I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 13-15.

As I read Moses’ instructions to the Children of Israel concerning the dedication of firstborn male offspring to God I am reminded of Abraham’s offering of Isaac.  Both accounts address the issue of child sacrifice and dedicating children to God.  The Abraham/Isaac account addresses the idea that we can be dedicated to God and can dedicate our children to God without sacrificing our children.  This passage tells us that not only can we dedicate ourselves and our children to God without sacrificing our children, but that God commands us not to sacrifice our children.  Thus, sacrificing our children goes directly counter to being dedicated to God.  

The passage describes how the Israelites left Egypt in a roundabout, indirect fashion.  Many people over the years have attempted to determine what path they followed.  Unfortunately, we do not actually know to what actual location many of the place names listed in the Book of Exodus refer.  For that matter, we do not really know the date of Exodus, although this site makes a case I find compelling for 1446 BC.  The important point of all of this being that later when the Israelites spend 40 years in the wilderness we do not know with any precision where that wilderness was.