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Text: Exodus 13
Moses gives the instruction to sanctify the firstborn who have been delivered by the blood of the Passover lamb.
Remember with a feast (vss 2-4)
- Remembering is an activity. Remembering is more than just reflecting back on a day. Remembering this Passover and the sanctifying of the firstborn among the Israelites will include celebrating a feast to keep this memory alive.
- Actively remembering isn’t always the case, but it is here and at other times in the Bible.
- When the thief on the cross asks Jesus to remember him, he’s not asking him to only have thoughts in his mind. He’s asking for literal acceptance into Christ’s kingdom.
- Paul said to remember the poor Christians. That didn’t mean just thinking about how poor they are in Jerusalem, but do what you can to help them.
- You might say we need to create a memory. That’s the idea.
Remove the leaven (vss 5-7)
- Sanctifying the firstborn will include removing Egyptian leaven from the seven-day feast of Passover. They’re told to celebrate a seven-day feast without Egyptian leaven. And for future Passover feasts simply remove the leaven from the feasting.
Reason for this occasion (vss 8-10, 14-16)
- Part of this sanctification will be your ability to reason and explain why you’re doing what you’re doing.
- This ordinance highlighted the LORD’s power to deliver.
Redeem with a sacrifice (vss 11-13)
- Sanctification will require a sacrifice to redeem the firstborn going forward.
- Redemption will be necessary otherwise the firstborn beast must have its neck broken.
Responding to this ordinance of sanctification
- The ordinance of sanctifying the firstborn included remembering, removing, reasoning, and redeeming.
- Peter would say, Sanctify the LORD God in your hearts. With this ordinance, you’ll know how.
- Remember the LORD in a regular celebration.
- Remove Egypt’s leaven. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
- Reason with those that ask. In fact, this is Peter’s point in 1 Peter 3:15. Someone who has sanctified the LORD God in their hearts will be able to give an answer.
- Redeem the time; revenge your disobedience with obedience. How will I sanctify the LORD God, I’ll redeem my time here.
