Good Morning.
All that open the womb are Mine, and every male firstborn among your livestock, whether ox or sheep. (Exodus 34:19)
There is, obviously, something very important about the firstborn, biblically speaking. If there was any doubt about that, this verse makes it very clear: among the children of Israel, every firstborn male — whether man or beast — is considered as belonging to God. In reality, these are considered to be the “first fruits” just as the first fruits of the harvest were set apart as that which belonged to God and, consequently, were presented to the priests in the Sanctuary.
Of course, it hasn’t always been that those who were first born behaved in a sanctified way that befits those who belong to God. In fact, many times, it wasn’t the firstborn at all that emulated the character and attributes of God but the second born. There is Cain and Abel — the presumed first born, Cain, was “of the wicked one.” It was Abel who was regarded as righteous. Abraham’s firstborn, Ishmael, was the “son of the flesh” while Isaac was the “son of promise.”
Isaac’s firstborn, Esau, despised the birthright was thus despised by God while the second born, Jacob, fathered the nation that God refers to as “My son, my firstborn” (Exodus 4:22). Thus we learn that, from God’s point of view, it isn’t necessarily the first born of man’s seed that belongs to Him but those who receive His Seed — that is, His Word.
Because His Word is personified in the Living Word, Yeshua the Messiah, we who are in Messiah are regarded as “the seed of Abraham” and “heirs according to the promise.” Furthermore, consider that, in Egypt, it was the firstborn — not everyone — who were redeemed by the blood of the lamb. That means all those who have been redeemed by “the precious blood of Messiah, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19) are considered the firstborn of God.
It is a great comfort to know that we, who are in Messiah, are His. Because we are His, we can be confident that He will never let us go nor forsake us. Let us, in turn, hold fast to Him because He is our God, our Redeemer and our loving Father who bestows blessing and benefit on His firstborn children.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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