How does Deuteronomy 6:20 connect to the Passover story in Exodus? Setting the Scene in Deuteronomy 6:20 “In the future, when your son asks, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies, statutes, and ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded you?’” Moses addresses Israel just before they cross the Jordan. Parents are forewarned that children will one day ask about the meaning behind God’s commands. The verse anticipates a teaching moment rooted in Israel’s salvation history. Passover: The Original Answer Key Exodus 12:26-27 records the anticipated question and answer during the first Passover: “When your children ask you, ‘What does this service mean to you?’ you are to reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and spared our homes.’ ” Exodus 13:8, 14 repeats and expands the pattern: “On that day you are to explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ … ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.’” Direct Connections Between Deuteronomy 6:20 and the Passover Story • Identical family setting—children asking parents about the meaning of God-given rites. • Central content—parents recount God’s literal, historical deliverance from Egypt. • Purpose—pass the faith on to the next generation, grounding obedience in redemption. • Structure—question from a child, explanatory narrative from a parent, resulting worship. • Continuity—Deuteronomy renews the mandate established in Exodus, showing the same redemptive event informs both covenant law and ritual. What Parents Were to Tell Their Children 1. God’s mighty acts: literal plagues, literal Exodus, literal preservation of Israel (Exodus 12–14). 2. God’s covenant faithfulness: He keeps promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 15:13-14). 3. God’s rightful claim on Israel’s obedience: redeemed people serve their Redeemer (Deuteronomy 6:24-25). Ongoing Significance of the Connection • Every statute in the Law, including Passover, points back to a real historical rescue. • Remembering redemption fuels love for God and wholehearted obedience (Deuteronomy 6:5-7). • The pattern of question-and-answer forms a perpetual teaching tool, ensuring the Exodus remains living history for every generation (Psalm 78:5-7). Key Takeaway Deuteronomy 6:20 intentionally echoes the Passover provisions of Exodus 12–13, anchoring Israel’s future obedience to the literal, saving acts of God at the first Passover and mandating continual retelling so that faith never drifts from its redemptive foundation. |
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