“When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’S. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For 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 animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”
Comment: Have you heard of the statement ‘How odd of God to choose the Jews’? Wikipedia includes in a commentary on this the following. ‘Isaiah and Jeremiah viewed God’s loving choice of Israel as a means to teaching monotheism, combatting idolatry, curbing human arrogance, ending violence, lust, greed, extreme chauvinism and warfare, and ushering in a new society.’ And those are excellent things which the scripture teaches. But let us not forget that the promised Messiah, Saviour of the people of God, was promised to Abraham and Isaac. This ‘Passover event’ is a rehearsal for the way that the slain Lamb of God with outstretched hands nailed to the cross and His head bloodied by a crown of thorns was to offer redemption to mankind! So that in truth the practice of Consecration of the first born reminded them that they were His people as we are meant to be. Passover both looked back to Egypt and slavery and for us today, seen in Biblical context, looked forwards to the Cross and delivery from slavery to sin.
Prayer: Help me to understand the Bible to be Your Word and precious!
As I read it! 