And in Deuteronomy chapter 21,
look with me at verse 15 through verse 17 of that chapter, and
as I said, has to do with a principle concerning the firstborn. Here
it is. If a man have two wives, one
beloved and another hated, and they have born him children,
both the beloved and the hated, And if the firstborn son be hers
that is hated, then it shall be, when he makes his son to
inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the
beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed
the firstborn. But he shall acknowledge the
son of the hated for the firstborn by giving him a double portion
of all that he had, for he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the firstborn is
his." Now look at that statement, the strength or the beginning
of His strength. It'll come before us again. Now
flipping over to Romans chapter 8, there is a statement in this
great text that we want to pick out. We know verse 28, 30, We
know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them that are the called according to purpose. For whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of many,
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover,
whom He did predestinate, Him He also called. Whom He called,
Him He also justified. And whom He justified, Him He
also glorified. Now in the end of verse 29, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Now, the first
thing that I ask of you is that you forgive me if you find me
repeating scripture that we have already looked at in our study,
and if I repeat things that we have already spoken of, because
they all need to coalesce together. And like so many of the doctrines
of the New Testament pertaining to Christ and to salvation, they
have their roots in the Old Testament and in the old economy. And they were typical of something
that was to come and typical of something that was to come
that is a spiritual truth. Now, it was a rather important
matter and practice in olden time, this firstborn, and if
you have a concordance and you begin to trace it out and to
look it up, you show that it is mentioned quite many times
in the Old Testament scripture. And almost half of the Old Testament
scripture, 18 of them, have some mention or instruction on the
matter of the firstborn. Now, granted, in the old economy,
or in the Old Testament, it was mostly, or largely, a matter
of primogeniture, that is, a birth order in the Old Testament, and
by being the firstborn of a family. the firstborn of a woman, of
a man, and of his wife. And let's get some verses here.
It is described by such expression as follows. Exodus 13 and verse
12. All that open the matrix. These are particular in mind
in this place. They were to be set aside unto
the Lord. All that openeth the matrix are
to be set aside unto the Lord. Exodus 13 and verse 2. Sanctify
unto me all of the firstborn, whosoever openeth the womb among
the children of Israel, of man and of beast, It is mine. Exodus 13 and verse 2. In Luke chapter 2 and verse 23
in the New Testament, this has to do with the concentration
a consecration of our Lord, written in the law of the Lord, every
male that opens the womb shall be called holy unto the Lord. That is, every firstborn shall
be determined holy unto the Lord. And this was spoken and called
to mind when Jesus was, quote, presented to the Lord in Luke
chapter 2 and verse 22, because he was Mary's firstborn. And all such are dedicated and
are holy unto the Lord. Firstborn Mary. Luke 2 and verse
7 and Matthew 1 and verse 25. And she did with him and for
him according to the manner of the law of Moses in Luke chapter
2 and verse 22 and offered a sacrifice that was sanctioned by the law
of Moses and fitted their economic circumstances. A pair of turtle
doves and a pair of pigeons is what they offered on that occasion,
Luke chapter 2 and verse 24. Now Jesus, in a real sense, was
twice or doubly a firstborn. Number one, of course, he was
the firstborn of Mary. She gave birth to him as her
firstborn. And then, number two, he is more
than that, the firstborn of God. He is the firstborn of the Father. Hebrews chapter 1, verse 5 and
verse 6, when he brings the first begotten into the world. We'll say more later about the
matter of the firstborn. Now there is a revelant passage
in Exodus chapter 13 11 through 13, and we'll go there in a minute.
This follows the slaying of all of the firstborn in Egypt. Because in chapter 12 of Exodus,
verse 29 and 30, all of the firstborn of Pharaoh and the Egyptians
died. And that was both humans and
beasts. The firstborn of animals, and
the firstborn of human. And that reached from the king's
palace down to the pit of the dungeon. Every firstborn of them
died. I think every house of the Egyptian
in that night had a sudden corpse within it. There was not a house
where there was not one dead, the scripture said unto us. While Israel, God's son and firstborn,
was spared this plague of the death of their firstborn because
they were the firstborn of God in a spiritual sin. Exodus 4
and verse 22, Israel is my son, even my firstborn. Jeremiah chapter 31 and verse
9, I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my firstborn. Hosea 11 and verse 1, when Israel
was a child I loved him and called my son out of Egypt. Now that passage in Exodus chapter
13 is if you want to turn there. We have the institution of a
memorial to keep alive the memory of the firstborn and the celebration
of it in Israel. In Exodus 13, verse 1 and 2. And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying, Sanctify me, unto me, all of the firstborn whatsoever
openeth a womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of
beast. It is mine. And in verse 11 through
verse 13 of that chapter, and it shall be when the Lord shall
bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he swear unto
thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, that thou
shalt set apart unto the Lord, all that openeth the matrix,
and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast, the
males shall be the Lord. And every firstling of an ass
shalt thou redeem with a lamb, and if thou wilt not redeem it,
then thou shalt break his neck, and all the firstborn of man
among the children of men shalt thou redeem." Now let me repeat,
this was given unto them as a memorial of the significance and the importance
of the firstborn in that time and in that age. And it was to
take effect and began when they were settled into the land of
Canaan. See what we read? All firstborn
of men and of beasts were to be sanctified unto the Lord. The unclean beast that was used
for labor, the ass, the donkey, or the mule, was to be redeemed
with a lamb. And if not, it was to have its
neck broken That is, it was to be killed. And then secondly,
there was to be a young lamb that was to be the redemption. Secondly, in verse 13 and the
last part, all firstborn of humans were also to be redeemed. And they were to be redeemed
with money, a price of money. And when you read in Numbers
3, and you read in, again, Numbers 18, 15, and 16, it sets the price
at five shekels. They were to be redeemed with
five shekels early in their life, sometime about a month of age. Numbers 18, Now we note something,
that clean animals need not be redeemed, Numbers 18 and 17,
and these themselves were fed and were used for sacrifices
in Israel. Matthew Henry wrote something
on Exodus chapter 13, and I charted it down. Quote, care is taken
to perpetuate the remembrance of the firstborn." That is, what
happened in Egypt that night was enshrined in a ceremony or
a rite throughout their generation. When it was firstborn for firstborn
in the land of Egypt, the firstborn of Egypt for the firstborn of
God. God's firstborn Israel was spared
that plague of death by God's sovereign and distinguishing
favor which he had bestowed upon them. While all of the firstborn
of the Egyptians were killed. And I'll remind you of something.
They were not all little babies in a cradle. Some of them were
grown who were the firstborn, and yet they were smitten that
night in the land of Egypt. And so to keep the remembrance
of it alive in the land and the people of Israel, God lays claim
to the firstborn. But this is also typical of something
that has to do with Christ and it has to do with the people
of Christ who are also the firstborn. and it required a redemption
to enshrine them in their status as the firstborn. Not only that
generation, but if you notice in verse 14 through 16, they
were to both practice and teach it unto their children in the
land of Canaan. They were to keep this as an
ordinance, and when their children ask about it, They were to tell
them of the night in Egypt when God smote all of the firstborn
and delivered their father. Now concerning the redeeming
of the firstborn animal as the donkey, let's remember Even the
firstborn of all animals in Egypt died. You'll find that in Exodus
chapter 12 and verse 29. And all the firstborn of cattle
and all of their flocks Dropped dead that night in the plague
of death Exodus 20 12 and 29 the firstborn of cattle and of
their flocks and such like Also died and remember many of them
perished in the other plagues that God sent upon them in Egypt
now this enshrined a strong significant to being the firstborn. It was
typical of truth regarding Messiah and regarding the children of
God. For Christ is called God's firstborn,
my firstborn son. And this became very rigid in
Israel and was to be kept and observed. As we see in the passage
that we read from Deuteronomy chapter 21 15 through 17, where
a situation might and did arise in Israel where a man had two
wives. One of them he loved more than
the other. One of them he greatly loved,
dear to him, a favorite of him, and dear unto his heart, a delight
unto his eye, and unto his heart, and unto his life. And the other,
is called despised in the eyes of her husband, not loved to
the same degree as the beloved wife, and yet both of them might
bear unto him children. You have an example of this two
attitudes toward two wives in the Old Testament in the case
of Jacob and his two wives, Rachel and Leah. And in Genesis chapter
29, verse 15 through 35, we won't read it. Jacob loved Rachel more
than Leah, probably because of her great beauty. Deuteronomy,
or rather Genesis 29, 17 and 29, She was a very beautiful young
lady. Now, the point is this in Deuteronomy,
if the firstborn son came from the hated wife, he was still
regarded as the firstborn of the husband and was given a double
portion. the inheritance of the father
when he parted his goods unto them. Now in connection with
this firstborn there's another word that we want to bring up
and enshrine in our vocabulary and that is the word birthright. You see the word birthright in
the scripture and in the Old Testament and they appear to
be very close to in their meaning, firstborn and birthright. In fact, they're both used in
the same verse in Genesis 43 and 33, and they set before him
the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according
to his youth, before Joseph. And being a firstborn son conferred
certain privileges upon that member the family. It gave him
more authority and it gave him more responsibility. He was presented before the Lord
as a babe and redeemed with the shekel and therefore he was close
to being an inalienable right of the firstborn in a family
of Israel. Not to be surrendered, not to
be given up, not to be transferred by reason of his being the firstborn,
claimed by the Lord, redeemed with certain shekels on an appointed
day. And though we mentioned this
earlier, I think that it bears repeating. that the firstborn
son is a few times called in the Old Testament, what we read,
the beginning of his strength. And that's very important when
we look at it in the scripture. The beginning of his strength
was a man's firstborn. Here's some scriptures. Genesis
49 and verse 3, the beginning of His strength. Deuteronomy
21, 17, we read it. Psalm 78 and verse 51 and Psalm
105 and verse 36 all make mention of that, the beginning of His
strength. in their land the chief of all
of their strength when they entered into the land of Canaan. Now, one version of the scripture
that I read has it, the firstfruits of all of their vigor. the first fruits of their strength.
The man is beginning to produce and have son in his likeness,
the beginning of his procreation. Now concerning the privileges
of the firstborn and the birthright, I think we can cite two, possibly
three cases or instances where they were sold where they were
forfeited in the Old Testament. The hardest to prove, I guess,
is that in the ordeal between Cain and Abel in Genesis chapter
4, when they both came before the Lord with an offering. It is clear that Cain was the
firstborn of Adam and of Eve, even though they were twins,
if they were, as some think, then yet Cain was the firstborn. But he got no profit from it
in the final end. And he went away in the gall
of bitterness and said, my sin is greater than can be forgiven. And he committed the first homicide
mentioned in the scripture when he killed his very own brother.
But there's another case that's clearer. And that's the case
of Reuben. And you will find that in Genesis
chapter 49. And I wanted to turn there and
read that passage of scripture, chapter 49, and let's look at
this is when Jacob was about to die, when Jacob's life was
about at and in, and so when Jacob was about to pass out of
this life and out of this world, he spake to Reuben, the firstborn
son of his family, and here it is, Genesis 49, verse 3 and verse
4. Reuben, thou art my firstborn. my might, and the beginning of
my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of
power. But watch, verse 4. Unstable
as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy
father's bed, thou defilest thou it, he went up to my couch. And what's he talking about there?
Jacob revoked the birthright of Reuben. 1 Chronicles 5 and
verse 1. And he gave it unto Joseph, his
beloved son, and those sons after him. Genesis 49 and verse 4. What had he done? He had gone
unto his father's bed and defiled it in 1 Chronicles 5 and verse
1. For as much as he defiled his
father's bed, his birthright was given unto the son of Joseph. And his sin, you read in Genesis
35 and verse 22. and Israel heard, that is, it
was known throughout all Israel, and Jacob revoked the birthright
of Reuben the firstborn. Now the third one is one better
known. The most famous case for that
is the transfer of the birthright of Esau unto his younger brother
Jacob. You can read that in Genesis
chapter 25, 29 through verse 34. We know from scripture that
this was the fulfilling of the secret purpose and providence
of God. It was decreed by God and announced
to the mother before the children were ever born or had ever done
any good or evil, it was said to their mother, the elder shall
serve the younger. Now before they were born, that
was said and declared, and in selling his birthright unto his
younger brother that Esau did despise that birthright, the
privileges that were attached to it, and the authority For
one marshal of meat, a plate of stew, a plate of venison,
he sold his birthright." Hebrews 12 and verse 16. And the Hebrew
text lists Esau as an example to be avoided of a fornicator
and a profane person who after his deed found no place of repentance
blessing from his father and became an apostate to the worship
of Israel and a warning unto those of latter time. But now
we want to come to the New Testament and see the Lord called by those
great Old Testament terms which we have said typify something
or someone spiritual that was to come. So let's rehearse. The incarnate Lord, Jesus Christ,
our Savior, the only begotten Son, He is called the firstborn,
He is called the first fruit, and such names as that. We have read in Romans 8, and
verse 29 that contain the words that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Now these words are found in
that great passage that is a favorite of Calvinist and of sovereign
grace people but a thorn in the heel of the Arminian and the
Universalist. It sets forth the case of the
people who are the called according to his purpose. These are the
same that Paul calls in Romans 1 and verse 6, the called of
Jesus Christ. And we observe Romans 829, three
facts that are given here about our text. Number one, some are
called. Who are the called? Second thing we noted, they are
called in accordance with an eternal purpose, a set fixed,
predestinated purpose of God. Not willy-nilly, but a fixed
and eternal purpose of God. Number three, God had made all
things work together for good to bring these things to pass
and to bring many to a final glory. Now these are also marked
out as whom He did foreknow, whom God did foreknow. Them He
likewise did predestinate to be conformed to the image of
His Son. This is that to which they are
predestinated, to sum it up, to be conformed to the image
of His Son. He might be the firstborn among
many brethren. John Murray wrote this. This specifies the ultimate final
aim of the conformity just spoken of unquote, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren, in order so that, because he
will be the firstborn of many brethren. This is the purpose
set out in these verses. We're apt to stop short of the
ultimate end attached to this purpose when we take it only
to be the happiness and the glory of the elect and of the saints
of God, and the called ones according unto his purpose." Now of course,
this is true, that they are appointed unto an everlasting glory, to
bring many sons to glory. Hebrews 2 and verse 10 is the
purpose of our Lord, that they may be with Christ where He is,
that they may behold His glory, John 17 and verse 24. And yet, as one of my expositors
wrote, quote, there is a final end. that is more ultimate than
the glorification of the people of God." Though it's tied with
it. What is it? Well, the answer
that He, Christ, might be the firstborn among many brethren. And here firstborn refers not
just to time, firstborn in time, but to preeminence. It has to do with the preeminence
of our Lord and our Savior. It has to do with the supremacy
of Christ and the priority of Christ that He is over and before
all things. He is over them. He's above them. He's the head of them. He's the
maker and He is the ruler of them. And that they bow before
Him as Joseph's brethren ultimately bowed before Him. In Colossians
1, 18 and 19, He is the head of the body, the
church, the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things
He might have the preeminent, since the Father was pleased
that in Him should all fullness dwell. And He is the head, the
firstborn, that in all things he might have the preeminent. Even this being conformed to
the image of God's Son is that he might be the firstborn among
many or all of the brethren. And in a sense, the word firstborn
signifies what or who is first and preeminent over others of
the same kind or order. As we have learned, under the
law, the firstborn son had an authority over their sibling,
received a double portion of the inheritance of the father,
and in the absence of the father, the honor of acting as the priest
of the family. And now the object of the incarnation
and redemption can be summed up under two heads. Number one,
that many may be conformed to His image, that He might bring
many sons unto glory. Number two, that Christ Himself,
the Son of God, might be the firstborn among and over them. Another expositor, Robert Haldane,
wrote, and I quote, next to the glory of God is the salvation
of a multitude, unquote. The first thing is the glory
of Christ, the exaltation of Christ, and the next is the bringing
of a multitude to everlasting glory and happiness. And this
is set forth in Ephesians. chapter 1 and verse 6, that all
of this redemption and election and all of that, quote, to the
praise of the glory of His grace. To our happiness, yeah, but higher
than that, to the praise of the glory of the grace of God and
of Christ. Ephesians 1, 7, according to
the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1-12, to the praise
of His glory are all of these things done. The ultimate end
is the glory and the exaltation of the Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Another wrote, Christ is the
central figure in creation and history of the universe. The manifestation of His glory
is the great end of all things. which is done in making him the
firstborn among many." That he is glorified as the firstborn,
head of the redeemed, our elder brother, and we be his brethren. Now let's consider the word brethren
in Romans 8 and verse 29. Among many brethren. How are we to take that? How
are we to understand it? The word brethren has several
uses and meanings and application in the New Testament. So what
is the meaning? How are we to take it? Number
one, are the saved brethren to each other. Is that the sense
of many brethren? They're brethren one to another. Certainly that is true, but is
it the meaning here? And then number two, are they
also brethren of Christ? Yes, they're brethren of one
another, but are they also the brethren of Christ in some sense? Now brethren is a word frequently
used in the New Testament. Literally, it means brethren
from a word meaning the womb and a brother, a kinsman, a remote
or resembling is the meaning of the word. Of course, the first
is true. For as Abraham said, we be brethren
in Genesis 13 and 8. We have a common election, a
common redemption, a common regeneration, a common calling, and a common
faith, all in Christ be brethren. We're also the brethren of Christ
in some wonderful sense, or He is our brother in a wonderful
sense, for He is the uniquely begotten Son of God, and says
John 1. We have been given authority
to become the sons of God, said Paul, predestinated to the adoption
of children in Ephesians 1 and verse 5. Heirs of God and joint
heirs with Jesus Christ in Romans chapter 8. In Hebrews chapter
2 verse 11 and 12, he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren." So our Lord
refers to brethren. Now very quickly, we look at
a word from Paul And that's found in 1 Corinthians chapter 15,
the great resurrection chapter, and it's in verse 20 and it's
in verse 23, where Christ by and after his resurrection is
called this. quote, the first fruits of the
dead, unquote. Christ is the first fruits of
the dead. In Colossians 1, 18, he's called
the first born from the dead. Here, the first fruits of the
dead, an allusion to the firstfruits that were offered under the old
economy unto the Lord, and were brought and waved and shook before
the Lord, the firstfruits of their field. Now Christ was not
the first to come back from the dead. When it said the first
born of the dead, the first fruits of the dead or of them that slept,
Christ was not the first to come back from the dead and from the
grave. Yet he was the first to rise
again by his own power. All others were raised through
a prophet or Christ, by a supernatural act of God. They were raised
by something outside of themselves. But Christ took up his life again. You know, he said, I have power
to lay it down. I have power to take it up. That's
the word authority. And he did. And so, first of
all, the Jews couldn't kill him because it wasn't his time. Then
they couldn't keep him in the grave beyond the appointed time. He is the first born, the first
fruits of them that slept. But he did not die. as a private
individual only. And he did not die as a criminal,
though he was treated like one. His death was on our behalf. His resurrection is on our behalf
and has a connection with us. And it was the firstfruits and
sanctified the people of God. He, the firstfruits of the dead,
sanctified that unto the people of God. First Christ and afterward
they that are His at His coming. As Paul said, Christ was raised
again for our justification. Romans chapter 4 and verse 25. and was raised as the first fruits
of the dead. I suppose we could call Adam
the first fruits of them that sinned and died, because death
is not first due to natural causes, but unto sin, though many do
not believe that even in the churches today. Calvin put it
this way, Christ's resurrection is both the foundation and the
pledge of ours, called the firstfruits of the dead. He's the firstfruits
even of those that died before he died. and raised again from
the grave. And the afterfruits will be of
the same variety and the same sort as the firstfruits. So Christ
is only the firstfruits of those that are dead in Christ, though
he has the power, the authority, and will exercise it to bring
the unrighteous before him and in judgment. Now what's the summation
of all of this? It is this. Christ is all in
all. He's the firstborn. He's the
first begotten. He's the first fruit. He hath
the preeminent. In Him is all the fullness of
God dwelled bodily. He, in all of His glory, has
come from God to manifest the Father. And He, and He alone,
has all glory and all preeminent and all power as the head, not
only of the church, but of all creation. I'm emphasizing that
because this probably is our last study along this line, that
Christ certainly must have the preeminent. He has a name above
every name. that at that name every knee
should bow, every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory
of God the Father. The firstborn among many brethren,
bringing many sons unto glory. Our glorious and wonderful elder
brother.