Leaving was one thing, but they needed instructions for the future and there were to be lots of reminders of how God had delivered them. We easily forget the goodness of God and take it for granted and in verses 1 and 2 “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”
Thus, the firstborn belonged to God. This did not mean that the rest of them were irrelevant. God demands and deserves first place in everything. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)
God had rescued them from Egypt with the death of the firstborn and this was a memorial in the dedication to God of their firstborn. It did not mean that one lost their firstborn to God but that it was to be consecrated to God.
Secondly, they were to remember by the Feast of Unleavened Bread (v3-7). 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. On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. 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. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 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.”
He reminded them about the day they left Egypt, that it wasn’t through their own strength or ingenuity, but ‘by the strength of the hand of the LORD,’ and they had eaten unleavened bread. Therefore, on this day in the month Abib, they must do the same when they enter the new land which God had promised to give them through their fathers. They were to eat unleavened bread for seven days and hold the feast on the seventh day and they had to rid their places of leaven.
Thirdly, not only were they to hold a feast, but they were to tell their children why they were doing it (v8-10).
It is one thing for us to do things, to worship God, to serve Him, to refrain from certain things, but do we tell our children the reason why? It was important in their obedience to God, how much more to us if we are followers of Christ? The world is always ready to instruct our children of things which we would not agree with, especially today, so how vital it is for us to teach our children before they get into the world as to the things of God. As soon as our children get to school, they are subjected to being taught evil practices and ideology contrary to God’s Word, thus if our children have been taught correctly from birth, they will have a shield against these things when they are bombarded with wrong teaching. We as parents and grandparents have a great responsibility for our children to teach them the truth. Let us not shirk it. They will have to make up their minds later, but a good foundation is essential. We cannot guarantee that they will follow us, but we must do our duty out of our love for them.
In verses 11-16 The LORD told them how and why they were to give their firstborn animals and their firstborn son to The LORD. Every firstborn male animal was to be set apart for The LORD. If it was an unclean animal, unacceptable as a sacrifice, they were to kill it or redeem it with a lamb. Sons were to be redeemed and not killed. Again, they were reminded that if their son asks why they are doing it, they must tell them. These are pictures of what The LORD had done for them.
Israel began their journey out of Egypt (v17,18) but, no doubt, they were surprised. The LORD God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines which would have been shorter. God had a reason for this, and He said,
“Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.”
How caring God was to them. He knew they were not yet ready for war, so He took them a different way, around the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea, the safer route.
God cares for us even when we can’t see it and sometimes we rebel. Paul writing to the Corinthians (1Corinthians 10:13) ( one of my favourite verses) “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Notice that God is faithful, that’s the important thing, and God was faithful here in v19 – in Genesis 50:25 Joseph had placed Israel under a solemn promise that ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry my bones from here (Egypt) with you’. Joseph was never buried in Egypt. He knew that God would take them to the Promised Land and that’s where he wanted to go. Moses took the bones of Joseph with them as they journeyed.
They went from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness (v20-22). They were not going aimlessly; The LORD was guiding them. He went before them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to give them light. This had probably never been seen before. This was the continual proof of God’s presence and protection; He would never leave them nor forsake them. They would doubt Him many times, but He continued to be faithful.
