CENTRAL THOUGHT
Christian birthright constitutes the believer’s privileges and inheritance in Christ.
TEXT: GENESIS 25:29-34, 49:1-4, HEBREWS 12:16- 17
INTRODUCTION:
Birthright is defined as a right, privilege, or possession to which a person is entitled to as a result of his birth position in a family. Birthright is customary in many communities in the world. It is esteemed to be a natural law in those customs or communities. However, birthright could be forfeited by a beneficiary as a result of such person’s attitude towards it, or irresponsible character the family may adjudge unworthy of any one in such position. In this study we shall be looking at how Esau and Reuben who lost their birthright, and the lessons we can derive from them.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this lesson are to:
- Know the privileges and rights of every first born in Israel.
- Consider the values Esau placed on his birthright and how he sold it
- Identify the natural and spiritual blessings Esau consequently lost in the process.
- Understand who Reuben was and how he lost his birth right and
- Identify the position, right and privilege of the New Testament believers and how some Christians sell their birth right today.
BIBLE TRUTH: QUESTION 1)
WHAT ARE THE PRIVILEGES AND RIGHTS OF EVERY FIRST BORN IN ISRAEL?
DEUT. 21:15-17, GEN. 27:1-4
It is a custom in Israel that every first born in a family automatically assumes the headship of the family at the death of their father, and this position confers to him the powers and authority to administer the affairs of the family in place of his father. He is also entitled to a double portion of the inheritance his father left behind at his death. He has privilege to receive a covenant blessing from his father before his last breath, according to God’s covenant with Abraham.
QUESTION 2A) READ GENESIS 25:27-34, HEB. 12: 16-17, AND DISCUSS HOW ESAU SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT.
Esau was the first born of the twin boys of Isaac and Rebecca his wife. Esau was a hunter. One day when he returned home from his hunting expedition, he was very hungry. His twin brother had prepared a sumptuous pot of red pottage, and he immediately asked his brother Jacob, to let him have some of it. His brother saw this as an opportunity to take over his birthright as the first born. Jacob, therefore, demanded that Esau should sell to him his birthright in exchange for a plate of the red pottage. Esau despised his birth right and sold it to his brother Jacob for a plate of red pottage under an oath. He did not realize his folly until his father was about to bless him as the first-born son before his death. When he presented himself to his father for the blessing, his father told him his younger brother had already been blessed instead of him. It was then it dawned on him that he had already given away his birth right. He earnestly sort to recover it, but it was too late.
QUESTION 2B) WHAT VALUE DID ESAU PLACE ON HIS BIRTH RIGHT?
GEN. 25:32-34
Esau’s statement- “Look I’m dying of starvation, what good is birthright to me” is a proof that he was thoughtless, myopic, and lacking in knowledge that he could not endure hunger for a little while. He sold his birthright for food because he placed little or no value on it. It is rather unfortunate, that many people do not value what they have until they lose it.
QUESTION 2C) WHAT NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS DID ESAU LOSE AS A RESULT OF THIS? Naturally, Esau lost the family headship and authority attached to the position of first born, and the wealth (double portion of his father’s inheritance) which accrued to him by reason of his birth position in the family. Spiritually, he lost the covenant blessings of his father which he later sought with tears but could not recover it.
QUESTION 3) DISCUSS OTHER ACTIONS OF ESAU THAT PORTRAYED HIM AS SOMEONE WHO WAS UNGODLY. GEN. 26:34-35
In his later years, Esau married two pagan wives who became nuisance to the family of Isaac. They upset his parents continually and he was not able to manage his own family properly. His irresponsible attitude that made him trade his birthright for a plate of pottage continued to play out in his own family life. He did not seek counsel from his parents or pray for God’s guidance as a man who grew up from a Godly family. Similarly, some children of believers today, feel that it is no use seeking counsel from their parents, whom they regard as “old school”. Perhaps God foresaw that the generational covenant blessing He promised Abraham could be truncated by Esau, hence He allowed his birthright to elude him. Little wonder then that the scriptures warned us that no one should be immoral or godless like Esau (Heb. 12:16).
QUESTION 4A.) WHO WAS REUBEN?
Reuben was the first-born son of Jacob, the junior brother of Esau. Reuben’s father regarded him as “strength”, the child of his “vigorous youth”, whom he acknowledged as the “first in rank and first in power”, but later lost the position of the first born due to his irresponsible and abominable action against his father.
QUESTION 4B) READ GEN. 35:21-22, 1 CHRON. 5:1- 2, DEUT. 27:20, AND DISCUSS HOW REUBEN LOST HIS BIRTHRIGHT.
According to the Scriptures, Reuben slept with one of his father’s concubines; an act that was regarded as a great sin before God. Reuben never considered what he did to be of any consequence, as he believed that no one knew about it. Although his father later heard about it, he did not question him. Meanwhile Reuben believed that he had gotten away with his abominable action as no one said anything about it, until when Jacob assembled his family on his death bed for his final blessing. To Reuben’s great amazement, his father berated him and referred to him as “unstable water”, reminding him of his act of defiling his father’s marriage bed, revoked his birthright and inheritance as the first son, and gave it to the sons of his brother Joseph (Gen. 49:4). QUESTION 4C) WHAT WAS HIS PUNISHMENT? GEN. 49:3-4.
As a result of Reuben’s grievous sin against his father, he was denied: 1. His birthright as the firstborn in the family. 2. The headship/leadership authority and power attached to that position. 3. The wealth (double portion of his father’s inheritance) which accrued to him as firstborn. 4. The covenant blessing of his father. He suffered these punishments because he behaved himself as unholy, untrustworthy, and dishonorable before his father, by defiling his marriage bed.
QUESTION 5A) READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES AND IDENTIFY THE POSITION, RIGHTS AND SOME PRIVILEGES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS.
1 PET. 2:9-10, ROM. 8:17, REV. 21:1-7, EPH. 1:13-14
According to the Scriptures, the New Testament believers, who are by salvation, the new generation of God’s family, have rights and privileges accruing to them as a result of their position in the family of God, which include the under listed. A. They are now heirs of God’s glory with Christ (Rom. 8:17). B. The gift of the Holy Spirit, which identifies them as God’s own people (Eph. 1:13-14). C. The status of Royal Priests to God, with access into God’s presence, having been made holy by the blood of Christ (1 Pet. 2:9-10). D. They will be united with Christ to live in the Holy City of God in Heaven. They will be free from pains, sorrow, without death, and live with Christ in Eternity. They will never be thirsty because they have access to the spring of Living water of life (Rev. 21:1-7).
QUESTION 5B) IN WHAT WAY DO SOME CHRISTIANS SELL THEIR BIRTHRIGHT? GAL. 5:16-21, 2 TIM. 4:10, 1 JN. 2:15-17. ANY ADVICE?
There are many ways in which some Christians sell their birthright today without even knowing it. They include:
Works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21). By the Scriptures we understand that the works of the flesh is contrary to God’s desires for him. And any believer who craves for the works of the flesh, is on his way to selling his/her birthright without knowing it.
Loss of interest in fellowship (2 Tim. 4:10). When a Christian loses interest in fellowship, he/she will start absenting himself/herself from fellowship meetings with flimsy excuses. If not checked, this will ultimately lead to backsliding, selling of birthright and loss of salvation.
Love of the world. (1 Jn. 2:15). The world is a temporary place of sojourn. We’re warned in scripture not to love the world and its system. The believer who loves the world risks selling his/her birthright.
Denial of the faith. (1 Tim. 5:8). Any Christian who conducts himself/herself in a manner that is not in conformity with Christian ethics and beliefs has denied the faith and is tending towards selling his/her birthright. However, a serious Christian who is conscious of his/her birthright in Christ, and mindful of the consequences of losing it, who unconsciously falls into error, has the opportunity to leverage on the mercy of God, by returning to the foot of the cross with a repentant heart and plead for mercy. The scripture says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some men count…not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).
DAILY LIVING APPLICATION:
The real lesson of this study is for us to esteem and value the salvation that Christ purchased with His blood and delivered to us. The birthright/privileges of the believer are products of salvation. A careless and sinful life can make a believer lose his/her salvation. We therefor need to value our salvation and guard it jealously by living a life that is holy and acceptable to God, continuously looking unto Christ, the Author and finisher of our faith.
MEMORY VERSE:
HEBREWS 12:16
“Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright”.
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
MON: Birthright and it’s privileges. Deut. 21:15-17, Gen. 27:1- 4, 49:3.
TUE: Christian birthright. 1 Pet. 1:3-5, Rom. 8:31-33, 35-39.
WED: Despising our birthright. Gen. 25:29-34, 27:34-38, Heb. 12:16
THU: Birthright through salvation. Jn. 1:12-13, 3:3-5, Rom. 8:14-15.
FRI: Consequences of despising one’s birthright. Gen. 27:37-41, Heb. 12:16-17
SAT: Beware of lust. 1 John 2:15-17, Rom. 13:11-14, Prov. 12:24, 21:5, 22:29