Every firstborn creature must be the Lord's but since the
donkey was unclean, it could not be presented in sacrifice to Him. What
then? Should it be allowed to go free from the universal law? By no means! God
admits of no exceptions. The donkey is His due but He will not accept it;
He will not abate the claim—but yet He cannot be pleased with the unclean
victim. No way of escape remained, but redemption, the donkey must
be saved by the substitution of a lamb in its place; or if not
redeemed, it must die!
My soul, here is a lesson for you! That
unclean donkey is yourself! You are justly the property of the
Lord who made you and preserves you but you are so sinful that God
will not, cannot, accept you! It has come to this, the Lamb of God must stand in
your stead or you must die eternally! Let all the world know of your gratitude
to that spotless Lamb who has died for you, and so redeemed you
from the fatal curse of the law!
Must it not sometimes have been a question with the Israelite,
as to which should die, the donkey or the lamb? Would not the man pause to
estimate and compare the values of these animals? Assuredly there was no
comparison between the value of a sinful man and the spotless Lord Jesus!
Yet the Lamb dies—and man the donkey is spared! My soul,
admire the boundless love of God to you! Vile worms are bought with the
blood of the holy Lamb of God! Dust and ashes are redeemed with a price
far above silver and gold! What a doom would have been mine had not plenteous
redemption been found!
The breaking of the neck of the donkey was but a
momentary penalty. But who shall measure the eternal wrath to
come to which no limit can be imagined! Inestimably dear is the glorious
Lamb who has redeemed me from such a doom!
[Charles H. Spurgeon]
Exodus 34:20 ... But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
Galatians 3:13 ... Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Romans 6:23 ... For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.❤
✞✞✞
Exodus 34:20 ... But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
Galatians 3:13 ... Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Romans 6:23 ... For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.❤
