Deuteronomy 15:19 - Meaning and Application

Here Moses repeats the law about the firstborn of their animals. If the firstborn was male, it had to be set apart for the Lord (Deuteronomy 15:19). This was a reminder of God’s mercy when he spared Israel’s firstborn, while the firstborn of the Egyptians, both people and animals, were killed by the destroying angel (Exodus 13:2, Exodus 13:15). On the eighth day it was to be given to God (Exodus 22:30), and it was then shared between the priest and the altar, that is, used in the service of worship (Numbers 18:17, Numbers 18:18).

Moses also adds a fuller explanation of what to do with the firstborn animals. If the firstborn was female, it was not to be worked or shorn for wool (Deuteronomy 15:19). Bishop Patrick, a Bible scholar, understood this to mean that female firstborn animals were still set apart in a special way, though not as fully or as early as the males.

They were not to be treated like ordinary livestock for the owner’s own use. Instead, they were to be offered to God as peace offerings, or used in a holy meal at the end of the year (Deuteronomy 15:20). They were to be eaten before the Lord their God, as earlier commanded (Deuteronomy 12:18).

If the firstborn animal had a defect, whether male or female, it was not fit to be brought to the sanctuary or used for sacrifice or sacred feasting (Deuteronomy 15:21). It could not honor God in that way, nor could it point to Christ, who is the Lamb without blemish. But it was still not wasted. It could be killed and eaten at home like ordinary food (Deuteronomy 15:22), as long as they did not eat the blood (Deuteronomy 15:23). This warning is repeated often, which shows how much God wanted his people to obey it.

How merciful it is that we are not under this heavy burden. We are not given those food rules, and we do not have to distinguish between a first calf or lamb and the rest. Even so, we should still learn the heart of this command. We ought to give ourselves, and the first and best of our time and strength, to God, as a kind of firstfruits from his creatures. We should also use all our comforts and blessings for his praise, and under the direction of his law, since we receive them all from his hand.