Num. 3:39-51.
It was the first-born of Egypt who were slain on the passover night, and the first-born of the Israelites who, sheltered by the blood of the passover lamb, escaped a like doom. The first-born is the heir, in whom the hopes center, and he fittingly represented all, whether in the family or the nation. So they have always been taken as typical of all who, sinners as they were, were endangered by their sins and exposed to judgment; but who have been shielded from that judgment by the blood of the Lamb without blemish or spot. It is not our purpose to dwell upon this feature, admitted by all true Christians.
It will be remembered that immediately after the awful night in Egypt, before they left that land, God put in His claim of absolute and special ownership of all the first-born. " Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, . . . both of man and of beast:it is mine" (Ex. 13:2). This right of ownership was emphasized by actual transference, in the case of clean animals to the Lord, and in the case of unclean animals and of man-solemn and suggestive association-by a special redemption. "All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep. But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb:and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the first-born of thy sons thou shalt redeem " (Ex. 34:19, 20).
When the nation was fully organized, if we may use such language, each tribe and individual having the appointed place, this divine ownership of the first-born was emphasized in taking the whole tribe of Levi as the substitute for them. Nor was this a vague and general transfer, either in the service to be rendered by the Levites, or in the number of the men compared with the number of the first-born. There were twenty-two thousand Levites; and two hundred and seventy-three first-born above this number.
Men would have said this was "near enough." But no:each one of these had to pay a special ransom of five shekels, a substitute for a Levite lacking. Thus again was emphasized the fact of God’s absolute ownership, by right of redemption, of each individual among the first-born.
We have said the Levites were called to a distinct service. They were "given to Aaron," and were to be employed, under his direction, in connection with the holy things of the tabernacle. Each part of the tabernacle was entrusted to some branch of the family of Levi. Into all this, most interesting and instructive, we do not enter here.
Passing now to the spiritual application of all this, little remark is needed. We have been redeemed from a bondage worse far than that of Egypt, and sheltered from a judgment compared with which that visited upon her first-born was as nothing. We have been redeemed "not with corruptible things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." As such we are no longer our own, "ye are bought with a price." And just as Israel’s first-born were the Lord’s, so are we, distinctly and absolutely.
Nor is this divine ownership in us an uncertain, vague thing. There is now no class of Levites who can be substituted for the first-born. All redeemed are both. We cannot transfer our responsibility to substitutes. With Israel, when the first-born had seen the claim for his service laid upon the Levite, he could go on and seek his own concerns. But this is not so with us. We are the Levites, whose life-long service is to show the reality of the fact of our redemption.
See how exact this service-requirement is. There are no odd ones who, though redeemed, have no responsibility for service. Just as surely as an Israelite first-born was redeemed, so surely was service required of a Levite, or its equivalent. Is it not so now? Has God any idlers among His ransomed? Surely not; but each individual has a place in His service which no one else can fill.
And this is service. It is under the control and guidance of our great Priest that we are to render it, according to His mind, not according to our choice. Is there one who says, I have no service to perform? Such an one might well question his redemption. As to the nature of the service, Another must tell us. There is honor in doing the least thing for Him. But there cannot be a moment’s doubt that somewhere in His work He would appoint us our place. Many who are not clear as to salvation anxiously seek assurance as to that, and the word of God gives it to us amply. Is there the same anxiety to ascertain our place in service, and to have the assurance as to that? Surely we cannot have a doubt that the Lord would have us know our true place.
It will be said, All this is old, simple and well understood. Quite true, but because it is old, we need to have our minds stirred up by it, in order that we may put our ministry to the proof. Redemption and service:-how indissolubly are these two facts linked together in God’s word. May they likewise be so in the lives of His redeemed people.