Exodus 13: Consecrate the Firstborn
God claims Israel's firstborn as his own, commands the feast of unleavened bread, and leads his people by cloud and fire.
Exodus 13 (WEB)
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Sanctify to me all of the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of animal. It is mine.”
3 Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand Yahweh brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
4 This day you go out in the month Abib.
5 It shall be, when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month.
6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to Yahweh.
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and no leavened bread shall be seen with you, neither shall yeast be seen with you, in all your borders.
8 You shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘It is because of that which Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.’
9 It shall be for a sign to you on your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that Yahweh’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand Yahweh has brought you out of Egypt.
10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.
11 “It shall be, when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanite, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and shall give it you,
12 that you shall set apart to Yahweh all that opens the womb, and every firstborn which you have that comes from an animal. The males shall be Yahweh’s.
13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and you shall redeem all the firstborn of man among your sons.
14 It shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall tell him, ‘By strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage.
15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of animal. Therefore I sacrifice to Yahweh all that opens the womb, being males; but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
16 It shall be for a sign on your hand, and for symbols between your eyes: for by strength of hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt.”
17 When Pharaoh had let the people go, God didn’t lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and they return to Egypt”;
18 but God led the people around by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the children of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones away from here with you.”
20 They took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
21 Yahweh went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that they might go by day and by night:
22 the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, didn’t depart from before the people.
Exodus 13 (KJV)
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
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.
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.
4 This day came ye out in the month Abib.
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.
6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord.
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.
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.
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.
10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.
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,
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 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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
20 And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
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:
22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
Exodus 13 (ASV)
1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Sanctify unto me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
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 Jehovah brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
4 This day ye go forth in the month Abib.
5 And it shall be, when Jehovah shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, 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.
6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to Jehovah.
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee, in all thy borders.
8 And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying, It is because of that which Jehovah did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.
9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thy hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the law of Jehovah may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath Jehovah brought thee out of Egypt.
10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.
11 And it shall be, when Jehovah shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,
12 that thou shalt set apart unto Jehovah all that openeth the womb, and every firstling which thou hast that cometh of a beast; the males shall be Jehovah’s.
13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck: and all the first-born of man among thy sons shalt thou redeem.
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 Jehovah brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
15 and it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that Jehovah slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man, and the first-born of beast: therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah all that openeth the womb, being males; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem.
16 And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt.
17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not by 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:
18 but God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.
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.
20 And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
21 And Jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; that they might go by day and by night:
22 the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, departed not from before the people.
Summary
After the Passover, God commands Israel to consecrate to him every firstborn, both of man and beast, because the firstborn belong to him who spared them. Moses charges the people to remember this day of deliverance from the house of bondage and to keep the feast of unleavened bread for seven days once they enter the promised land, eating no leaven, as a yearly reminder of how the Lord brought them out by a strong hand. They are to tell their children the meaning of the observance, that it may be like a sign on their hand and a memorial between their eyes, keeping God's law in their mouths. God also instructs them to set apart every firstborn to the Lord, redeeming the firstborn of unclean animals and of their sons, and to explain to their children that the Lord brought them out from Egypt by strength of hand and slew Egypt's firstborn. When Pharaoh finally lets the people go, God does not lead them by the short road through Philistine country, lest they face war and return to Egypt, but leads them around by the wilderness toward the Red Sea, and they go up armed. Moses carries the bones of Joseph, fulfilling an ancient oath, and the Lord goes before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, which never depart from before the people.
Main Characters
- Yahweh (the LORD) / God — The God who claims Israel's firstborn, commands the feast of unleavened bread, and leads his people by pillars of cloud and fire.
- Moses — The leader who teaches Israel to remember their redemption, consecrate the firstborn, and who carries Joseph's bones out of Egypt.
- The children of Israel — The redeemed people, now led out armed and consecrated to God, learning to remember and teach their deliverance.
Key Verse
Exodus 13:21 (WEB)
Yahweh went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that they might go by day and by night:
Lessons Learned
- Those whom God redeems belong to him and are to be consecrated to him.
- Remembering and teaching God's deliverance keeps faith alive in each generation.
- God leads his people wisely, sometimes by longer roads, to spare and strengthen them.
- The Lord's presence goes before his people to guide them through the unknown.
- The redeemed belong to God. “Sanctify to me all of the firstborn… It is mine” (Exodus 13:2, WEB). Those God spares and saves are set apart as his own.
- Remember and retell redemption. “Remember this day, in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 13:3, WEB). God's people are to keep their deliverance ever before them and their children.
- God leads by the wisest path. He avoids the Philistine road “lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war” (Exodus 13:17, WEB). God's guidance considers what his people can bear.
- God's presence goes before his people. He led them “in a pillar of cloud” by day and “a pillar of fire” by night (Exodus 13:21, WEB). The Lord himself guides and lights the way.
- Why does God claim the firstborn of Israel as belonging to him?
- How are the people to keep the memory of their deliverance alive across generations?
- Why does God lead Israel by the longer wilderness route rather than the direct road?
- What is the significance of Moses carrying Joseph's bones (verse 19)?
- How have you seen God lead you by an unexpected path, and how does the pillar of cloud and fire encourage you to trust his guidance?
- Because God spared Israel's firstborn when he struck Egypt's, the firstborn now belong to him and must be consecrated or redeemed (13:2, 13-15). Redemption creates ownership: those bought by God's hand are set apart for his service.
- Through the feast of unleavened bread, the consecration of the firstborn, and deliberate teaching of their children, the people keep the story ever before them (13:8-9, 14-16). Repeated observance and explanation pass living faith to the next generation.
- God knows the short road through Philistine territory would expose the people to war and tempt them to return to Egypt (13:17). His longer route is an act of mercy, leading them at a pace and along a path suited to their fragile faith.
- Carrying Joseph's bones fulfills the oath Joseph made Israel swear, that God would surely visit them and they would carry his bones out (13:19; Genesis 50:25). It testifies that God keeps long-awaited promises across centuries.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recall surprising detours in their own journeys and how God used them. As leader, point to the constant pillar of cloud and fire as a picture of God's faithful, unfailing guidance.