Exodus 13 - Introduction

Exodus 13 Regulations Concerning the Firstborn and Unleavened Bread. The First Details of Their Journey

The instruction that follows covers what Israel's immediate response was to be to what had happened on Passover night. They were to ‘sanctify the firstborn' which had been spared, and to ‘continue to eat unleavened bread' until the seven day feast was over. It then covers how both were to be commemorated in the future.

The command are not given haphazardly. They appear to be so to us because we are not used to the chiastic pattern. Note the careful chiastic pattern in the first part of the chapter.

a They were to sanctify the firstborn as a memorial of that first night of deliverance through the mighty hand of God when He delivered their firstborn (13:2).

b They were to eat unleavened bread in that day as a memorial of their coming out of Egypt and His deliverance by the strength of His hand (13:3-4).

b This sign of unleavened bread was to be backed up in the future by the annual keeping of the feast of unleavened bread in which their sons were to be taught the significance of the feast (13:5-10).

a The sign of the offering of the firstborn was to be backed up by the continual offering of all firstborn to Yahweh through which their sons were to be taught the significance of the Passover (13:11-15).

Thus ‘a' is expanded in its parallel, and ‘b' the same.

As we consider this chapter we must remember the situation in mind. Israel have just experienced the amazing deliverance of the first Passover. That terrible night has passed and their firstborn alone have been spared of all the firstborn in Egypt. They have now begun their journey with grateful hearts in the midst of ‘the feast of unleavened bread', looking with gratitude at the fact that their firstborn had been spared. Thus they are now given brief instruction on how they are to respond to this situation. Even in the midst of their flight they must not forget their present responsibility towards Yahweh. This is now dealt with in Exodus 13:1. The principles are then expanded on in order to tell them how they must similarly behave once they have reached the land God has promised them, so as to be continually reminded of it.

With regard to this second point it may be thought that the instructions were somewhat premature, for we think in terms of a delay of forty years. But we must consider that God wanted them right from the start to recognise that they must perpetually remember their life changing experience.

And we must remember that they were at this stage on the point of leaving Egypt for a journey which could, at least theoretically, have brought them to Canaan within a moon period, depending on how long they spent at their sacrificial feast in the wilderness and how speedily they moved on. For Canaan was theoretically only eleven days journey from Sinai (Deuteronomy 1:2).

So it was quite reasonable that at this stage Moses should encourage the people by indicating both what they should do immediately, the moment that they had the opportunity, and then what they must continue to do on arrival in the land as an indication of their dedication to Yahweh and of their gratitude for their deliverance, connecting it with their current situation. It would be a confirmation to them that their future was assured.

Moses would not, of course, at this point be aware of all that lay before them, nor of the problems and delays that lay ahead. He had himself after all arrived in Egypt from Midian fairly quickly, and he would not learn until later the very great difference there was between that and travelling when accompanied by a huge body of men, women and children with all their household possessions. Thus his view was probably that ‘it will not be long'.

The chapter in English divides into five sections, the initial command concerning what they must now do with regards to their firstborn as a result of the Passover deliverance that had just taken place (Exodus 13:1), instructions concerning the feast of unleavened bread that was now in process (Exodus 13:3), instruction as to how it was to be kept in better times (Exodus 13:5), the detailed law of the firstborn as it was to apply in the future (Exodus 13:11), and the initial first details of their journey (Exodus 13:17).

Yahweh Leads His People Out Of Egypt In Triumph (Exodus 13:17 to Exodus 14:31).

The acknowledgement of Yahweh's initial deliverance having been dealt with the narrative now moves on to the escape from Egypt. There is again a clear chiastic pattern:

a Yahweh leads His people out of Egypt (Exodus 13:17).

b The pillar of cloud and fire accompanies them (Exodus 13:20).

c Yahweh tells Moses that Pharaoh will think that they are at his mercy and declares that He will get Himself honour over Pharaoh (Exodus 14:1).

d The Egyptians say, ‘Why have we let Israel go from slaving for us?' (Exodus 14:5).

e Pharaoh makes ready his chariot forces and takes them forward (Exodus 14:6).

f Pharaoh pursues the children of Israel (Exodus 14:8).

f The Egyptians pursue the children of Israel and get them in their sights (Exodus 14:9).

e The children of Israel lift up their eyes and see the forces of Pharaoh (Exodus 14:10).

d Israel cry out with a willingness to slave for the Egyptians (Exodus 14:11).

c Pharaoh will be proved wrong, the salvation of Yahweh will be revealed, the Egyptians will be seen no more and Yahweh will get Himself honour over Pharaoh and his forces (Exodus 14:13).

b The pillar of cloud and fire stands between Israel and Pharaoh as a protection against the Egyptians while Moses opens the sea before them (Exodus 14:19).

a Yahweh leads Israel triumphantly out of Egypt and the forces of Pharaoh are destroyed (Exodus 14:23).

The parallels are clear and powerful. In ‘a' Yahweh leads His people out of Egypt and in the parallel we have the vivid description of how He finally did it. In ‘b' He accompanies them with the pillar of cloud and fire and in the parallel it protects them from the Egyptians. In ‘c' Yahweh says that He will get Himself honour over Pharaoh and in the parallel He does so. In ‘d' the Egyptians bemoan losing their slaves, and in the parallel the slaves in fear indicate their willingness to return, a deliberate contrast with the triumph of the whole passage, confirming that the deliverance was in no way due to faltering Israel. In ‘e' Pharaoh makes ready his chariot forces and takes them forward, and in the parallel Israel see them coming. In ‘f' the pursuit begins and in the parallel Pharaoh gets Israel in his sights.