9 October Numbers 3

Christ, the firstborn

Numbers 3:11-13 (NIV) “The Lord also said to Moses, “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, 13 for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”

In the Old Testament, firstborn humans and animals were considered unique to God. After God saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He told them to dedicate every firstborn male, both human and animal, to Him. This act was a way to remember how God had saved them and to show their children that He was the one who brought them out of Egypt. These actions were symbolic of the Passover. In the last plague against Egypt, God "passed over" the homes of the Israelites, sparing their firstborn sons because they had marked their doors with the blood of a lamb as God instructed. However, the firstborn males of the Egyptians, including their livestock, were killed.

The importance of the firstborn reaches its pivot in Scripture in the person of Jesus Christ. All prior implications of the firstborn’s role in the Bible illuminate Christ’s pre-eminence over all creation and in the family of God. Romans 8:29 (ESV) “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. As the confirmation in scripture progresses also see:

Colossians 1:15 (ESV) “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation”.

Revelation 1:5 (ESV) “and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood”.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (ESV) “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ”.

In the Old Testament, the firstborn was set apart as sacred to God, symbolising His ownership and special relationship with His people. This dedication of the firstborn, whether human or animal, served as a reminder of God's mighty deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt, particularly during the Passover when the firstborn of the Israelites was spared while the firstborn of the Egyptians was struck down.

This Old Testament concept of the firstborn finds its ultimate fulfilment in Jesus Christ. Just as the firstborn in Israel were consecrated to God, Jesus, as the "firstborn" of all creation, is consecrated uniquely and supremely. In His resurrection, Jesus is the "firstborn from the dead," symbolising a new beginning for all who follow Him, much like the Passover marked a new beginning for the Israelites.

Through Jesus, the idea of the firstborn is expanded from a specific group within Israel to encompass all who belong to Him. He becomes the first fruits of a new creation, leading the way for those who are His to experience resurrection and eternal life. In this way, the Old Testament practice of dedicating the firstborn finds its most profound meaning in Christ, who fulfils and transcends this role, bringing the promise of redemption and new life to all who are part of God's family.