The first word in the text - - is a Qal ms imperative from the root , a verb that has an extensive range of connected meanings. Davidson lists nine distinct meanings for the Qal stem alone, including "to visit; to punish; to review, muster, number; to look after or take care of; to set over or appoint". As the immediate text is followed by the instruction to "take account of their names", this suggests that this is a more detailed or even intimate counting that the numbers alone might indicate. The resulting count of first-born males is 22,273 from a total army population of 603,550 (cf. B'Midbar 1:46), which Jacob Milgrom correctly points out is a difficult proportion as it would "presume an average Israelite family of fourteen male children." Even 22,273 is a substantial number of men to individually count and know and it would seem to predicate a fairly perfunctory and mechanical counting process if it were not for the mention of the individual names.

The phrase - literally, 'son of a month' - is a typical instance of a class of biblical Hebrew phrases used to denote ages for both people and animals. Moshe is described as "the son of eighty years" (Shemot 7:7) and Aharon his brother as "the son of eighty three years" when they are called to appear before Pharoah to present

HaShem: literally, Hebrew for 'The Name' - an allusion used to avoid pronouncing the Tetragrammaton, the so-called 'ineffable' name of G–d

Hirsch: Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888CE), German rabbi, author and educator; staunch opponent of the Reform movement in Germany and one of the fathers of Orthodox Judaism

In the verse following our text, Moshe is told, "And you shall take the Levites for Me, I am the L-RD, instead of all the first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the first-born among the cattle of the sons of Israel" (v. 41). The service of the Levites is taken in place of the redemption that should - had the instructions been given in time - have been made for the first-born in all the other tribes when they were born.

The importance of the first-born in the mind of the people continued through the early days in the Land. Influenced by the remnant of the Canaanite peoples who had not been expelled from Israel, some of the people offered their children to pagan gods as child sacrifices. During the days of the kings, Josiah - a reforming king who tried to make the people turn back to HaShem - "defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for Molech" (2 Kings 23:10, NASB). One of the prophets asks, "Does the L-RD take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my first-born for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" (Micah 6:7, NASB)

Rav Sha'ul explains that Yeshua is "the image of the invisible G-d, the first-born of all creation" (Colossians 1:15, NASB). More, Sha'ul goes on, "He is head of the Body, the Messianic Community- He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might hold first place in everything" (v. 18, CJB). Yeshua's first-born status is more than just being the first-born of Mary His human mother; He is also the only begotten Son of G-d, His first-born, who is from eternity to eternity. He is the model G-d uses to shape us who believe in Him, so that Yeshua should be the head of a family of brothers and sisters sharing His life: "because those whom [G-d] knew in advance, He also determined in advance would be conformed to the pattern of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn among many brothers" (Romans 8:29, CJB). This is also the order for the resurrection: "Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep ... each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming" (1 Corinthians 15:20,23, NASB).

Moshe was told to count the first-born among the children of Israel, in a personal way, taking note of their names. Yeshua, who has been given the name that is above all names, is the first-born not only of Israel but of all creation and He has been raised first from the dead. Uniquely, since several people have been raised back to life after dying, but subsequently died again, Yeshua was restored to life for ever, for He is "the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11:25). Because He lives, we live and will live for ever in Him and He knows each of our names!

Further Study: John 6:39-40; Revelation 1:17-18

Application: How can you know more of the power of Yeshua's resurrection life in your life today? Know that you have been counted individually and that He knows your name; take fresh hold of the promise that you are already being changed into His image, to be like Him; be inspired that His resurrection - a certain and immutable fact - means that you will live forever in Him! Now, that's life!

© Jonathan Allen, 2009