Because God struck down the firstborn of the Egyptians and spared the firstborn of the Hebrews, the firstborn of the Hebrews would belong to God. God owns them. It is not wholly dissimilar to what we noted in Romans six a few days ago; having been set free from slavery to sin, we now belong to God. Jesus is the firstborn of God. We know he was not created, as we have already seen in John and Colossians, but Jesus is the firstborn in that he is consecrated to God. Thankfully, for us, we are identified with Christ by faith. Note, "Those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." Or "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent." So then Christ is before all creation, the first to rise from the dead in glory, and the beginning of all those brethren who would belong to God. He is "the firstborn brought into the world," and we now belong to the "assembly of the firstborn," having been united together in one bride through the precious blood of Jesus. He is "the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead." Ultimately, we will see the Levites as the ones set aside to represent the firstborn of all the Hebrews. They will be the ones consecrated to belong to God. The priests will be representatives before God of the work he has done. So also, Christ, our high priest, will consecrate us to himself as people of the firstborn, belonging to God. He has ransomed our lives from death, and now we are conscripted to his service...