December 23, 2020
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Reading along with us in some Exodus? Here’s today’s reading:
Exodus 13 (NIV)
Consecration of the Firstborn
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2“Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”....Continue Reading
A few things I love about this chapter….
1. again God asks for them to honor what has been done through the feast of unleavened bread. A reminder so the people would not get desensitized to this great act done on their behalf
2. that Joseph’s bones were brought with them. He was never given a final burial in Egypt because he had such faith in the promise God made that this would not be where the Israelites would remain forever.
3. another great showing of God’s protection by providing a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God’s great provision again!
21By 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. 22Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
It’s so comforting to see how the Lord takes care of His people. Praise Him!
So much to see here what the Lord did for His people, guiding them out of Egypt, “21 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.”
I pray tonight that we see how the Lord guides us through these tough times.
Exodus 13
Because the first born son of the Jews was saved in the Passover, now the firstborn male of man or beast needs to be dedicated to the Lord: they are to be sacrificed or something is to be sacrificed in place of them. This is to be a reminder of the mighty work God did to save the firstborn sons of Israel in the Passover. It is also emphasized that they are to uphold the feast of the unleavened bread to remember this important event as well. And God shows His care by providing the cloud by day and fire by night. May we be as willing to seek the Lord’s leading in our own lives as well.
And Merry Christmas to all!
14“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. 15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’ 16And 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.”
God instructs the Israelites to perform a reminder of His mighty acts in bringing them out of Egypt. The first born is sacrificed or redeemed with a sacrifice.
A later picture of our redemption by the sacrifice of God’s son.
God doesn’t leave them wandering in the wilderness, but guides them with a pillar of smoke and a pillar of fire.
The KJV translates the womb as “matrix”. It struck me as strange because all I can think of is the movie.
ma•trix
n. A situation or surrounding substance within which something else originates, develops, or is contained.
n. The womb.
Exodus 13