Let's start today, by reminding ourselves of where we are in Exodus.
At this point, Yahweh has killed the firstborn of every Egyptian-- from human, up to cattle. Pharaoh has released God's people from their servitude. And Yahweh gave favor to the Israelites, so that they could ask for anything of value from the Egyptians, and it would be given to them.
At this point in Exodus, the Israelites are wealthy, and free. They are loved.
This, in the OT, is God's great act of salvation. The Exodus is to an Israelite, what the cross is to us.
The thing that's maybe surprised us so far, is how much work God puts into making sure his people don't forget the moment of their salvation.
So far, we've mostly seen this through the Passover. The Passover serves as a reminder of this day of God's salvation, in a few different ways.
When God's people eat flatbread for a week, it's a reminder that they were so rushed, they couldn't wait for the bread to rise.
When they eat the lamb, it's a reminder of the lamb they ate that night, and the blood that they put on the door frame of their house.
When they stay inside all night, it's a reminder of the night that Yahweh sent the Destroyer throughout the land of Egypt, and of when Yahweh "passed over" their houses.
When they start every new year, they do so in remembrance of all of this. The calendar year is supposed to start, with a remembrance of God, and his salvation.
God is determined that his people not forget.
Our passage today adds to this.
Let's start in Exodus 12:51. It's maybe weird that we are taking one verse from chapter 12, but do you see the "and then" it starts with? This is a signal to us that we are starting a new story (see Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar). And starting with verse 51 changes how we hear the passage as a whole. It helps us remember that what God is about to command his people, is connected to the exodus.
(and Exodus 13:17 has another "and then," so I'm self-consciously working with the units Exodus gives us, and saving that for next week. The easiest way to see this in English Bibles, if you don't read Hebrew, is to use the KJV, "and it came to pass,". It marks boundaries, and starts new stories.).
(12:51) and then, on this very same day, Yahweh brought out the sons of Israel from Egypt according to their armies/divisions,
(13:1) and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
(2) "Dedicate/consecrate every firstborn-- the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel-- among human, and among livestock.
To/For me, it [is],
(3) and Moses said to the people,
"Remember this day that you came out from Egypt-- from the house of servitude--
because by a strong hand Yahweh brought you out from here,
and no one shall eat leavened bread.
(4) Today, you [are] going out in the month of Aviv,
(5) and then, when Yahweh brings you to 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 to you-- a land flowing with milk and honey-- you shall serve this service in this month.
Let's pause here. There's at least three things we should see here.
The first is in Exodus 12:51. Here, we have another reminder that Israel has become Yahweh's army. They are leaving "in their divisions." We will see next week that they don't necessarily understand this yet. God's people often don't see themselves, the way that God sees them. But what they (we!) have become, is God's army.
Second, the idea of "service" is key to these verses. When "you" were in Egypt, you served Pharaoh. He was harsh. You cried out to God, and He rescued you from that servitude. When you serve the service of the Passover, you remember your service to Pharaoh. And this service, of the Passover, is something that gives you joy. It's a festival. It's a feast. It's a reminder of how good God is, and it's a way to thank him, and acknowledge him.
What it's not, is legalism.
There is a yoke that's involved in serving God. God expects service. But his yoke is light, and easy. He is a far better Ruler than Pharaoh, or Satan, or Sin (Romans 6). Obeying God, is a delightful thing. It's done, out of gratitude, and it's done, out of a relationship with God. When the Israelites are serving the service of the Passover, they aren't obeying the book of Exodus. They are obeying God.
The third thing I want to focus on, is the new idea today. And that has to do with the dedication of firstborns.
Firstborns, by definition, are miracles. They are special, in a way that other offspring aren't. When you look at the firstborn, you realize how many things had to go right, to make that miracle baby. You had to get pregnant. You had to carry to term, successfully. You had to get the baby out, and you and the baby had to live.
There's a lot that can go wrong. And when life is extended to the next generation, that's something you celebrate. Those children are a promise for the future. Your line continues. Your children will work the farm (the ancestral land) with you now, and after you die.
And when your animals successfully have babies, that's a sign of future prosperity. When you look at your mare, you wonder, can she have babies? Your cows, your sheep, your goats. When they successfully have babies, you know your herd can multiply. You know that you can become like Abraham, or Job.
Firstborns are special. All other offspring, just follow the trail blazed by the firstborn. They aren't as important.
Now, what God commands here, is that the firstborn, is "dedicated," or "consecrated," to him. The word is the one often translated "holy." You are supposed to make that offspring "holy" to God. But here is a really good example of where "holy" actually means "dedicated," or "consecrated."
Firstborns are consecrated to God.
What exactly that means, God doesn't yet say. But your firstborn, isn't yours. It's God's.
Verse 6-16:
(6) Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread,
and on the seventh day, [it shall be] a feast/festival to/for Yahweh.
(7) Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days,
and leavened bread shall not be seen for you,
and leavening shall not be seen for you in all your territory,
(8) and you shall explain to your son on that day, saying,
"Because of what Yahweh did for me, when I came out from Egypt,"
(9) and it shall be for you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes,
so that the instruction/torah/law of Yahweh shall/will be in your mouth,
because with a strong hand Yahweh brought you out from Egypt,
(10) and you shall keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year,
(11) and then, when Yahweh brings you to the land of the Canaanites,
just as He swore to you and to your fathers,
and He gives it to you, (12) you shall cause to pass over (less literally, "hand over") every firstborn from the womb to/for Yahweh,
and every firstborn of the offspring of the domestic animal that shall be to/for you, the males [are/shall be] to/for Yahweh,
(13) while every firstborn donkey you shall redeem with a goat/lamb,
and if you don't redeem, you shall break its neck,
while every firstborn of humans among your sons/children, you shall redeem,
(14) and then, when your son asks you in the future, saying, "What is this?," you shall say to him,
"With strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt-- from the house of servitude,
(15) and then, when Pharaoh was stubborn to release us, Yahweh killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt-- from the firstborn of human, and up to the firstborn of domestic animals.
For this reason I am sacrificing to Yahweh every firstborn of the womb-- the males,
while every firstborn of my sons I redeem,"
(16) and it shall be a sign upon your hand and a symbol/band between your eyes,
that with strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt,
When you Israelites serve the service of the Passover, one of the main reasons you do it, is to help you remember what God has done for you. Why don't you eat leavened bread? Why can't leavening be found anywhere in Israel during the Passover?
Verse 8. Why? What do you tell your children? "Because of what Yahweh did for me, when I came out of Egypt."
Our mind is not a good enough vault, to store the knowledge of God's power, and salvation. If all we use is our brains, we will forget. So God makes sure that his people remember what He's done, through actions.
You remember God, by throwing away leavening. When the bread hits the trash can, you remember.
You remember God, by eating unleavened bread for seven days. Every time you eat flatbread, thinking about Wonder Bread, you remember.
When you tell your children why you do this, you remember. God's instruction is in your mouth. And teaching something, is a great way to help you remember.
What's new here, in Exodus 13, is that God gives you another thing to help you remember: the dedication of the firstborns. Firstborns get killed.
When you pick up the knife, to dedicate every firstborn animal to Yahweh, what do you remember?
You remember that when "you" were slaves in Egypt, that God spared your animals. They didn't get hit with the hail, or with the plague. They didn't get killed by the destroyer. God treated you better. And He still treats you better.
And so what God asks, is that you voluntarily give him, what He didn't simply take. God claims every firstborn animal, as his, from now on. You "cause to pass over" to him, what He passed over in Egypt.
Now, if you're a rancher, does this seem reasonable?
It should.
In verse 11, we are told that this law/instruction is given to a people who have been freed from Egypt, led to the promised land, and given homes, and land. It's given to a people who have defeated, and driven off, the Canaanites.
If you're a rancher, living in the promised land, you look off your porch every morning, sipping coffee, praising God for his kindness. You know that everything you have, God gave you. God has been faithful. God is faithful. And God will be faithful.
And if God wants your firstborn animals, to help you remember his act of salvation, God can have them. Every time an animal becomes a new mom, and you sacrifice her firstborn, you remember. You find yourself thinking about God, and when He "passed over" you.
And when God lets you redeem your baby donkey, instead of killing it, you find yourself thinking about God's kindness. Donkeys are rare. They are particularly valuable. And God, in an act of grace, lets you substitute something less costly.
And when you have children, what do you do? Verse 15. You don't sacrifice them. God doesn't want literal child sacrifice. You "redeem" them. You know that God spared "your" firstborn during the exodus. And God asks, not literally, but metaphorically, for every firstborn son from now on. They belong to him.
In all of this, what we see happening, is that the entirety of your lives, becomes one of remembering.
Remembering is not primarily a mental act. It's something that involves your whole person. Your mind, your hands, you mouth, your forehead.
And what, exactly, are you remembering?
A couple things, hopefully.
(1) The first was found in verse 8:
and you shall explain to your son on that day, saying,
"Because of what Yahweh did for me, when I came out from Egypt,"
The first thing you remember, is God's great act of salvation.
(2) The second thing, was found three times in these verses. And all three times, this is given focus/emphasis in the Hebrew. This is important to God:
Verse 9:
(9) and it shall be for you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes,
so that the instruction/torah/law of Yahweh shall/will be in your mouth,
because with a strong hand Yahweh brought you out from Egypt,
Verse 14:
(14) and then, when your son asks you in the future, saying, "What is this?," you shall say to him,
"With strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt-- from the house of servitude,
Verse 16:
(16) and it shall be a sign upon your hand and a symbol/band between your eyes,
that with strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt,
What you are remembering, isn't simply Yahweh, or his salvation. What you are remembering, is his strong hand. His power.
This has been the focus of Exodus, for chapter after chapter. Week after week. God is determined, that you remember his strong hand.
God set up the calendar year, to make you remember his strong hand.
God instituted the Passover, to make you remember his strong hand.
God instituted the dedication of the firstborns, to make you remember his strong hand.
All of life, is lived remembering God's strong hand. Or it should be.
God has a strong hand, and He uses that for you.
Why does God go to such incredible lengths, to make sure we don't lose sight of this?
Your view of God, is your starting point in life. The way you view God, colors everything else about the way you view yourself, and the world.
If you lose sight of God's power-- if you forget it-- you will go through life as a weakling. You will be as powerless, as you think God is. You won't trust him. You won't stay faithful to him. You will turn to someone, or something, else. Some type of idol.
But if you let yourself believe what God tells you, over and over, what will you become?
You will become spiritual warriors. You will become the army, that God sees you as.
You will go through life, understanding that you are not alone. You may be lined up across a valley from the Philistines, outnumbered, outflanked. You may find yourself surrounded by hostile, wicked people. But if God is with you, one way or another, you will be conquerors (Romans 8:28-39).
If life falls apart for you financially, and you know God is with you, you will call on him to help. And you will be confident that God will put food on your table. This doesn't mean you won't have to work for it-- you will. But you will eat. God's hand, is strong for you.
When coworkers are sick, or they got injured, what will you do? If you know God is with you, like He was with Moses, and the Israelites... if you know that God partners with you, and that His strong hand is available for you, what will you do?
You will be bold. You won't worry about whether or not laying hands in Jesus' name is your "spiritual gift." You won't worry about your coworkers thinking you're crazy, or a religious freak. And you won't worry, that nothing will happen. Because it's not about you, and your hand. It's about God, and his hand.
You will lay hands on them, in Jesus' name, commanding the sickness to go. Commanding healing.
And they will be healed, over and over. Eventually, your workplace will become one where people understand God's hand is truly powerful. Eventually, you will offer to pray for people, and you'll be turned down. Not because they think nothing will happen, but because they are pretty sure that it will. I had a coworker with a sprained knee turn down prayer, because it was a worker's comp thing. And it would've been awkward for him if God healed him, after he'd put in a claim.
That's faith. That's understanding the strength of God's hand. And my workplace has become a place of faith. Not in every single person. But... in enough, that the atmosphere of the building has changed.
Let's read from Acts 4:23-31 (NRSV no reason):
23 After they were released, they went to their friends[g] and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them, 25 it is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant:[h]
‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand,
and the rulers have gathered together
against the Lord and against his Messiah.’[i]
27 For in this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant[j] Jesus, whom you anointed, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants[k] to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant[l] Jesus.” 31 When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.
The early church prays that what God did through Peter, in healing the lame man, that he would do through them.
And how does God heal? How did He do this? Verse 30. Through his strong hand.
If there is weakness in church, it is not God's weakness. God's hand is as strong today, as it ever was. We are the weak link. We are cowards, because we don't believe, what God says we should believe about him.
We haven't learned from the exodus. We haven't learned from what God did to Pharaoh. We haven't learned from the early church. We don't go through life, remembering.
God's hand is powerful. And if you make this your starting point in life, it will change everything. You will be far more faithful. You will be far more confident. You will look back at your life a year from now, and laugh at what God's done to you, and through you. And once you've stopped laughing, you will praise God that He has used you, as his servant. And that He showed off his power, through you, to be a blessing to the world.
My prayer this year, is that 2022 will be the year of the harvest. If the fields are truly white, I want to see it. I want to see new people join God's family. I want to see them freed from Sin, and freed to obedience to God. I believe that God's hand is with me. I believe He's been working all around me. I'm ready to start seeing the fruit.
And my prayer is that this year, you will join me. I'm not a Lone Ranger. I'm not a one man show. What God has done through me, He would love to do through you. His strong hand, is just as strong for you. Or it could be, if you remember. And if you're brave.
So consider making the prayer of the early church in Acts 4, your prayer. Pray that God would give you courage, in proclaiming the good news about Jesus to the world. And understand that the good news, is about freedom (Luke 4:16-30). God will free people from Satan, and sickness, and Sin, through you. The good news, is better, and bigger, than you have maybe been taught.
And so you pray, that God would give you boldness in proclaiming the good news of freedom that's found in Christ, as God stretches out his hand, for healings, and signs, and wonders. Don't worry about what your "spiritual gift" is. Just pray.
Try it. Pray for courage. Pray for opportunities. Pray that God would partner with you.
And then, when God gives you opportunities, don't be a coward. That's the hard part. If you pray for courage, and opportunities, you have to be brave, and use them.
But above all else: remember God's strong hand. Make that your starting point, for everything else in life.
Translation:
(12:51) and then, on this very same day, Yahweh brought out the sons of Israel from Egypt according to their armies/divisions,
(13:1) and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
(2) "Dedicate/consecrate every firstborn-- the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel-- among human, and among livestock.
To/For me, it [is],
(3) and Moses said to the people,
"Remember this day that you came out from Egypt-- from the house of servitude--
because with a strong hand Yahweh brought you out from here,
and no one shall eat leavened bread.
(4) Today, you [are] going out in the month of Aviv,
(5) and then, when Yahweh brings you to 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 to you-- a land flowing with milk and honey-- you shall serve this service in this month.
(6) Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread,
and on the seventh day, [it shall be] a feast/festival to/for Yahweh.
(7) Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days,
and leavened bread shall not be seen for you,
and leavening shall not be seen for you in all your territory,
(8) and you shall explain to your son on that day, saying,
"Because of what Yahweh did for me, when I came out from Egypt,"
(9) and it shall be for you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes,
so that the instruction/torah/law of Yahweh shall/will be in your mouth,
because with a strong hand Yahweh brought you out from Egypt,
(10) and you shall keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year,
(11) and then, when Yahweh brings you to the land of the Canaanites,
just as He swore to you and to your fathers,
and He gives it to you, (12) you shall cause to pass over (less literally, "hand over") every firstborn from the womb to/for Yahweh,
and every firstborn of the offspring of the domestic animal that shall be to/for you, the males [are/shall be] to/for Yahweh,
(13) while every firstborn donkey you shall redeem with a goat/lamb,
and if you don't redeem, you shall break its neck,
while every firstborn of humans among your sons/children, you shall redeem,
(14) and then, when your son asks you in the future, saying, "What is this?," you shall say to him,
"With strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt-- from the house of servitude,
(15) and then, when Pharaoh was stubborn to release us, Yahweh killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt-- from the firstborn of human, and up to the firstborn of domestic animals.
For this reason I am sacrificing to Yahweh every firstborn of the womb-- the males,
while every firstborn of my sons I redeem,"
(16) and it shall be a sign upon your hand and a symbol/band between your eyes,
that with strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt,
