What responsibilities do priests have regarding firstborn offerings in Numbers 18:15? Setting the Scene “The firstborn of every womb, whether man or animal, that is presented to the LORD is yours, but you must surely redeem the firstborn of man and the firstborn of unclean animals.” (Numbers 18:15) Core Responsibilities Entrusted to the Priests • Receive every firstborn that is formally “presented to the LORD.” • Treat all clean firstborn animals (e.g., cattle, sheep, goats) as holy property belonging to the priesthood (v. 17). • Secure redemption money for every human firstborn and every unclean animal, ensuring the set price is paid (v. 16; cf. Exodus 13:13; Leviticus 27:27). • Safeguard the sanctity of the process—no firstborn is overlooked, misused, or offered contrary to God’s explicit command. Receiving What God Gives The priests are granted ownership of these offerings: — A tangible provision for their households (Numbers 18:8–9). — A daily reminder that their livelihood depends on God, not land or harvest (Numbers 18:20). Administering Redemption Steps the priest must oversee: 1. Verify the child or unclean animal qualifies for redemption. 2. Collect five shekels of silver “by the sanctuary shekel” (Numbers 18:16). 3. Record the payment as holy revenue, never common income (Leviticus 27:9–13). 4. Release the redeemed individual or animal back to its family. Handling Clean Firstborn Animals • Offer blood on the altar and burn the fat “as an aroma pleasing to the LORD” (Numbers 18:17). • Consume the remaining meat “as most holy” within the sanctuary precincts (Numbers 18:18; cf. Deuteronomy 18:1–3). • Preserve strict ceremonial purity throughout the process (Leviticus 22:2). Stewarding Covenant Memory Through these duties the priests: — Keep Israel mindful that God spared their firstborn in Egypt (Exodus 13:11–16). — Model substitutionary redemption that points forward to the ultimate Redeemer. Anticipating the Greater Firstborn • Jesus is brought for dedication and redemption in accordance with this statute (Luke 2:22–24). • He fulfills the pattern as “the firstborn over all creation” and “the firstborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:15, 18), purchasing redemption not with silver but with His own blood (1 Peter 1:18–19). Summary Snapshot Priests must: 1. Receive every firstborn presented to God. 2. Offer clean animals in sacrifice. 3. Collect redemption price for humans and unclean animals. 4. Safeguard holy procedures, testifying to God’s past deliverance and foreshadowing Christ’s ultimate redemption. |
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