DELIVERANCE OF ISRAEL’S FIRSTBORN

8. (a) As a protection against the tenth plague, what instructions had Israel to observe? (b) How and why was this to be memorialized?

⁸ After Moses had served notice on Pharaoh of that final and terrible plague, the death of the firstborn of both man and beast throughout Egypt, then Jehovah immediately gave to Moses specific instructions for all Israel to observe. Briefly, each household was required to take a sheep on the tenth day of this month, which henceforth was to be the first month of the year for them, and keep it ‘under safeguard until the fourteenth day of this month,’ when it was to be slaughtered and its blood splashed on the two doorposts and upper part of the doorway of each house. That night “they must eat the flesh . . . roasted with fire and with unfermented cakes along with bitter greens.” They were told to eat it “with your hips girded, sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand; and you must eat it in haste. It is Jehovah’s passover. . . . And the blood must serve as your sign upon the houses where you are; and I must see the blood and pass over you, and the plague will not come on you as a ruination when I strike at the land of Egypt.” Henceforth, on the same day each year, the Israelites had to repeat the same service ‘as a memorial, as a festival to Jehovah throughout their generations.’ And they were to say to their sons who asked as to its meaning: “It is the sacrifice of the passover to Jehovah, who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when he plagued the Egyptians, but he delivered our houses.”—Ex. 12:1-14, 27.

9, 10. How was the deliverance of Israel’s firstborn related to that of the entire nation?

⁹ Thus in this unique way a special deliverance was provided for the firstborn of Israel. They only were in danger that night. Their lives were in danger, and the blood of the “passover victim” was the means whereby they were passed over and delivered from sudden death. Please note that this special deliverance of the firstborn preceded the deliverance of the entire nation of Israel at the crossing of the Red Sea.—Ex. 12:21.

¹⁰ And how does this help us in getting a clearer understanding of what John wrote about the death of Jesus as being a “sacrifice for our sins, yet not for ours only but also for the whole world’s”?—1 John 2:2.

FULFILLMENT OF THE PICTURE

11. What is the theme of the letter to the Hebrews, and what reference does it make to the firstborn?

¹¹ The proper understanding of these things is not left to our imagination or “private interpretation.” In writing a letter to the Hebrews, the apostle Paul plainly says that everything enacted by Israel under their law covenant was a “shadow of the good things to come” and was given as an “illustration.” In fact, that is the main line of argument taken by Paul in this particular letter, showing time and again that the Law, with its ordinances and sacrifices, foreshadowed or typified far more glorious things to come. At Hebrews 1:6 he refers to Jesus as God’s “First-born,” which he preeminently is; but later he mentions a company of people occupying a similar relationship, describing them as the “congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens.”—2 Pet. 1:20; Heb. 10:1; 9:9; 12:23.

12. Who are the firstborn mentioned at Hebrews 12:23?

¹² Who are these people? They are true Christians who, collectively, make up “God’s household, which is the congregation of the living God.” They are “partakers of the heavenly calling,” with Christ Jesus as their “high priest.” He, as God’s faithful Son, is appointed head over the house built by God, and, says Paul to his fellow Christians, “We are the house of that One.”—1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 3:1-6.

13. Is Christendom a safe guide respecting membership of the true church?

¹³ Surely, in view of these scriptures, we can see it is not a matter of joining one or another of the churches of Christendom and being enrolled as a member thereof. No one can make himself a member of the true church or be canonized as a saint by some earthly religious organization. No, it is “God the Judge of all” who has “set the members in the body, each one of them, just as he pleased.” Jesus himself said that those who would be given the Kingdom and share with him in his heavenly throne would be but a “little flock,” a small minority; and this in itself rules out the millions who profess to be Christian merely on the basis of church membership and church attendance, including what is thought to be a regular partaking of the Lord’s evening meal, frequently known as Mass or Holy Communion.—Heb. 12:23; 1 Cor. 12:18; Luke 12:32.

14. Who were pictured by Israel’s firstborn, and on what Scriptural authority?

¹⁴ Is there Scriptural authority for seeing the true church, the “congregation of the first-born,” as corresponding to and pictured by the firstborn of Israel who were specially delivered that night in Egypt? Yes. Paul, in writing to the “congregation of God that is in Corinth . . . sanctified in union with Christ Jesus,” urges them to put away a certain corrupting influence and, again basing his argument on the things foreshadowed by the Law, says: “Let us keep the festival [of unleavened bread], not with old leaven, neither with leaven of injuriousness and wickedness, but with unfermented cakes of sincerity and truth.” And what authority does he give for true Christians’ keeping the feast of unleavened bread in this figurative way, not just one day, but every day of the year? Note his answer: “For, indeed, Christ our passover has been sacrificed.”—1 Cor. 1:2; 5:7, 8; Ex. 13:6.

15. What special deliverance has been provided for the true church, both for the future and also for the present?

¹⁵ This costly sacrifice “with precious blood, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, even Christ’s,” has truly resulted in a special deliverance for these Christian firstborn ones in two ways. Not only has it guaranteed for them the final “entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” an “incorruptible and undefiled and unfading inheritance . . . reserved in the heavens,” as expressed by Peter, but it has also meant in a very real sense, though by faith, a present deliverance that can be enjoyed. Paul expressed it thus: “He [God] delivered us from the authority of the darkness and transplanted us into the kingdom of the Son of his love, by means of whom we have our release by ransom, the forgiveness of our sins.” Particularly since 1919 have those of this company been delivered from the “darkness” and “thick gloom” as foretold by Isaiah; and, while still in the flesh, they have entered into the wonderful blessings of Kingdom service and enlightenment described in that same prophecy.—1 Pet. 1:4, 19; 2 Pet. 1:11; Col. 1:13, 14; Isa. 60:1-3.

16. (a) How is the little lock related to Jesus as to Abraham’s seed? (b) How does this help in relating the special deliverance to the larger picture?

¹⁶ Thus God’s Word clearly points out a specially chosen congregation, a “little flock,” who receive a prior share in the benefits of Christ’s ransom sacrifice, ahead of the rest of mankind. As already mentioned, Jesus himself is preeminently God’s firstborn Son, yet he has others closely associated with him under his headship, forming the “congregation of the firstborn.” Also, in a similar way, Christ Jesus himself is the promised Seed of Abraham; yet, by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness, these firstborn ones, because they have been “baptized into Christ” and “belong to Christ,” are also “really Abraham’s seed.” It is through this seed that “all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves” in God’s kingdom, after the great deliverance at Armageddon from modern-day Egypt. Thus we can see how the smaller picture of a special deliverance for the firstborn class must first take place and must precede the larger picture, the fulfillment of which will certainly cause a song of triumphant praise to be sung to Jehovah, “for he has become highly exalted.” That is why, figuratively speaking, he went down to Egypt in the first instance, to “assign himself a name.”—Gal. 3:16, 27, 29; Gen. 22:18; Ex. 15:21; 2 Sam. 7:23.

17. How is 1 John 2:2 to be understood?

¹⁷ Thus, too, we can appreciate why John, in writing to these firstborn ones, said that Jesus is first a “sacrifice for our sins, yet not for ours only but also for the whole world’s.”—1 John 2:2.

A Close and Precious Relationship

1, 2. (a) In what way did Jesus become closely related to his “brothers”? (b) How is this tied in with the Lord’s evening meal?

ONE thing stands out very plainly in considering the fulfillment of the picture of Israel’s firstborn, and that is the extremely close relationship brought about by Jehovah between Jesus and the spiritual congregation of the firstborn, who share with him as part of Abraham’s seed. Looking again at Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, we note he stresses this at Hebrews 2:10-18, where he explains that “in bringing many sons to [heavenly] glory” it was fitting “to make the Chief Agent [Jesus Christ] of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” And since these many sons are “sharers of blood and flesh, he [Jesus] also similarly partook of the same things, that through his death he might bring to nothing the one having the means to cause death, that is, the Devil . . . for he is really not assisting angels at all, but he is assisting Abraham’s seed. Consequently he was obliged to become like his ‘brothers’ in all respects, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, in order to offer propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the people.”

² Yes, these sons are closely related to Jesus as part of the promised seed, but now we wish to draw your attention to another close similarity mentioned, namely, that both Jesus and these “brothers” of his are “sharers of blood and flesh.” This at once makes a close link with the Lord’s evening meal and the truths then discussed by Jesus, which we promised to review.

3. How did Jesus approach the final passover with his disciples?

³ As a faithful Jew, Jesus had always observed the annual passover feast on Nisan 14; but, knowing full well that he would finish his ministry and complete his