Connecting Scriptures:  Psalm 136, 1 Corinthians 5:8, Psalm 78:4, Genesis 50:24-25, Hebrews 11:22, Psalm 68:7, Psalm 78:14 

“And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.” Exodus 13:9

The first thing after the Exodus before the people encounter the Red Sea, right away God gives them purpose. They aren’t just millions of people walking away from captivity – God immediately gives them purpose that would point them in the direction where they were going. He pointed them to a place where they could be “the people of God” and ultimately he was pointing them to Himself. 

So God gives the people three pictures pointing back to him.

Consecration of the First born.  This reminds the people of what God has done. How he spared the first born, and now they are to dedicate the firstborn back to him in response and worship. This is a commitment to the Lord. 

Feast of Unleavened Bread.  They were to annually modify their meals and walk through a tradition of removing the leaven and eating unleavened bread. This is to use everyday means to teach the children about what God has done. Pointing yourself, your children and your nation back to God as a tool to teach the next generation and point them to their God. 

Pillar of Cloud and Fire.  For the time being, God would provide a physical and visible representation of his presence that would point the people back to him and remind them that he was with them.  Really, ACTUALLY WITH them. This was to help them keep their eyes on the Holy God they were following as they encountered problems, armies, and wildernesses. This was to point them to God’s holiness when the cloud would descend (later) upon the Tabernacle. 

Three pictures of God’s presence. 

A picture of the past – God saved them from Egypt. He was there. 

A picture of the future – God will save and you will remember and remind your children.

A picture of the present – God is with us. He goes before us. 

For us today – we have similar pictures to point us to the Lord and remind us of God’s presence.

We have God’s Word – written in the past but completely beneficial to us today.

We have our Testimony – what God has done in our own lives 

We have God’s Holy Spirit – living inside of every believer, testifying to the truth, bringing conviction of sin, producing good fruit in our good works, etc. 

We have God’s Holy Church – other individuals who testify to God’s goodness and presence.

And as we consider Exodus 13, and how God gave these pictures to help the people FOLLOW, and also leave a legacy – so also do we have His Word, His Church and His Spirit to help us to follow Him, and to leave a legacy to our children and future generations. 

Questions for Reflection:

1.  What are some God-focused traditions that you have in your life to remind you of what God has done in the past, and that point your family to faithfulness today?

2.  If you are a Christian, consider how God rescued you out of sin and darkness and called you to follow him. How can thinking back on that time help you to follow him faithfully today? 

3.  How have you seen God’s presence in your life this week? How can you give God praise, and who can you tell about it. 

-contributed by David Morton