The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 1)

Series 17

Episode 4

Prologue

Brothers and sisters, today’s topic for Treasures for the Soul is The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 1). In the Old Testament, God set up for the Israelites the Passover, which is a very important and meaningful feast. Exodus chapter 12 talks about the lamb of the Passover. It symbolizes the Lord is the lamb of God, who would offer and sacrifice Himself for man. Exodus chapter 4 says that the people of Israel is God’s firstborn son. The Israelites are indeed very blessed. In the Millennium and in eternity, they will be the head of all nations, a blessing to other nations on the earth. But we are even more blessed because we are the church of the firstborn. We will reign with the Lord in new Jerusalem all through eternity!

Message

Exodus 12 states that the Passover is an important feast for the Israelites. The Passover mentions about the “firstborn” and the “firstborn son”. God asked each household of the Israelites, or with his neighbor, to take a lamb.
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. [The lamb symbolized the Lord Jesus Himself, who would shed His blood to redeem us.] You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.” (Exodus 12:5-7)
Later in the same chapter, it mentions eating the flesh of the lamb. This symbolism is clear and precious. The lamb must be without blemish. The Lord did not have any blemish and he did not have any sins. He died for us at His prime. The Lord died for us on the day of the Passover. It is evident that He is the Lamb of God. He offered Himself so that we should not perish but have eternal life. At the first Passover, if the household did not put some of the blood of the lamb on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses, the firstborn would be killed.
“For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.” (Exodus 12:12-14)
The Passover is so important to the Israelites. On that day, they were redeemed from their slavery and it was a new beginning for them. The true Lamb of the Passover is the Lord Jesus, who has already come. He died for us on the cross! On the day of the Passover, the Lord prepared for us the feast of a lifetime, that is the breaking of the bread. Every time when we have the break bread meeting, we have the bread which symbolizes His body that was given to us, and the cup which symbolizes His blood that was shed for us. The Israelites who have believed in the Lord Jesus do not need to keep the Passover because the true Lamb of the Passover has already come. He has already been offered as a sacrifice. It’s so precious that He’s risen! He will praise God in the midst of the congregation. The Lord has already established the new covenant. We no longer need to keep the feasts because the real one has already come. The true Lamb has accomplished the perfect salvation, so that we should not perish but have eternal life. The break bread meeting has replaced the Passover.
Let us read Exodus chapter 4. God asked Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, ‘Let my son go that he may serve me.’ If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.”’” (Exodus 4:21-23)
The last plague from God was killing the firstborn sons because Pharaoh would not let the Israelites, God’s firstborn son, go and serve God. Pharaoh wanted to keep them as his slaves. God would deal with their enemies and set the Israelites free.
On earth, the nation of Israel is God’s firstborn son. One day in the new heaven and the new earth, the Israelites will be the head of all nations on earth. They will be able to enjoy the new covenant in the Millennium and will become the head of all nations. Being chosen by God, the Israelites should be the blessed one on earth. However, they suffer much because they don’t fear God. God made different covenants with them. God chose for them the abundant land of Canaan. God entrusted them with His Holy Word. There were also many prophets among them. They were especially blessed by God.
The Israelites are God’s firstborn sons. In the Millennium, they will be the head of many nations. The temple will also be rebuilt and many will return to Jerusalem. After the Millennium, in the new heaven and the new earth, the Israelites will continue to be the head of all nations on the new earth. God’s calling is indeed unchangeable.
But we have to note that while the Israelites are the head of all nations in the Millennium and on the new earth, we (the church) will reign as kings of the whole universe with the Lord. In the new heaven and the new earth, we will reign with the Lord forever. The Israelites are especially blessed on earth among all nations. They are a blessing to others. But we are the church of the firstborn; we are far more blessed! The Israelites will be living outside the new Jerusalem, whereas we, being the church of the firstborn, will be living INSIDE the holy city.

Series 17

Know that the Church is the Firstborn

Message Date: 2020-04-26

The church is extremely honourable and glorious; it is also the core of God’s plan. Hebrews 12:22-24 mentions “the assembly of the firstborn”. Indeed, the church is formed by the firstborn. As Abba’s dear children, throughout eternity, we have the most precious position, blessings, enjoyment and honour out of the entire universe. Israel pays high regard to their firstborn, because the firstborn receives special blessings and a double portion of the inheritance. God calls Israel His firstborn. Today, all of us are the heavenly Father’s firstborn, co-heirs with Christ. Thus, we are even more blessed. In the past, God used ten plagues to tackle the Egyptians, and at last their firstborn were killed. God commanded each household of the Israelites to kill a one-year-old male lamb that was without blemish, and put its blood on the two doorposts and the lintel of the house.​​ The angels would pass over those houses when they saw the blood, and their firstborn would escape death. So, those firstborn were protected and redeemed by the blood of the lambs. In the Millennium and the new earth, Israel will remain the head among all nations. It’s so precious that the Lord became the Lamb of God, shed His blood, and gave His life for the church. He redeemed us to be His forever, to be His darling and Abba’s true children. In eternity, we will be kings with the Lord and inherit all.
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Know that the church is the firstborn

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The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 1)

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The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 2)

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The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 1)

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The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 2)

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Introduction

01 Introduction of Treasures for the Soul

Series 1: Being Heart to Heart with the Lord

1.1 The Most Blessed Generation
1.2 Message from John the Baptist
1.3 Abide in the Lord Always
1.4 Abide in the Lord’s Love at All Times
1.5 The Lord Speaks to Us and Helps Us in Our Hearts

Series 2: Being Heart to Heart with the Lord Throughout this Year

2.1 God’s Greatest Work Starts in Our Hearts
2.2 To Be Heart to Heart with the Lord Throughout the Year
2.3 Our Spirits can Feel God and Have Fellowship with Him
2.4 The Importance of Peace
2.5 Our Spirits Need the Words of God
2.6 Give the Lord Time and Space to Speak in Our Hearts

Series 3: Let Our Hearts be Influenced

3.1 The World Needs People Who Deeply Experience God
3.2 Just as His Anointing 
Has Taught You, 
Abide in the Lord
3.3 Be Influenced 
by the Lord Throughout 
this Year

Series 4: The Importance of Peace

4.1 Enjoying God’s Peace in Your heart
4.2 Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled, Neither Let Them be Afraid.
4.3 How Should Our Spirit Respond to the Lord?

Series 5: Our Spirit Being Able to Enjoy the Lord

5.1 Our Spirit is Satisfied Only When We Worship God and Deeply Experience Him
5.2 How to Worship God with Our Spirit
5.3 Looking at the Lord with our Inner Eyes
5.4 Our Spirit Needs to Enjoy the Lord Himself
5.5 The Song of Solomon Often Mentions About “Eyes”
5.6 Realize Being Heart to Heart with the Lord in Singing and Worship

Series 6: Live out the Life of being Heart to Heart with the Lord

6.1 Living a life of union with the Lord in a stable pattern every day
6.2 Enjoying the Lord and not being disturbed
6.3 The Importance of Seeing Him with Our Spiritual Eyes

Series 7

7.1 Learn to Protect Our Spirits From Virus Prevention
7.2 Our Spirit Can Hear, Think, and See
7.3 How to Live a Life of Faith
7.4 The Importance of the Mind
7.5 David’s Eyes Beheld the Lord Always

Series 8: During the last supper, the Lord spoke about the essence of the blessings of the new covenant.

8.1 The Lord established with us the eternal love covenant by His blood
8.2 The Lord Treasures the New Covenant and Break-Bread Meeting the Most
8.3 Love Encounters
8.4 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the fourth blessing
8.5 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the first blessing (1)
8.6 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the first blessing (2)

Series 16: We Have Come to Mount Zion and the Heavenly Jerusalem

16.1 See that the Lord is at the right hand of the Father
16.2 Coming to Mount Zion (1): the meaning of Mount Sinai
16.3 Coming to Mount Zion (2): the difficulty in forgiveness of sins
16.4 Coming to Mount Zion (3): to Live in Grace
16.5 Having Come to the Heavenly Jerusalem
16.6 What is in the heavenly Jerusalem (1)?

Series 9: Being Heart to Heart with the Father

9.1 Being Heart to Heart with Abba (Part 1)
9.2 Being Heart to Heart with Abba (Part 2)

Series 10

10.1 The Love Desire in the Depths of Abba and the Lord’s hearts
10.2 Fruit of the Lord’s Crucifixion: Eternal Life
10.3 The Lord Came to Manifest the Father’s Name
10.4 The Father Sent His Only Begotten Son
10.5 Reminders on enjoying heart to heart with the Father
10.6 The Father’s Desire for Me is Forever Steadfast

Series 11

11.1 The preciousness of the Letter to Philemon
11.2 The most profitable; the most accepted.
11.3 Charge That to My Account
11.4 The Father made the Lord our eternal High Priest by an oath (1)
11.5 The Father made the Lord our eternal High Priest by an oath (2)
11.6 We are the Lord’s darling love

Series 12

12.1 The Lord’s Words at the Last Supper
12.2 Apart from the Lord, we can do nothing.
12.3 What is true faith?
12.4 Look upon the Lord in glory
11.5 Trust and Peace (1)
12.6 Trust and Peace (2)

Series 13: The Lord’s Gentleness and Humility

13.3 The Lord’s Gentleness and Humility (Part 2)

Series 14: Manifold evidence

14.1 How does the infinite Lord see us?
14.2 We are the ultimate and final love of the Lord
14.3 The Lord is forever a Man; He once died for us
14.4 The Lord’s manifold love evidence (Part 1)
14.5 The Lord’s manifold love evidence Part 2

Series 15: Understand How Our Spirit Works And Be Heart To Heart With The Lord Continuously

15.1 We Can Only Enjoy God By Faith
15.2 His Words Abide In Us
15.3 Live With The Lord
15.4 Seek The Things That Are Above
15.5 Understand How Our Spirit Works: Will, Mind And Feelings
15.6 Guard And Uplift Our Mind

Series 17: Know that the Church is the Firstborn

17.1 Know that the church is the firstborn
17.2 The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 1)
17.3 The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 2)
17.4 The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 1)
17.5 The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 2)

Series 18: The Blessings to be the First Born

18.1 Israel is God’s Firstborn Son (Part 1)
18.2 Israel is God’s Firstborn Son (Part 2)
18.3 To be united with the Lord and become the Firstborn
18.4 The Lord is the Firstborn
18.5 The Blessing of the Firstborn: Kingship
18.6 The Blessing of the Firstborn: a Double Portion of the Blessings

Series 19: Coming to Mount Zion to Appear Before God

19.1 The Lord is the way, and the truth, and the life
19.2 Live in Grace. Enjoy the Father and the Lord
19.3 Mind the things that are above (1)
19.4 Mind the things that are above (2)
19.5 Appear before God in Mount Zion

Series 20: The final destination of our spirit and eternity is the heavenly Jerusalem

20.1 The Lord Desires Most for Us to Draw Near to Him (1)
20.2 The Lord Desires Most for Us to Draw Near to Him (2)
20.3 The Lord Becomes the Way so that We can Come Before God with Confidence
20.4 The Heavenly Jerusalem, Destination of Our Spirits and Eternity (1)
20.5 The Heavenly Jerusalem, Destination of Our Spirits and Eternity (2)

Series 21: Live Out the Life of the Firstborn: Be A Priest

21.1 The Father made the Lord the High Priest
21.2 Priesthood: One of the Blessings of the Firstborn
21.4 The Precedents of Priests in the Bible (2)

Series 22: When Believers Die, They Will Go to the Heavenly Jerusalem

22.1 The Heavenly Jerusalem is paradise (1)
The Heavenly Jerusalem is paradise (2)
The Spirits of the Righteous Made Perfect

Series 23: New Jerusalem is a real city

God has prepared a heavenly home for us
Is the heavenly new Jerusalem a real city?
Satan causes man not to be clear and assured about the things in heaven
Are physical substances not spiritual?
New Jerusalem is a real city (1)
New Jerusalem is a real city (2)

Series 24: God prepares for us

Genesis 22: Father and Son went together
Genesis 22: For us, the Father gave His only Son
Genesis 22: The Lord will provide
24.4 God’s preparation for us

Series 25: The Father and Son Affection

25.1 The Lord Came to Make Known the Father
25.2 The Father and Son Affection (Part 1)
25.3 The Father and Son Affection (Part 2)

Series 26: We are a royal priesthood

26.1 God who alone does wondrous things
26.2 The Lord is the High Priest
26.3 We are a royal priesthood (1)
26.4 We are a royal priesthood (2)
26.5 The life of a priest

Series 27: Who are you in the infinite one’s loving heart?

27.1 Meditate on who you are in the infinite Lord’s loving heart
27.2 Meditate on who you are in the infinite Lord’s loving heart (2)
27.3 Meditate on the infinite Lord’s words at the last supper

Series 28: The conclusion and climax of the book of Hebrews

28.1 Sing praises at Easter (1): The defeat of death
28.2 Sing praises at Easter (2): The risen Lord has swallowed up death
28.3 The important purpose of Hebrews and the help we get from it
28.4 Confirming the importance of drawing near to God

Series 29: How to behold

29.1 Behold the Father
29.2 See that God meets me in His steadfast love 
and exults over me with loud singing (1)
29.3 See that God meets me in His steadfast love and exults over me with loud singing (2)
29.4 See how the Lord loves us (1)
29.5 See how the Lord loves us (2)