How does Exodus 13:16 connect to the Passover's significance in the New Testament? Exodus 13:16—The Sign Remembered “So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for with a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.” Layers of Meaning in the Original Passover • Sign on the hand – daily actions shaped by God’s rescue • Frontlets between the eyes – thoughts and worldview governed by redemption • “Mighty hand” – God’s unmistakable, historic intervention (cf. Exodus 12:12–13) New Testament Fulfillment in Jesus • Jesus hailed as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). • At the Last Supper—celebrated on Passover—He declared, “This is My body…This cup is the new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:19–20). • Paul links the feast directly to Christ: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Hand and Forehead Imagery Echoed Later • Revelation 7:3–4; 14:1—servants of God sealed on the forehead, marking identity in the Lamb. • James 2:17—faith shown by works, tying inner belief (forehead) to outward action (hand). • These parallels show that the redemption sign moves from physical ceremony to Spirit-sealed allegiance to Christ. Summary of the Connection 1. Exodus 13:16 instituted a perpetual, bodily reminder of deliverance. 2. The New Testament reveals the greater deliverance—sin and death defeated through the cross. 3. Just as Israel’s rescue shaped mind and deed, Christ’s sacrifice marks believers’ thoughts and actions today. Living Out the Sign Today • Remember—regularly rehearse Christ’s finished work (1 Corinthians 11:26). • Think—let redeemed identity guide decisions (Romans 12:1–2). • Act—serve others with hands that testify to the Lamb’s mighty hand (Ephesians 2:10). |
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