Exodus 13:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2  Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.

Now that the LORD had finished this last phase of the exodus, He would begin further instructions as to how the nation of Israel was to be structured. From the death of Joseph to the time of Moses, we do not read of any structured leadership within the nation of Israel. We know that God’s design has always been for the fathers to teach the children the Word of the LORD. The Bible teaches a patriarchal system of governance. It begins with the LORD being in charge and then He assigned the man to be the head of the home and of the society from the human perspective.
Beyond the family structure, the LORD also designed for the fathers to be instructed so that they are not going off on their own way, but are being led in the right way so that the children can be taught properly. Fathers need to walk in the fear of the LORD. We know that Cain chose not to walk in the fear of the LORD. He chose to be a rebel and he encouraged his descendants to follow his rebellious ways. As we come to Genesis 6 we find that the majority of society had chosen to walk in rebellion against the LORD. God judged mankind and destroyed the majority of life, sparing only that which was in the ark. After the flood, God recorded the fact that external measures can only do so much in society. The heart of man is the key, and God recorded that the heart of man is evil from his youth. Man has proven God to be true over and over again. The only safeguard against the failure of mankind is if a man will choose to submit to the will of the LORD.
Over time we also know that men have chosen their own leaders and thus we are in the current state of confusion where there are almost more opinions of Who God is than there are stars in heaven. The current state is not good for mankind. In the midst of this confusion, the Lord has made sure that the Truth, which is His Truth, is always available to mankind.
God has been gracious to man and He has given us His Word. He has also preserved His Word so that we can know the truth. The pride of man interferes with this fact and most people are of the opinion that we cannot know for sure what God said and we just have to try our best to figure it out. Then there is also the theory that as long as a person speaks of Jesus, they must be on the right track. Details are not important, as long as a person knows the right name. Thus doctrine is gone out the window for most.
In our text we are reminded that the LORD spake unto Moses. In spite of man’s opinions, the LORD has not been silent. There were some four hundred years known as the years of silence, at the end of the book of Malachi. However, while there was no new revelation from God for a time, there was the Old Testament writings which should have been studied and proclaimed. During that time, the Pharisees and their ilk developed their false teachings. They became the dominant religious force and were the religious ruling class among the Jews at the time of Christ.
Jesus Christ came to bring the people back to the Word of the Lord. Most rejected the truth and most still reject the truth today.
In our text we see that the LORD had specific instructions for the nation of Israel. The firstborn that had been spared death when the LORD passed over Egypt, were to be sanctified unto the LORD. They were to be set apart for service unto the LORD. We know that the nation of Israel was given laws as to the blessing that was there for the firstborn. This was the case in the time of Isaac as well. Esau was the firstborn and he received the birthright, but he despised that privileged place and sold his birthright for a mess of pottage.
The firstborn was to carry on the family name and was to be trained by the father to lead the family in all matters after the death of the father. Obviously, the nation had lost the significance of the firstborn by the time of the Exodus.
The LORD is not just interested in leadership. He is concerned that leaders know Him. That is what is missing in our world today. Most leaders do not know Him. The countries today are governed in a vacuum. Most religious groups are equally governed in a vacuum today. Men like Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn get on a stage and spout off their heresies. Gullible people listen to those types of men and they get excited because those men have stolen millions from their gullible followers. They preach a prosperity gospel and people are hungry for wealth so they clamour to such deceivers.
Moses was told to set apart the firstborn for the LORD. Even the firstborn of the cattle belonged to the LORD.
It is important for man to be reminded of Who is in charge. The firstborn generally are given special attention. Most parents are excited about the firstborn child. The firstborn child is also generally given more responsibility.
The LORD is not against that, but His design is for the firstborn to be set apart for service unto Him. Of course the firstborn must choose to serve the LORD, but the training needs to be there to prepare the firstborn for that important task.
Rather than trying to make sure that the firstborn gets a college education and possibly pursues some worldly path, the parents need to be concerned that the firstborn be taught the Word of the Lord. The family business can be run by anyone. The Truth was to be instilled in the heart of all, but the firstborn had a unique responsibility to know the truth and to pass that on to the next generation.
As we have noted, the LORD could not always trust the firstborn with the Truth. Esau was not worthy to carry on the lineage of Abraham. Jacob was chosen by the LORD to fulfil that task. Of the sons of Jacob, Joseph was the one who would rise to prominence in the family. He was the firstborn of Jacob and Rachel, but not the firstborn of Jacob. Jacob had two wives, Leah being the first and their first child was Reuben. He proved to be unworthy of the place of the firstborn.
Many times we give special attention to the firstborn, but not in the way that the LORD designed it. We want the firstborn to learn how to be the patriarch, but we do not acknowledge the importance of having the firstborn know the Lord. Sometimes the firstborn assumes the role of leadership, but they are not qualified under God’s law. A person might assert himself as a leader, but if he is not submissive to the will and word of the Lord, he is not fit to be a leader.
Today, Israel is in a precarious place. They need to be in a constant state of alertness. They have many enemies. In spite of their secular nature, the LORD has not forgotten His promise to Abraham. Israel will never be destroyed and they will have the place of prominence in the Millennium. The Lord Jesus Christ is the key to godly success. Whether you are the firstborn in your family or not, you can submit yourself to know the Lord and serve Him faithfully. You can be the spiritual firstborn in your family and you can be a blessing to them. Choose God’s way and be blessed and be a blessing.
Pastor Bartel