Dedication Of The Firstborn

                                                                  Sunday School Lesson

Devotional Reading: 2 Chronicles 30:5-12

Background Scripture: Exodus 13:11-16; Leviticus 12:1-8; Numbers 3:5-13; Luke 2:21-39
Focal Verses
Exodus 13:13b-15
13b All the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.
14 And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.

Introduction

A. “Order, Order!”

Many studies have been done on the topic of birth order and its influence both on parenting and on child development. The middle child in our family often played “the middle-child card” (and still does!) as a way of creating sympathy for himself. This is because the middle child in a family is believed to be the one who ends up being slighted or ignored. The oldest child may be treated with great fondness simply by being first. The youngest may be treated similarly because that child will be the last to leave the nest and thus may be spoiled more than the others. The middle child gets, well, “caught in the middle.”
The position of the firstborn male was a mark of distinction in biblical times. Our lesson today surveys the Old Testament command of God regarding redemption of the firstborn, and our New Testament text shows it being applied to Jesus.
B. Lesson Background

The studies of this quarter examine the concept of tradition from three angles: traditions for honoring God (unit 1), for observing special occasions (unit 2), and for celebrating holy times (unit 3). Traditions can provide opportunities to reinforce important foundational truths that a country, a community, a church, a family, or an individual must keep at the forefront of their identity.
The practice of sanctifying by redemption every Israelite firstborn male was so important that it was the second observance commanded of Israel following the exodus from Egypt. (The first was the Passover; see lesson 10.) Exodus 13, from which the first portion of our lesson text is drawn, addresses this. The important role of the firstborn male is further seen in his receiving certain privileges, including leadership responsibilities and a greater share of the family inheritance once the father had passed away (Deuteronomy 21:15-17).
Being a firstborn male Israelite had great significance because of the unique history of the nation. Regarding the infant Jesus, the Gospel of Luke notes as being carried out the redemption that Exodus describes.

Luke 2:22-32

22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

The ceremony of purification for Mary is a separate matter from Jesus’ circumcision. Following the birth of a son, a mother has to wait 40 days before presenting the required purification offering. The seven days before her son’s circumcision on the eighth day are included as the first part of these 40 days, as Leviticus 12:1-4 makes clear. This ceremony of purification is conducted in the temple in Jerusalem (12:6, 7).Why would God require purification from an act (childbirth) that He commanded of a man and a woman (Genesis 1:28)? The law of Moses is not entirely clear on this point, but the ceremony may be related to God’s declaration following the sin in Eden that the woman’s pain would increase during childbirth (Genesis 3:16).In that light, the purification ceremony may serve to remind the woman (and her husband) of the somber consequences of that sin. Some suggest that the bleeding that accompanies childbirth (referred to three times in Leviticus 12:4, 5, 7) makes a woman ceremonially unclean since the only blood that is permitted to come before God is that of sacrificial animals.In the final analysis, the Scriptures are often silent about the specific reasoning behind the various laws by which God’s people are to live. But in a general sense, the connection is always between the holy nature of God and His desire for His people to be holy as well.
  


25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Here the account of a usual purification practice at the temple takes an unusual turn. We are introduced to Simeon, a man described as just and devout. For him to be waiting for the consolation of Israel has messianic overtones. Many in his day anticipate that consolation primarily in political terms: they expect the Messiah to be someone who delivers Israel from the hated, oppressive rule of the Romans. But Simeon holds a much different (and much more accurate) understanding of the Messiah, as we shall see.Simeon’s better understanding is traced to the presence of the Holy Ghost in his life. Even though we are less than 10 percent into the book of Luke at this point, the author already has highlighted the influence of the Holy Spirit in the circumstances surrounding the lives of several individuals: John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-15), Mary (1:35), Elisabeth (1:41), and Zacharias (1:67).