Redeeming the Firstborn
3: 5-13
Redeeming the firstborn DIG: What did it mean to be the firstborn in Bible times? What did it mean for Isra’el to be the firstborn of God? What does redeem mean? What is God’s point in claiming all the firstborn? What would this teach the Israelites about Him?
REFLECT: Do you think ADONAI still requires our first and our best? In what sense do you give Him your first and best? If a redemption price were still required for your life or your children’s lives, what would it be? What price has Yeshua paid on your behalf?
Because ADONAI had spared the firstborn of Isra’el, they belonged to Him.
The third and final counting in this parshah is the counting of the firstborn males and animals in Isra’el. The regulations for the counting can be seen in 3:40 (to see link click At – The Census and the Redemption of the Firstborn). It is well known that the firstborn male in the ancient Near East enjoyed a unique status in the society. Both the TaNaKh and extra-biblical literature from the same general time period speak of a “right of the firstborn.” The Torah speaks of Isra’el being God’s firstborn (Exodus 4:22). As such, Isra’el enjoys a unique position among the nations of the earth. Among the people of Isra’el, however, the Holy One also singled out even a more specific class of firstborn, the firstborn males. These were the ones to whom Ha’Shem had granted the grace of being spared death from the last plague when they were in Egypt. God took the life of every firstborn, even among the animals, except those who believed Him by sprinkling the blood of the Passover lamb upon the doorposts. To them, YHVH granted mercy and life.
Because the LORD granted special firstborn status to Isra’el, and especially to Isra’el’s firstborn males, God, then, had a special right to them (Exodus 22:29-30). They belong to Him in a way that others do not. Here, in our parashah, ADONAI is waving that right of possession and servitude by providing the tribe of Levi as a substitute for firstborn males. Instead of individuals serving Him, a whole tribe, the Levites, was organized for the task.41
Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for mercifully making those who love and trust You as their Savior, to be part of Your family. But whoever did receive Him, those trusting in His name, to these He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12). You graciously offer eternal love to all who love and fear You. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so ADONAI has compassion on those who fear Him (Psalms 103:11-13).
Having You as my loving Heavenly Father is a wonderful blessing and privilege. It is not a blessing to use only when I want something, rather it is a relationship of deep love that expresses itself when I choose to obey You with a cheerful heart. What a wonderful privilege it is to be in Your family, causing me to respond joyfully to You by loving You with all my heart (Matthew 22:37). Just as You so graciously choose to put on human flesh and suffer the pain and shame as the Lamb of God (John 1:29, Hebrews 12:2, Philippians 2:6-11), may I choose to serve You with a joyful heart, seeking always to live praising and blessing You! In Your holy name and power of Yeshua’s resurrection. Amen
Duties of the Levites (3:5-10): ADONAI said to Moshe, “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and assign them to Aaron the priest, so that they can help him” (3:5-6). The family of Aaron were set apart especially to the duties of the priesthood. Each of these three families had its particular duties assigned. The Kohathites had charge of the sacred furniture of the Tabernacle (see the commentary on the Life of David Et – The Kohathites); the Gershonites took of the hangers and curtains (see the Life of David Es – The Gershonites); and the Merarites were required to look after the boards, sockets, pillars, pins and cords of the Tabernacle (see the Life of David Eu – The Merarites). The first Levites began their service at thirty years of age (Numbers 4:23, 30 and 35); but it was ordered after that the age for starting would be twenty-five (Numbers 8:24). In David’s time they began serving at twenty (First Chronicles 23:24-27). They were released from service at age fifty (Numbers 8:25). Forty-eight cities were set apart for their residence in the Land. Six of these were cities of refuge (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Dm – Six Cities of Refuge).42
These commands are not followed by a report of obedience, as were those in Chapters 1 and 2, but further details are given in Chapter 8 (see Bh – The Separation of the Levites). Clear distinctions are made here between the priestly house of Aaron and the Levites. The latter were to assist the priests in their ministry. Thus, the Levites served not only Aaron, but the entire nation in the process. The Levites were to carry out their duties and the duties of the whole community while performing the service of the Tabernacle. They are to be in charge of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and to carry out all the duties of the people of Isra’el connected with the service of the Tabernacle (3:7-8).
Interestingly, Moses is addressed in verse 5. He was responsible for the nation as a whole and, hence, for the faithful obedience of the Levites in their service of the priestly house of Aaron. Moreover, the tribe of Levites was to be brought near (3:6) . . . terminology for approaching the Divine Presence. Only Moshe had an open invitation to draw near to YHVH in a direct manner. Now he is presented with the task of drawing those other ministers near to their work before the LORD. That work consisted of service to Aaron and the guarding of the ministry related to him, and the whole community (3:7). Moreover, they were responsible for the tasks of moving the furnishings of the Tabernacle when it would be on the move (3:8).43
Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons (3:9a). The Levites were to assist the priests in their duties, as is made clear in this verse. Their one responsibility in regard to the people of Isra’el is to serve Him (3:9). In this anticipatory passage (see Ac – Numbers from a Messianic Jewish Perspective: Anticipatory Passages) the fact that the Levites were to serve the priesthood (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah An – Priests, Levites and Temple Servants) is clearly irrelevant to their census, but it anticipates that Eleazar would be the chief of the Levitical guards (3:32) and that the Levites, in general, were made subservient to the priests (8:16 and 19; 18:3-4). Similarly, the remark that Aaron and his sons were to carry out the duties of priesthood (3:10a) remains vague until clarified in 18:7.44
Anyone else (Hebrew: hazar, meaning the strange one, or anyone lacking authority) who involves himself is to be put to death (3:10b). The warning of the death penalty of 1:51 is repeated here. Service at the Tabernacle/Temple could only be performed at the express command of YHVH. There is a special sadness in this verse as it follows the file reminding us of the death of Aaron’s sons (3:4). They were unauthorized persons and used unauthorized means or had an unauthorized attitude. If the sons of Aaron were put to death, how dare an unauthorized person even think to trespass. It seems that the Levites were the ones authorized to carry out the death penalty, to keep the wrath of God against sinful offenders from destroying the entire camp. Chapter 25 presents a powerful example of this. But there the central figure was not a Levite, but Phinehas, son of Eleazar the High Priest (see Dx – The Zeal of Phinehas). Perhaps the Levites on that occasion were so lax that Phinehas decided he had to act quickly himself or there would not be time to quell the evil that was unashamedly before them at the entrance to the Tabernacle.45
Redeeming the firstborn (3:11-13): In Exodus, the LORD commanded that all the firstborn males among the children of Isra’el must be redeemed (see the commentary on Exodus Cd – Redemption of the Firstborn). The commandment of redemption was directly tied to the Passover, and like the celebration of Pesach, it is meant to be a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt. Because ADONAI had spared the firstborn of Isra’el, they belonged to Him. Their salvation beneath the blood markings on the doorposts of their houses purchased them for God’s service. As of Numbers 3, however, the Israelites had not yet redeemed their firstborn sons. And they couldn’t enter the Promised Land unless they obeyed the commandment.
Now as Isra’el completed her preparations for leaving Mount Sinai and entering into the Promised Land, the LORD commanded them to carry out the redemption saying: I have taken the Levites from among the people of Isra’el in lieu of every firstborn male that is first from the womb among the people of Isra’el; the Levites are to be Mine. All the firstborn males belong to Me, because on the day that I killed all the firstborn males in the land of Egypt, I separated for Myself all the firstborn males in Isra’el, both human and animal. They are Mine; I am ADONAI.” However, rather than paying the redemption price for their sons, they were to give the Levites over to the service of YHVH instead of their firstborn sons. The exchange was to be one for one. Each Levite male became a redemption price for the firstborn male from among the tribes. In that sense, the Levites were all redeemers. Their service on Isra’el’s behalf was exchanged in place of the service of the firstborn of all the tribes. The lives of the Levites were given to God as a substitute for the lives of the firstborn of all the tribes (see As – The Census and the Redemption of the Firstborn). Again, we are amazed at the vivid Messianic implications. It is possible to purchase one life with the life of another. It is even possible to ransom a person before ADONAI.
The Levitical act of redemption on behalf of Isra’el’s firstborn applied only to the firstborn of the Exodus generation. Subsequent generations of firstborn could not be redeemed by the Levites since they and their descendants were already in the service of God. After Numbers 3, the Levites already belonged to ADONAI. Therefore, any additional firstborn sons would need to be redeemed by the more conventional ritual of exchanging five silver shekels.46
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