Redemption's Story

Exodus 13:11–13 (ESV) “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12 you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord’s. 13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

The most powerful theme of our salvation is redemption. God has purchased us with the blood of the spotless Lamb, Jesus. Here in Exodus 13 we see the foreshadowing of that truth in a practice of Israel established immediately after their release from slavery. 

It is interesting that this matter should be addressed immediately following the deliverance of the Israelites. God's first order of business is to institute the practice of redemption so that they will not forget what is most important. Instead of telling them where first to go and what next to do, He wants to make sure they do not understand WHO'S they are! They will consecrate the first born from this time forward and the realities of this passage are loaded with truth for us in Christ as we see in the New Testament and particularly Ephesians.

First: They set apart the first of every man or beast to God. The firstborn son in the ancient world represented the entire family. So this act was indicating that not just the first child, but all the children belonged to God. Not only the first lamb, but all the lambs belonged to God. Our redemption in Christ means everything about us belongs to God. It is not just our tithes or Sunday morning worship. God has purchased all of us unto Himself (Ephesians 1:4).

Second: They had to redeem unclean animals with a lamb. Donkey's were unclean and without redeeming them, they were to be killed. Then notice that God commands that firstborn sons are to also be redeemed with a lamb. This is huge. God is equating firstborn sons to unclean animals to make a clear point: We are unclean by sin. We are in need of redemption. Every child would know in Israel that their Father had to sacrifice a lamb for them. It was illustrating for Israel the fact that apart from the shedding of blood, there can be no life with God. Notice too that the donkey was to be killed if not redeemed. While God never commands human sacrifice, the point is made that without redemption, a person is as good as dead anyway. In Christ, we have been raised from death to life (Ephesians 2:1-5).

Third: Every child born in Israel would be taught through this practice that they were "set apart" for God's purpose! Notice that God makes sure they do this:
Exodus 13:14 (ESV) And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

What a wonderful thing to share with a child. Instead of telling children they were accidents or frustrations or costly or naughty... the first thing a child in Israel learned was how their life had meaning for the God of all creation (Ephesians 1:5).

Fourth: Every parent learned their children ultimately belonged to God. This truth is so needed in America today. The modern American family places their children higher than God in their hearts and serves them as little gods giving them every pleasure and desire they can imagine. Israel's parents were to know their children were God's possession, not their own. They were to serve God in the raising of those children for God's purpose. Jesus would be presented at the temple by Mary and Joseph in much the same manner. He belonged to His Father (Luke 2).

In the end, redemption teaches us about our priorities! Before we wonder about where we are to go or what we are to do, we are to know WHOSE WE ARE. We belong to God. We are His. Most people go through life not realizing these wonderful truths of Scripture. That is why the Gospel is so needed in people's hearts. Only when we understand our lives are purposed for God and designed for His glory can we start to make the decisions and choices that will ultimately glorify Him in lives that radiate His wonderful goodness to us and through us.

Let us share redemption's story.