The Ordinance of Firstborn (Conclusion): What God Wants and Expects

The Ordinance of Firstborn (Conclusion): What God Wants and Expects

“Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.” – Exodus 13:2

In concluding our two-week series on the ordinance of firstborn, we will endeavor to present God’s requirement as we wrap up this treatise.

We hope we have shared enough biblical references to provide a background on the ordinance. We also hope some of the examples we have shared of firstborns who struggled in comparison to those who succeeded have offered sufficient evidence to enable us to understand the role that the observance or neglect of this ordinance played in those life outcomes.

In concluding the series, however, it is important to stress again that all firstborns, particularly male firstborns, belong to God.

God wants your firstborn. He expects that everything that opens the womb is offered back to Him as a token of honor. He could not have said what He wanted any clearer in this Bible passage.

“Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.” – Exodus 13:2

Consecrating someone or something means that you set such a person or an item exclusively apart for God’s only use. A life that is consecrated is a life that has been set apart to serve God and fulfil His purpose only without getting mixed up with anything else. An animal that is consecrated to God is going to be killed and sacrificed to God as an offering.

Any inanimate item that is consecrated to God means it is to be dedicated at the Tabernacle or your place of worship to be used there exclusively. It is no longer your own to use as you please anymore. There is nothing wrong if the priest or custodian of the altar uses such an item, as they themselves are consecrated individuals meant to serve at and live off the offerings at the altar as well. So no need to castigate or condemn men and women of God for living off the offerings given at the place of worship.

In the case of the Israelites, God decided to consecrate one of the tribes, the Levites, for Himself in lieu of all the firstborns from every other tribe who would have been assigned to serve at the Tabernacle. Therefore, the Levites became the representatives of all the other firstborns in Israel and were the ones saddled with the responsibility of ministering to God.

“Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine, – Numbers 3:12

After that the Levites shall go in to service the tabernacle of meeting. So you shall cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering. For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel. – Numbers 8:15-16

Meanwhile, having the Levites representing firstborns did not nullify the fact that all firstborns born to members of the other tribes should no longer be redeemed. God expected and still expects that every (male) firstborn of humans is redeemed by their parents.

And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. – Exodus 13:11-13

How does this redemption principle apply today? The society to which the ordinance was first communicated was essentially agrarian. Therefore, livestock were perfect tokens of redemption for human firstborns. In our own society today, which is monetarily driven, cash is the ideal token to redeem firstborns.

Now, God is not interested in how large or small the money is, as He does not spend the money anyway, just as He was not the one eating the animals sacrificed in the past. All He cares about is obedience.

Therefore, every parent who desires to redeem their firstborn should determine the child’s monetary worth and then offer what they consider appropriate to God for the redemption of their child. Another way is to consecrate such a child to serve God exclusively as a clergyman.

That is what God expects today.

You Will Succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

• The Ordinance of Firstborn (9): What God Says
• Men in the Bible: The Man that Found Grace in the Eyes of God
• 10 Thoughts to Ponder
• I Have Moved!
• A Spiritual Battlefield

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