Primogenitus

In Hebrews 1:6, Jesus is called the Primogenitus or firstborn of God.

I’m not sure that in today’s time we fully understand what the “firstborn” meant to the Hebrews. Certainly the firstborn son of a Hebrew family was shown favoritism as far as inheritance went but in addition Hebrew families understood that their firstborn sons belonged not to themselves but to God.

In Exodus 13 we learn that every male, whether human or animal, that “opened the womb” for the first time belonged to God to do with as he pleased.

The firstborn males of clean animals; goats, cattle, sheep were to be killed or sacrificed. In Numbers 18 these firstborn animals are called “holy”. God could require that of the firstborn male children as well but allowed their parents to “redeem” them. The cost of redemption? …five shekels of silver.

The Hebrews constantly had it hammered into their heads that their firstborn male sons belonged to the Lord.

So you have cases like Hannah who so wanted a child that she made a vow to the Lord that if she could have a son she would not redeem him but give the son, Samuel, to the one who already owned him… Jehovah God. God answered her request and she fulfilled her vow.

Imagine the surprise of the Hebrews when God, the owner of all the firstborn sons, took his own firstborn son, Jesus Christ, and used him as the redeeming price for the sins of all humanity. The Hebrews bought their firstborn sons back for 5 shekels of silver. God paid for the sins of humanity with the death of his own Primogenitus. The sacrifice of one life being the equivalent price for the lives of all humanity.

The Old Testament was about humanity’s sacrifice for God. The New Testament is about God’s sacrifice for humanity.

As a side note… what about today? My mother told me my Dad made a promise to the Lord that if he could have a son he would dedicate that son to the Lord. Dad was 18 years old at the time. I don’t take that lightly as a cause for who I am today.