Now, if you look at Colossians
1 in verse 14, in whom refers to Christ. Christ is the subject
that is being discussed here, so as we read, keep that in mind. Verse 14, in whom we have redemption
through His blood, even the forgiveness of sin. who is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. There's one,
firstborn of every creature. For by him were all things created
that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones or dominion or principality, powers all things
were created by him and for him and he is before all things and
by him all things consist he is the head of the body the church
who is the beginning and the firstborn from the dead, that
in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the
Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. Having made peace
through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things
unto Himself, by Him, I say, watch this. whether they be things
in earth or things in heaven. What a passage of the scripture. Now let me begin with a point.
We have made this point recently and over and over as we studied
out or in connection with the book of Hebrews. And that is
that nearly everything that had to do, or that was practiced,
or that was done, or that was used under the old covenant was
typical of something under the new and the better covenant,
which Christ is the mediator, including better than Moses himself,
who himself was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. So there was
something about it that was typical of something in the New Testament. Now there are three types if
I may say it like that, in the old economy. Three things are,
people are things that were type of something under the new covenant. Number one, there were animals
that served as types of Christ. The one that comes to mind is
the Passover lamb in chapter 12 of the book of Exodus. Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter
5 and verse 7, Even Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. Then there was the Lamb on the
Day of Atonement in Leviticus chapter 16. The blood shed in
sacrifice the blood of beasts typical of the blood of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. So animals were typical of our
Lord. Secondly, there were material
things under the old economy that were typical of something
spiritual about the new covenant or the new economy. As such as
the brazen serpent in Numbers chapter 14 or 21. the gospel
economy, the rock that gave water when it was smitten in the midst
of Israel, the manna, the bread from heaven. Our Lord is the
bread of God, and there was the temple. These were material things,
but they were typical, and I might add, the art of Noah. And then
thirdly, there were people, there were human, there were men that
were typical of the Lord Jesus Christ. Adam, Boaz, Melchizedek,
and Joseph, and Jonah, and on and on. And then too we find
that so many, almost all, of the Great New Testament doctrine
have their roots in the Old Testament doctrine. Some to mention, just
in passing, justification and grace have their beginning in
the Old Testament. For Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Genesis chapter 6 and verse 8.
Abraham was justified by faith in Genesis chapter 15 and verse
6. And these are prominent in the
New Testament but they have their roots and their beginning in
the Old Testament. Now in this study this morning
we read some text with references to Old Testament passages and
they have spiritual significance of things in the New Testament
and that from two standpoint. Number one, when they are applied
unto Christ. These things, firstborn, first
begotten, and such like, are applied to Christ. Secondly,
they are applied to the children of God. We are in the church
of the firstborn. And he's the firstborn among
many brethren. So they are therefore of Christ. Romans 8, 29, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren. Catch that word. The firstborn
among many brethren. We just read in Colossians 1
and verse 15, where Paul calls Christ the firstborn of every
creature, literally, of creation. And in Colossians 1.18, the firstborn
from the dead. You see that again in Revelation
chapter 1 and verse 5. In Hebrews 1 and verse 6, it
speaks about when he bringeth his first begotten into the world. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 20,
Christ is risen from the dead and become the first fruits of
them that slept. In Revelation 1 and 5, the first
begotten of the dead. So, it has reference to Christ. These words, these doctrines,
and these things. Secondly, the saints are also
spoken of under these same figures. James 1 and verse 18, of his
own will begat he us with a word of truth that we should be a
kind of firstfruits of his creature. We are a firstfruit of his creature. Revelation 14 and verse 4, of
some redeemed from among men the firstfruits unto God and
unto the Lamb. In Hebrews 12 and verse 23 we
read of the great assembly of the church of the firstborn which
are written in heaven. And Paul speaks of a brother
in Christ who is the first fruits of Achaia in the book of Romans
16 and 5. He does so again in 1 Corinthians
16 and verse 15, of the household of Stephanus, a part of the firstfruits
of Achaia. That is, some of the very first
that were gathered in. Now, since all of these things
have their roots and their doctrine first developed and practiced
in the Old Testament, let's see then how they are woven into
the New Testament in a spiritual way. Such was prominent in the
life and the practice of the people of God under the old economy. First begotten and the firstborn
had a special privilege and place in the family. So, if I might,
Let's assemble a cluster of like-sounding or minded words which have like
meaning from the Old Testament. Here we go. Number one, firstborn,
as in Exodus chapter 4 and 22, Israel is my firstborn. We look at that later. Secondly,
the firstling, our firstlings in the plural, as in Genesis
chapter 4 and verse 4. Abel, Hebra, are the firstlings
of his flock. That's very significant. Thirdly,
the first fruit, or the first fruits in the plural. Deuteronomy
18 and verse 4, where the first fruits of wine, of corn, oil,
first fleece of the sheep was to be given, devoted, or presented
unto the Lord. In Exodus 23 and verse 16, the
first fruits of their labor were to be devoted unto God. And then
fourthly, there is that word first ripe. First ripe, as in
Numbers 13, and 20, the time of the first ripe grapes. This was when they went to spy
out the land. And it was the time of the first
ripening of the crops of the gate. Then there's that word
that we're familiar with, fifthly, birthright. Birthright in the
Old Testament, as when Esau had and then sold his birthright
in Genesis chapter 25. We look at the significance of
that. Now there are two things about
this cluster of words and of their use. Number one, in addition
to their literal meaning, the actual first fruit of a tree,
or a stalk, or a sheaf, or whatever, they also, even under the Mosaic
economy or system had a spiritual meaning. I admit that the material
outshined the spiritual in the life of most of the Israelites,
but they also had a spiritual meaning. For example, In Exodus
4 and verse 22, we're going back there in a minute, Israel is
my firstborn, and that referred not to an individual, but to
a nation, a body of people, more often called a congregation. The word also means an assembly,
a family, or a company. And then a B, Hosea chapter 9
and verse 10. I found Israel like grapes in
the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first
gripe in the fig tree at her first time. Unquote. And this is a figurative way
to express express God's love and choosing of the nation of
Israel as He fixed His love and His purpose upon them. Secondly,
all these words are close in their meaning. They have a resemblance
and are close. In fact, when I looked it up,
The word firstlings of his flock in Genesis chapter 4 and verse
4 is the very same word, I believe, for the word birthright in Genesis
chapter 25. It belonged to the firstborn
son of the family and certain privileges went with it. It refers,
however, to the firstborn whether it be human or beast in the scripture,
including male and female. For we read in Genesis chapter
19 of the firstborn daughter of Lot and their action. There
can only, strictly speaking, be one firstborn. When you think about it, a woman
can, strictly speaking, only have one firstborn, even if she
have twin or have other children beside. And the same is true
of an animal or a beast. They can only personally have
one firstborn, no matter if they cave again and again. And then
there's in the Old Testament what is called the first fruits
in Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 9. Solomon says this, honor the
Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of thine increase. And then he adds in the 10th
verse there, so shall your bourns be filled with plenty and your
presses shall burst out. with new, that is, with plenteous
of wine. Now, concerning the first fruits
in the old dispensation. The first fruits and what it
meant, what was to be done, and what they consisted of. Number
one, they were devoted unto the Lord. The first crops, rather
the first fruit, the first ripe of their fields and of their
harvest were to be devoted unto the Lord. Secondly, the first
fruits emphasize the word first. First, as in the first of anything. And it means a beginning. And
it can refer to first in time or in place and even in rank. the first in either. Thus the
first fruit to ripen are the oldest or the firstborn of a
family, the firstling of a flock. All of these things had their
significance and their relationship unto God. And then thirdly, the
first fruits were in a sense the forerunner of a coming further
fuller harvest. The first fruits were a forerunner
and a guarantor of a fuller harvest that was to come. They were the
first fruits and then others would ripen and would follow
and become fit for their use. Not every fruit, not every wheat,
not every fig on a tree ripens, boom, at one and the same time. But as it were, in a sequence,
a few at first, more and more, until the harvest is complete. I have a personal illustration
I'd like to share with you. I gathered the first fruits of
our fig tree about a week and a half or two weeks ago. I was
big-eyed around out in the backyard, and I said, Let me saunter on
over and see if the fig tree's making anything. And lo and behold,
there were several, quite a few, of the figs that had swelled
and were ripe and needed to be picked before the birds and the
squirrels got to them. But I picked them and I left
the others to reach their maturity. And I've been picking figs every
day since. Now, when we read in the New
Testament of some first fruits, whether of Christ, and I gave
you the text, 1 Corinthians 15, 20, 23, first fruits of the dead,
or of the saints, James 1 and 18, Revelation 14 verse 4, Romans
16 and 5, it is as Thomas Goodwin and Old Puritan wrote, quote,
in allusion to the Levitical law, unquote. All of these things,
first fruit, first born, first begotten and such like, are an
illusion to the Levitical Law. So that being true, let's go
there. Let's go to the Levitical Law. Turn if you want, or listen if
you would, to Leviticus chapter 23 and from that chapter I'm
going to read verse 9 through 12. Leviticus chapter 3 verse
9 through verse 12. And the Lord spake unto Moses
saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,
When ye come into the land which I give unto you, and ye shall
reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheep of your
first fruits of your harvest unto the priest, and he shall
wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you on the
morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it, and you
shall offer that day when you wave the sheath and heed Lamb
without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto
the Lord. Now let me say about this chapter,
Leviticus 23, that here is the enactment of some of the solemnities
and days that were to be observed by Israel. Look back in verse
4, but I'm not going to read it. Here is the institution of
some solemnity when they entered into the land. This was to begin,
number one, when they were settled in Canaan. Verse 10 said, when
you are come into the land which I give unto you. I guess you
thought the Israelites were not farmers in the wilderness journey. They didn't stop, plant, raise,
and harvest, for the Lord fed them and kept them with manna
from heaven. But secondly, when they reap
the harvest in verse 10, the last part of verse 10, then ye
shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest under the priest,
and verse 11, and he shall wave the sheath before the Lord to
be accepted for you. Now in studying that, I think
maybe that the sheath may not have included the stalks and
the leaves and the trash and all of that as it came from the
field. The margin has it a handful or
which I understand is about two quarts. And the priest would
hold it up and he would wave that before or in the sight of
the Lord. The margin in Exodus 29-24 said,
shake it to and fro. The high priest would take that
and would shake it to and fro before the Lord. And I think
It appears, as Matthew Henry has said, that Israel did not
eat of their harvest until the first fruits were gathered and
offered up unto and in honor of the Lord. What was the significance
of this? That they couldn't eat the first
fruit, but they were devoted or offered up unto the Lord. Well, it was an act of thanksgiving
and of praise and of honor and obedience. It was a worship of
God. It was a blessing God for His
holy name. an acknowledgement of God's goodness
and of His sovereignty and the waving of the firstfruits unto
the Lord did, as one Puritan said, sanctify the rest of the
harvest unto them and for their use. An old-timer put it, It
gave them a comfortable use of all the rest of the harvest of
their field. Now this one, our first sheath,
was in a way a pledge of a further harvest that was to come. The
first fruit. Then after that, The following
are the last fruit. And the last fruits are of the
same nature, of the same stock, as the first fruit. A principle
which the Apostle Paul lays out in Romans chapter 11 and verse
16. That if the first fruits be holy,
then the lump is also holy. So the branches. We'll not go
there and get sidetracked. But compare this with Numbers,
chapter 15, 16 through 21. Then there is another prominent
relation in the Old Testament that has its wonderful antitype
in the New Testament, economy or dispensation. That being the
significance of the firstborn son in a family. The significance
of a firstborn son in a family. It's now that I'm going to read
from Exodus chapter 4 and verse 22 and 23. I've already referenced
it, but in Exodus chapter 4, verse 22 and 23, here we have
the firstborn applied unto Israel. Look what it said, and thou,
that is Moses, being sent before Pharaoh, thou shalt say unto
Pharaoh, thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn. And I say unto thee, let my son
go, that he may serve me. And if thou refuse to let him
go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn." That's very
important as we come unto the New Testament. Look at it again. You let my son go or else I will
slay your firstborn. And in Exodus 11 and verse 5,
every firstborn of Egypt would die. In Exodus 12 and verse 30,
Israel is my son, my firstborn, not just my son but my Firstborn,
Jeremiah 31 and 9. Hosea 11 and verse 1 also uses
that expression. Now, Israel was not a slave,
whether bought or home-born, but was considered the firstborn
son of God. Just as at birth or by adoption,
some are firstborn. Israel was God's firstborn. God had nationally adopted them,
having chosen them as His people and to be His nation. And John
Gill wrote, quote, quote, with all the external privileges appertaining
unto it, unquote, firstborn, my firstborn son, as described
in Romans chapter 3 and verse 2, given the oracles of God Romans
9, 4, and 5, there was a special privilege. To them pertained
the adoption, Paul writes in Romans 9, 4, and 5. The one with the birthright,
and it involved a preeminence and an authority with the firstborn. Genesis chapter 49 and verse
3, Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob, and a double portion went to
the firstborn. Did we realize that from the
old economy? He was to have a double portion
of all that belonged under the Father. Deuteronomy chapter 21
and verse 17. And this is called the rite,
R-I-G-H-T, of the firstborn. In Deuteronomy 21, 17 The firstborn
of a man is called, get this, the beginning of his strength. The firstborn is a man's beginning
of his strength. For the firstborn is an extension
of himself. It's the firstborn extension
of himself. And hear what Psalm 105 and verse
5, 36, says about God smiting the firstborn of Egypt. Quote, He smote all the firstborn
in their land, the chief of their strength. So those things are
tied together. You know, when you think about
smiting the firstborn in the land of Egypt that night when
Israel left out, Do you most commonly think of a little baby
in a cradle, a small young child? That wouldn't be so. I'm a firstborn. Many of you might be too, the
firstborn of a family. So if not every little baby or
firstborn was a baby in a cradle, but grown men and such like that
were smitten with death on that particular night. But now coming
to the New Testament and the spiritual meaning of firstborn,
firstfruits, firstbegotten, where we find all of these applied
to Christ and through him unto the saints of God. We read Colossians
1.18. I'm going back there now. Colossians 1.18, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might have
the preeminence. Now here we have what F.F. Bruce called, quote, Paul's distinctive
Christology, unquote. And I want to develop that point
a little bit. I want you to mull it over in
your mind or ponder or meditate upon the thought that a very
careful reading of the apostolic epistles will reveal how Paul
goes beyond his fellow apostle in developing for his readers
his Christology or the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, declaring
him in all of His glory and all of His fullness. Now, don't misunderstand
what I just said. This is not a criticism or a
shortcoming in the other apostle. It does not suppose them to have
been in any error about the person and the work of Christ. For they
very faithfully presented Christ as the all-sufficient Savior
of sinners who bore sin, who suffered, died and who rose again
and extended into heaven. But here's my point. It is Paul
that takes us a little bit further in the Christology that he presented
for us in the scripture. I'm persuaded this is by God's
design that Paul does this. And I only wish that I were capable
of explaining this in a spiritual way that we might understand
it and get all of the spiritual benefit. But here's my point.
We want to emphasize the connection that Paul makes or places on
the connection between Christ and creation. Now the other apostles
make the stronger case for the connection between Christ and
sinners and the saving of them. Paul carries it a little bit
further and places the connection between Christ and creation in
this way, that all things were created by him. through him and for him. Maybe we'll say more on that
subject a little bit later. It is Paul that writes such things
about Christ as in Colossians 1 and verse 15 that he is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. It is Paul that writes in Colossians
1 and verse 17, he is before all things and by him all things
consist. Then look at verse 19. For it
pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. We jump over into chapter 2 and
verse 3. In whom are hid all the treasures
of wisdom and of knowledge. We drop down to chapter 2 and
verse 9. In him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. So now, with that in our mind,
let's consider some of these sayings which so exalt the Lord
Jesus Christ after we know something which is the glories and exaltation
are designed to counteract and to overthrow the false teaching
that they were being exposed to at Colossae. The image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of every creature, the fullness of deity, bulldozes
down those false doctrines that it brought in among them. But
Paul does not restrict the work of Christ to the saving of human
sinners, but said that his death had effects beyond the redemption
and the reconciliation of the seed of Abraham. That God, by
the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, is preeminent, is not
limited to the church. His headship is not limited to
the church. His sovereignty is not limited
only unto the church or the human family. Listen again, Colossians
115. The firstborn of every creature,
or I think we might say of all creation as some render it. Sure,
he's the firstborn among many brethren in Romans chapter 8.
Verse 29, but also the firstborn of everything, all creation,
of the whole creation. And in Psalm 89 and verse 27
we have this prophecy, I will make my firstborn higher than
the kings of the earth, unquote. Now the firstborn is an allusion
to the privileges bestowed upon the firstborn son in a Jewish
family. This does not mean that the Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ, had a beginning. When we read firstborn applied
to Him, it does not insinuate that He had a beginning, but
that as God's firstborn, He has been made the head or the chief
of all creatures. He has been made the executioner
of all power, Matthew 28, 19 and 20, the blessed with all
privileges and the heir of all things, Hebrews 1 and 2. And also as one put it, All of
these things, quote, convey the idea of the unspeakable superiority
which belongs to Jesus Christ as the direct result of his relationship
with God the Father, unquote. He is not only the firstborn,
but God's firstborn, not only Mary's firstborn, but he is God's
firstborn as to his relationship unto creation and unto God. Listen to what Paul writes in
Ephesians chapter 1 verse 10. If you're going there, wait just
a second. That in the dispensation, or literally stewardship, administration,
however you translate it, that in the dispensation of the fullness
of time, listen, he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, things in heaven and in earth. And then, if I flip
back to Ephesians, this time chapter 1, but verse 20 through
verse 22, the end of the chapter, Ephesians chapter 1, which he
wrote in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him
at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all
principality and power, might, dominion, and every name that
is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to
come, and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to
be head over all things to the church which is his body." Now
back in Colossians chapter 1 verse 16 and verse 17, he is both creator
and the sustainer of what has been created. The sustainer of
heaven and of earth. In short, Christ is both the
creator and the preserver of all things that have been created. Colossians 1, 17, by Him all
things consist. He made it all and by Him all
things consist. Hebrews 1 in verse 3, upholding
all things by the word of his power. It said, when he had by
him created all things and then upholding all things by the word
of his power. Now this thought came to me in
reading F.F. Bruce in his book on Colossian
that those who do not see, those who do not understand and see
and make the connection between Christ and creation, that they
are, if I may use the expression, fearful of creation. It's daunting
to them if they do not understand the connection between Him, that
He is the firstborn of all creation. They are concerned for the well-being
of creation and of the earth. They're fearful for the planet,
and we hear that on every side of us today. They're fearful
that their dwelling place may be destroyed from under their
feet. And this fear and this ignorance
and this lack of understanding has given us the hoax of global
warming and the talk of overpopulation of the earth and global warming
and that it has come to foster worship of nature. But there
are a lot of people who do not see Christ in creation in relation
that think that that we are overpopulating the earth which will ultimately
lead to our destruction. I'm willing to bet you that the
people who think the earth is overpopulated nevertheless are
for abortion as well. And worship of creation rather
than the creator as we find in Romans chapter 1 and verse 25. I like the way some connect Christ
and creation. That Christ is the reason for
creation. Have you thought of it like that?
Christ is the reason for creation. That creation was brought into
existence for Him and in line with Him and He is the goal of
creation. Christ has that connection. And let me say it like this,
not only is there a connection between Christ and creation,
but it exists in both salvation and soteriology. Soteriology
and Christology. Both of those, this connection
exists. That human history is an outworking
of the purpose of God formed in Jesus Christ before the world,
which was to occur, take place here on the earth. That the Son
antedates all things. S-O-N, by the way, the Son of
God antedates all things. He had no beginning, and therefore
He can have no end. And I pray you, forgive me some
repetition, but Christ has a two-fold relationship unto creation set
forth here in Colossians 1. Number one, He is called the
Creator. He's called that again in Hebrews
1 and 2 and Ephesians 3 and verse 9 and John's Gospel chapter 1
and verse 3, by whom God made the world. And then secondly,
this is also important, He preserves, He sustains, He keeps, He upholds
what has been by Him and for Him made and created. I'll give you Hebrews 1-3 again.
Upholding all things by the word of His power. He keeps what He
has made. He sustains the world. By Him
all things consist Romans 117. Now that could mean cohere, it
means that they hold together, it means that they endure, it
means that they remain. All things remain by Him upholding
them by the word of His power. Just as He that saves us, keeps
us, upholds us. A name above every name. Now we have the word firstborn
two times in the Old Testament. In Job 18 and 13, Bildad speaks
of the firstborn of deaths. Of deaths. Firstborn of death. The leader in causing death.
And we have it again in Isaiah 14 and 30. It speaks of the firstborn
of the poor. Abject poverty would be the meaning. Of all, the firstborn son was
entrusted with the management of the house, especially in the
absence of the father. Representing the father as he
managed the house, acting in the authority of the father The
firstborn son had that privilege. Now God made Israel his firstborn
and he elevated them above all of the other nations of the world
and he did for them what he never did for the other nations of
the world for years and years. And Christ is made his firstborn,
and he transacts the Father's business. And as John Eady wrote,
all transactions with the firstborn Christ are the same as transactions
with the Sovereign Father. Christ being the firstborn of
creation, he is Lord, governor of creation, to manage it according
to the Father's purpose, and he acts in the full authority
of God the Father. Fulfilling the words of Psalm
89 29, I will make my firstborn higher than all of the kings. of the earth. Thus Paul has elevated
Christ to be the sovereign, to be the creator, the sustainer
of all things, the world and all things made by Him, through
Him, and for Him.