If we follow the logic of the text given in the Book of Exodus and placed by its author in Moses' mouth, the custom of dedicating everything firstborn to God and redeeming the firstborn child goes back to that...
If we follow the logic of the text given in the Book of Exodus and placed by its author in Moses' mouth, the custom of dedicating everything firstborn to God and redeeming the firstborn child goes back to the celebration of Pesach that took place on the eve of the Exodus. It is hard to say how ancient the custom itself is. Moses may not have been establishing it, but only reminding the people of something once known and now, in Egypt, thoroughly forgotten.
In any case, its connection with the understanding of the feast reflected in the Book of Exodus is obvious. Pesach itself is understood here as a feast of life, or more precisely, as a feast of the triumph of life over death. God's life, because it is God who frees His people from the sword of the angel of death who struck the houses of the Egyptians. Life belongs to God, and to Him alone: such is the meaning of the custom established or restored by Moses.
If so, then it is clear: the first fruits, the first offspring of the livestock, everything first, belongs to God. This is not only so that, as people commonly think, He would then sanctify what follows: the fruits that come after the firstfruits, or the livestock born after the first offspring. Life simply has to return to its first source, to the One who gave it. The only question is what to do here about the human being. With plants and animals it is clear: they were created by God, as the Bible says, "according to their kind," according to the divine design proper to them. One prototype for each genus, species, and subspecies, and the life of an individual creature is not so important.
On the other hand, the whole offspring can then be sanctified at once by sanctifying one sacrificial animal, because animals of one genus, species, and subspecies, especially individuals from one herd, share one life among them. But it is not so with human beings: here each person is unique. People, even those belonging to one clan or tribe, cannot be sanctified like animals. Besides, human beings do not share one life among all; each has his own. What then should be done? The answer is simple: a human being is sanctified in a human way, that is, consciously, as a human being is supposed to be sanctified through sacrifice, by means of a sacrificial meal. But an infant is sanctified by his parents. They are the ones who let God into their life and into the life of their child.
Animals of one species have one soul for all: one is offered in sacrifice, and all are sanctified. Human souls are distinct, but in spouses their souls are joined into one, and the soul of the child enters the circle of their communion. When the parents let God into their shared life, He sanctifies not only their life but also the life of their firstborn, within the single space of relationships that binds the child to the parents and the parents to each other. This is how a human being is sanctified: by letting God into his life.
13 In this chapter we have,
and in remembrance of it to keep the feast of unleavened bread, Exo 13:5-8.
and to explain that also to their children, Exo 13:14-16.
And their care of Joseph's bones, Exo 13:19.
13:2 Sanctify to me all the first - born - The parents were not to look upon themselves as interested in their first - born, till they had first solemnly presented them to God, and received them back from him again.It is mine - By a special right, being by my singular favour preserved from the common destruction.
13:5 When the lord shall bring you into the land, thou shalt keep this service - 'Till then they were not obliged to keep the passover, without a particular command from God.
13:7 There shall no leavened bread be seen in all thy quarters - Accordingly the Jews usage was, before the feast of the passover, tocast all the leavened bread out of their houses; either they burnt it, or buried it, or broke it small, and threw it into the wind; they searched diligently with lighted candles in all the corners of their houses, lest any leaven should remain. The strictness enjoined in this matter was designed,
13:9 Upon thy hand, between thine eyes - Proverbial expressions; denoting things which are never out of our thoughts.
13:13 Thou shalt redeem - The price of the redemption was fixed by the law.
13:16 For frontlets between thine eyes - As conspicuous as any thing fixt to thy forehead, or between thine eyes.
13:18 There were many reasons why God led them through the way of the wilderness of the red sea. The Egyptians were to be drowned in the Red - sea, the Israelites were to be humbled, and proved in the wilderness. Deu 8 Exo 13:2, .God had given it to Moses for a sign, Exo 3:12, ye shall serve God in this mountain. They had again and again told Pharaoh that they must go three days journey into the wilderness to do sacrifice, and therefore it was requisite they should march that way, else they had justly been exclaimed against as dissemblers. Before they entered the lifts with their enemies, matters must be settled between them and their God; laws must be given, ordinances instituted, covenants sealed; and for the doing of this it was necessary they should retire into the solitudes of a wilderness, the only closet for such a crowd; the high road would be no proper place for these transactions. The reason why God did not lead them the nearest way, which would have brought them in a few days to the land of the Philistines, was because they were not yet fit for war, much less for war with the Philistines. Their spirits were broke with slavery; the Philistines were formidable enemies; it was convenient they should begin with the Amalekites, and be prepared for the wars of Canaan, by experiencing the difficulties of the wilderness. God is said to bring Israel out of Egypt as the eagle brings up her young ones, Deu 32:11, teaching them by degrees to fly.They went up harnessed - They went up by five in a rank, so some; in five squadrons, so others. They marched like an army with banners, which added much to strength and honour.
13:21 And the Lord went before them in a pillar - In the two first stages, it was enough that God directed Moses whither to march; he knew the country, and the road; but now they are come to the edge of the wilderness, they would have occasion for a guide, and a very good guide they had, infinitely wise, kind, and faithful, the Lord went up before them; The Shechinah or appearance of the divine Majesty, which was a precious manifestation of the eternal Word, who in the fulness of time was to be made flesh, and dwell among us. Christ was with the church in the wilderness, Co1 10:9. What a satisfaction to Moses and the pious Israelites, to be sure that they were under a divine conduct? They need not fear missing their way who were thus led, nor being lost who were thus directed; they need not fear being benighted, who were thus illuminated, nor being robbed, who were thus protected. And they who make the glory of God their end, and the word of God their rule, the spirit of God the guide of their affections, and the providence of God the guide of their affairs, may be confident that the Lord goes before them, as truly is he went before Israel in the wilderness, though not so sensibly. They had sensible effects of God's going before them in this pillar. For, It led them the way in that vast howling wilderness, in which there was no road, no track, no way - marks through which they had no guides. When they marched, this pillar went before them, at the rate that they could follow, and appointed the place of their encampment, as infinite Wisdom saw fit; which eased them from care, and secured them from danger, both in moving, and in resting.It sheltered them from the heat by day, which at sometimes of the year was extreme: And it gave them light by night when they had occasion for it.
13:22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud, - No not when they seemed to have less occasion for it: it never left them 'till it brought them to the borders of Canaan. It was a cloud which the wind could not scatter. There was something spiritual in this pillar of cloud and fire.