The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is
offered to the Lord is yours.
But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean
animals. When they are a month old, you must redeem them at
the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the
sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. But you must not redeem the firstborn of a
cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Splash their blood against the altar and
burn their fat as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. Numbers
18:15-17
“Redeem”
means to pay the price to release something from bondage/slavery. God set up a symbolic system that included:
1.
A firstborn
2.
Paying the price
3.
Freedom from slavery
Jesus would ultimately come as the firstborn son (of God and Mary) giving
himself as an offering to pay the price
of our sin to free us from the
slavery to sin. This firstborn theme
would continue in the temple offerings until Jesus arrived and completed the
theme through his death. “It is
finished…” Jesus declared.