13:1 AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING,
13:2 SANCTIFY UNTO ME ALL THE FIRSTBORN, WHATSOEVER OPENETH THE WOMB AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, [BOTH] OF MAN AND OF BEAST: IT [IS] MINE.
A.SANCTIFY: Set apart, dedicate (CONSECRATE, NKJ).
B.ALL THE FIRSTBORN: The Hebrew word is masculine, so "firstborn males" is understood -- Note Verse 12, "THAT THOU SHALT SET APART UNTO THE LORD ALL THAT OPENETH THE MATRIX, AND EVERY FIRSTLING THAT COMETH OF A BEAST WHICH THOU HAST; THE MALES [SHALL BE] THE LORD'S." Also see Lk 2:23, "As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord."
C.On the night of the judgment against Egypt, the first-born of Israel was spared; In view of that, the first-born from that time forward was to be considered as belonging to Jehovah.
13:3 AND MOSES SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE, REMEMBER THIS DAY, IN WHICH YE CAME OUT FROM EGYPT, OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE; FOR BY STRENGTH OF HAND THE LORD BROUGHT YOU OUT FROM THIS [PLACE]: THERE SHALL NO LEAVENED BREAD BE EATEN.
A.REMEMBER THIS DAY: This is the close of the first day's journey; The people would be excited upon actually being on their way out of Egypt and on toward Canaan; So they would be impressed with the need to REMEMBER THIS DAY.
B.BY STRENGTH OF HAND: By His mighty power, God rescued them.
13:4 THIS DAY CAME YE OUT IN THE MONTH ABIB.
13:5 AND IT SHALL BE WHEN THE LORD SHALL BRING THEE INTO THE LAND OF THE CANAANITES, AND THE HITTITES, AND THE AMORITES, AND THE HIVITES, AND THE JEBUSITES, WHICH HE SWARE UNTO THY FATHERS TO GIVE THEE, A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY, THAT THOU SHALT KEEP THIS SERVICE IN THIS MONTH.
13:6 SEVEN DAYS THOU SHALT EAT UNLEAVENED BREAD, AND IN THE SEVENTH DAY [SHALL BE] A FEAST TO THE LORD.
**The feast lasted seven days, but the first and the last days were to be kept especially holy - Ex 12:16, "AND IN THE FIRST DAY [THERE SHALL BE] AN HOLY CONVOCATION, AND IN THE SEVENTH DAY THERE SHALL BE AN HOLY CONVOCATION TO YOU."
13:7 UNLEAVENED BREAD SHALL BE EATEN SEVEN DAYS; AND THERE SHALL NO LEAVENED BREAD BE SEEN WITH THEE, NEITHER SHALL THERE BE LEAVEN SEEN WITH THEE IN ALL THY QUARTERS.
13:8 AND THOU SHALT SHEW THY SON IN THAT DAY, SAYING, [THIS IS DONE] BECAUSE OF THAT [WHICH] THE LORD DID UNTO ME WHEN I CAME FORTH OUT OF EGYPT.
**IN THAT DAY: Apparently "on the seventh day of the feast."
13:9 AND IT SHALL BE FOR A SIGN UNTO THEE UPON THINE HAND, AND FOR A MEMORIAL BETWEEN THINE EYES, THAT THE LORD'S LAW MAY BE IN THY MOUTH: FOR WITH A STRONG HAND HATH THE LORD BROUGHT THEE OUT OF EGYPT.
A.A SIGN...A MEMORIAL: The celebration was to be like wearing a sign on their hand or forehead. Some students think the peo-ple were literally to wear something; Others think this is figurative language like Pro 3:3, "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart", and Pro 6:20-21, "20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, [and] tie them about thy neck", and Pro 7:1-3, "1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. 3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart."
B.THAT THE LORD'S LAW MAY BE IN THY MOUTH: The purpose of the SIGN/MEMORIAL was to cause them to retain God's law in their hearts, which would be true if it was in their mouths (let us take heed!) Also, they were to pass on to others the teaching of the Lord.
13:10 THOU SHALT THEREFORE KEEP THIS ORDINANCE IN HIS SEASON FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
**Every year at the same SEASON (time) they were to celebrate this festival.
13:11 AND IT SHALL BE WHEN THE LORD SHALL BRING THEE INTO THE LAND OF THE CANAANITES, AS HE SWARE UNTO THEE AND TO THY FATHERS, AND SHALL GIVE IT THEE,
13:12 THAT THOU SHALT SET APART UNTO THE LORD ALL THAT OPENETH THE MATRIX, AND EVERY FIRSTLING THAT COMETH OF A BEAST WHICH THOU HAST; THE MALES [SHALL BE] THE LORD'S.
13:13 AND EVERY FIRSTLING OF AN ASS THOU SHALT REDEEM WITH A LAMB; AND IF THOU WILT NOT REDEEM IT, THEN THOU SHALT BREAK HIS NECK: AND ALL THE FIRSTBORN OF MAN AMONG THY CHILDREN SHALT THOU REDEEM.
A.Donkeys were the only unclean animals that had to be saved.
B.Donkeys were important because they were the basic means of transportation, the only beasts of burden the Israelites took out of Egypt; There is no mention of their having either horses or camels in the wilderness.
C.IF THOU WILT NOT REDEEM IT, THEN THOU SHALT BREAK HIS NECK: It is assumed this was to discourage the refusal to redeem it.
D.ALL THE FIRSTBORN OF MAN...SHALT THOU REDEEM: The exact way of redeeming them (by money) would be given - Num 3:40-51; 18:16.
13:14 AND IT SHALL BE WHEN THY SON ASKETH THEE IN TIME TO COME, SAYING, WHAT [IS] THIS? THAT THOU SHALT SAY UNTO HIM, BY STRENGTH OF HAND THE LORD BROUGHT US OUT FROM EGYPT, FROM THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE:
13:15 AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN PHARAOH WOULD HARDLY LET US GO, THAT THE LORD SLEW ALL THE FIRSTBORN IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, BOTH THE FIRSTBORN OF MAN, AND THE FIRSTBORN OF BEAST: THEREFORE I SACRIFICE TO THE LORD ALL THAT OPENETH THE MATRIX, BEING MALES; BUT ALL THE FIRSTBORN OF MY CHILDREN I REDEEM.
13:16 AND IT SHALL BE FOR A TOKEN UPON THINE HAND, AND FOR FRONTLETS BETWEEN THINE EYES: FOR BY STRENGTH OF HAND THE LORD BROUGHT US FORTH OUT OF EGYPT.
**The festival, and the sacrifice of first-born male animals, and the saving of every first-born male child, was to serve the purpose of a sign to tell about God's mighty power.
13:17 AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN PHARAOH HAD LET THE PEOPLE GO, THAT GOD LED THEM NOT [THROUGH] THE WAY OF THE LAND OF THE PHILISTINES, ALTHOUGH THAT [WAS] NEAR; FOR GOD SAID, LEST PERADVENTURE THE PEOPLE REPENT WHEN THEY SEE WAR, AND THEY RETURN TO EGYPT:
A.WAY OF THE LAND OF THE PHILISTINES...WAS NEAR: It is esti-mated that they could have been to Canaan in ten days had they travelled the way THAT WAS NEAR.
B.FOR GOD SAID...Ruins have been found of a line of Egyptian fortresses that guarded the road through Philistine country. So this would not have been the way for the Israelites to try to escape. Not only would there have been Egyptians soldiers all along the way, but the Philistines were strong, and would have resisted an invasion of this great throng of people.
C.LEST PERADVENTURE THE PEOPLE REPENT (CHANGE THEIR MINDS, NKJ).
D.Another reason God had them to go this far southern route was to fulfill His promise to Moses when he was still in Midian, before he went to Egypt - Ex 3:12, "AND HE SAID, CERTAINLY I WILL BE WITH THEE; AND THIS [SHALL BE] A TOKEN UNTO THEE, THAT I HAVE SENT THEE: WHEN THOU HAST BROUGHT FORTH THE PEOPLE OUT OF EGYPT, YE SHALL SERVE GOD UPON THIS MOUNTAIN."
13:18 BUT GOD LED THE PEOPLE ABOUT, [THROUGH] THE WAY OF THE WILDERNESS OF THE RED SEA: AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WENT UP HARNESSED OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT.
A.GOD LED THE PEOPLE ABOUT: That is, He led them in a winding and circling route to Canaan. We see His wisdom here, in that the children of Israel had time to get accustomed to hardship by their long and tiresome march in the desert. Someone oberved that God does not always use the quickest way to ac-omlish His will, but He always uses the best way to do so, whether they understood, or we understand - cf Isa 42:16, "And I will bring the blind by a way [that] they knew not; I will lead them in paths [that] they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them."
B.They needed time for God to teach them to depend on Him for their every need, to give them a law, and to fashion them into a nation. Perhaps we too need some discipline.
C.So remember, when we run into detours, God did not intend for us to have it easy -- "Whoever enters upon the journey of faith, expecting to find it all sunshine and roses, is doomed to sorrowful disappointment. The road, under God's guidance, soon takes a turn, which leads into the wilderness of trial. God, Who knows our frame, understands perfectly what degree of severity in temptation we are able to endure, and He merci-fully orders our course, so that we may not be tempted above that we are able (1Co 10:13)."
D.THE WAY OF THE WILDERNESS OF THE RED SEA: The shortest route was along the shoreline of the Mediterranean. Another easy route was a little further south -- the Way of Shur. But God was going to lead them about two hundred miles south of the direct line of travel, and eventually bring them to enter Canaan on the side away from Egypt.
E.HARNESSED: The original has the idea of "military order;" Literally -- "In five divisions" (BY ORDERLY RANKS, NKJ).
13:19 AND MOSES TOOK THE BONES OF JOSEPH WITH HIM: FOR HE HAD STRAITLY SWORN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING, GOD WILL SURELY VISIT YOU; AND YE SHALL CARRY UP MY BONES AWAY HENCE WITH YOU.
A.GOD WILL SURELY VISIT YOU: "Visit" is not just "come to see," but it involves the thought of giving attention to one's needs; The requirement to VISIT the sick (Mt 25) and to VISIT the fatherless (Jas 1) are thus to be understood.
B.YE SHALL CARRY UP MY BONES: See Gen 50:24-25, "24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence."
13:20 AND THEY TOOK THEIR JOURNEY FROM SUCCOTH, AND ENCAMPED IN ETHAM, IN THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS.
**They had now come to the border of Egypt, near the desert.
13:21 AND THE LORD WENT BEFORE THEM BY DAY IN A PILLAR OF A CLOUD, TO LEAD THEM THE WAY; AND BY NIGHT IN A PILLAR OF FIRE, TO GIVE THEM LIGHT; TO GO BY DAY AND NIGHT:
A.THE LORD WENT BEFORE THEM: Without His guidance they surely would have gotten lost and died in the desert.
B.TO GO BY DAY AND NIGHT: He could and would lead them at all times - cf Heb 13:5.
13:22 HE TOOK NOT AWAY THE PILLAR OF THE CLOUD BY DAY, NOR THE PILLAR OF FIRE BY NIGHT, [FROM] BEFORE THE PEOPLE.
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