Remembrance Exodus 13:1-16

Well, good morning and welcome to Faith Bible Church. I see a couple new faces out there and we're family and friends and glad you're here and This is the highlight of many of ours week to be to gather together as as church family because this is a family Made by God and We rejoice in that and to have the blessing of being able to gather In this country is is a gift and And we thank the Lord for that.

So as we prepare our hearts for worship, I want to read Hebrews 10 22. It's it reads let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. With our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Focusing on what is a true heart and there's a commentator Andrew Murray I guess he's well known for writing on the book of Hebrews he says in man's nature the heart is the central power as The heart is so is the man.

Our inmost being must in truth be yielded to him. It is only as the desire of the heart is fixed upon God the whole heart seeking for God. Giving its love and finding its joy in God that a man can draw near can draw nigh to God.

So if we are seeking a true heart with a whole heart We will receive it and this is an active involvement By the enabling of the Holy Spirit. It's our personal decision to do that. It's not something like That came to mind.

It's not like there's a current of water and it's flowing down the middle and we're just kind of getting sucked into it. A lot of churches may view worship like that, but that's not what the Bible says about worship.

It's a it's a deliberate. It's a conscious personal reverence for a holy God and Not being carried by someone else there. We are allowed to come before the Lord In our choice to to worship him so let's kind of remember that as we come before the Lord today that we do serve a mighty God and it is our Honor to be able to worship him today.

So let's pray together Lord God we do Thank you father that we might approach you in a manner that is worthy of a holy God father because you have given us all things you have given us life and breath and Father your mercies are new every day and To be here today is is such a gift and Lord I pray that we would honor you with our voices with the preaching of the word that our hearts would be receptive to the teaching that we so desperately need that God you would lead us in a path that would Encourage us also to share the word with others father when we leave this building that we would Be encouraged to share the gospel with those around us and we pray for the community around us Lord that you will give us those opportunities to to For them to hear a message that is so desperately needed father in a hurting world but God we have hope in you and we rest in that and We rejoice in that father.

So God lead us this morning and Father we give you praise in all things in Jesus name. Amen.

Thou O Lord are good and ready to forgive. Plenteous and mercy unto all of them that call on thee. And I will praise the Lord My God with all my heart and glorify his name forever and let's stand and sing.

Six verse four through twelve as Deuteronomy. Chapter 6 verses 4 through 12. Here Oh Israel the Lord of God the Lord is one you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength and These words which I command you today Shall be in your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children shall talk of them when you sit in your house. When you walk by the way when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. So it shall be when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which he swore to your fathers to Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give you large and beautiful cities, which you did not build.

Houses full of all good things, which you did not fill. Hewn out wells, which you did not dig. Vineyards and olive trees, which you did not plan. When you have eaten and are full. Then beware lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage.

May the Lord add a blessing to the reading of these words.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight. Oh Lord my strength and my Redeemer.

Exodus chapter 13 Verses 1 through 16. Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying Consecrate to me all the firstborn whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel both of men and beast it is mine. 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 on this day. You are going out on the month of Abib 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. Seven days you shall eat on leavened bread and on the seventh day. There shall be a feast to the Lord.

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. 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.

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 had brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year 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 that you shall set apart to the Lord all that Open the womb that is every first.

Every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have the males shall be the Lord's. 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. So it shall be when your son asks you in that 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 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 opened the womb but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem it shall be as a sign on your hand and as a Frontlets between your eyes for by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.

This is the word of the Lord. Let us pray father we're thankful that we can gather to hear your word and we can gather as Your family to remember what you've done for us. The greatest deliverance on the cross that your son would shed his blood for our sin so that we may be purchased.

Father we thank you so much for this text we have today and we pray that you would prepare all of our hearts and That all of our minds would meditate on what is true and what is from you in Jesus name.

Amen. Remembrance is an important Factor in the lives of the people of God and that has been true.

Even.

Before the New Testament era the text that Richard read this morning was all about remembrance and passing on to the next generation what God has done and that's because The sad reality of humanity is we're too easily Distracted we're too easily forgetful and Even after seeing great miracles God's people have a tendency of forgetting what God has done sometimes sometimes it doesn't even take a generation to forget what God has done.

And This text is to help his people to remember God's deliverance. Because in the end God's people are Defined by God's deliverance. God's people are identified with God's merciful act of salvation. So the context here is that this happens right after the Lord delivers his people completely from the Egyptians.

Last week was the Exodus. They were free. They were free to leave Egypt and The first thing that God does after freeing his people is that he calls Moses to set up two ordinances. So that God's people may remember What God has done for them?

It's a memory tool. The Lord Knew the hype of freedom would soon fade in less than a generation. The Lord knew that his people Would be tempted to worship something else. Even before they get to the new land and forget all about the Lord who delivered them completely.

And This is an important message for the church today. Because it is still easy to forget God and his acts of deliverance. This is why so many so-called churches have sought something other Than Christ and his gospel.

They chase some other programs messages Speakers to get people to come Because they forget whether willingly or intentionally of What God has done for his people in delivering them from sin through the blood on the cross.

And we don't even have to go to a false church to experience the forgetfulness of God's deliverance Even in our personal lives. It is precisely because we forget God's salvation. That we worry about our future.

It is precisely because we forget God. That we seek acceptance from other people. We're not Satisfied or we're not mindful of who God is and what he has done for us. The question that this text text answers today is how do we continually remember God's deliverance?

How do we continually? Remember God's.

Deliverance.

First We set apart what belongs to the Lord. We set apart what belongs to the Lord as The Lord brings out his people from Egypt. He prepares them for the promised land. After all it is easy to rely on the Lord and Call upon his name.

When life is hard when you're a slave in Egypt, it's easier and More natural to call upon his name because you're suffering you need salvation. Or it's easy to call upon the name of the Lord in the wilderness when the food is scarce When you don't know where you would get your next drink however.

This passage shows us how to continue remembering the Lord When his people are at ease When the Lord successfully delivers them to their promised land the land of the plentiful The land in which the Lord is providing for them.

Their land.

The first two verses of this chapter set the background for the latter half of this passage. After the Lord frees his people from the bondage of Egypt The Lord instructs how his people ought to live in verse 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 verb to consecrate means to set apart for the Lord in the Old Testament. Context.

Setting apart would include external purification. External cleansing and a formal ceremony. It would outwardly show What's really important in Exodus. Anything special anything that belonged to the Lord would be consecrated.

The Sabbath day right the day of rest for these former slaves. Six days they work hard. But on the seventh day you rest. That's consecrated the priests. Remember in the Old Testament the under the Old Covenant.

There was a priestly group by the bloodline of Aaron who would come before the Lord to represent God's people and Also that those priests would represent God. To his people there was that intermediary class and the priests were consecrated.

And of course the tabernacle. The tent in which God met with his people was consecrated. Because it was holy it was supposed to be not like anything else. It wasn't supposed to be like any other tent.

It was holy unto the Lord. It was set apart for the Lord and now.

The Lord.

Sets apart the firstborn of Israel whether beasts or humans they're set apart for the Lord they belong to him. And This is significant because in ancient cultures the firstborn children or animals were regarded with special favor.

After all it was the first sign of success first sign of fruitfulness. Even now when parents are expecting their first child They spend countless amount of time and energy and finance resources to raise their first kid as Best as they could.

Also when grandparents are expecting their first grandchild You can bet that the first grandchild is spoiled the most. For God to command Israel to consecrate the firstborn children and animals was to show that.

It was not their doing. It was not their effort that they got their first child. It was not their effort that they received their first lamb or the goat the cows. No, it was by God's gracious act it belonged to God.

Hence Consecrating the first child was give credit to whom it was due. This was to establish a humble posture among the people of God. Whenever they received their firstborn animals or firstborn sons or daughters, right?

They were to remember the Lord Who graciously provided. To know that their firstborn did not Belong to them would cause the people to be even more careful with their firstborn. With this first command God established a proper posture for his people to relate to him a Posture of humility and gratitude and that posture was to continue Forever even when they get into the land in which would there would be so much blessing and provision.

And in the New Testament the command to consecrate. For us is oddly missing. There is no repeated Command to consecrate our firstborn children. There's no command to consecrate the priests. After all that class is no longer Existing.

What we do see here is.

That.

We are to consecrate. But rather God is to consecrate.

We.

What's regarded special in the New Testament? Are the believers. It's not the firstborn among the people of God, but it's all P all the people of God. In first Thessalonians 5 23. Paul tells us there's a shift in Who is consecrating and who is consecrated?

Now may the God of peace himself Sanctify or set apart or consecrate you completely. And may your whole spirit soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. First as people delivered from sin through Christ's death on the cross.

It is not just the firstborn who are set apart for the Lord. But everyone who believes is set apart for the Lord. Everyone who believes is uniquely and specially. They belong to the Lord and. For those who believe in Christ you're all regarded with favor in God's eyes.

For those who belong to Christ you are all set apart for God. And. Second it is no longer the parents nor the priests who consecrate but God himself. Right the God of peace himself Sanctify you completely.

This is significant because when God does something He does not do it in a shoddy manner. In fact, Paul tells us how God will consecrate all of his people completely. For those who believe in Christ Your whole spirit soul and body will be preserved set apart blameless.

Unblemished there's no spot. There is no hint of error at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not up to you to preserve yourself but it is up to God and as New Testament believers. That is a tremendous comfort.

It is not up to you To set you apart. But you're already set apart by God's doing in Christ. In Christ you're unblemished in Christ. You are treasured in Christ you are the choicest the best of fruits.

And that's who you are in Christ. Second. We remember that the Lord powerfully delivered his people by observing his ordinances. Now Moses addresses the people starting in verse 3. 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 on this day. You're going out in the month of a beef. The command here is to remember what the Lord has done by observing feast of unleavened bread.

Remembering is not what we normally think as We normally say remember. As in recalling information. Right. It is not a casual conversation. We often say hey remember that one time you did this. Right, or I don't remember that phone number.

But rather Remembering here is a life-transforming memory that is active. It's about being mindful of. It's what fills your mind. It's about being constantly aware of. That's why you're always thinking.

It's about being grateful of. It takes place in your heart rather than the acknowledgement. Section of the book if we were to talk about books, which only a few actually read. The remembrance of the Lord would be the title.

Gigantic fonts. And bolded. Cannot be avoided. The command to remember is not just any other command. It's important. It's bold and underlined.

Here.

Remembering for Israel is to Experientially reenact how the Lord delivered them from slavery. Right after he judged the all the firstborn of Egypt there to eat the same food the unleavened bread quickly prepared in the same manner of Ready to move with haste to get out.

So that they remember so that they may remember the day of deliverance how the Lord delivered them and They are to do this yearly in the month of Habib which is March or April depending on the year as they used a lunar calendar.

Verse 5 tells us that this must be practiced when the Lord completely delivers them into their promised land and It shall be when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites the Hittites 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. This memorial feast does not have an expiration date for the Israelites even if they're far away from Egypt and Nowhere to be enslaved.

No one to enslave them. God's people are to remember through obeying the ordinances of feasts of unleavened bread. Yearly every year around the same time not just whenever you want every year around the same time for a week the same manner and It is supposed to be done in a land that God promised to Israel's Ancestors it is the land of land flowing with milk and honey.

It is a blessed land that God is abundantly providing for. Right milk was the main Substance they would gain from goats they would drink goat milk and what that proof of what that showed was that The land is so plentiful with green pastures that the goats are just Flourishing and they're providing so much milk.

It's the land is flowing with it and same thing with honey. There's not much history about beekeeping in Israel's history, right. They would eat wild honey. But they also considered honey what they would make out of the fruit dates.

They would make syrup out of dates and they would also call that honey again, it would show how plentiful the land was in providing the fruits. And sometimes It is often the prosperity that takes our eyes away from God and And what he has done for us.

Rather than the suffering and trials and that is what God is warning them about here. It is when they become Self-sufficient when they become comfortable that they would stop remembering What God has done for them and in order for Israel to always remember God's merciful deliverance.

Moses commands no leavening be present in the whole land. Leavening of the substance that would make the bread rise make it tasty. But it would take a long time to bake that bread Because the preparation would take hours.

So verse 6 tells us seven days you shall eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. 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.

All your boundaries in the land wherever you're residing not no leaven must be even found among them and This is how they're to reenact wherever God leads them. They are to avoid leavened foods for seven days.

In fact, it cannot even be found among them during that time in this specific procedure. The future Israelites would have experienced what their ancestors went through when the Lord rescued them from Egypt.

Their ancestors Obeyed because they believed God would deliver them that week that night. Verse 8 through 10 show us the result of faithfully observing the ordinance. First it is passed on and taught Unto the next generation 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.

And Verse 9 shows us how it must be practiced. It shall be assigned to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes. That the Lord's law may be in your mouth. For with us with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt.

This sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes signify how God's people are always identified With their deliverance by their God. It's always with them the fact that God delivered them and how he did so is Who they are it's in their DNA.

In fact in some Jewish cultures they take this literally and They make what we call phylacteries little boxes. With scripture contained in them portions of scripture contained in them and they wear them on their foreheads.

Phylacteries are small boxes and in fact Today's text is found in phylacteries today. So if you ask them, I don't know if you can ask them to open it, but They would have Exodus 13 1 through 16 in there because they're to remember that.

They would also have Deuteronomy 6 in there the text that Richard read this morning. They're to remember What the Lord had done for them and that's how seriously some Jewish people take this command. The next part tells us that when God's people are constantly aware Remembering of the salvation they've experienced.

The Lord's law would be in their mouth. This means they're so exposed to what God has done. That's what they talk about. That's what fills their conversations. God's Word that filled their minds naturally flow out like an overflowing fountain and Verse 10 tells us that it must be kept yearly.

You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year as Remembering the Lord's deliverance was important in the promised land for Israel. It is even more crucial for Christians now to remember how God has delivered his people.

Just as there was potential potential for Israel to forget what God has done his merciful deliverance. When life got better in the promised land. When there was no remnant of enslavement. When there were no Egyptian slave masters nearby.

We also are in danger of forgetting How God mercifully delivered us from sin and death when life is going well. When life is smooth and trouble seems far our prayers become far and few in between because there is not much need to cry out to God and Oftentimes when life is smooth as butter We forget that with a strong hand the Lord brought us out and Jesus knew this as He was off to die for us on the cross to provide for the greatest deliverance.

Of all.

His death on the cross from the most heinous most oppressive enslavement of all our enslavement to sin. Before Jesus faced the full wrath of God on our behalf to save us from our sin He instituted the Lord's Supper the breaking of the bread and on the week of the Passover he breaks the bread which represents his body which will be pierced on our behalf and shares it with his disciples.

And he pours the wine which represents the blood that he will shed for us and shares with his disciples. And With each command he adds this do this in remembrance of me. He gives us these physical Ordinances because he knew That we would forget if we didn't.

He knew That his people were also in danger of forgetting even the greatest deliverance the greatest miracle of the resurrection if we did not Remember his death. Together with physical ordinances and that's one of the saddest phrase that Jesus uttered In remembrance of me his giving his all his suffering the worst for our sake.

But he knows That if we aren't careful to remember what he will do that his people His family his closest friends would forget What he's done. Third. We remember the Lord's deliverance through redemption.

We remember the Lord's deliverance through redemption. Verse 11 starts with the same context as the last section 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.

The danger of forgetting the Lord is again when life is easier When the Lord has fully delivered his people to the promised land. This time however We return to the consecration of the firstborn. 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. This means every firstborn animal must be offered to the Lord as a sacrifice. God's people are commanded to offer up their choicest and the best because they belong to the Lord.

God has the right to the first and the best. However, verse 13 gives us the exceptions to the firstborn consecration. Not all the firstborn of animals are. Humans are to be sacrificed given to the Lord.

Verse 13 tells us. 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 men among your sons you shall redeem.

First the firstborn donkeys do not have to be offered up. Because there are unclean animals. Unclean animals aren't offered up to the Lord. Israelites cannot sacrifice unclean animals to the Lord. However They cannot use or benefit from the firstborn donkey just because they're unclean.

They have to break its neck. So they are given two choices. You redeem it with a lamb or break its neck. Now, what does it mean to redeem it with a lamb? It means in order for the baby donkey to live a Lamb had to die in its place.

The second exception to the consecration was with the firstborn of humankind. Unlike the donkeys the firstborn sons must be redeemed. There was no other exception. You have to redeem it and according to numbers 1816 in order to redeem the firstborn son.

It cost each family five shekels of silver to redeem their firstborn son. There was no other choice. The parents have to redeem their firstborn from God. Purchase their son from God so that their son may live.

That was the redemption and. And similar to verses 8 through 10 this ordinance also must be passed down to the next generation. Verses 14 through 15 tell us a hypothetical conversation between the parents and the children regarding the consecration of the firstborn.

So it shall be when your son asks you in the 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 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 opened the womb but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem in the end the identity of the children of Israel is based upon God's gracious act and deliverance.

Every time they offered up silver coins to redeem their firstborn. They would be reminded of their firstborn children Who lived because God graciously provided a way of redemption and. They would also remember the firstborn of Egypt humans and animals who died.

Because God rightfully took what was his it was a memory tool. Yes, it is graphic. But that's what it was. That was to depict the reality of that night. When God rescued Israel from Egypt, it was horrendous, it was full of grief in the land of Egypt and Israel would remember that as they consecrate their firstborn.

And in Israel's case God graciously provided a way. For the firstborn to live. What God's people do stems from how God has saved them and. Similar to the last ordinance this also must be done and remembered.

Verse 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 wherever they are. For God's people they were to do this ordinance to remember what happened in Egypt how God With his strength delivered them now.

What was the ultimate purpose of this sacrifice in the end. God does not? Need a.

Lamb.

Every time you redeem a donkey in the end God does not need silver coins. From humans. Is the richest being there is the ultimate purpose of establishing the consecration and redemption of the firstborn.

Was to prepare God's people for the ultimate redemption by his lamb the Lamb of God. For a thought for over a thousand years Israel has been redeeming their firstborn sons. With innocent. Well for the donkeys with innocent and unblemished lambs and for the sons it was a costly redemption silver coins and Israel has been redeeming that and each Children each each child each generation would ask.

Why did you have to offer a lamb for that donkey? They would see how graphic it is to offer up a lamb. Every time a new donkey would give birth to a baby donkey Why does a lamb have to die? Why did we do that and the dead probably would answer?

Well because God mercifully prepared a way for us to redeem that donkey. Purchase it from God so that it may live. An innocent lamb died to buy its life and this mindset Would have been fixed in Israel.

An innocent lamb died to buy a life. A lamb set aside for redemption dies and instead of the redeemed so that the redeemed may live. And many years later God would send his lamb of redemption. And according to Titus 2 14 It is Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his Very own eager to do what is good the concept of consecration is fully and ultimately completed in Christ Jesus.

Remember consecration required. Purification but also setting apart and Here we see both of that in Christ. For those who are consecrated by the Lamb of God Jesus Christ You're purified. Every time we sin, we may feel dirty.

But when you go to Christ to confess you're purified.

And.

Not only that you're set apart. You belong to the Lord. You are his. No one else owns you. No sin, no addiction. No human being owns you because you belong to God and that's because Jesus Christ Died on your behalf as the Lamb of Redemption.

So that you could be bought back. Here you're being bought back from wickedness. Because you were enslaved to sin you belong to God, I mean you belong to sin. So what God does is he buys you back for himself?

While you were once enslaved to sin, but when Christ died on the cross on your behalf he bought you to live in freedom from sin. An innocent unblemished lamb Died in order that the redeemed may live.

Now.

This begs the question Does Jesus have to die every year just like the consecration? No for his redemption to take effect this does not have to be repeated over and over again. Remember in the Old Covenant it was one lamb for each firstborn donkey and five new Shackles of silver coins for each firstborn son.

However, first Peter chapter 1 18 through 19 tell us that Jesus.

Was.

More than sufficient for once and for all.

Redemption.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life. Handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ a lamb without blemish or defect.

It's no longer. People are redeemed through silver coins. The author of first Peter Peter himself calls that a perishable thing compared to Christ precious blood. That's just perishable thing. And if you know anything about precious metals silver and gold are precious because they are not Perishable yet compared to Christ precious blood.

That's just perishable thing. But what are you redeemed with? The precious blood of the unblemished lamb of God.

That's.

Why.

One sacrifice was enough and That's why it's so crucial for Christians to remember that sacrifice. And that's why we go to Christ the foot at the foot of the cross. Whenever we doubt Whenever we worry whenever we sin.

We remember how God delivered us through his perfect and precious lamb Jesus Christ. Let us pray Father we thank you that you have set up the concept of redemption even more than a thousand years before Christ would die for our sin so that.

It's.

It's not a foreign concept, but it is a beautiful ultimate fulfillment of What you have planned for us a long ago. Father. I pray that we would always remember Christ even during the boring days. Even during the hard days.

But of course even during good days that we would always have Christ in our mind. That Among the believers that it would be second nature to marvel and delight in and talk about how beautiful Christ is all of our days and for all eternity.

In Jesus name. Amen. And let's stand for our closing song amazing grace.