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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, |
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| 2 Hallow unto me every firstborn, whatever breaketh open the womb among the children of Israel, of man and of cattle: it is mine. |
All the firstborn – Afterwards these first-born ones were represented by the tribe of Levi. R1657:2
Typifying the Church only; not our Lord Jesus. Q524:6
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| 3 And Moses said to the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for with a powerful hand hath Jehovah brought you out from this; and nothing leavened shall be eaten. |
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| 4 Ye come out to-day, in the month Abib. |
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| 5 And it shall be when Jehovah hath brought thee into the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, which he swore to thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month. |
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| 6 Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread; and in the seventh day is a feast to Jehovah. |
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| 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten the seven days; and leavened bread shall not be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy borders. |
There be leaven – Symbol of corruption, sin. R5192:4, R2022:4, R2635:1; F464; T98
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| 8 And thou shalt inform thy son in that day, saying, It is because of what Jehovah did to me when I came out of Egypt. |
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| 9 And it shall be for a sign to thee on thy hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the law of Jehovah may be in thy mouth; for with a powerful hand hath Jehovah brought thee out of Egypt. |
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| 10 And thou shalt keep this ordinance at its set time from year to year. |
Year to year – Our Lord altered the manner, but not the time; and, as he has not altered the time, we dare not. It is our privilege to observe the anniversary. R803:2
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| 11 And it shall be when Jehovah hath brought thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he hath sworn to thee and to thy fathers, and hath given it thee, |
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| 12 that thou shalt offer unto Jehovah all that breaketh open the womb, and every firstling that cometh of cattle which is thine: the males shall be Jehovah's. |
That openeth the matrix – In conformity with this, the mother of Jesus presented him in consecration. (Luke 2:21-23) Q757:5
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| 13 And every firstling of an ass shalt thou ransom with a lamb; and if thou do not ransom it, thou shalt break its neck; and every firstborn of a man among thy sons shalt thou ransom. |
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| 14 And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say to him, With a powerful hand Jehovah brought us out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage. |
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| 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, that Jehovah slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of men and the firstborn of cattle: therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah all that breaketh open the womb--being males; and every firstborn of my children I ransom. |
All the firstborn – Only the first-born was in danger, typifying that in the present time only the Church of the first-born has sufficient knowledge to be in danger of Second Death. R3995:5
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| 16 And it shall be for a sign on thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes, for with a powerful hand Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt. |
Frontlets – A phylactery, a little square leather box, containing four passages of Scripture. R4053:1
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| 17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh let the people go, that God did not lead them the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, That the people may not repent when they see conflict, and return to Egypt. |
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| 18 And God led the people about, the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went arrayed out of the land of Egypt. |
Way of the wilderness – The best of three roads for them, leading through the wild mountain regions of Sinai. R5277:3
Went up harnessed – In military order, either five abreast or in five companies. R2919:2
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| 19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for he had made the children of Israel swear an oath, saying, God will be sure to visit you; then ye shall carry my bones with you hence. |
The bones of Joseph – Israel hoped for a resurrection from the tomb and hence they were particular in caring for the corpses of their dead. R2601:6
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| 20 And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, at the end of the wilderness. |
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| 21 And Jehovah went before their face by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them in the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; so that they could go day and night. |
Pillar of a cloud – Shielding us from the things that would be too trying for us. R4029:6
Affording them a measure of shelter from the heat of the sun. R3997:2
The Lord's providences guide us and shelter us from the heat of persecution. R3997:3
To lead them the way – The leading of divine providence is ours until we pass over Jordan into heavenly Canaan. R3997:3
Only when they finally crossed Jordan into Canaan was this phenomenon discontinued. R3997:2
A pillar of fire – Enlightenment in darkness and God's keeping, protecting power. R4029:6
To give them light – At other times, the Lord's providences enlighten us in dark seasons. R3997:3
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| 22 The pillar of the cloud did not remove from before the people by day, nor the pillar of fire by night. |
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