I just found more evidence that “first-born” means only the first born (the first to open the womb, as it is said in the bible), not the first of multiple children.
This is incorrect.
“Firstborn” does not
ONLY mean what you say above.
It has multiple uses.
Num 3:40 And the LORD said to Moses, "Number all the first-born males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking their number by names."
Clearly, a first-born who is a month old cannot have any siblings, and yet is still considered a first-born in scripture.
No one ever said otherwise.
Like I said,
it has multiple uses in Scripture.
It can indicate a
known birth order, or indicate the heir of the estate, or indicate the first person born, whether male or female…
The issue is
the context, and the context in the Gospels demand a
birth order.
The Holy Spirit, through Luke, had used the term “
only born” in other parts of that Gospel.
Instead of choosing “only born” in the text in question, the Holy Spirit chose “firstborn.”
About God’s commands in the OT:
When using the term “first born” in
foresight, it means
the first who happens to be born. Following births are irrelevant because
one does not know if more births will follow. One could not say “I will consecrate my first born when I have more kids, otherwise I will not because they would not have been my first born.” This is your point above.
That’s why that term is useful in that context (
foresight). God wanted everything right off the top (so to speak). It was not up to each family’s fruitfulness to obey His command.
But…
The Gospel accounts
ARE NOT referring to Christ as the first born in
foresight. They are referring to Him as first born in
HINDSIGHT…by decades. He was her firstborn son is how the story is laid out. The context of the passage demands such. When using the term in
hindsight, it must mean first born out of others.
An example:
You are about to open a pizza parlor.
Before you do, I tell you to give me
the first ten dollars you make. This is made with
foresight.
That in no way implies that you will make more than ten dollars or even make ten dollars at all!
But say I write a story about your exploits
years later, and I say that on Aug. 31st, between 4 and 5 pm, that you made
your first ten dollars, that necessarily means that I know
you have since made more money since then.
These Scriptures speak of Mary’s family in
hindsight. That is why every natural reading of the texts will produce the same result:
Mary had more than one child.
And that, without surprise, is the witness of the entirety of the NT following.
…
