Why This Forgotten Truth Is So Important
Anyone who thinks of the birthright and primogeniture in the Bible merely as an ancient family custom in which the oldest son received a larger share of the inheritance is missing an important thread that runs from Genesis all the way into the New Testament.
In Scripture, the birthright has to do with position, inheritance, responsibility, preeminence, and destiny. Ultimately, this concept sheds remarkable light on the Lord Jesus Christ as the Firstborn, on His position above creation, on His resurrection from the dead, and on the position of the believer in Him.
This makes the birthright far more than an interesting Old Testament subject. It is a key to understanding God’s purpose in Christ.
What Does the Birthright Mean in the Bible?
When we hear the word firstborn, we naturally think of the one who was born first. In the Bible, that can certainly be its meaning—but not always.
For example, God says concerning Israel:
“And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn.” — Exodus 4:22 (KJV)
Israel was obviously not the first nation ever to exist on earth. The word firstborn therefore cannot be understood here in a purely chronological sense.
It speaks of rank and position.
This becomes immediately important when the New Testament calls the Lord Jesus Christ:
“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” — Colossians 1:15 (KJV)
Some conclude from this that Christ must have been the first created being. But that interpretation immediately conflicts with the words that follow:
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible…” — Colossians 1:16 (KJV)
Christ is therefore not placed within creation as its first creature. He stands above creation as the One through whom all things were created.
A few verses later, Paul himself explains what is meant:
“…that in all things he might have the preeminence.” — Colossians 1:18 (KJV)
There we find the heart of the biblical concept of the firstborn:
preeminence, position, and heirship.
The Birthright and Inheritance
The birthright was not an empty title. The firstborn held a special position within his father’s household.
The Law says:
“But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.” — Deuteronomy 21:17 (KJV)
The firstborn therefore received a double portion.
This makes it clear that being firstborn involved far more than age. It concerned position within the household, responsibility, and inheritance.
That is precisely why the accounts of Esau, Reuben, Joseph, Manasseh, and Ephraim are so important.
Esau Despised His Birthright
Esau is one of the best-known examples.
When he came home hungry and asked Jacob for food, Jacob demanded his birthright in return.
Esau replied:
“And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” — Genesis 25:32 (KJV)
He then sold his birthright.
Scripture itself gives the verdict:
“…thus Esau despised his birthright.” — Genesis 25:34 (KJV)
That one word is extremely significant: despised.
Esau considered something connected with God’s promise, position, and future inheritance to be less important than satisfying an immediate physical need.
What he could see mattered more than the promise.
The temporary mattered more than the inheritance.
The flesh mattered more than what God had promised.
Centuries later, Hebrews points directly back to this event:
“Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.” — Hebrews 12:16 (KJV)
This was therefore no insignificant family incident.
Esau did not value what God valued.
That makes his story just as searching today.
Reuben Was the Firstborn but Lost the Birthright
With Reuben, it becomes even clearer that birth order and the birthright are not identical.
Jacob says to him:
“Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength…” — Genesis 49:3 (KJV)
Reuben was literally Jacob’s first son.
But later we read:
“Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel…” — 1 Chronicles 5:1 (KJV)
This is a key passage.
Reuben remained biologically the firstborn, but his birthright was given to Joseph.
Scripture itself therefore distinguishes between being born first and possessing the position of the firstborn.
The next verse is even more remarkable:
“For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s.” — 1 Chronicles 5:2 (KJV)
The Ruler comes from Judah.
But the birthright belongs to Joseph.
That distinction is important and demonstrates just how precisely Scripture uses these concepts.
Why Did Joseph Receive a Double Portion?
This also explains why Joseph, through his sons Ephraim and Manasseh, received two places among the tribes of Israel.
Jacob says:
“And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.” — Genesis 48:5 (KJV)
Ephraim and Manasseh were thus placed, as it were, alongside Jacob’s own sons.
Through them, Joseph received two tribal portions.
And what was the special inheritance of the firstborn?
The double portion.
Genesis 48 and 1 Chronicles 5 fit together perfectly.
The birthright therefore had very real consequences for the inheritance.
Ephraim and Manasseh: The Natural Order Is Reversed Again
Even within Joseph’s own household, the same pattern appears again.
Manasseh was the oldest. Joseph therefore deliberately positioned Manasseh so that he would be at Jacob’s right hand when his father blessed the boys.
But Jacob crossed his hands and placed his right hand upon Ephraim, the younger son.
Joseph thought his father had made a mistake:
“Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.” — Genesis 48:18 (KJV)
Jacob replied:
“I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he…” — Genesis 48:19 (KJV)
Once again, the natural order is deliberately reversed.
God’s appointment to a position is not simply determined by birth order.
We see this pattern repeatedly:
Cain before Seth.
Ishmael before Isaac.
Esau before Jacob.
Reuben before Joseph.
Manasseh before Ephraim.
The pattern is too consistent to dismiss as an accidental detail.
First the Natural, Then the Spiritual
Paul later uses words that place this pattern in a much deeper context:
“Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.” — 1 Corinthians 15:46 (KJV)
And then:
“The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.” — 1 Corinthians 15:47 (KJV)
Here we find the great contrast:
Adam versus Christ.
The first man versus the Second Man.
The natural versus the spiritual.
The old creation versus the new.
The history of the birthright therefore does not end with Jacob, Joseph, or Ephraim.
It ultimately points forward to Christ.
Christ as the Firstborn of All Creation
This is why Colossians 1 is so important from an apologetic perspective.
“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” — Colossians 1:15 (KJV)
Anyone who concludes from this that Christ is a created being ignores the immediate context.
Paul continues:
“For by him were all things created…” — Colossians 1:16 (KJV)
And:
“And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” — Colossians 1:17 (KJV)
And finally:
“…that in all things he might have the preeminence.” — Colossians 1:18 (KJV)
By Him all things were created.
All things were created for Him.
He is before all things.
By Him all things consist.
He is to have the preeminence in all things.
That is not a description of a created being.
“Firstborn” here speaks of His supreme position over creation.
Christ Is the Firstborn from the Dead
Paul also calls Christ:
“…the firstborn from the dead…” — Colossians 1:18 (KJV)
Again, this cannot simply mean that He was chronologically the first person ever to be raised from the dead.
People had already been raised from the dead before His resurrection.
But they returned to mortal existence.
Christ did not.
“Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.” — Romans 6:9 (KJV)
His resurrection belongs to an entirely different order.
He rose in incorruptible life.
That is why Paul also calls Him:
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” — 1 Corinthians 15:20 (KJV)
Firstborn.
Firstfruits.
Beginning.
Christ stands at the beginning of a new order.
The Last Adam and the Second Man
Paul writes:
“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” — 1 Corinthians 15:45 (KJV)
Christ is not an improved version of Adam.
He is the Last Adam.
And:
“The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.” — 1 Corinthians 15:47 (KJV)
The message of Scripture, therefore, is not that God is trying to improve the old man through religious effort.
In Christ, something new has come into being.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
Here the pattern seen throughout Genesis reaches its deepest meaning.
First Adam.
Then Christ.
First the natural.
Then the spiritual.
The Firstborn Among Many Brethren
Romans 8 goes even further:
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” — Romans 8:29 (KJV)
Christ is therefore not merely the Firstborn.
He is the Firstborn among many brethren.
His position remains unique.
He remains the One who has the preeminence in all things.
Yet God joins others to Him.
This brings us to a concept closely connected with the birthright: sonship.
Sonship, Inheritance, and the Birthright
Paul writes:
“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” — Ephesians 1:5 (KJV)
The underlying idea is that of sonship: being placed in the position of a son.
And wherever sonship appears, inheritance follows.
“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ…” — Romans 8:17 (KJV)
This is far richer than reducing the Christian faith to:
My sins are forgiven, and someday I will go to heaven.
Forgiveness is indispensable.
But God’s purpose goes further.
He speaks of sonship.
Of inheritance.
Of joint-heirs.
Of conformity to His Son.
Of glory.
And of Christ as the Firstborn among many brethren.
The Church of the Firstborn
Hebrews 12 now takes on much greater significance:
“…to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven…” — Hebrews 12:23 (KJV)
The church of the firstborn.
How can an entire church consist of firstborn ones if “firstborn” refers only to birth order?
It cannot.
But when firstborn speaks of position and inheritance, the expression becomes understandable.
And this is precisely the kind of language Paul uses when speaking of those who are in Christ.
They are not firstborn apart from Him.
Their entire position exists in Christ.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” — Ephesians 1:3 (KJV)
Everything is found in Him.
Not in religious achievement.
Not in human worthiness.
Not in maintaining a religious system.
But in Christ.
Why So Much Christian Preaching Falls Short Here
Much Christian preaching effectively stops at the entrance to the Gospel.
Man is a sinner.
Christ died for sins.
Whoever believes receives forgiveness.
All of that is completely true.
But it is not the whole story.
Paul does not stop there.
The believer is justified, but he is also joined to Christ.
He belongs to His Body.
He is blessed with spiritual blessings in heavenly places.
He has a heavenly calling.
He receives sonship.
He is an heir.
He is a joint-heir with Christ.
His life is hid with Christ in God.
And his future is bound up with Christ.
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” — Colossians 3:4 (KJV)
That is far richer than a Gospel that ultimately goes little further than asking where someone will go after death.
Scripture speaks not only about what we have been delivered from.
It also speaks about what we have been called to in Christ.
The Birthright and Salvation Are Not the Same Thing
This is precisely where careful distinctions must be made.
Eternal life is a gift.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” — Romans 6:23 (KJV)
A gift is not something you earn.
We should therefore not turn the account of Esau into a story about someone supposedly losing his salvation because he valued one meal above everything else.
The text says something different.
He sold his birthright.
That concerned position and inheritance.
When salvation, inheritance, and the birthright are mixed together without distinction, unnecessary contradictions arise.
Scripture makes distinctions.
We should therefore make them as well.
Why the Birthright Is Important for Understanding the Bible
The birthright turns out to be a key that connects many different passages of Scripture.
It helps explain why Christ is called “the firstborn of every creature” without being a creature Himself.
It explains why Israel is called God’s firstborn without being the first nation to exist on earth.
It explains how Reuben could be biologically firstborn and yet lose his birthright.
It explains why Joseph received a double portion.
It explains why Ephraim was placed before Manasseh.
It connects sonship with inheritance.
It sheds light on Christ as the Firstborn among many brethren.
And it helps us understand the expression “the church of the firstborn.”
This is therefore not merely an optional study of ancient family customs.
It directly concerns the Person and position of Christ.
The Birthright Finds Its Fulfillment in Christ
When we look at the entire biblical picture, the pattern becomes increasingly clear.
The natural firstborn is not automatically the one who ultimately receives the position.
The birthright is connected with inheritance.
It can be given to another.
An entire nation can be called firstborn because of its position.
And ultimately Christ appears as:
the Firstborn of every creature,
the Firstborn from the dead,
the Firstborn among many brethren.
Then Hebrews speaks of:
the church of the firstborn.
These are not accidental similarities.
Scripture interprets Scripture.
A concept that begins to emerge early in Genesis reaches its full meaning in the risen and glorified Christ.
Paul ultimately sums it up beautifully:
“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” — Colossians 1:18 (KJV)
