Read 1 Chron. 5
Ever wonder why in so many stories in the Old Testament the second-born got the birthright and the blessing? Abel's offering was accepted by God and Cain, the firtstborn's was not. Jacob cheated Esau out of the birthright and the blessing because it was God's plan. God chose Isaac over Ishmael to establish His covenant. Ephraim was blessed as the firstborn above his brother Manasseh and in today's reading Joseph is given the birthright instead of Reuben. God uses real life to teach spiritual principles. We are born first of our parents and are by nature sinful. That is the first birth. If we accept Jesus as our Saviour we are born again. We receive the birthright and the blessing that goes along with being a child of God. Jesus said, "You must be born again." The second child stands for the one 'born again.' I understand why Rueben lost his position of "first born" when he went into his father's concubines; what I don't understand is why Joseph, the 11th-born got the birthright. I guess he, like David had a destiny. I often wonder if the other brothers of David and Joseph could have gotten the privaleges that they did if they had pressed into God to do it. I do know this: God has destinies that will be fulfilled if it takes generations to fulfill them in. What we don't finish ourselves will be passed to the next generation to finish which is both challenging and relieving.
Verse 2 says that Judah rose above all his brethren to become the leader, but the birthright was Joseph's. It is true that Jesus came from the tribe of Judah and because of this, the tribe of Judah is held in high esteem. But, Joseph stood spiritually for Jesus. His life was a shadow of the Lord Jesus is every way. So where Judah bore Jesus in the natural, Joseph bore Jesus in the spiritual.
Our chapter ends on a sad note. Israel became fat and happy and started sinning. They took up the gods of the people of the land -the ones they were suppose to destroy. So instead of destroying their enemies, their enemies started destroying them. Give them time and they will call out to God and God will deliver them. It is not until we realize we are actually in bondage that we cry out. Wouldn't it be great to not fall for the trap of the enemy in the first place? I pray that God would open our eyes and give us discernment not to fall into Satan's booby traps and that we second-born children will appropriate the both the rights and blessings of our salvation.
1 comment:
Nicely put. I never thought too much about the birthrights, etc. But I like how you explained it. I also like the fact that God's plan will be achieved even if it isn't through us it could be our children.
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