Exodus 13:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Why did God instruct the Israelites on the run to observe the Passover? It delighted Him that the act of salvation should be remembered eternally. To affirm this, He commanded: “If your son asks you, ‘What is the Passover?’ you shall say, ‘On this day, the Lord our God brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt and spared our firstborn when the Destroyer struck down the firstborn of Egypt.’” Consequently, those who partake in this celebration are instructed to embody a state of readiness for the journey ahead. It is written: “You shall eat it in haste; it is the Lord's Passover” (Ex. 12:11).

Rescue us. The compassion of God, symbolized by the law of the firstborn, holds immense significance in the destiny of the Jewish people. This mercy is so vital that both present and future generations ought to honor it with profound gratitude, as if it were granted to them directly. Every father has the responsibility to instill this remembrance in his children from a young age. It is essential for each father to explain to his son the background and significance of the law of the firstborn.