Exodus 13, The Feast of Unleavened Bread

The firstborn males of the Egyptians have died.  The Israelites are now fleeing Egypt.

Exodus 13: 1-2, Consecrate the firstborn male

The LORD said to Moses, "Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal."

Of course, in a sense, God owns everything, but in this case, the first offspring is to be especially consecrated.  We have seen a cultural emphasis on the firstborn male throughout the book of Genesis.

Exodus 13: 3-8, Celebrate this feast of unleavened bread

Then Moses said to the people, "Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast.

    

Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving. When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites--the land he swore to your forefathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey--you are to observe this ceremony in this month: For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the LORD. Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders.

    

On that day tell your son, `I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'

The calendar has started over.  The Israelites are, for all future time, to reenact this hurried leaving. 

Does the lack of yeast indicate urgency? 

Exodus 13: 9-13, Celebrate by redeeming the first-born

This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year.

    

"After the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your forefathers, you are to give over to the LORD the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD.

    

Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.

Much of the book of Exodus will emphasize observances and remembrances that are to be part of future worship services. In this case the Israelites are to keep this reminder physically close, much like my culture's use of tattoos. (I have a loved one who has a small tattoo to reminder her of a past miscarriage and more generally, the frailty of human life.)

Exodus 13: 14-16, Sons of Israel

"In days to come, when your son asks you, `What does this mean?' say to him, `With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in Egypt, both man and animal. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.'   

And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand."

Once again, an emphasis on "Make sure you remember this."  The Israelites will always be the people of the Exodus; even today most Jewish holidays look back to this time.

Exodus 13: 17-22, Traveling towards the Sea of Reeds

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.

    

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place." 

    

After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

The appearance of YHWH as a pillar of cloud or pillar of fire was described by ancient rabbis as The Shekinah Glory.  It will continue to be a visible, physical manifestation of YHWH as His people wander in the desert.

(A reminder: throughout the Old Testament, the Hebrew name Yam Suph (as here in verse 18) is Sea of Reeds, not the Red Sea.)

 

In verse 19, carrying the bones of Joseph, we are remembering Genesis 50: 24-25.  (How does the pseudo-Egyptian Moses know of this old promise?)