DEVOTION//The Firstborn

Once you spoke in a vision to your godly ones. You said, ‘I have raised up a young man from among the people….I have anointed Him. He is the one whom my hand will sustain….I will crush His foes….My faithfulness and mercy will be with Him….He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father….I will also appoint Him the Firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth….I will establish his seed forever (Psalm 89:19-29).

Firstborn

Firstborn – are any of you the firstborn? I was the last-born; two, still living, a third did not survive. I would have been the fourth-born. What does the fourth-born get?

Probably not as much attention as the firstborn! The fourth-born is not loved less. It just seems natural that a lot of attention will be given by young parents to the one who comes first. As for the fourth-born, I was blessed to learn from the outcomes of the ones who went before me. Also, my parents were more relaxed in my up-bringing. I had opportunities my brothers didn’t have. So, I consider myself blessed by God to be last-born in our family. (I wonder how my brothers feel about that!)

In Bible days the firstborn held a special station. The first-born marked the chief of the heirs. Not always – Jacob was the second-born and David was last-born in his family.

Jesus as the Firstborn

But in the highest sense in God’s realm, “firstborn” applies only to Christ Jesus. Paul writes, “The Father rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation….He is before all things and all things hold together in him….He is the firstborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:13f). Jesus is the Firstborn – meaning many, through faith, will follow him in the resurrection!

Some of what the psalmist wrote applied to David. But the highest fulfillment is found in that baby who lies in the manger, born to be our Savior. In our times, firstborn or fourth-born might not matter that much. But in God’s plan to save us, it mattered greatly!

Prayer: Lord, again we see your promises fulfilled in Christ for our eternal blessing! Thank you.

Source: Ed Lehmann, the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church, Marshfield MO and Zion Lutheran Church, Springfield, MO.