Why The Firstborn?

Why The Firstborn? Exodus 12.12-42 The Tenth of the Plagues. Ten is a number of completion. All the digits have been used by the time you get there. A tenth of our income So the last of the plagues, the tenth is about the firstborn. It is both judgement and deliverance. Egypt would be judged. Israel would be delivered, both the firstborn and the whole nation. What was it about the firstborn? First, they got the parents to themselves. First fruits belong to the LORD Proverbs 3. 9 Honor the LORD with your wealth,     with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,     and your vats will brim over with new wine. You cannot serve both God and money. Those who think they can are deceived. First fruit of the womb Exodus 13.1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me.” Why? 13.13 Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons. 14 “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’ 16 And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with His mighty hand.” What about today? The Majority of Pastors are firstborn males. The firstborn belongs to the LORD. Birth Order Book by Kevin Lehman Firstborn Second Born Third Born Key Personality Traits of First-Borns: * Leadership & Assertiveness: First-borns are often dominant and comfortable in positions of authority. They are natural leaders who excel in school and career environments, often dominating leadership roles, as shown by their high representation among U.S. presidents and astronauts and pastors. * Perfectionism & Achievement: They are highly driven to achieve, largely because they are often held to higher standards and are "guinea pigs" for parental rules. They tend to be perfectionists who want to be the best at everything. * Responsibility & Reliability: They are typically reliable and conscientious, often taking on a "parental" role, especially with younger siblings. * Risk-Aversion & Structure: First-borns prefer structure, routines, and rules over surprises. They are cautious, compliant, and often conformist. There is something instinctive in the first born male to take care of the family in the father’s death. When that is supplanted conflict arises. * The Firstborn was a sign that the whole family belonged to God. Consecrated to the LORD It was done through families. Passover was and is a family dinner. It involves the whole family. It is about the firstborn being spared for Israel. The death of the firstborn of Egypt caused them to drive Israel out. * The Firstborn was a symbol that the LORD deserves our best. The best of our increase, giving to the LORD. The best of our lives… first hours of the morning. Proverbs 8. 17 I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me. First order of the day * The Firstborn pointed to Jesus Christ. Luke 2.7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord” 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” So in Jesus we have the fulfillment of the ages. term "Fulfillment of the Ages" refers to the culmination of God's redemptive plan through Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Scriptures. I Corinthians 10.11 Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. What things? vs. 1-10 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers , that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killedby the destroying angel. CHRIST JESUS IS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE AGES This goes back to Abraham and Isaac Take you son, your only son It is spelled out once a year in the Passover Celebrations Christ is our Passover Lamb, the God Man Who fulfills the Passover by dying Himself! * The Firstborn Points To Us! Romans 8.29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. Family traits Tristan and I Friday Evening to the Marina Photo. People saying we look alike. People seeing Jesus in us. Loving, kind, gentle, meek, humble, patient Revelation 1.4 Grace and peace to you from Him Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, Who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Jesus Christ is the Pioneer, the Trailblazer of our faith. He is the firstborn in the Family of God He is the first be raised from the dead. All of the Old Testament points to Christ. He is our Passover Lamb Let’s worship Him