Sibling rivalry is prevalent in the western world, and it has fueled many fights among families. Personally, I grew up with a brother who is three years older than me. In my eyes, he was always my parents’ favorite child, but in his eyes our parents treated me much better. I suppose that is what made the consecration of every firstborn son stand out to me. With all the emphasis placed on equality and fairness among siblings in our time, anything that sets a certain son apart from his siblings is certain to raise our proverbial eyebrows. So, what exactly did it mean for a son to be consecrated to Yahweh, and what sort of effect did it have on his life? I wonder if he always got better Christmas presents like my brother did..
Immediately following the exodus of his people from Egypt, Yahweh commands his people to “consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast is mine” (Exodus 13:2). Now, as well versed as I am in ancient Hebrew culture, I thought it might be best to research what exactly consecration is. “Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service.” Yahweh commanded all the people of Israel to dedicate their firstborn sons and animals to be used for his service. In my mind, that makes them pretty special. I mean, wouldn’t Yahweh want all of his people to be dedicated to him? However, he had a reason for specifically choosing the firstborn males for this person. Remember those devastating plagues he darn near destroyed Egypt with? Well, the very last once (the one that finally scared Pharaoh enough to let the Israelites leave) just so happened to kill every single firstborn Egyptian male. Yahweh’s justification for having each firstborn Israelite consecrated is to remind his people of what he did for them in Egypt. Think Hunger Games as a reminder of the uprising against Panem.. except with less death (maybe).
Shortly after the Lord commands his people to consecrate the firstborn of man and animal, he delves a little more deeply into what this means:
You shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord’s. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if yo will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem (Exodus 13:12-13).
So, the reader learns that the firstborn males of every clean animal are effectively sacrificed to the Lord, and the unclean animals are redeemed with the sacrifice of a lamb. But Yahweh wouldn’t be saying that the firstborn sons of the Israelites have to be redeemed in order to live, would he? Remember that Isaac was set to be sacrificed to the Lord by his father, Abraham, until he was redeemed by a ram found at the altar (Genesis 22:11-13). In effect, Yahweh has done the same thing with the Israelites. He has made it clear the firstborn sons are not to be withheld from him. However, once again, he gives the Israelites the option of redeeming their sons. Whether that redemption must be paid for with a sacrificial offering of a lamb or was already paid for by the deaths of the firstborn Egyptians is often speculated about, and there is even some evidence available to testify to a monetary redemption. A transaction had to be made in order for the Israelites to keep their eldest sons. Despite the cloudiness that surrounds the “price” of a firstborn son, it is clear that Yahweh is telling the people of Israel their sons belong to him, that he is the reason they are where they are. God’s people were immediately indebted to him the moment they were born. The consecration and subsequent redemption of firstborn males was meant to serve as a constant reminder of this fact (Exodus 13:16). This could also serve as a foreshadowing of the ultimate redemption to take place later, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The writer effectively uses a symbol as a reminder of past events and to foreshadow future events.
Does this mean that the consecration of the firstborn son serves as nothing more than a reminder of Yahweh’s glory and the decimation of the Egyptians? Not necessarily. There are several instances in the text that point to eldest sons being awarded unique privileges (besides being the heir of the household). While Moses is seen as the leader of the Israelites, it was Aaron, Moses’ older brother and the firstborn Amram, who “had the distinctive privilege of being Moses’ close associate and also the one selected as the first high priest of God’s people”. In Exodus 28 and 29 the reader learns of the extensive consecration of Aaron to God, and thus he became the first high priest of Israel. The entire priesthood was given to the Levite tribe of Israel (of which Aaron was a descendant). Furthermore, only Aaron and his sons were given the role of priests, and only the firstborn sons of Aaron’s lineage could hold the position of high priest. Other Levites involved with the priesthood would serve underneath Aaron and his descendants. It’s obvious that Aaron was attributed a special role in the nation of God’s people, and I don’t think it is a coincidence that he was the eldest son of his family. Special privileges like these are bestowed upon the eldest sons of families in many instances throughout the old testament. To be first was to be the best in that particular culture, so it is natural that the Hebrew writers recorded occurrences like this.
While the consecration and redemption of firstborn sons served mainly as a reminder of Yahweh’s power and ownership of Israel, I think that it is obvious certain perks were attached to the title. These perks may not have come in the form of better Christmas presents like my ooohhhh so wonderful older brother got, but being consecrated as the high priest of God’s people is nothing to roll your eyes at. So, in effect, being the firstborn son of a family in the nation of Israel definitely had an impact on a man’s life. For the most part, it was a very positive impact. Go figure.. the oldest always have it better, don’t they?
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