King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 6 notes
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
3And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
4This day came ye out in the month Abib.
5And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.
6Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.
7Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.
8And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.
9And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.
So the law of God was constantly on their mouth 👄.
Why? Because the human mind so easily forgets and is easily influenced by information and data from the 5 senses.
By ensuring that the law of God is before the eyes and on the hands 👐 and on their lips, the mind is constantly aware of God and of his laws.
This influences behaviour and makes obedience of God's law pretty natural.
10Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.
11And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,
12That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’s.
13And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.
14And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
15And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew 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 that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.
So in reality the first born in the jurisdiction of Egypt were to be killed.
But the first born of Egypt were killed, and that of Israel was to be redeemed by the death of another.
So the law of death of the first born was modified for Israel 🇮🇱, in the sense that death was to take place but not immediately.
For beasts, they were going to have their firstborn sacrificed, and for every male firstborn human it was to be swapped for a lamb — life for life — it is a spiritual law.
16And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.
17And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
Peradventure is not a word you use for an omniscient God. It sounds unsure and not too certain.
However, there are times we see the omniscience of God on display.
For instance, in the case of Pharaoh, he knew he would not let the people go no matter how much evidence was brought to the fore.
Dake’s suggests that God’s omniscience does not mean he knows every single thought and action and possibility.
In his estimation that would be stretching God's omniscience too far.
This assertion by Dake’s I disagree with 👎.
I believe the use of peradventure adds some human element to God's nature and his dealings and conversations with man 👨, especially the man Moses.
This does not mean he had no way of knowing the Israelites would flee at the least hindrance.
18But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
And by so doing, he had them trapped between Egypt and the Red Sea. Thus they could not run in the face of war and death, but had to learn to trust the might of God.
This way God was gradually training them to rely on him.
A lesson they took too long to learn, to their own detriment.
19And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.
Over a century had passed since his death ☠, yet they kept the words of covenant of their progenitor Joseph.
For some of us, sadly, we are lost and have no progenitor blessings or inheritance.
We must rather set such a system of inheritance and blessings for our children, God being our helper.
20And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
21And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
22He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
Wow.. It was before their eyes day and night 🌃.