টীকা বর্তমানে শুধুমাত্র ইংরেজিতে উপলব্ধ। বাংলা অনুবাদ চলছে।
Exodus 13 — The Firstborn Are Mine
God claims the firstborn of Israel as His — both man and beast. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is reaffirmed. Joseph's bones are carried out as he had requested. The pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night accompany Israel as they leave the borders of Egypt.
“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire.”
— Exodus 13:21
- v.1-2 The firstborn claimed by God
- v.3-10 The Feast of Unleavened Bread for remembrance
- v.11-16 Redemption of the firstborn — every male is the Lord's
- v.17-19 Joseph's bones carried up
- v.20-22 The pillar of cloud and fire begins
The unclean animal (the ass) could not be offered as sacrifice. It either had to be redeemed by a lamb dying in its place, or it died itself. There was no middle option.
A picture of human nature. We are like the ass — unclean by nature, not acceptable as our own offering. Either a Lamb dies in our place, or we bear the consequence. The same binary still stands for every soul.
The ordinances of redemption are meant to provoke questions. What is this? The child notices the unusual practice. The parent explains.
Communion at the Lord's Table works the same way. The child sees and asks. The parent says — this is what He did for us. Family theology is preserved by ritual that invites curiosity.
Joseph's faith from Genesis 50:25 is fulfilled. For four hundred years his coffin in Egypt waited. The promise he held by faith was carried out by his great-great-great-grandchildren's grandchildren.
Hebrews 11:22 commends Joseph for this. The believer who plants seeds of faith may not see them harvested in his lifetime; another generation will gather what he sowed.
God Himself goes before them. Not just an angel — the Lord. The same God who descended to deliver in Egypt now goes ahead to lead them out.
The pillar of cloud and fire would accompany Israel for forty years. Visible by day, visible by night. The presence of God made tangible. 1 Corinthians 10:1 — our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea.
A simple, sustained line. The pillar never left them. Day after day, night after night, for forty years.
God's presence with His people in this age is not by pillar but by Spirit (John 14:16-17). The principle endures — He does not leave. Hebrews 13:5 quotes the same promise: I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Your salvation makes you not your own. You were dead and have been spared — therefore you belong. The implications run into every corner of the redeemed life. Your money, your time, your body, your future are not your own to spend at your discretion. Live like the firstborn of God you actually are.
Christ is the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15), the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18), the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29). Every firstborn theme in Exodus finds its convergence in Him. The pillar of cloud and fire that led Israel anticipates the indwelling Spirit who leads every believer today. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Romans 8:14).
The Egyptian firstborn died; the Israelite firstborn lived — therefore they belong to the One who preserved them. The principle of redemption follows: what God spares, He owns.
For the believer the same principle applies. You were dead in trespasses; you were saved by grace; therefore you are not your own — you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The logic of redemption produces total consecration.