HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. 'Vers. 1-3, 11-17.-The sanctifioo,tion of tlie first-born. This command has its basis in the fa.et that on the night when God executed his tremendous jud,,"lllent against Egypt, the :first-born of Israel was spared. Because this great mercy had been shown to israel, the first-born of man and beast were ever afterwards to be reckoned as specially belon,,oing to Jehovah. The first-born of the generation then living was his by direct purchase; all later first-borns were to be his by grateful dedication. It was required, in addition, that the first-born of man, as well as of unclean beasts, should be "redeemed." This may have been designed to teach that the lives of these later :first-borns were as truly forfeited by sin as were those of the original first-born, on the night of the exodus; and that the nearer the relation in which the individual stands to God, the more pressing becomes the need for atonement. L REDEMPTION IS BY SUBSTITUTION. This is well illustrated by the law for the redemption of unclean animals (ver. 13; cf. Num. x:viii. 15). The firstling of an ass, being unclean, could not be offered on the altar. It was, therefore, to be redeemed by the substitution of a lamb. If not thus redeemed, its neck was to be broken. This teaches the further lesson-unredeemed life must die. It was on the same principle that the lamb was substituted for the first-born on the night of the exodus. 'fhis law does not specify the manner of the redemption of the first-born of male children, but it was probably originally by a lamb also. The redemption was subsequently effected by a money-payment of five shekels (Num. xvili. 16). This gave prominence to the idea. of a. ransom, already implied in the use of the word "redeem." The principle of the redemption was still the substitution of life for life, the money-payment pointing back to the lamb or other victim of which it was the price. Jesus has fulfilled the type under both its aspects. He has redeemed us by the substitution of his holy life for our sinful ones (Heb. ix. 26--28). His life has been given as a ransom for many (Matt. XX. 28 ; 1 Tim. ii 6). II. REDEEMED LIFE BELONGS TO Goo (vers. 1, 12, 15). As all later generations ot Israel were repre!ented in that :first one, so all later first-borns were represented in those of the night of the exodus. By redeeming them from death, God purchased the first- born of Israel in a peculiar manner to himself. What held true of the first-born, held true in a wider sense, of the nation as a whole, and holds true now of all believers. They are God's, because God has redeemed them. We must not seem to lessen the 'Tlatural claim which God has upon our service. All souls are God's; and no moral beict? has a right to use his powers otherwise than for the glory of him who gave them. But. ·in a special manner Jehovah claims redeemed life for himself. "I have redeemed OH, XIII, 3-lJ.) nu:: BOOK OF EXODUS. 302
thee, thou art mine" (Is. xiii i. 1). "Ye are bo11ght with a price; therefore glorify Gue, in your body, ancl in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. vi. 20). lll. '!'HE ANIMAL CREATION SHARES IN MAN'S BOIN AND REDEMPTION. First-born of man and beast.-J. 0,