Redeemed unto the Lord, We Leave behind our Sin.

Introduction

The Apostle Paul, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, twice tells us we belong to God (1 Cor. 6:19-20;7:23). We are not free to do as we will. The blood of Christ cleanses us for all sin. In his death Christ bore the judgment due us for our sin. His resurrection brought freedom from the chains of sin and death, freeing us from the kingdom of darkness and placing us in the kingdom of light. His ascension and place at the right hand of the Father assures that what he came to accomplish is completed for the glory of the Majesty on high. Yes, we are free. We are free to serve our creator, who in Christ is ‘abba’ Father to us. We are free to do what we were created to do, to declare and spread His glory. Yes, we have a new master. He is the best one there is to have. This is true for every believer even as it was true for Israel.

Background

Today we are going to examine the consecration and redemption of the firstborn, of both humans and animals, and take a second look at the feast of unleavened bread. At first glance placing the consecration of the firstborn alongside the passover and Feast of unleavened bread may seem strange but it isn’t. As Anglican scholar W. Ross Blackburn notes: “The three ceremonies have much in common. First, they all commemorate the death of the firstborn in Egypt, the plague that finally broke Egypt and brought about Israel’s deliverance. The Passover commemorates the Lord’s protecting Israel from the destroyer (12:23), the Feast of Unleavened Bread commemorates the hasty flight from Egypt that same night (12:17), and the practice of redeeming the firstborn memorializes the Lord’s killing the firstborn in Egypt (13:14–15). ”[1] We will then connect this redeeming to the work of Christ and his status as the firstborn among many brethren. I submit to you that in giving these instructions the LORD wanted to people to learn the same lesson Abraham did with Isaac in Gen. 22. Specifically, though Issac was his son, Isaac owed his existence to the mighty hand of God, whom opened Sarah’s womb. Isaac existed for the glory of God, who claimed primary ownership of him. Abraham was to care for him and teach him the things of God with the understanding that they both live to please God on the earth. This is the same message of our text.

Exposition

The Importance of the Firstborn

Verses 1 - 2: We spoke previously of the importance of the firstborn in ANE societies when Moses first spoke of the tenth plague in Ex. 11:1-10. We quoted one scholar as saying: “The destiny of the family focused on the firstborn son, who was the chief heir of the family property and who would become responsible for its well-being.” [2] The firstborn son would assume the leadership role when the father passed and therefore could greatly influence the religious outlook and covenant keeping of the rest of the household. Cultures around Israel however had a view of the firstborn that was too high. Jewish scholar, Nahum Sarna notes: “In many ancient cultures the miracle of new life was considered to be a divine gift. It was widely believed that the first fruits of the soil, of animal fecundity, and of human fertility were endowed by nature with intrinsic holiness.”[3] The message of scripture is this clearly wasn’t and isn’t the case. Again to quote Sarna: “The present instruction to Moses to consecrate the first-born may therefore be a polemic against such pagan notions. The first-born belongs to God solely by reason of an act of divine will decreed at the time of the Exodus and not on account of any inherent sanctity. Their status is dissociated completely from the then contemporary ideas and practices.” [4]

This is not to say the firstborn in Israelite society did have an important role. They often did. The firstborn were to be set apart for service unto the LORD. This was the case until the sons of Levi took their place after the golden calf incident (Ex. 32:25-29). Even after this the firstborn were still to be consecrated and there a examples of This firstborn sons of other tribes being set apart for special service. Two examples are Samson (Jdgs. 12:2-5) and Samuel (1 Sam. 1:24-28). The preeminent example is the consecration of the firstborn of Mary and Joseph, Christ Jesus our Lord (Luke 2:22-24). With his consecration, all those who would come after him would be set upon for the LORD (Heb. 12:23) and sanctified in truth(John 17:19). To consecrate the firstborn was recognize Yahweh’s ownership of the whole house. As commentator Philip Ryken states: “... the firstborn was the firstfruits of the family. To consecrate him was to consecrate everyone else who came from his mother's womb.” [5] It makes sense then that the psalmist calls children gifts from the Lord (Ps 127:3-4). But the question is how what this to be done?

The redemption of the Firstborn

Verses 11 - 16: When the people entered the promised land, they were to give of their firstborn to God via sacrifice. An exception was the donkey, which represented unclean animals. In this case a lamb was to be substituted for it or the donkey had to be killed. This is likely due to the economic value of the donkey for agriculture. What about the children? Surely, they couldn’t be literally sacrificed. In fact, this would be expressly banned in the levitical laws. The answer is found in Num. 18:14-16, five shekels of silver. Still we haven’t answered the question. Why did they need redemption? Remember that Yawheh took the firstborn of Egypt and passed over Israel because of a substitute. We spoke previously of how the firstborn, like the rest of Israel, was just as guilty. Something else had to take their place. It was the blood of the lamb. He brought them out of slavery by this mighty act. This act of redemption is a perpetual reminder of their need for salvation and the reality only Yahweh could bring it about. This truth needed to be taught, believed, and experienced by every generation. Future generations needed to know this to remember who they are and why they exist. This is why the LORD commands the people to teach and constantly keep the Passover and His commandments before the next generation (Ex 12:26-28, Deut 6:6-7). The viability of any society depends in large part upon the next generation, as does the future of the church. Indeed, inn the Master’s hands they can do great things (2 Ki 22:1-2). Solomon states they will never forget what they were taught and such teaching will impact them for good (Prov. 22:6). The Apostle Paul commands us to raise our children correctly, with the hope that the Lord will use the mightily (Eph 6:4, Col 3:21). As it was with Israel, so it is with the Church.

The Preeminent Firstborn

Even as the sons of Israel needed redemption, so all men and women today are in need of redemption. We are like donkeys, unfit for service or sacrifice before / to the Lord. Even as a lack of redemption for the donkey meant death, so if we are not redeemed from our unclean state, we will die in our sins and be lost for eternity. The donkey could be spared by a substitute and so can we. That substitute for us, for all men, is Christ Jesus (1 Peter 1:18-19). Christ is the firstborn from the dead, the head of the household of faith (Col 1:17-18) and we are saved through him. Death is not the end for us because he took our place, even as death wasn’t the end for him. We will be resurrected because Christ was resurrected (1 Cor. 15:20 - 23) and sits at the right hand of the majesty on high (Heb. 1:3). Even as Adam preceded us and brought death and separation from God, so Christ precedes us and brings life and relationship. Lastly the only begotten of the Father, that is the unique Son, sacrificed himself so that we could be redeemed as sons and daughters of God. This has practical implications.

As Christians we belong to the Lord solely and completely. The Father lays claim to us via the blood of his Son. Everything that comes after our rebirth, that is every aspect of our new life, is to reflect this reality. We are to live for His glory and proclaim his name throughout the earth. Yahweh is entitled to all that we have and all that we do and we ought to freely give it, even as He freely gave His son. Our redemption was costly and our lives should bear witness to this reality, that what Christ did on the cross of no small thing. This brings us back to the feast of unleavened bread.

The New life Due to the Firstborn

Verses 3 - 10: This great act of Yahweh on behalf of Israel, and the greater act of Christ on the cross, must be remembered and should impact our lives if we are his children (2 Cor. 13:5). When one is redeemed from bondage, they are not to go back into chains, nor should they desire to do so. We are certainly not to act as if who we are. where we are, and all we have has come by our own efforts. There must be a clean break if the new life is to be lived properly. One way to do this is look back upon where we were and what we were saved from. Israel was enslaved in Egypt and faced a perpetually bleak future in bondage. The Israelite male faced the possibly of death. They were dependent upon the benevolence of Egyptians whom likely despised them. Some of them, if not all of them, participated in the worship of false gods which were really demonic powers. The life of Israel in Egypt was one without hope. It is this world that Yahweh stepped in and brought the people out via Moses with signs and wonders to bring them to Himself and their inheritance. They were freed to worship and serve Him. They were freed to be His people. They were delivered to receive what the LORD promised to their forefathers. Hallelujah! Blessed be the name of the Lord. The one in Christ has a greater testimony. We were in bondage to sin, enslaved in the kingdom of darkness. For some of us, life might have looked or been good for a worldly perspective. Yet, it was the path of death. There was no hope beyond what we saw in this world. It was into this situation that Christ incarnated into, lived a perfect life, performed signs and wonders, challenged the powers that be, and died on the cross for our freedom. Our only appropriate response is holiness unto the Lord. It is to set aside every connection to, reject the influence of, and crucify the desires of the old life. It is to remember that we stand here today solely because of what Christ the Lord has done. It is to teach our children about the LORD of heaven and earth and what He has done, model holy living before them, and call to respond according. The is our great responsibility. This is our great reward.

Gospel Application

By now I hope everyone has noticed the common tread in all this: the need for substitution. The reality is all men start out at enmity with God. Like the donkeys in the narrative, we have worthy of death in and of ourselves. The only hope for the donkey was the lamb. As it was then. So it is now. The only hope for reconciliation with God is found in the lamb of God, the Son of God, Christ Jesus. In the words of the late SBC preacher R.G. Lee: “...the only way I know for any man ... to escape the sinner’s payday ... is through Christ Jesus, who took the sinner’s place upon the Cross, becoming for all sinners all that God must judge, that sinners through faith in Christ Jesus might become all that God cannot judge. (“Pay Day Someday”)” [7] If you are here and / or listening and don’t call Christ Jesus both savior and Lord, I call you to consider your ways. Without the blood of the passover lamb, the sons of Israel would have faced the same fate as the sons of Egypt. Their status, their subjugation, and / or their work wasn’t going to help them. It wouldn’t be sufficient to satisfy the wrath and justice of God. They were still guilty, as all men and women are. But this doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Jesus Christ came to save sinners. He will not fail to save all those who put their trust in Him. Consider your ways. Acknowledge and confess your sin. Ask for forgiveness and to be received into his kingdom. Place your trust on Christ alone, that is his death and resurrection, and you will be saved. Don’t delay. Repent and believe the Gospel today. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen.

Bibliography

[1] Blackburn, W. R. (2012). The God Who Makes Himself Known: The Missionary Heart of the Book of Exodus. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (Vol. 28, p. 51). England; Downers Grove, IL: Apollos; InterVarsity Press.

[2] Stuart, D. K. (2006). Exodus (Vol. 2, p. 312). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

[3] Sarna, N. M. (1991). Exodus (p. 65). Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.

[4] ibid.

[5] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for God's Glory, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 370.

[6] ibid.

[7] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, Tony Merida, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2014), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 76.