The Redemption of the Firstborn Who Are Holy to Yahweh (Exodus 13:11-16).
Further regulation and explanation concerning the firstborn is now laid down, with special reference to its being explained to their children. The analysis again follows the usual pattern:
a Yahweh will bring them into the land of Canaan as He swore to their fathers (Exodus 13:11).
b All that opens the womb to be caused to pass over to Yahweh, either by death or redemption through a substitute (Exodus 13:12-13).
c Their sons will ask, ‘What is this?' They will be told how Yahweh delivered them from bondage by strength of hand (Exodus 13:14).
c Yahweh did it by slaying all the firstborn in the land of Egypt (Exodus 13:15 a).
b That is why they sacrifice all that opens the womb to Yahweh and redeem their firstborn sons (Exodus 13:15 b).
a This is the sign that Yahweh brought them forth from Egypt by strength of hand, which is to affect all that their hands do or their eyes see (Exodus 13:e16)
In ‘a' the bringing into the land of Canaan is paralleled with their being brought forth from Egypt. In ‘b' all that opens the womb is to be sanctified to Yahweh and either sacrificed or redeemed, while in the parallel the explanation for this is given. In ‘c' their sons will be told how Yahweh delivered them from bondage, and in the parallel it is brought home that Yahweh did it by slaying all the firstborn of Egypt.
“And it will be when Yahweh 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 will hand over to Yahweh all that opens the womb, and every firstling which you have that comes from a beast. The males shall be Yahweh's.”
There appears to be a deliberate connection here between God's promise to their forefathers and the subsequent giving of the land, with the handing over of the male firstlings. This was to be their grateful response and tribute for what God had given them. Notice that ‘all that opens the womb' is then restricted to ‘the males'. These belong to Yahweh and must be handed over to Him. This had the twofold purpose of reminding them of the deliverance of the Passover, and reminding them that they were tenants in God's land. Then in the case of unclean animals and man they can be redeemed. But the clean animals must be sacrificed. Later part of these would then be given as food to the priests (Numbers 18:18) who were also ‘holy'. It is possible that here, when there was no unique, set apart priesthood, they were whole burnt offerings, completely given to Yahweh.
“And every firstling of an ass you will redeem with a lamb, and if you will not redeem it you will break its neck, and all the firstborn of man among your sons you will redeem.”
The ass was a valuable animal and its firstborn could be bought back from Yahweh by the offering of a lamb (of lesser value) in substitution. But if it was not bought back it had to be killed by breaking its neck for it belonged to Yahweh and was holy. This breaking of the neck might happen because it had been born disabled or weak. It could not be offered as a sacrifice for it was not seen as suitable for this purpose. It was ritually ‘unclean'. The breaking of the neck would not involve the shedding of blood and was therefore not a sacrifice. So the idea of ‘uncleanness' was already present, distinguishing animals which could be sacrificed from those that could not (compare Genesis 7:2), although probably not in the detail explained later (Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14).
With firstborn sons there was no option. They had to be redeemed, presumably at this stage in the same way as an ass by the ‘payment' of the sacrifice of a lamb (later it would become five shekels - Numbers 18:15-16). This was to be a continual sign to all of how Yahweh had spared the firstborn of Israel when He had smitten all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. But having been redeemed from death they were still servants of Yahweh, for they were thereby ‘holy'.
Later in 22:29 it is stated that the sacrificing was not to take place until the eighth day after the birth; and in Deuteronomy 15:21-22 it is still further modified by the command that an animal which had any fault, and was either blind or lame, was not to be sacrificed, but to be slain and eaten at home, like other edible animals
“And it will be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?', that you will say to him, ‘By strength of hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondmen. And it came about that, when Pharaoh hardened himself against letting us go, Yahweh slew the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. That is why I sacrifice to Yahweh all that opens the womb, being males. But all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.' ”
Again we learn that one of the purposes of these sacrifices and redemptions was as a testimony to future generations. This idea of testimony to the young is constantly emphasised. It is seen as important that they know what Yahweh did for His people in revealing His strength against the might of Egypt and delivering them from bondage. It was a continual reminder to them of the power of their God and His love for His people. And the reminder (and warning) is also given that it was because of Pharaoh's hardness of heart. It was a constant reminder of the danger of hardness of heart when facing Yahweh's commands.
“And it will be for a sign on your hand and for frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt.”
See on Exodus 13:9 where ‘frontlets' were ‘memorials'. As with eating unleavened bread, so redeeming the firstborn was to be the equivalent of signs on the hands and some sign or mark on the forehead. And they would be a memorial of Yahweh's strong deliverance. They were to be instead of such literal marks or signs.
Note for Christians.
These ordinance had great significance for Israel, but the New Testament tells us that what underlay them had great significance for us. Paul makes clear that the Passover lamb was a ‘type' of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, as our Passover lamb, was offered for us, and that just as the Israelites were to abstain from leavened bread so are we to avoid the leaven of malice and wickedness and partake of the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:7-9). In Galatians 5:9 he uses the leavening of bread as a warning against insidious teaching.
We can compare with this how Jesus Christ Himself warned against the leaven (insidious teaching which can begin to work and spread) of the Pharisees and the Herodians (Mark 8:15).
In the sanctification of the firstborn we can see a picture of the dedication and consecration that God requires from His own. As those who like the firstborn have been redeemed by blood we should be fully set aside to His service.
End of note