Birthright

This morning, in the quiet of two sleeping children, I opened up His word and allowed Him to speak to my heart and prepare me to serve Him today.  I began reading Genesis 25:19-34 and the word "birthright" was exposed in a whole new way to me.  I've been using my NASB Study Bible and Kay Arthur's Precept Upon Precept study on Isaac, Jacob, and Esau.  I just LOVE using the inductive study method Kay Arthur has taught me, because it has helped me learn how to dig into the truths of His word on my own and has given me more confidence in studying His word.  The bible is filled with SO many truths, but, too often, it feels to me like those truths are locked away just barely out of reach for me.  I can't seem to figure out how to unlock all that He has to share with me, until now.

As I read Genesis 25:19-34 today, I began to look for other passages that talk about birthright and firstborn.  In this passage, Esau despises his birthright by selling it to Jacob for one simple meal.  What is a birthright and why is it so important?  According to Strong's, a birthright is "the firstling of man or beast, abstractly primogeniture".  In other words, a birthright was the rights given to the first born son.  Matthew Henry's commentary explains that a birthright had to do with spiritual privileges and by undervaluing it, Esau also despised God.  Hebrews 12:16-17 calls Esau "immoral" and "godless", because he despised his birthright.  The word despised means "to regard with contempt", "to be vile, worthless", and "to make light of".  Esau saw little value in his birthright; it was worth little more than one simple meal to him.

Reuben also lost his birthright in Genesis 49:3-4, because he defiled his father's bed.  Verse 3 says he will no longer have "preeminence", which means "to be left behind" or "to be superior".  In other words, he lost his place of honor in the family and, ultimately, his place in the genealogy of Christ, because the birthright was given instead to Joseph's sons.  Interestingly, Joseph was rejected by his brothers and sold into slavery, but Jacob accepted him and gave his sons the birthright of the firstborn.

Exodus 13:2 says that the firstborn was to be sanctified to the Lord because it belongs to Him.  When Pharaoh refused to let Israel go, God took his firstborn son and the firstborns of every Egyptian family...but he spared the firstborns of His sons, because Israel was His firstborn (Exodus 4:22-23).

Colossians 1:15-18 and Revelation 1:5 reveals that the firstborn of ALL creation is Jesus Christ.  He is to have a first place in everything, is before all things, and rules over the kings of the earth.  God has given him ALL things and his kingdom is forever.  Do you know what is SO amazing about that truth?  We who are saved by His grace can share the blessings of the firstborn of all creation, because we are "joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).  AMAZING!  As I was studying all the different passages that talked about birthrights and firstborns, I had no idea that He would reveal such an amazing truth to me. 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight." Colossians 1:15-22

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