must eat. Moses does not mention this latter fact to the people at this point but it has to be assumed that something made the day special as it is a feast to Yahweh, and as we shall see a rest day was part of Israel’s tradition. Moses was at this stage only summarizing what Yahweh had said. The main aim was that the hearers who were listening to the narrative were reminded of the gist of what had been said before.
8 And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.’
The eating of unleavened cakes would raise questions among the young and they were then to be reminded of the deliverance from Egypt. Great stress was laid in Israel on communication to the young. We also should take heed to this point. Sunday school is not a babysitting business. Our little ones are our Holy God’s gift to us and we should make sure they are taught about our Precious Lord Jesus Christ.
For the first generation the words here would literally be true. But when that original group had died out these words would probably be used by custom with the idea that they had been delivered when their forebears were delivered. Had it not been for this deliverance they would still be slaves in Egypt. Each generation symbolically experienced the Passover and deliverance afresh, just as we symbolically experience the Lord’s death afresh in the Lord’s Supper.
9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.
When they see the unleavened cakes in their hands and before their eyes it will speak to them of the great deliverance and remind them of what God has done. Thus the requirements were to be fulfilled year by year as a constant reminder of that deliverance, and instruction on them must be given as from Yahweh.
11 “And it shall be, when the LORD 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 the LORD all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD’s.
There appears to be a deliberate connection here between God’s promise to their forefathers and the subsequent giving of the land, with the handing over of the male firstlings. This was to be their grateful response and tribute for what God had given them. Notice that ‘all that opens the womb’ is then restricted to ‘the males’. These belong to Yahweh and must be handed over to Him. This had the twofold purpose of reminding them of the deliverance of the Passover, and reminding them that they were tenants in God’s land. Then in the case of unclean animals and man they can be redeemed. But the clean animals must be sacrificed.
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.
So in order that they may once more enter into the world with the firstborn sons they had to be redeemed by a substitution death, probably here by offering a lamb in their place. For the firstborn of clean domestic animals, however, there was no alternative. They had to be offered in death. Unclean domestic beasts had also to be redeemed by the provision of a substitute or else had to have their necks broken.
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 the LORD 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 the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
Again we learn that one of the purposes of these sacrifices and redemptions was as a testimony to future generations. This idea of testimony to the young is constantly emphasized. It is seen as important that they know what Yahweh did for His people in revealing His strength against the might of Egypt and delivering them from bondage. It was a continual reminder to them of the power of their God and His love for His people. And the reminder (and warning) is also given that it was because of Pharaoh’s hardness of heart. It was a constant reminder of the danger of hardness of heart when facing Yahweh’s commands.
16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”
In verse 9 we learn that ‘frontlets’ were ‘memorials’. As with eating unleavened bread, so redeeming the firstborn was to be the equivalent of signs on the hands and some sign or mark on the forehead. And they would be a memorial of Yahweh’s strong deliverance. They were to be instead of such literal marks or signs.
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.
There were different approaches to entering Canaan. There was the coastal road which was undoubtedly the quickest. This was the caravan route and used by the military. It commenced at the frontier post of Zilu and went straight up parallel to the coast and was at some stage called ‘the way of the land of the Philistines’. But this way was overseen by the Egyptian army and there were fortified posts along it, and it would later bring them face to face with the Canaanites, with their chariots, in heavily guarded territory without any element of surprise for it was the main trade route. Thus they would ‘see fighting’ before they were ready for it.
The safest way was to go on the ways through the wilderness. This was a more difficult journey but did not pose the same problems and would give them time to adjust to their new situation. They had almost certainly developed a slave mentality and needed to be gradually weaned from it. Furthermore it would bring them on Canaan unexpectedly so that they could take the Canaanites by surprise
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.”
Joseph had made the children of Israel swear from the start that they would take his body with them when they left Egypt (Genesis 50.25). His body would have been mummified. Presumably the whole mummy was taken. He would have been laid in a grand tomb and this was clearly known to Moses and the children of Israel. Joseph may well have made arrangements as to his place and type of burial in order to facilitate this action. He wanted in the end to be gathered to his fathers. The fact that Joseph’s bones were taken confirms Moses’ expectation that they would not be returning to Egypt.
20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness.
Moses was still concerned to give the impression that they were going into the wilderness to worship Yahweh. He wanted to keep Pharaoh in two minds. The idea of going into the wilderness to worship Yahweh and the idea of going home to Canaan for good are continually held in tension throughout the text. The former was a genuine proposition challenging Pharaoh as to what he would do, the latter was the final intention which Yahweh would bring about in His own way. It was Pharaoh who humanly speaking finally chose to turn the one into the other when he broke his word to Yahweh and sent his army after the children of Israel in order to attack them and to prevent their fulfilling their objective of sacrificing in the wilderness, even though it was Yahweh’s intention all the time.
21 And the LORD 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.
Our Holy Father God knew that the people would need physical reassurance. He wanted them to know that He was going with them and was guiding them in the best way home. So by day He manifested Himself in a pillar of cloud going on before them. It was a symbol of Yahweh’s presence unseen. And by night, that time that could bring terror to men’s hearts, He gave them comfort by providing light in a pillar of fire, which would remind them of His glory, and give them light to see by. And the pillar would remain with them constantly.
These ordinances had great significance for Israel, but the New Testament tells us that what underlay them had great significance for us as believers in Adoni Yeshua, out Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul makes clear that the Passover lamb was a ‘type’ of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Lamb of God Who, as our Passover lamb, was offered for us, and that just as the Israelites were to abstain from leavened bread so are we to avoid the leaven of malice and wickedness and partake of the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5.7-9).
In Galatians 5.9 he uses the leavening of bread as a warning against insidious teaching. We can compare with this how our Master and King Jesus Christ Himself warned against the leaven (insidious teaching which can begin to work and spread) of the Pharisees and the Herodians (Mark 8.15).
In the sanctification of the firstborn we can see a picture of the dedication and consecration that God requires from His own. As those who like the firstborn have been redeemed by blood we should be fully set aside to His service.
