Exodus 13:13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.
There were many different types of unclean animals but God is very specific here in these verses … talking about a donkey. In scripture, the donkey – an unclean animal – is a picture of man … perhaps you can think of a few reasons … what’s the old saying, “Stubborn as a mule?” I think God is telling us something here … in the same scripture, God mentions redeeming donkeys and redeeming people. According to God, donkeys were unclean animals and because it was unclean, the firstborn of a donkey could not be sacrificed to God, so it was redeemed by a lamb. If the donkey could not be redeemed through the sacrifice of a lamb, then it had to be killed.
John 3:16–17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. God chose to save the donkey.
God chose to sacrifice The Lamb. Jesus went to the cross because He loves you. He didn’t go to the cross because you were good enough or you had worked hard enough … you were a stubborn donkey. But God loves you and so He chose to ”provide Himself a lamb” (Genesis 22).
God loves you. Let that be the foundation of every new day and the fuel behind every move you make. You are beloved of God. What else could possibly matter? What problem or pain could possibly overshadow that? What fear could cause you to forget it? God loves you.
Romans 5:7–8 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Linda Luecke says
Yes and AMEN!
Yvonne says
Thank you Lord.!!!!🙏
Pamela says
Amen!!! I initially thought the donkey represented the Gentiles being redeemed by the Jewish Messiah but I guess it could represent all mankind just as well.