Passover: The Night of the Firstborn

Feasts of Israel Series: Part 7

Throughout Egypt that Passover evening, the only firstborn males who survived were those who sheltered behind a blood-spattered door. Because they were spared from death, so were their families.

What was it about firstborns that made them so important? How could saving them save everyone in the household?

In Old Testament times, the firstborn was traditionally due the birthright. This meant he’d become the head of the family and would inherit the family estate.^[1] In essence, the firstborn represented the future of the entire family. By attacking him, the destroyer could bring down the whole household.

Blood on the door posts proved a death had already occurred at that home and there was no need for another to die. For these Israelite families, a firstborn had indeed been slain, but it was a firstborn lamb instead of their firstborn son.^[2]

In later Passovers, lambs were slain at the bronze altar—first in the tabernacle and finally in the temple. The blood of the firstborn was splashed right in front of the door to the holy place, as though on God’s doorposts instead of their own. Blood that once saved individual families could then shelter the household of a nation.

One day, however, the bronze altar would disappear, along with the temple which surrounded it. Israel would no longer have an authorized site for the slaying of sacrifices. They’d no longer have a dwelling place to receive the saving blood. How, then, would they survive?

A Greater Dwelling Place for a Bigger Family

Hebrews 8 tells of a greater and more permanent tabernacle in the heavenlies. If the doorway to this dwelling place was painted with blood, everyone on earth who took shelter within could be saved.

Had the earthly temple endured, God’s plan would only have reached as far as Israel. But God had a household as big as all humanity in mind to save. John 3:16–17 says God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to save us.

To do this, God had to push the reset button on humanity itself. His first man, Adam, had yielded his birthright (his privilege to inherit and lead) when he transferred his loyalty from God to His enemy. All who were born from Adam thereafter, came into the world as members of Adam’s new household—one which was as much in bondage to sin as Israel had been to slavery in Egypt.

Another Adam needed to come into the world. One who, as firstborn, could inherit what His predecessor had given away. No sheep would do for this purpose. God needed a human Lamb with blood perfect enough to qualify for the door of His heavenly tabernacle.

Becoming Part of God’s Household

Jesus took on flesh to be both firstborn to Mary and first-begotten of God. After resisting every temptation to yield His birthright, He died on the cross. When He rose, He took His own blood into that “greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands.”^[3]

As firstborn, Jesus became heir to a kingdom that “flesh and blood cannot inherit,”^[4] so we can only come into this heavenly household by means of Jesus’ spirit. Just as we were unable to bring ourselves into this world by the flesh, we cannot be born into the spiritual world by our own strength. We must ask Jesus to do it for us. Just as we took on the image of the first Adam at our natural birth, we take on the image of the last Adam at our spiritual rebirth.^[5] Now that’s an exciting proposition!

Now, whether you’re Jew or Gentile, slave or free, all can take refuge behind the blood on God’s heavenly doorposts. All you need do is call on the name of Jesus. He’s a firstborn who can give you the new beginning you crave.

---

^[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/blessing-birthright.html

^[2] Exodus 12:15 and Kevin J. Conner, The Feasts of Israel (Portland: City Christian Publishing, 1980), 17.

^[3] See all of Hebrews 8 on Jesus as High Priest of the heavenly tabernacle

^[4] 1 Corinthians 15:50

^[5] 1 Corinthians 15:47–49