LIFE SCRIPTS

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. 21 “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest. 22 “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year. 23 Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. 24 I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God. 25 “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast, and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Festival remain until morning. 26 “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God. “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
Exodus 34:18‭-‬26 NIV

https://bible.com/bible/111/exo.34.18-26.NIV.

God begins by reminding the Israelites about the Passover…that great event when He delivered the children of Israel from Egypt with an outstretched arm. The time when the Angel of Death passed over the Israelite households and visited the households of the Egyptians to claim the lives or their first borns. The Israelites were to commemorate this time through the feast of unleavened bread: a special type of bread baked without yeast. But further, God instructed His people concerning the first born in every family. They belonged to Him. They were to be dedicated to Him. God also asked the people to dedicate the first born of domestic animals to Him. But a specific ordinance was given about donkeys…all first born donkeys were to be redeemed by the shedding of the blood of a lamb. If not then their necks would be broken. A picture of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. He’s the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world. We’re redeemed through Him. God also reminded the Israelites about observation of the Sabbath. Even during sowing and harvest seasons (the most labor intensive times), they were to observe the Sabbath…a rest. They were to observe designated feasts…the feast of the first fruits and the feasts of the in gatherings at the turn of the year. The first fruits were a special offering to God in appreciation for the harvest He had blessed His people with. The feast of the ingatherings is also known as Succoth which was a commemoration of the temporary houses the Israelites lived in during their time in the wilderness. In some quarters, it might mean the ‘gathering together’ of produce to give thanks to God. These three feasts (Passover, First fruits & In gatherings) were to be observed by the Israelites. They were to be feasts…moments of celebration and eating. Times of rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord. God also made a promise to the children of Israel…to deliver them from the enemies that surround them. He would enlarge their territory…a truth that happened especially during the time of David and Solomon. Israel’s borders kept on expanding after the Joshua led conquest. God kept His word. He reminded them that as they ascended to celebrate the feasts in His presence each year, their land would remain intact. As long as we remain true in our worship to the Lord, He will protect our heritage. The Lord ordered that they bring their best fruits from the soil as an offering. God blesses the gift that is given with a generous heart. But lastly a very strange order is given not to ‘cook a kid in it’s mother’s milk’. Possibly the reason why conservative Jews don’t eat meat while drinking milk or use meat together with milk products like cheese. But also probably reminding us that naturally, a mother should not be associated with the death of her children.