Birth Order

We serve a strange God indeed. He elevates even in families and sets one above all the others. I don't know why he does it, but he does. He reaches down to a second born, a fourth born and makes them the FIRSTBORN!! When Rebekah was pregnant in Genesis 25 she was found to be with twins. God put them there and knew that Esau would be born first and Jacob second. Yet for some reason he planned that Jake would get the birthright and the blessing that went with it. In fact the bible says:

Romans 9:10-13

"Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

One was loved before the beginning of time and the other was hated. Esau stands for sinful man, the one who will neither listen nor obey what the Lord says. He loves wickedness and hates righteousness. Jacob stands for you and me. Heirs of the truth. He loves righteousness and hates wickedness. Therefore you and I are loved. Hence the Lord says:

Psalm 45:7

"You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy".

Promotion and elevation comes to Jacob from God. Before he was born the Lord said he would rule over Esau who represents sinful man. The righteous will rule over the wicked.

I have seen this in my own family, where the one who seeks God and follows God's rules is elevated and held in higher regard than the one who chooses not to do things God's way. It started with Cain and Abel. Abel was accepted and Cain became a restless wanderer. Now it has happened with Jake and Esau.

The First Born in most cultures has a place of honor in the family. It was the same in this case. Esau by virtue of his birth was to get the greater portion of the physical inheritance plus the special blessing that went with it. In Genesis 28 you find him lamenting after he discovers that the blessing is gone. He says of Jacob in verse 36 "He has deceived me these two times. He took my birthright, and now he's taken my blessing" and he planned to kill him.

That statement is not entirely true. The blessing was pure conniving no doubt, but the first time around, the birthright was purchased with a bowl of stew and the Bible records in Gen 25:34b "So Esau despised his birthright." He considered the bowl of stew more valuable than his birthright. Jacob on the other hand knew that the birthright came with a special blessing. It separated him as the one elevated above his peers. It spoke of double honor and double wealth and double inheritance. He saw not just the birthright but what was attached to it. And when the blessing came, he was blessed thus:

Genesis 27

27 So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said,
"Ah, the smell of my son
is like the smell of a field
that the LORD has blessed.

28 May God give you of heaven's dew
and of earth's richness—
an abundance of grain and new wine.

29 May nations serve you
and peoples bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.
May those who curse you be cursed
and those who bless you be blessed."

He was sustained with grain and wine. The earth's richness. Nations were to serve him and his relatives to bow down to him. This speaks of material wealth and honor. The curse was devoured and anyone who tried to curse him discovered that it didn't work and that curse turned back on them. He was blessed by God and as such was to be blessed by men!! This is my portion. I am Jacob and so are you if you love righteousness and hate wickedness. If Jesus is Lord over your life and you are walking after the Spirit.

When Jacob was about to die and had called his sons around him for a blessing he did some reversals of his own. Reuben was his firstborn in the flesh so he deserved the birthright and the blessing that went with it. But it was given to Judah. Son number 4. Judah's blessing was as follows:

Genesis 49

8 "Judah, your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
your father's sons will bow down to you.

9 You are a lion's cub, O Judah;
you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs
and the obedience of the nations is his.

11 He will tether his donkey to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.

Once again he is proclaimed the head of the family. He is given honor and dominion. He is given wealth in verse 11. The obedience of Nations is commanded for him. Wow!!

And he did the same thing with Josephs sons in Genesis 48 putting Ephraim ahead of Manasseh even though Ephraim was younger. When Joseph tried to correct him, thinking he was unaware of what he was doing, he said to him:

19 "But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of
nations."

So God has a way of elevating us even in families. Take a look at your own family. It could be that God has elevated you and blessed you above the others. It could be that God has considered you the firstborn of that family regardless of where you fall. He gives you this honor and responsibility because he loves families and is looking for someone that will bring them together, unite them and help solve their issues. Yes, being a firstborn comes with responsibilities, but God blesses you so that you may become a blessing.

I am a second born in my family, but God has elevated me to be the firstborn. I used to be resentful because of the responsibility that comes with it. But God has shown me that he blesses me with all I need to be who he has called me to be in my family. So I take my place. And I urge anyone else that God has called the firstborn in their family to take their place. Let us guide them to God and uphold them to God as he requires.