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Thoughts on Exodus 13: A Redeemed People
By daniel | July 24, 2007
The people have been led out of Egypt by their God forcing their slave-holders to release them. Sitting just outside of Egypt, God speaks to them, giving them a way to live together that will physically remind their hearts of this exact place, where they started. There are two main things that stand out to me here.
The first thing that stands out to me is the repeated reference to God's strength. The whole Exodus process was clearly evidence to the new nation of Israel that their God was strong. Stronger than Pharaoh or any of the gods their surrounding Egyptians worshiped.
The second thing that I saw within the story was the way they were told to respond to their redemption. In the Exodus-plagues-Egypt account, Israel was never necessarily "innocent" or "good". They were simply the descendants of Jacob (Israel) who lived with his sons in Egypt over 400 years ago, and were forced into slavery. They knew that they had an ancestor, and about his God, but it seems that is about it. God accomplished several things through the plagues. First, he clearly delineated this new people group. Israel. They were to follow Him. Second, he proves to Egypt and to Israel that He is, in fact, the only God worth worshiping, and that He makes the rules. Israel needed to see it just as bad as Egypt, if not more. They just happen to have obeyed when God told them to take part in the Passover feast. Their firstborn were spared, due to God's provision, and their acceptance of that provision.
So if God the Strong spared their firstborn, those firstborn are indebted to Him. Seems reasonable, right? Truth be told, the entire nation of Israel belonged to Him since He had rescued them from death and slavery. But He asked as a testament to His Rescue that they mark their firstborn as unique and special, remembering the salvation of God at this time. Never forget His Rescue…
Topics: The Word |
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