seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 34:18 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt.
19 “The first offspring of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. 20 Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons.
“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.
19 “The first offspring of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. 20 Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons.
“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.
God had the Isrealites slaughter a lamb and paint the door post the night the angel of death took so many lives during the last plague in Egypt. The Isrealites owed God their first born [both human and animal].
Here's what the easy English commentary has to say.
The Feast of bread without yeast was in April. The meal of Passover was a part of that feast. During that meal, the Israelites remembered their last night in Egypt. On that night God’s angel killed the Egyptian boys and the animals. All the Egyptian oldest sons and their oldest of their young animals died. But the angel passed over the houses where the Israelites lived. When the Israelites left Egypt, they went in a hurry. They prepared their food quickly while the angel was passing over. So they did not have time to make bread with yeast in it. Yeast is a substance that makes bread rise. But it needs time to rise. So Jews eat bread without yeast in it at the meal of Passover. Every year it helps them to remember that night. And they remember how God brought their nation out of Egypt a long time ago.
The boy that was born first in a family belonged to God. And a male animal that was born first, belonged to God. God had kept the oldest Israelite sons alive when his angel passed over them that night in Egypt. But the Egyptian sons who were born first, died. Jewish parents showed their first son to the LORD. And they gave the gift of an animal to the LORD in the child’s place. So Mary and Joseph showed Jesus to the LORD in the Temple. They were poor people, so they gave two young birds as their gift (Luke 2:22-24).
Owners gave to God their male animals that were born first. They gave them as gifts and the priest killed them. But a donkey was not a gift for God. The Israelites thought that donkeys were not clean animals. So the donkey’s owner would give a young sheep in its place. If he did not do that, he must not buy back his donkey. But the donkey belonged to God still, and the owner must kill it. Also, their neighbours (called the Amorites) killed donkeys and gave them to their false gods. This custom was a part of the way that the Amorites worshipped those false gods.
The boy that was born first in a family belonged to God. And a male animal that was born first, belonged to God. God had kept the oldest Israelite sons alive when his angel passed over them that night in Egypt. But the Egyptian sons who were born first, died. Jewish parents showed their first son to the LORD. And they gave the gift of an animal to the LORD in the child’s place. So Mary and Joseph showed Jesus to the LORD in the Temple. They were poor people, so they gave two young birds as their gift (Luke 2:22-24).
Owners gave to God their male animals that were born first. They gave them as gifts and the priest killed them. But a donkey was not a gift for God. The Israelites thought that donkeys were not clean animals. So the donkey’s owner would give a young sheep in its place. If he did not do that, he must not buy back his donkey. But the donkey belonged to God still, and the owner must kill it. Also, their neighbours (called the Amorites) killed donkeys and gave them to their false gods. This custom was a part of the way that the Amorites worshipped those false gods.
