“But the firstling of an ass you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck.” Exodus 34:20
Every firstborn creature must be the Lord’s, but since the donkey was unclean, it could not be presented in sacrifice to Him. What then? Should it be allowed to go free from the universal law? By no means! God admits of no exceptions. The donkey is His due — but He will not accept it; He will not abate the claim — but yet He cannot be pleased with the unclean victim. No
way of escape remained, but redemption — the donkey must be saved by the substitution of a lamb in its place; or if not redeemed, it must die!
My soul, here is a lesson for you! That unclean donkey is yourself! You are justly the property of the Lord who made you and preserves you — but you are so sinful that God will not, cannot, accept you! It has come to this: the Lamb of God must stand in your stead — or you must die eternally! Let all the world know of your gratitude to that spotless Lamb who has died for you, and so redeemed you from the fatal curse of the law!
-C.H Spurgeon
