Post by Mike Miller on May 23, 2014 20:22:48 GMT -5
I was recently asked the following question via text message:
"I'm reading Numbers right now and just read ch 3. Why did the firstborn need to be redeemed?"
Here is my answer:
Because God spared all the firstborn of the Israelites at the Passover, all the firstborn belonged to Him as His servants. Their lives were spared, but the law of redemption required a life for a life. Therefore, the price to redeem them from service (as opposed to working their land) was to give over the Levites for lives of service. They became the priests. But since there were not enough male Levites, they also had to pay for each additional firstborn an amount that was essentially the price of a slave in Egypt at that time. We too have been redeemed by the true Passover lamb, so our lives should be given over completely to God. He bought us, so He owns us. See 1 Peter 1:14-19.
"I'm reading Numbers right now and just read ch 3. Why did the firstborn need to be redeemed?"
Here is my answer:
Because God spared all the firstborn of the Israelites at the Passover, all the firstborn belonged to Him as His servants. Their lives were spared, but the law of redemption required a life for a life. Therefore, the price to redeem them from service (as opposed to working their land) was to give over the Levites for lives of service. They became the priests. But since there were not enough male Levites, they also had to pay for each additional firstborn an amount that was essentially the price of a slave in Egypt at that time. We too have been redeemed by the true Passover lamb, so our lives should be given over completely to God. He bought us, so He owns us. See 1 Peter 1:14-19.