Exodus 13:1-10
Consecrate Every Firstborn
Read the passage
1Then the LORD said to Moses,
2“Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”
3So Moses told the people, “Remember this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; for the LORD brought you out of it by the strength of His hand. And nothing leavened shall be eaten.
4Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving.
5And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites—the land He swore to your fathers that He would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you shall keep this service in this month.
6For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD.
7Unleavened bread shall be eaten during those seven days. Nothing leavened may be found among you, nor shall leaven be found anywhere within your borders.
8And on that day you are to explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’
9It shall be a sign for you on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the Law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.
10Therefore you shall keep this statute at the appointed time year after year.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The LORD tells Moses to consecrate to Him every firstborn male. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both human and animal, belongs to him. Moses tells the people to remember this day, because the LORD has brought them out of Egypt by a strong hand.
The people are to eat no leavened bread. On that day they are going out, in the month of Abib. When the LORD brings them into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites—the land he swore to give their ancestors—they are to keep this service in that month.
For seven days they are to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there is a feast to the LORD. Parents must explain that this observance is because of what the LORD did for them when they came out of Egypt. The practice is to be a sign on the hand and a memorial between the eyes, so that the LORD's instruction may be in their mouths. They are to keep the statute at its appointed time year by year.
The firstborn and the unleavened bread both point back to deliverance. Israel's future children and animals are not ordinary possessions; they are to be understood in light of the life God spared and the people he brought out.
To consecrate is to set apart for God. The Lord who delivered Israel claims their firstborn, and He gives the whole people a way to remember His strong hand. Rescue is to remain on their lips and shape their life long after the day of departure.
Questions
1 Whom does God claim as His own?
AnswerEvery firstborn male among Israel, both human and animal. They are to be consecrated, or set apart, to Him.
2 What act of God explains the annual observance?
AnswerHe brought Israel out of slavery by His mighty hand. They are to remember that rescue when they keep the feast in the promised land.
3 What should parents tell their children?
AnswerThat they observe this because of what the LORD did for them when they came out of Egypt. The practice needs an explanation that points to His deliverance.
4 What is to remain on the people's lips?
AnswerThe Law of the LORD. The reminders are meant to keep His rescue and instruction present in their daily lives.
What This Means for Us
God's rescue gives Israel a new understanding of what belongs to Him. Gratitude is more than a feeling about the past; it affects how the people live now. We can thank God for His care and ask how to use the life, relationships, and resources He has entrusted to us.
Help children connect remembrance with conduct. When you give thanks for a meal, explain why sharing matters. When you speak of God's forgiveness, be willing to admit your own wrong and make amends. The words we repeat become clearer when our daily choices agree with them.
Prayer
God of deliverance, thank you for claiming and preserving your people. Help us remember your mercy through our actions, teach children with honesty, and consecrate our ordinary lives to faithful care. Amen.