Exodus 13:1-16 - Consecration, Sacrifice, and Redemption
Notes
Transcript
The Word Read
The Word Read
Please remain standing for the reading of the Holy Scripture. Hear the Word of the Lord from:
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”
Behold, brothers and sisters, this is the Word of the Lord. Please be seated.
Exordium
Exordium
Beloved in Christ,
I invite you to open Holy Scripture to Exodus 13:1-16 this morning.
The people of Israel have been freed by Yahweh’s strong, mighty hand. In their rearview mirror is Egypt, and in front of them is the promise of the Promised Land. It is a time of joy, for they were born out of Egypt’s tomb. The promises given to the patriarchs have finally become a reality. God’s glory shines incredibly bright as Egypt lies in ruins. His name and His fame radiate out into the surrounding nations.
My thesis for these verses is that Yahweh calls the people of Israel to live a holy life unto Him as a result of their redemption, and to nurture the next generation spiritually. For us today, this means that as a result of Christ’s substitutionary death, we are called to live a consecrated life to Him and to nurture the next generation spiritually.
Exodus 13:1-2 - The Command to Consecrate
Exodus 13:1-2 - The Command to Consecrate
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”
Yahweh does not simply tell or suggest to Moses that the firstborn will be given to Him; He commands that they be consecrated because they are His. In verses 11-16, we will see that this is to be the firstborn male. This would include both the people of Israel and those Gentiles who declared Yahweh is their God.
The word for consecrate means to be removed, set apart for a holy purpose to God. Again, in our passage in 11-16, this means that every firstborn male of all animals, except the donkeys, was to be sacrificed. We must ask the question, “Why is this necessary? Why did the Lord require the firstborn male of both human and beast to be set apart to Him?”
First, it is a reminder of what occurred on the night of Passover. The Lord “passed over” the firstborn in the land of Goshen as He saw the lamb’s blood on the doorposts and the lintel. When the firstborn males were born, the people would be reminded of Yahweh’s power and their salvation.
Second, this was to demonstrate Yahweh’s superiority and kingship over the people of Israel. He saved them, and thus He was their king. This serves as a continual reminder that the people must be submissive and obedient to their great king. Yahweh is their head.
This is an excellent reminder for us, for Christ is the head of the home and the Church. Regarding the church, Colossians 1:18 and Ephesians 1:22-23:
18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
This means that Christ Jesus is the true one who governs the Church. This is why elders are called to discern Christ’s mind for the church as her leaders. Sadly, some churches will take business principles from Corporate America and use them to govern and grow the local church, instead of trusting Christ to build His church. This is why it is vitally important for the church to pray regularly, not just for their pastors but also for their Ruling Elders. Both Teaching Elders and Ruling Elders are responsible for discerning the mind of Christ for the church they love dearly. Christ must be preeminent in leading His bride. Thus, Elders must be willing to ask difficult questions: “Are we helping believers to find greater enjoyment and satisfaction in Christ? Are we a Gospel beacon into the community? Are we striving to live as Scripture calls us to live, both as individuals and as a church? Are our hearts continually being molded and transformed into the image of Christ Jesus? Are we following Him, or are we following our selfish ambitions, dreams, and goals?” For a church to experience the vibrancy of Christ, He must truly be her head.
Christ as the head means He is also the head of the Christian home. As 1 Corinthians 11:3 states,
3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
Jesus Christ governs the home. Christ is preeminent not only in our church but also in our homes. The entire makeup of our homes should be centered on Jesus Christ. This centeredness around Jesus forces us to ask difficult questions: “Does what I read glorify Christ? Does what I watch reflect a Christ-centeredness? Am I eating and drinking to the glory of God? Do my conversations with my spouse, children, and grandchildren reflect Jesus? Am I spending ample time with Him in devotions throughout the week? Am I leading my family in family worship? What areas of my heart are callous towards Christ and His Word?”
I would also argue that if a church is not experiencing the vibrancy of Christ corporately, it is because they are not personally experiencing the vibrancy of Christ in their homes. The body becomes healthy as members become healthy. Jesus must have superiority and kingship over the church, as Yahweh had superiority and kingship over the Israelites coming out of Egypt.
As these animals are sacrificed, wealth, food, labor, and security will be lost. Ultimately, the people must entirely trust Yahweh for their provisions. We do the same today with tithing. We give the Lord the first 10% of our income, entrusting that He will care for us with the other 90%. Many times, tithing didn’t seem to make financial sense. Yet, we trusted in God to provide for us, and we have yet to experience a time when He was faithless in providing for our needs. The people of Israel would put their trust in God to provide for every one of their needs. Likewise, we trust Christ to provide for our daily bread. We don’t anchor our hope for provision in retirement funds, paychecks, the stock market, etc. We squarely trust Christ alone to provide for our needs, knowing He has done so and will continue to care for us in the future.
Exodus 13:3-10 - From Generation to Generation
Exodus 13:3-10 - From Generation to Generation
3 Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. 5 And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, 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 for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. 8 You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.
Here is another section that one might read and think, “Moses, you already said this in the last chapter. You already gave instructions for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, so why are you repeating yourself?” In one sense, there is a repetition of the instructions. In another sense, the intention of the instructions is different. In the previous passage dealing with this feast, Exodus 12:14-20, the instructions were given to the Exodus generation. This passage provides instructions on how to pass the Feast on to the next generation. At first glance, one might think there’s not much here for us. However, this passage is ripe with application for the believer in the 21st century.
Moses tells the people to remember the day they were freed from slavery in Egypt. The word for remember in verse 3 is used nine other times in the book of Exodus. Each time it is used, it carries the sense of vitality for worship. So, the feast is not just a time to get together for fun fellowship. The expressed purpose of the feast is to worship Yahweh for rescuing them from Egypt. Again, they did not rescue themselves. They were rescued by Yahweh’s strong, mighty hand.
As I mentioned, we see a repetition of the instructions from Exodus 12:14-20. We see this repetition in Exodus 13:3-7. They are to keep the feast when they come into the Promised Land. There will be seven days of eating unleavened bread only, and on the seventh day, they will hold the feast.
In verses 8-10, we see the focus on the next generation. Moses says, in verse 8, You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’
The incredible spiritual joy of being a parent. “Dear son, we celebrate this feast because the Lord saved me from Egypt’s slavery.” Notice that there is a personal element here. It’s not, “The Lord saved us,” it’s “The Lord saved me.” The father would tell the story of Exodus to the children. This is not merely a recounting of intellectual facts. This tells the story that Yahweh brought life when death was inevitable. There is a personal identification with the saving work of Yahweh.
Parents are also responsible for this today. They are called to tell their children the story of Jesus saving sinners. This storytelling does not end when your child leaves home. I’m approaching 40, and my parents still parent me. Indeed, the dynamic has changed, but I know I’ll always be their child. They still give me parental advice when I need advice. I still call them if there is a difficult situation and I need godly, wise counsel.
You can relate to that reality if you are a parent with children out of the home. The dynamics of your relationship have changed, but they’ll always be your children. You give them advice when necessary. You let them know your parental love is still strong. Keep sharing the story of the Gospel with them. Remind them of the great love of God through Christ Jesus. Tell them over and over again about the redemption found at the cross. Let them hear of the glorious resurrection. Tell them their sins can be forgiven, or remind them that the blood of Christ forgives them.
As the passage in Exodus 13 shows, the parents are to ensure two truths are passed to the next generation: the salvation story of Yahweh and the Feast is kept exactly as Yahweh commanded, or that Yahweh is worshipped rightly.
Today, we are responsible for passing down the glorious story of the Gospel of Christ and the doctrines in His Word to the next generation. This is of the utmost importance in the home and in the church. This is not just the responsibility of the parents. As a congregation, we vowed to assume spiritual responsibility with the parents of every child in our congregation. This means we’ve all taken a vow before the Most High God, promising to pass the Gospel and the doctrines in Scripture to the next generation, regardless of whether or not they are our biological children. We don't promise to pass on traditionalism, fundraising, ministry programs, celebrity status, wealth, or riches. We pass down the goodness of God in Christ Jesus, the eternal Gospel, and the eternal Word.
Our spiritual responsibility as parents and as a church is to spiritually nurture the next generation. We need a few people to help teach and disciple our covenant children during the Sunday service. Speak with me if the Holy Spirit pricks your heart in this area. You will get the great joy of telling these children that their identity is not in what they feel, as the world tells them, but instead, their identity is in the very One who created them. What a tremendous position of influence you will hold in their lives as you point them to Christ. Like the Exodus generation, we have the spiritual responsibility to nurture the next generation in the Gospel and train them to live God-centered lives according to His Word.
In verse 9, a metaphor is used to show how seriously the law of the Lord should be taken. It shall be a sign on your hand and a memorial between your eyes. Though this is a metaphor, some in Judaism literally put boxes with Scripture on their arms and hands. The metaphor means the law of the Lord is constantly on your lips and mind. The future generation will be governed by Yahweh and His Word in their hearts and interactions with others.
The same applies to us today. As the people of God, we should be Bible-saturated. We should soak our minds with Scripture to fill our words with life, not death. Plainly put, Christians are Bible people. We love God’s Word because we love God.
I spoke about discipleship to a Ruling Elder at a relatively large church a few years ago. At one point in our conversation, he said, “Many in this church do not spend time with Christ each day in the Word.” I remember a paradigm breaking in my brain. I grew up in a home where God’s Word was important in daily life. Dad did his devotions in the morning before he went to work. Mom was reading her Bible in the evening when I came home from work. Both studied the Word as they led Bible studies. My whole life experience was that Bible reading and Bible study were integral to being a Christian. My Dad was a machinist, and my Mom was a teacher’s aide; for them, the Word was central to their lives. I literally had no category in my mind for a person who claimed to be a Christian, but never read their Bible.
Can you say Psalm 19:7-11 is true of you today?
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Has God’s Word revived your soul this week? Has your mind become spiritually wiser? Do you desire God’s Word more than gold, silver, or any material provision? Is the Word of God sweet like honey and honeycomb to your soul? Like a bear willing to take the stings of adult bees to get to their honeycomb, so should we be willing to fight the stings of the world, the devil, and the flesh so that we might sit with the sweetness of God’s Word. Do we thank God that He has given us His Word so that we might know Him, love Him, know salvation, and learn how to live as pilgrims on this earth? How do you know you are living a life pleasing to God if you don’t know His Word?
There will be times of incredible tribulation in your life. What will your mind be soaked with in that moment? What will be the words on your lips? If you don’t know the Word, you won’t have it hidden in your heart when trials arise. When we sat in those hospital rooms experiencing the death of our children, Job 1-2 ran through my mind again and again and again. “God, I do not understand this, but I refuse to curse you and die.” What my mind had already soaked in became the cry of my heart in distress. Like the generation that will come into the Promised Land after the Exodus generation, we are also called to meditate deeply on God’s Word so that it fills our hearts and our conversations with others. We are commanded to live a holy life (1 Peter 1:15) and learn how to live this way in the sacred scriptures.
Exodus 13:11-16 - Substitutionary Sacrifice
Exodus 13:11-16 - Substitutionary Sacrifice
11 “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, 12 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. 13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 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. 15 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.”
These verses reiterate and expand Exodus 13:1-2. All firstborn males that are animals are the Lord’s possession. The only animal that is not to be sacrificed is the donkey. The firstborn donkey could be redeemed by sacrificing a lamb. They would break that donkey’s neck if one were unwilling to or unable to do this.
Furthermore, as we see in verses 13-15, the firstborn son would be redeemed. There would be a price to be paid for the firstborn son. This should remind us all of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. The Lord tells Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham and Isaac make the trek up the mountain. Abraham binds Isaac and lays him on the altar atop the wood. Abraham stretches his hand toward heaven with a knife in his hand, ready to kill Isaac. At that moment, the angel of the Lord stops Abraham. Abraham fears Yahweh and withholds nothing from Him, not even his own son. Off to the side, a ram is caught in the thicket. Abraham kills the ram and offers it as a sacrifice instead of Isaac. A substitutionary sacrifice.
Every firstborn son would grow up knowing a price was paid for their redemption. Eventually, a conversation would be had with them. “You mean I had to be redeemed?” “Yes, son. You had to be redeemed. There was a price paid.” The firstborn son would be redeemed every year of this reality as he partook in the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread.
Yet, let us not think this was just for the firstborn sons in Israel. There was a cost to your redemption. There was a price paid for you to have freedom from sin and death. As Paul writes in both 1 Corinthians 6:20 and 1 Corinthians 7:23, “You were bought with a price.” Or as Scripture testifies in Titus 2:14, “Christ gave himself so that we might be redeemed.” Do we not remember that this price was Jesus being beaten by the Romans, hung on the cross, bearing the weight of God’s wrath on our behalf, and dying with a crown of thorns on His head? Christ gave himself so that we might be redeemed—a substitutionary sacrifice whereby He took God’s wrath so that we might not have to taste it. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 states,
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
How real is that verse to you? The Righteous One was made to be sin, the One who knew no sin, so that we, the unrighteous, might become the righteousness of God. How real is that to you this morning? We, undeserving sinners, bask in the Righteous One’s victory. We don’t deserve the righteousness of God, but in His grace and mercy, we’ve been declared righteous and have peace with God through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Like the firstborn of Israel who would reflect on his redemption, so should we often think about the price of our redemption — the death of the Son of God.
The people of Israel were to keep this Feast once a year to be continually reminded that the strong hand of Yahweh saved them from slavery. If you know the Exodus story, you know rebellion, pain, and disastrous consequences await this very generation. They had forgotten how bad slavery was in Egypt. They had spiritual amnesia time and time again.
We would like to believe we are different from these people. However, we can be just like this generation. We look back into the land of sin and think, “Was it really that bad in the territory of the power of sin? I know sin is bad, but was it as bad as Scripture says? What if I just take a little taste of lust, gluttony, anger, people pleasing, drunkenness, grumbling, or jealousy?” At times, we forget that being a slave to sin leads only to death (Romans 5:21). We forget that we walked following the world following Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2).
This is why we must preach the Gospel to our own hearts daily. We need to be reminded that the Lord Jesus Christ saved us. Our pride needs to be brought low—we did not save ourselves, but it was entirely the strong saving hand of the Lord that brought us redemption. We know that in our flesh, we will desire Egypt. However, by the grace of Christ, He leads us to the eternal Promised Land. We must continually remind ourselves of the Gospel!
Closing
Closing
There was a significant cost to your redemption. The call of Christ is undoubtedly, “come,” but it is not only “come.” Christ calls us to “come and be changed.” Christ has set us apart and commanded us to live as holy.
Yet, we are not left alone in this endeavor. The Father and the Son has sent us the Spirit. He helps us live a consecrated God-centered life in the light of our redemption.
