how does God killing the firstborn Egyptians make the firstborn Israelites belong to God?
There is no logical requirement that it had to be that way. Scripture does not tell us why God made the choice to include that as part of the agreement between Him and His Covenant people. However, we can speculate on three reasons. Past reminder: This custom would serve as an important reminder of their deliverance from Egypt. Timeless truth: Everybody really belonged to God anyway, while God could have required this of everyone, He chose to just require it of some. Future purpose: This practice could serve as some protection against them copying the Canaanite practice of sacrificing the firstborn children to idols. Q: In Num 3:16-34, why were only Levite males counted? A: The census was for the purpose of doing the physical work with the Tabernacle and sacrifices, and the men did that. See also the next question. Q: In Num 3:16-34, why were Levites from one-month old counted, since males one-month old were not counted for the other tribes? A: Scripture does not say. One possible reas