The First Born are Mine

So I have finally finished reading Leviticus and now I am currently reading in the book of Numbers. And while I was reading today I found an interesting verse about the firstborn of Israel. Now as soon as I read this I knew there was something there for me to find. So after praying I felt the Lord was telling me that there is a connection between the first born dying in Egypt and God chosing the Levities as His priests. Let me explain how.

Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am the Lord .”

Numbers 3:11‭-‬13 NASB

So the Lord had redeemed the firstborn of the children of Israel to himself because He had struck the firstborn in the land of Egypt. So the Lord bought the firstborn of Israel in this way. Now let’s go to the next verse.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and make a list of their names. You shall take the Levites for Me, I am the Lord , instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.” So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had commanded him; and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were 22,273.  Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the Lord.

Numbers 3:40‭-‬45 NASB

So we can see from this verse that the Lord chose to instead take the Levities as His own instead of the firstborn of the Children of Israel. But why exactly did He chose the Levities over the firstborn of Israel? It is my understanding that He chose the Levities because they chose Him.

Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies— then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the Lord , come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. He said to them, “Thus says the Lord , the God of Israel, ‘Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.’ ” So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. Then Moses said, “Dedicate yourselves today to the Lord —for every man has been against his son and against his brother—in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.”

Exodus 32:25‭-‬29 NASB

So the tribe of Levi chose to follow the Lord, out of all the tribes of Israel. And because of this, they dedicated themselves to the Lord. But in this, I see a parallel to the New Covenant. And this is because of the connection between this event and the Upper Room event in Acts, or more specifically the preaching of Peter. For more on that teaching, read my post “Mount Sinai and the Upper Room”. So we have now become the possession of God, because He struck down His firstborn to redeem us. And we are not chosen because we were born to be that way, but rather because we chose to be His ourselves.

But you are a chosen race , a royal priesthood , a holy nation , a people for  God’s  own possession , so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

1 Peter 2:9 NASB

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