Exodus 13

This section of the book of Exodus focuses on an unpopular subject: death. King Jehovah (Ps. 95:3)

was about to confront King Pharaoh with another king—death, the “king of terrors” (Job 18:14). The last enemy, death (1 Cor. 15:26), would visit Egypt with one last plague and deliver one last blow to the proud ruler of the land. In one solemn night, all the firstborn sons and all the firstborn livestock in Egypt would die, and there would be a great cry throughout the land (Ex. 11:6; 12:30). Only then would Pharaoh let God’s people go.

However, death wouldn’t visit the Jews and their livestock in the land of Goshen, because the Israelites belonged to the Lord and were His special people. In the land of Goshen, all that would die would be innocent yearling lambs, one for each Jewish household. This night would mark the inauguration of Passover, Israel’s first national feast. In this chapter, we want to examine five different aspects of the Passover event.

This section explains the significance of the firstborn in the nation of Israel. Not only once a year at Passover were the Jews reminded of God’s grace and power, but each time a firstborn male, man or beast, came into the world, that firstborn issue had to be redeemed. Because of God’s mighty acts in protecting and redeeming His people and saving the firstborn of humans and livestock from death (12:12–13), all the firstborn belonged to God. They were sanctified, that is, set apart for God’s exclusive possession.

This ordinance of redemption would take effect when the Jews were in the Promised Land, and later Moses explained how to do it (Lev. 12; Num. 18:14–19). The firstborn of an ass, being an unclean animal, could not be sacrificed to God, so it was redeemed by a lamb. Being a valuable work animal, the ass was spared only in this way, but if the animal was not redeemed, then it had to be killed. Parents would bring their firstborn sons to the Lord and offer the appropriate sacrifice (Lev. 12:6–8). When Mary and Joseph came to the temple to redeem the Redeemer, they brought the humble sacrifice of the poor (Luke 2:21–24).

When a firstborn son was redeemed, or a firstborn animal, it gave adults the opportunity to explain how God had rescued the firstborn in the land of Goshen on Passover night, and how He had slain all the Egyptian firstborn, both humans and livestock. Even though he had nothing to do with the birth order in the home, each firstborn son in a Jewish family was very special to the parents and to the Lord.

Passover and Moses (Heb. 11:27–29) We must never forget that it was the once timid and excuse-making Moses who, with his brother Aaron, confronted Pharaoh time after time and finally conquered Pharaoh and all the power of Egypt. Hebrews 11 reminds us that Moses accomplished all of this by faith in the living God. Passover and the Exodus are memorials to the power of faith.

Hebrews 11: refers to Exodus 10:28–29 when Pharaoh threatened to kill Moses if he came to see him one more time. Moses believed God’s promises and had no fear of what the king might do. Faith simply means that we rely on God and obey His Word, regardless of feelings, circumstances, or consequences. By faith, Moses kept the Passover, even though slaying the lambs and putting the blood on the doors looked ridiculous to the Egyptians and was certainly offensive to them. At any time, Pharaoh could have sent his officers to Moses and killed him, but God kept him safe.

It was faith in God’s word that had brought Moses back to Egypt to lead his people; it was faith that took him out of Egypt; and it was faith that separated him and his people from Egypt as they crossed the Red Sea. No matter what our circumstances may be, we can trust God to bring us out and take us through.

Jesus established the Lord’s Supper after He had led His disciples in celebrating Passover, for He is the fulfillment of the Passover as the Lamb of God who died for the sins of the world. Each time we share in the Lord’s Supper, we look back and remember His death, but we also look ahead and anticipate His coming again. When Jesus returns, a wonderful exodus will take place! The dead in Christ will be raised and the living believers will be caught up with them and taken to heaven to be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:13–18).

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.” President Dwight D.

Eisenhower spoke those words in his first inaugural address, January 20, 1953. As the man who helped lead the Allies to victory in World War II, General Eisenhower knew a great deal about the high cost of victory as well as the heavy burden of freedom that always follows. British novelist Charles Kingsley rightly said, “There are two freedoms—the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; and the true, where a man is free to do what he ought.” Throughout their history, the nation of Israel struggled with both of these freedoms, just as God’s people struggle with them today.

It’s a mark of maturity when we learn that freedom is a tool to build with, not a toy to play with, and that freedom involves accepting responsibility. Israel’s exodus experience taught them that their future success lay in fulfilling three important responsibilities: following the Lord (13:17–22), trusting the Lord (14:1–31), and praising the Lord (15:12–21).

Israel’s exodus from Egypt wasn’t the end of their experience with God; it was the new beginning. “It took one night to take Israel out of Egypt, but forty years to take Egypt out of Israel,” said George Morrison. If Israel obeyed His will, God would bring them into the Promised Land and give them their inheritance. Forty years later, Moses would remind the new generation, “He [the Lord] brought you out of Egypt … to bring you in, to give you [the] land as an inheritance” (Deut. 4:37–38 nkjv).

The same thing can be said of the redemption we have in Christ: God brought us out of bondage that He might bring us into blessing. A. W. Tozer used to remind us that “we are saved to as well as saved from.” The person who trusts Jesus Christ is born again into the family of God, but that’s just the beginning of an exciting new adventure that should lead to growth and conquest. God liberates us and then leads us through the varied experiences of life, a day at a time, so that we might get to know Him better and claim by faith all that He wants us to have. At the same time, we come to know ourselves better; we discover our strengths and weaknesses, and we grow in understanding God’s will and trusting His promises.

God plans the route for His people (vv. 17–18). Nothing takes God by surprise, for in His providence He plans the best way for His people to take. We may not always understand the way He chooses, or even agree with it, but His way is always the right way. We may confidently say, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Ps. 23: nkjv), and we should humbly pray, “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me” (25:4–5 nkjv).

If there had been any military strategists in Israel that night, they probably would have disagreed with the evacuation route God selected because it was too long. Israel’s immediate destination was Mount Sinai, but why take several million people the long way instead of using the shorter and easier route? The answer is: because there were Egyptian military posts along the shorter route, and the soldiers stationed there would have challenged the Jews. Furthermore, crossing the Philistine borders would have invited their army to attack, and the last thing Israel needed was a war with the neighbors. God knew what He was doing when He chose the longer way.

If you permit the Lord to direct your steps (Prov. 3:5–6), expect to be led occasionally on paths that may seem unnecessarily long and circuitous. Remind yourself that God knows what He’s doing, He isn’t in a hurry, and as long as you follow Him, you’re safe and in the place of His blessing. He may close some doors and suddenly open others, and we must be alert (Acts 16:6–10; 2 Cor. 2:12–13).

God encourages His people’s faith (v. 19). Before he died, Joseph made his brothers promise that, when God delivered Israel from Egypt, their descendants would take his coffin with them to the Promised Land (Gen. 50:24–25; Heb. 11:22). Joseph knew that God would keep His promise and rescue the children of Israel (15:13–16). Joseph also knew that he belonged in the land of Canaan with his people (49:29–33).

What did this coffin mean to the generations of Jews who lived during the years of terrible bondage in Egypt? Certainly the Jews could look at Joseph’s coffin and be encouraged. After all, the Lord cared for Joseph during his trials, and finally delivered him, and He would care for the nation of Israel and eventually set them free. During their years in the wilderness, Israel saw Joseph’s coffin as a reminder that God has His times and keeps His promises. Joseph was dead, but he was bearing witness to the faithfulness of God. When they arrived in their land, the Jews kept their promise and buried Joseph with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Josh. 24:32).

Is it idolatrous to have visible reminders of God’s faithfulness? Not necessarily, for you find several significant monuments in the book of Joshua. When Israel crossed the Jordan River, they put up a monument of stones on the farther shore to commemorate what God had done (Josh. 4). They also put stones on Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim to remind them of God’s law (Ex. 8:30–35). A heap of stones bore witness of Achan’s treachery (Josh. 7:25–26), and a “witness stone” was a reminder of Israel’s rededication after the conquest of the land (24:24–28). Samuel set up a stone to commemorate Israel’s victory over the Philistines and called it “Ebenezer, the stone of help” (1 Sam. 7:12).

As long as we keep obeying the Lord, such reminders can encourage our faith. The important thing is that they point to the Lord and not to a dead past, and that we continue to walk by faith and obey the Lord today.

God goes before His people to lead the way (vv. 20–22). The nation was guided by a pillar (column) of cloud by day that became a pillar of fire by night. This pillar was identified with the angel of the Lord who led the nation (14:19; 23:20–23; see Neh. 9:12). God occasionally spoke from the pillar of cloud (Num. 12:5–6; Deut. 31:15–16; Ps. 99:7), and the pillar of cloud also shielded the people from the hot sun as they journeyed by day (105:39). When the cloud moved, the camp moved; when the cloud waited, the camp waited (Ex. 40:34–38).

We don’t have this same kind of visible guidance today, but we do have the Word of God which is a light (Ps. 119:105) and a fire (Jer. 23:29). It’s interesting to note that the pillar of fire gave light to the Jews but was darkness to the Egyptians (Ex. 14:20). God’s people are enlightened by the Word (Eph. 1:15–23), but the unsaved can’t understand God’s truth (Matt. 11:25; 1 Cor. 2:11–16).

The Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of Truth, guides us by teaching us the Word (John 16:12–13). Just as God spoke to Moses from the pillar, so the Lord communicates with us from the Scriptures by making them clear to us. There are times when we aren’t sure which way God wants us to go, but if we wait on Him, He will eventually guide us.

How foolish it would have been for the Jews to pause in their march and take a vote to see which route they should take to Mount Sinai! Certainly there’s a place for community counsel and referendum (Acts 6:1–7), but when God has spoken, there’s no need for consultation. On more than one occasion in Scripture, the majority has been wrong.