Festival Regulations

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Festival Regulations

Standing Guard

Joining Israel

The Firstborn Devoted

A Sign and Reminder

Redeeming the Firstborn

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

See Full Translation

Standing Guard

The Israelites lived in Egypt 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, on that very day, all the companies of Yahweh left the land of Egypt. This was a night when Yahweh stood guard to bring them out from the land of Egypt. So this night belongs to Yahweh, when the Israelites stand guard throughout their generations

Festival Regulations 1

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The account of the death of Egypt’s firstborn ends with a reminder of Yahweh’s faithfulness and of Israel’s obligation to remember his faithfulness. Yahweh had promised to rescue Abraham’s descendants after about four hundred years of oppression in a foreign land.1 He kept his promise 430 years to the day after Jacob entered Egypt. On that day, the fifteenth of Aviv, the Israelites left their homes in Egypt. Though they spent a few more days within Egypt’s borders, they had begun their journey back to Canaan.

To ensure the fulfillment of his covenant with Abraham, Yahweh himself stood guard over the Israelites the night before their departure. He protected their firstborn sons and made sure they could all leave Egypt safely. To commemorate Yahweh standing guard over them, the Israelites would forever “stand guard” during that night by keeping the regulations concerning the protecting sacrifice.2

Joining Israel

Yahweh told Moses and Aaron, “This is the decree concerning the protecting sacrifice: No foreigner may eat it. All purchased slaves may eat it after being circumcised, but not temporary residents or hired laborers. Eat it in the same house. Don’t take any of the meat outside, and don’t break any of its bones. The entire assembly of Israel will eat it.

“If a resident alien living among you wants to eat the protecting sacrifice to Yahweh, every male in his household must be circumcised. Then he may approach and eat, just like one born in the land. But no one who is uncircumcised may eat it. The same teaching applies to the native and to the resident alien living among you.”

All the Israelites did just as Yahweh commanded Moses and Aaron. On that very day, Yahweh brought the Israelites out from the land of Egypt by their companies.

Creation 15

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The command for the Israelites to eat the protecting sacrifice every year raised an important question. What about the many non-Israelites who followed Moses out from Egypt? Could they participate in the festival? So Yahweh directly addressed the status of any non-Israelites among his people during Unleavened Bread, both those leaving Egypt and those who would come in the future.

Yahweh first forbade any foreigner from eating the sacred “protecting sacrifice to Yahweh.”3 Because the animal was sacrificed to Yahweh, only Yahweh’s people could eat it. The Israelites could not take any of the meat outside or break any piece off because that might give foreigners access to it.4 “Foreigner” in this context refers to those living among the Israelites temporarily, like hired laborers from other nations.

In contrast, non-Israelites willing to join Israel could freely eat the protecting sacrifice after circumcision. This included purchased slaves, who automatically joined an Israelite household. “Resident aliens,” those who freely took up permanent residence among the Israelites, could choose to become part of Israel. Through circumcision, the sign of the covenant with Abraham, they could declare loyalty to Yahweh and became part of his covenant people.5 Once they did, the same teaching would apply to them as applied to the Israelites.

As the protecting sacrifice foreshadowed the crucifixion of Jesus, these regulations foreshadowed the nations joining Israel under the new covenant.6 Those who don’t worship Yahweh cannot benefit from the death and resurrection of God’s chosen Lamb. But through baptism, the sign of the new covenant, outsiders can join Yahweh’s people in worshiping him. Once they do, the same teaching applies to both. There is no difference. “Everyone who has been immersed in Christ has put on Christ. There is no Jew or Greek . . . because all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”7

The Firstborn Devoted

Yahweh told Moses, “Devote to me every firstborn son. All that open the womb among the Israelites, both human and animal, belong to me.”

Festival Regulations 2

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Yahweh concluded the regulations for the Festival of Unleavened Bread by commanding the Israelites to devote to him all the firstborn in Israel. The festival celebrated Israel’s freedom from slavery in Egypt, which Yahweh accomplished through the death of Egypt’s firstborn, both humans and animals8 Yet through the protecting sacrifice, Yahweh saved the lives of the firstborn among the Israelites and their animals. Because Yahweh redeemed Israel’s firstborn, they belong to him.

The phrase “all that open the womb” indicates that “firstborn” here refers to the first male born to every woman or female animal. The Israelites had to set them all apart for special service to Yahweh. This meant sacrificing the animals, just like Abel sacrificed the firstborn among his lambs as a gift that pleased Yahweh9 For the Israelites’ sons, it meant both an offering made on their behalf and their service in Yahweh’s future sanctuary. However, the men of the tribe of Levi would soon replace the firstborn in the sanctuary.10

A Sign and Reminder

Then Moses told the people, “Remember this day, when you left Egypt, a house of slavery! With mighty power, Yahweh brought you out from here, so eat no leaven. You’re leaving today, during the month of Aviv.

“Yahweh will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers he would give you, a land that flows with milk and honey. Then you must perform this service during this month. For seven days, eat unleavened bread. On the seventh day, celebrate a festival to Yahweh. Eat unleavened bread for seven days. Nothing leavened may be found with you. Throughout your territory, no leaven may be found with you.

“On that day, tell your child, ‘This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I left Egypt.’ For you, this will be a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead so your mouth will speak Yahweh’s teaching. With mighty power, Yahweh brought you out from Egypt, so you must keep this decree at the appointed time every year.”

Flood 7

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After Yahweh gave Moses the regulations for the Festival of Unleavened, Moses in turn passed those regulations on to the Israelites. In doing so, he emphasized the connection between the festival and the Israelites’ freedom from “a house of slavery.” The repetition of “with mighty power, Yahweh brought you out” at the beginning and end of this section shows the purpose of the festival regulations—to remind the Israelites that they owed their freedom to Yahweh.11

Moses repeated the Israelites’ obligation to eat unleavened bread for seven days during the month of Aviv.12 He also repeated their obligation to pass Yahweh’s teachings on to their children.13 In Exodus 12:27, Moses taught the Israelites how to respond to their children’s questions about the protecting sacrifice. Here, he teaches them how to respond to questions about why they ate unleavened bread. Their obedience served as a sign of gratitude for what Yahweh did in freeing them from Egypt.

The Festival of Unleavened Bread would serve as “a sign on your hand,” governing their actions, and “a reminder on your forehead,” governing their thoughts. If they obeyed the regulations, the freedom Yahweh bought for them would affect every part of their lives, and the festival would provide an opportunity for them to testify about Yahweh’s teachings.

Redeeming the Firstborn

“Yahweh will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, just as he swore to you and to your fathers, and he’ll give it to you. Then you must offer to Yahweh all that open the womb. All firstborn males born to your animals belong to Yahweh. Every firstborn donkey you must redeem with an animal from the flock, or if you don’t redeem it, break its neck. Every firstborn among your sons you must redeem.

“In the future, your child will ask you, ‘What are you doing?’ Then say, ‘With mighty power, Yahweh brought us out from Egypt, from a house of slavery. When the pharaoh obstinately refused to send us away, Yahweh killed all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, both human and animal. So I sacrifice to Yahweh all that open the womb, and I redeem all my firstborn sons.’ This will be a sign on your hand and a mark on your forehead because with mighty power, Yahweh brought us out from Egypt.”

Festival Regulations 3

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Moses continued his teachings on the regulations for Unleavened Bread by explaining Yahweh’s command to devote Israel’s firstborn to him. The primary means of devoting them was sacrifice. The Israelites had to sacrifice every firstborn male among their clean animals. They could not redeem them. However, unclean animals, like donkeys, couldn’t serve as sacrifices. So the owner could either kill it by breaking its neck or redeem it by sacrificing a sheep or goat instead. But for the Israelites’ sons, redemption with a sheep or goat was required because of the value God places on human life14

Moses again anticipated that this practice, like the protecting sacrifice and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, would elicit questions from the Israelites’ children, providing another opportunity for the parents to pass on their faith.15 Sacrificing the animals and redeeming the sons would serve as another reminder of Yahweh’s mighty act of redemption in bringing them out from Egypt, when he broke the pharaoh’s will by killing the Egyptian firstborn and redeeming the Israelite firstborn.

The redemption of the firstborn sons parallels the story of Israel’s ancestor Isaac, Sarah’s firstborn son, who opened her barren womb.16 As a test, Yahweh commanded Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Though he loved his son, Abraham proved his devotion to Yahweh by obeying. So Yahweh stopped him and provided a ram as a redeeming sacrifice so Isaac would live.17 Yahweh didn’t allow Isaac or the firstborn to actually die, but he did allow his own firstborn Son to die. Through his death, Jesus became the redeeming sacrifice that allows all God’s children to live.18

← Exodus 12:1–39

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Exodus 13:17–14:31 →

  1. Genesis 15:13.
  2. See Exodus 12:24. The same Hebrew verb, shamar, means “to keep, observe” and “to guard.”
  3. Exodus 12:11.
  4. Durham, Exodus, 173; Walton et al., Bible Background Commentary, Exodus 12:43.
  5. See The Major Covenants; Circumcision.
  6. See Jesus and the Lamb; Foreshadowing.
  7. Galatians 3:27–28.
  8. See Final Warning.
  9. See Cain’s Gift.
  10. Numbers 3:11–13.
  11. See Inclusion.
  12. See Unleavened Bread.
  13. See Passing Down Faith.
  14. Luke 12:6–7; see The Value of Human Life.
  15. See Passing Down Faith.
  16. Genesis 21:1–7.
  17. See A Burnt Offering; Binding Isaac; Yahweh’s Provision.
  18. John 3:16–17.