The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

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- Chapter 13 -

(Deuteronomy 15:19–23)

Yahweh said to Moses,

“Set apart all the firstborn males in order that they may belong to me. The firstborn males of the Israelite people and of their animals will be mine.”

Moses said to the people, “Do not forget this day! This is the day that you left Egypt. This is the day you were freed from being their slaves. Yahweh has brought you out of Egypt by his great power. Do not eat any bread that has yeast in it whenever you celebrate this day.

You are leaving Egypt on this day which is the first day of the month of Aviv.

Later, when Yahweh brings you into the land where the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Hiv, and Jebus now live, the land that he promised to give to you, a land that will be very good for raising livestock and growing crops, you must celebrate this festival in this month every year.

For seven days the bread that you eat must not have any yeast in it. On the seventh day there must be a festival to honor Yahweh.

Do not eat bread that has yeast in it for seven days. You should not have any yeast or bread made with yeast anywhere in your land.

On the day the festival starts, you must tell your children, ‘We are doing this to remember what Yahweh did for our ancestors when they left Egypt.’

This ritual will remind you how Yahweh brought your ancestors out of Egypt with his great power. The ritual will be like something you tie on your forehead or on your wrist. It will remind you to recite to others what Yahweh has instructed you.

So you must celebrate this festival every year at the time Yahweh has appointed.

Yahweh will bring you into the land where the descendants of Canaan live, as he promised to you and your ancestors that he would do. When he gives that land to you,

you must give to Yahweh the firstborn males of all your animals. These all will belong to Yahweh.

You may keep the firstborn male donkeys, but you must buy them back by killing a lamb in the place of the donkey. If you do not want to buy back the donkey, you must kill it by breaking its neck. You must buy back every one of your own firstborn sons.

In the future, when one of your children asks, ‘What does this mean?’ you must say to him, ’Yahweh brought our ancestors out of Egypt with his great power, and freed us from being slaves there.

The king of Egypt did not let them leave his land, so Yahweh killed all the firstborn males in Egypt, both the boys and the firstborn of their livestock. That is why we now sacrifice to Yahweh all the firstborn of our livestock, but we buy back our own firstborn sons.’

This will remind you about how Yahweh brought our ancestors out of Egypt by his great power; it will be like something you tie on your wrist or on your forehead to remind you of that.”

The Pillars of Cloud and Fire

When the king of Egypt let the Israelite people go, God did not lead them to go through the land of the Philistines. That was a shorter road, but God said, “It would be bad if my people changed their minds when they realized that they will have to fight the Philistines to take their land. Then they would decide to go back to Egypt.”

Instead, God led them to go around through the wilderness toward the Sea of Reeds. When the Israelite people left Egypt, they were carrying weapons to fight their enemies.

Moses had them take along the bones of Joseph with them because Joseph long ago had made the Israelite people promise that they would do that. He had said to them, “God will rescue your descendants out of Egypt. When that happens, you must carry my bones with you.”

The Israelite people left Succoth and walked to Etham at the edge of the wilderness, and they set up their tents there.

When they walked during the daytime, Yahweh went in front of them in a tall white cloud to show them the way. During the night, he went in front of them in a tall cloud that looked like a fire. By doing this, he enabled them to travel in the daytime and also at nighttime.

The tall cloud did not leave them. It was always in front of them, as a bright white cloud in the daytime and like a tall column of fire in the night.

(Deuteronomy 15:19–23)

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Sanctify to me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of animal. It is mine.”

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 the LORD brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.

Today you go out in the month Abib.

It shall be, when the LORD brings 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.

Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.

Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and no leavened bread shall be seen with you. No yeast shall be seen with you, within all your borders.

You shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘It is because of that which the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

It shall be for a sign to you on your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.

You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.

“It shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanite, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and will give it to you,

that you shall set apart to the LORD all that opens the womb, and every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have. The males shall be the LORD’s.

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.

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 the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage.

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 livestock. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that opens the womb, being males; but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

It shall be for a sign on your hand, and for symbols between your eyes; for by strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

The Pillars of Cloud and Fire

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”;

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.

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.”

They took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.

The LORD 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:

the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, didn’t depart from before the people.