How does Exodus 34:20 connect to the Passover in Exodus 12? Passover Origins in Exodus 12 • Exodus 12 records the night God struck Egypt’s firstborn yet “passed over” Israelite homes marked by lamb’s blood (Exodus 12:13, 27, 29). • The central elements: – A spotless lamb was slain (Exodus 12:5-6). – Blood on doorposts shielded each household (Exodus 12:7, 13). – God claimed every firstborn as His own through this act of deliverance (Exodus 13:2). Command to Redeem in Exodus 34:20 “‘You must redeem the firstborn of your donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. And you must redeem all the firstborn of your sons. No one shall appear before Me empty-handed.’” (Exodus 34:20) Points of Connection • Both passages focus on the firstborn and a substitutionary lamb. • Exodus 12 establishes the historical event; Exodus 34:20 turns that event into an ongoing obligation. • The same substitute—“a lamb”—redeems: – Households from death at Passover. – Firstborn sons and unclean animals in daily Israelite life. • God’s ownership of the firstborn (Exodus 13:2; 34:19) flows directly from having spared them in Egypt. • “No one shall appear before Me empty-handed” (Exodus 34:20) echoes the Passover requirement that every family bring a lamb; worship is never without a ransom. Theological Significance: Redemption and Substitution • Redemption costs life-blood: first the Passover lamb, later every substitute lamb for firstborn sons. • The pattern foreshadows the ultimate Redeemer: – “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). – “You were redeemed…with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish” (1 Peter 1:18-19). • God’s claim on the firstborn points to His claim on all who are “firstborn” in Christ (Hebrews 12:23). Application for Believers Today • Remember: Salvation is rooted in a specific, historical act of God—just as Israel perpetually recalled Passover by redeeming the firstborn. • Live redeemed: because a substitute has died, believers belong wholly to the Lord (Romans 12:1). • Worship never “empty-handed”: bring lives, resources, and praise that acknowledge the Lamb’s redeeming price (Hebrews 13:15-16). |
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