SCRIPTURE: Numbers 3
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16].
The ‘firstborn son’ idea is foreign to us, but in that time it was the normal means of advancing family wealth and blessing from generation to generation.
The firstborn son had a special purpose and calling.
God uses that cultural expression to communicate His own plan to advance His wealth and blessing for all generations, through His One and Only Son.
God calls the nation Israel His firstborn son; God claims the firstborn male offspring of Egypt when Pharoah refuses to release God’s firstborn [Genesis 4:22-23].
God spares Israel’s firstborn male offspring when the angel of death “passes over” their homes; God still claims the firstborn sons as His own – animals must be sacrificed while boys must be bought back, redeemed [Exodus 13:13-15].
Here in Numbers 3 we see that God has a special plan for the firstborn sons – while the male animals represent the sacrifice for sin, the male sons refer to the service of the tabernacle.
God is symbolically setting the stage for the day when His firstborn Son will perfectly fulfill His obligations, doing the work of the temple (that is, reconciliation) perfectly [Numbers 3:8].
His Son will be fully dedicated to the God’s work [Numbers 3:9].
And He puts in place a “redemption plan” for His people, anticipating the day when He would GIVE His firstborn Son on their behalf.
In those times, the firstborn was the next in line after the father of the household.
Jesus is that firstborn, the one assigned all authority in the Father’s household, namely all creation.
This was no democracy, there was no choice.
The rest of the family was at the mercy of the father and the firstborn.
Unfortunately, many human fathers and firstborns were cruel, unjust.
But our Father in heaven, and His firstborn Son are perfectly good, perfectly kind.
They do not demand our service, they graciously offer us their service.
They do not demand our death, they offer their own.
Jesus, God’s firstborn son, dies for us, to redeem us from death.
We are now free to live, free to love, free to serve the Lord with our whole heart.
Will we? Will I?
PRAYER:
Lord, the Levites were to be fully devoted to You. To some extent they were, though not perfectly. You were fully devoted to God, and to me. Help me to give You my whole heart, and to strive to be fully devoted to You!