Deliverance and Remembrance of the Firstborn

Exodus 13:1-16 

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.” The Feast of Unleavened Bread. 3 And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. 5 And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. 6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. 8 And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’ 9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord's law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.
    11 “And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord's. 13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

Here dedication of the firstborn of God’s people is a remembrance of His deliverance of the firstborn of Israel in Egypt as those of that nation were not spared because of unbelief and disobedience.  They were to remember that it was God’s hand of strength which delivered them (not Moses nor themselves).  They were also reminded of the promised land He was leading them into as He led them out of bondage.  The bread without softening yeast (leaven) was to be eaten as a reminder of the haste to escape and what was needed to survive on the journey.  Therefore they were to sacrifice the firstborn of their animals to the Lord in the new land, or redeem certain ones.  They were to redeem every firstborn son and make sacrifices to all other sons.  This deliverance was to be on the forefront of their minds.  Likewise we see parallels between this Passover meal and the Lord’s Supper, with the deliverance changed from merely out of bondage of a nation to deliverance from sin’s penalty and bondage.  We remember this ultimate deliverance now.