Day 1084: Faith remembered - Exodus 13 vs 11 – 22
11-12 “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord's. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. 13 Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14-15 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”
17-18 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people round by the way of the wilderness towards the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.”
20-22 And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. Exodus 13:11-22 English Standard Version
We are still in the chapter which deals with remembering! Verse 16 speaks of 'the mark upon the hand' or 'frontlets before the eyes'. This was something they were to observe as a visible reminder of how God redeemed them out of Egypt. In this case, it was the redemption of their firstborn. God said that the firstborn of their sons belonged to Him. (vs 16) Does this throw any light upon Jesus?
Well, for a start we are told that when the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Mary and Joseph “took Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, as it is written in the Law of the Lord, 'Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord'”. Then, in Colossians 1:15, we are told that “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation”. And 1:18 says that He is “the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead.” Paul also tells us that “those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:29) And in Hebrews 1:6 it says, “when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says, 'Let all God’s angels worship Him.'” Jesus, as firstborn, is the key to God's blessings.
Verses 17-18 give us a quick recap of why God didn't lead Israel via the shortest route to freedom. Is there perhaps a lesson there for new converts?
Verses 20-22 describe how God provided a pillar of fire by night that they might travel at night time too. But it is Joseph who catches our interest here. What was said of him in vs 19?
We read in Hebrews 11:22 that “By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.” This goes back to Genesis 50:24 where we read that “Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, 'God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.'” So God does not only call His people to remember – He Himself remembers His people's faith in His promises.