God and the firstborn males

[Rachel72]

A few of you asked for the translation I was using. It is the New Century Version, the Max Lucado Devotional Bible...

Here it is:

Exodus 13:14

"From now on when your son asks you, "what does this mean?" You will answer, "With his great power, the Lord brought us out from Egypt, the land where we were slaves. The king of Egypt was stubborn and refused to let us leave. But, the Lord killed every firstborn male in Egypt, both human and animal. That is why I sacrifice every firstborn male animal to the Lord, and that is why I buy back each of my firstborn sons from the Lord."

I like what Leonard shares. God must have had His reasons. And, maybe today, He still takes the lives of some people, in their rebellion. I guess we just have to know that whatever God did do, it was for good and not for evil.

Thanks for everyone for helping me.

Rachel72

[Rachel72]

I read the parts which Ovedya told me to go back and read and I totally get it now. The Egyptian king wanted it done to every firstborn male of the Israelites, but the nurses kept it from happening. Then, God became angry at the king because he was disobedient and stubborn, and wouldn't give himself a chance to know the Lord, so God had it done to him. It is a pity that all the firstborn males had to suffer because of an arrogant king.

So, I have one more question. Why was it important for the Israelites to be circumcised?

Thanks everyone...

[billie]

It seperated the Israelites from all the other people around them. It was an outward symbol of how God wanted them to be different. That's one reason I know of. Others can probably give more.

[tah]

I read the parts which Ovedya told me to go back and read and I totally get it now. The Egyptian king wanted it done to every firstborn male of the Israelites, but the nurses kept it from happening. Then, God became angry at the king because he was disobedient and stubborn, and wouldn't give himself a chance to know the Lord, so God had it done to him. It is a pity that all the firstborn males had to suffer because of an arrogant king.

So, I have one more question. Why was it important for the Israelites to be circumcised?

Thanks everyone...

The circumcision was the act that showed the covenant made between God and Abraham and and his seed that the land of cannan would be their land..

Gen 17:7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you.

Gen 17:8 And I will give the land to you in which you are a stranger, and to your seed after you, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. And I will be their God.

Gen 17:9 And God said to Abraham, And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you in their generations.

Gen 17:10 This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your seed after you. Every male child among you shall be circumcised.

as for all men dying....

All mankind suffer because of the disobedience of one..

those who are in Christ Jesus...covered by His blood....Live

Rom 5:18 Therefore as by one offense sentence came on all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came to all men to justification of life.

Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.

Rom 5:20 But the Law entered so that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound,

Rom 5:21 so that as sin has reigned to death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

[redeemed098]

God also Redeemed every single one of those firstborn who perished. He did this through the firstborn of the Israelites. God is the Redeemer. You will find that 3000 perished on the day of rebellion at the bottom of the mountain when Moses came down with the Laws of God only to see the people in complete rebellion. Follow this through to the book of Acts..."and about three thousand were added to their number that day."

In ONE day God destroyed 3000 and in another he Redeemed 3000.

The firsborn of Egypt were not neccessarily children. If a man was an only child, he could have been a grandfather and still be the first born.

The eldest did stand to inherit the blessing of the father, so that the name of that man would live on for many generations. To take away the heir meant there would be no inheritance and thus the mans name would be wiped from the face of the earth. A way if you like of destroying the cancer by eliminating the seed.

Evil begets Evil. The doctor was removing the cancer so to speak, but then the doctor Redeemed what was lost through the people HE had chosen as HIS inheritance. The Israelites. God is always about removing what is evil and replacing it with what is good. He is about changing us and turning our hearts toward HIM.

Please notice that God did not go in and save his OWN people....He turned the heart of Pharoah to LET his people go. He afflicted Pharoah to the point where he had no alternative than to obey God. He worked everything so that Pharoah would surrender his own will to the will of God. God had ultimately demonstrated to a man who considered himSELF to be a god, that only HE, the God of all creation has the power of life and death as he alone is the SOURCE of all Life and death.

"I the Lord bring to life and I put to death." The man of God may be afraid of "Dying", but he is NOT afraid of DEATH.

"For I know that my Redeemer Lives, and in the end he shall stand upon the earth. Though my skin may be destroyed, yet with my eyes I will see God."

Regards,

Ben.

[ScubaSteve]

So, I have one more question. Why was it important for the Israelites to be circumcised?

Thanks everyone...

I believe it was because of 3 things:

1. It was used as a sign of obedience to him in all matters. I mean, as a male, who in their right mind would want to cut a piece of flesh off that part of the body? But to truly obey and follow God, He requires us to go beyond just the mental side of living for God, He want's us to physically live it, to physically show that we stand for him. Also what billielovesdarrin posted:

It seperated the Israelites from all the other people around them. It was an outward symbol of how God wanted them to be different. That's one reason I know of. Others can probably give more.

2) It could be that it was a sign of belonging to his covenant people. Once circumcised, there was no turning back. The man would be identified as a Jew forever, which reminds us that once we accept the covenant of God and accept God and to receive God's gifts, we accept it for life, you can't really renege on the deal. If you accept him into your life you do it for life. Just like you can't sew the foreskin back on.

3) It also could of been used as a symbol of "cutting off" the old life of sin, purifying oyour heart and dedicated yourself to God. By partaking in the act of circumcision you are saying that you are God's and only God's. That you are obediant to His words and His ways.

And also looking at the more physical side of things it could of been done as a health measure, prevent infection etc, so God was killing two birds with one stone.

Anyway, they are my thoughts on the subject.