2 "Consecrate to me all the first-born; whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine."
3 And Moses said to the people, "Remember this day, in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage, for by strength of hand YHVH brought you out from this place; no leavened bread shall be eaten.
4 This day you are to go forth, in the month of Abib.
5 And when YHVH brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.
6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to YHVH.
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory.
8 And you shall tell your son on that day, 'It is because of what YHVH did for me when I came out of Egypt.'
9 And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of YHVH may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand, YHVH has brought you out of Egypt.
10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.
11 "And when YHVH brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you,
12 you shall set apart to YHVH all that first opens the womb. All the firstlings of your cattle that are males shall be YHVH's.
13 Every firstling of an ass you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every first-born of man among your sons you shall redeem.
This has the same meaning as the killing of the first born of Egypt. This initial level of consciousness must be overcome in order that we may progress spiritually.
14 And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By strength of hand, YHVH brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
15 For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, YHVH slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and the first-born of cattle. Therefore, I sacrifice to YHVH all the males that first open the womb; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem.'
16 It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes; for by a strong hand, YHVH brought us out of Egypt."
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, gods did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for gods said, "Lest the people repent when they see war, and return to Egypt."
18 But gods led the people round by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.
19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for Joseph had solemnly sworn the people of Israel, saying, "Gods will visit you; then you must carry my bones with you from here."
20 And they moved on from Succoth, and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.
21 And YHVH went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night;
22 the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
It is always best to go the right way. Do not take short cuts when it comes to your spiritual development. We should not deliberately put ourselves in the way of temptation. Succoth, in the original language of the Old Testament, means shelters or tents. It represents a temporary living place and here indicates that they are going through a state of consciousness that will not last. It is a transition between our carnal, temporary consciousness and our spiritual eternal consciousness.
YHVH appears in a cloud by day and as fire by night. These represent the two pillars: the feminine or water and the masculine or fire. These are the two elements that must be brought into balance. Water is the intuitive, heart side of our consciousness, while Fire is the intellectual, mental side. The balance between the two acts as our guide in the wilderness.