DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS

Exodus 13:1; 12:51; 13:2-3, 10-16; Leviticus 12:2-4, 6-7; Numbers 8:16-17 SAAS:    (2/1-14) The First Vesperal Reading for the Feast of the Meeting of our Lord Jesus Christ

 

The Firstborn: Pentateuch Selections, especially Ex. 13:15, SAAS: “Thus it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the first born of cattle.  Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’”  The Gospel for the Feast of Christ’s Meeting alludes to the two rituals that the Theotokos fulfilled when she brought her Child and our God to the Temple: 1) “...the days of her purification...were completed...” (Lk. 2:22) speaks of the rite of spiritual cleansing for a mother after birthgiving before she could return to public worship in the Temple, and the phrase, “...to present Him to the Lord...” (Lk. 2:22) concerns the consecration of Mary’s firstborn, that is, the Lord Jesus her son.

The present reading is a composite of verses from three Old Testament Books (Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers), each portion addressing various aspects of these two rites.  The Exodus verses describe the consecration of a firstborn, male child to God.  The Leviticus portion (12:1-8), depicts the purification of a mother following birth-giving.  In Numbers (8:16-17) the ritual redemption a firstborn from actual sacrifice is described and explained.

The Exodus portion requires special attention at this Feast of the Meeting since it covers three facets of a firstborn’s consecration: 1) to “Sanctify to Me all the firstborn... whatever opens the womb...” (Ex 13:2); 2) to associate the rite with Passover and the day “...when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go...” (Ex 13:15); and 3) to deliver the child from death by ritual sacrifice, for “...the firstborn of my sons I redeem’” (Ex 13:15). It gave fathers of ancient Israel  answers for their sons when they asked the meaning of these rituals (Ex 3:14-15).

When the Lord God gave the law to “Sanctify to Me all the firstborn, the first-begotten, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both man and cattle; it is Mine.’” (Ex 13: 2), His expectation was for an earthly father to renounce ownership of his son and declare God the sole Owner - all things being God’s in fact. Our word sanctify in the verse, derives from Latin and emphasizes the total surrender of whatever is offered to God.  Thus, offerings are wholly God’s - the English, holy being from this same root, so that whatever is holy is totally the Lord’s.

As a firstborn is confessed to be God’s, all subsequent births are presumed to belong to Him as well.  Hence, God says to Moses: “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My firstborn son.  So I say to you, ‘Let My people go so they may serve Me.’ But if you refuse to let them go, indeed, I will kill your firstborn son’” (Ex.4:22, 23).

Note that the rite for sanctifying firstborns is associated directly with Passover and the related Season of Unleavened Bread or Mazzoth.  As Israel came out of Egypt, “No leavened bread [mazzoth] shall be eaten” - (Ex. 13:3).  In Ex. 13:3, Israel is said to be out of Egypt: likewise, leaven is purged out of bread during the festival of Mazzoth.  The Lord has consecrated a People to Himself, taken them out of bondage in Egypt, and they are to remember this day henceforth, and honor Him Whose hand brought them out (vs. 3).

Redemption of firstborns refers to a ceremonial transaction that spared the life of firstborn sons: “...the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt....but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem” (Ex13:13).  While many peoples of the early Near East practiced infant sacrifice, God as Life-Giver utterly rejected it.  A beast of burden was redeemed by the sacrifice of a lamb, and a five shekel offering was to be made instead of the sacrifice of a firstborn son (Nm. 18:16).

Come, let us all praise Him Who was slain for our sake, Mary’s Son and our God.

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