Exodus Chapter 13 Verses 1-7 

:1 “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. 3 And 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. 4 This day came ye out in the month Abib. 5 And 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. 6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. 7 Unleavened 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.” 

This is the second time that the Lord had said to Moses for the children of Israel to keep the ordinance of the feast of unleavened bread.  The details of this feast of unleavened bread are presented four times in the book of Exodus.  Obviously this was a very important feast to be observed by the children of Israel. 

In verse 2 the principle of the firstborn is set forth for us that all the firstborn were to be set apart (sanctified) unto the LORD.  This applied to both man and beast.  Some other important points made in the above passage are as follows:

1.  Egypt is called the house of bondage.  Egypt elsewhere is called an iron furnace.  Iron is associated with bondage in the scripture.

        2.  The feast of unleavened bread is a memorial feast in which the children of Israel were to remember the LORD’s delivering them out of the house of bondage.

        3.The children of Israel came out of Egypt in the month Abib.  For the children of Israel this became the beginning of months.  It was to be the first month of their new year.

        4.  The LORD reiterated his promise to bring the children of Israel into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  This is the promise the LORD had made to their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  This land is said be a land “flowing with milk and honey.”   

        5.  Leaven is set forth as being contrary to their deliverance.  It was not to be seen with them for the whole seven days of the feast of unleavened bread.  Their bread was to be unleavened.  Symbolically this points us to the perfect sinless body of the Lord Jesus Christ. 


Exodus 13:8-10 

:8 “And thou shalt show 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. 9 And 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. 10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.”

 “And thou shalt show 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.”  Once again the Lord reiterates that the feast of unleavened bread is a memorial service and will serve as a reminder to those generations that came after the works of the LORD in bringing the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage.   

“And 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.”  Several things are implied in this verse as follows: 

        1.  The feast was to be a sign unto them upon their hands.  The hand is the scripture is often associated with labor.  A great motive for the children of Israel to serve the LORD was because of his great work in delivering them from Egyptian bondage.  Their service (work of their hand) was to be renewed in their minds whenever they observed the feast of weeks.  There is a lesson for us today in that the scriptures say that we love God because he first loved us.  Our motive for serving the Lord is based on our love for him and what he has done for us.

        2.  It was to be a memorial between their eyes.  Between the eyes is generally used to depict their thinking.  The feast of unleavened bread being a memorial feast was to effect the way the children of Israel thought about things.  Today, we observe the communion service to reflect upon what the Lord has done for us and then we wash one another’s feet to reflect how we are to serve one another because of the Lord’s love and great work of salvation on our behalf.

        3.  That the Lord’s law may be in their mouths.  Our labors and our thoughts affect us personally, but when we speak those things concerning the Lord’s law it affects other people.  This should be a lesson to us today, that we should not only keep the Lord’s laws, but also speak of them to our children, grandchildren, and our neighbors. 

“For with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.”  The children of Israel were to remember that it was the mighty hand of God that was responsible for delivering them out of the land of Egypt.  We should remember that it was the mighty work of God that saved us from our sins, and quickened us into spiritual life and gives us a hope of heaven’s glory world.  

“Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.”  This reminds us about how quick we are to forget things and that we need to be reminded over and over again about the wonderful works of God.