The word “birthright” literally means “the rights of the first born” In the Jewish culture, when the father died, the first-born was then considered to be the priest of the family and he received a double portion of the father's possessions. The first-born also inherited the judicial authority of his father and was in charge of the family legacy.
Hank had been married to a much younger woman. They had no intimacy and their marriage was little more than an arrangement. She practically ignored him, no matter how he tried to win her over. So eventually he confronted her with what he perceived as the problem. “Come on Missy, you might as well admit it,” he rantedand raged, “You know that you only married me because my granddad left me $6 million dollars, just admit it, didn't you?” Well Missy thought about it, and was silent, just to keep him in suspense….. Then she said, “ Hank, You really are a silly, man….. It’s not important to me WHO left those millions to you.” (I guess she set him straight) When you’re blessed, there’ll always be those who want what is yours… and they’ll try to get it no matter what it takes….Tell someone “Don’t worry about it”!!! Go ahead and be blessed!
Paul gives us some powerful insight concerning our birthright in Hebrews 12:22 “But you have come unto mount Zion, (the Government of God) and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, v23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, v24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks of better things…” (is anyone ready for something better?)
Paul by revelation is addressing all those who have received the sacrifice of Christ for their sins, who have become children of God by believing on Jesus as savior, and who have identified with His church in the earth. And again, notice that He refers to it as the church of the firstborn….
God doesn’t have any second class children, all who are in Christ are “FIRST BORN”!!! In Christ, there are no grand kids, no nephews or nieces, and no cousins…. Just FIRST BORN…. With full access to the birth right!
Ephesians 2:6 tells us…He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus v7 That through-out the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace and kindness toward us through Christ Jesus”. …..The riches of His grace, means we don’t earn it or even deserve it… A first bornson, in the bible didn’t have to do anything but be born, to be heir to the birthright! When we are born again… we immediately receive the birthright of the firstborn!
A young man asked an old man who was extremely wealthy how he made his money. The old guy fingered his gold watch, turned his diamond ring in his fingers, and counted the wad of money in his pocket and said "Well, young man, it was 1932, in the depth of the Great Depression. I was down to my last nickel. "I invested that nickel in an apple. I spent the entire day polishing the apple and, at the end of the day, I sold the apple for ten cents and doubled my money. "The next morning, I was able to buy three apples with that money. I spent the entire day polishing them and sold them for 30cents. I continued this system for a month, and by the end, I had accumulated the grand total of $6.00." "So that's how you built your empire?" the boy asked. "Oh, Heavens, no!" the man replied. "Then my wife's father died and left us millions of dollars." Being Firstborn changes the game and gives God’s kids the advantage….
Look at it again…..The birthright of a firstborn son in Israel consisted of the following major three blessings…
1…He had a double portion of the inheritance from his parents…
2…. He became the person of authority in the family…
3….He became the spiritual Priest of the family. Look at an example with me of the importance of the first born’s place…
1Samuel 20:27 It came to pass for the second day, that David's place was empty and king Saul said unto Jonathan his son, why is it that David the son of Jesse has not come to the table to eat both yesterday, or to day? v28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me, that he might go to Bethlehem. v29 And he pleaded, “Let me go, I pray, for our family is making sacrifice in the city (for it was Passover) and my brother, has commanded me to be there, and now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me go, I pray, and see my brethren. For this reason he has not come unto the king's table”.
David’s older brother was the first born, and because he was now the one in authority, he was in charge of Passover sacrifice for the family as the priest of the home, David felt more compelled to respond to that, than he did to the king’s orders for him to be at his table….It was that important…. We are the first born children of God, and we are in charge of the spiritual welfare and condition of our home! God counts a home where He is put first, as far greater than fame, position or wealth…..
One of the words that is used in scripture for “ To inherit” is “kler-on-omeo” and it means (to obtain an inheritance by allotment). We are given a great example of this word… Numbers 26:53 “Unto these the Promise land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of families. v54 To the larger families you shall give the greater inheritance, and to the smaller families you shall give the smaller inheritance. To every one his inheritance shall be given according to those that were numbered of him. v55 For the land shall be divided by allotment, according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit it.”
Before they ever got to the land of Promise, God already knew their inheritance in the land. The entire land was divided up for an inheritance among the heads of families. God has plenty to go around! There’s enough for everyone… No one gets left out! Here’s where I want to blow your mind. The Florida Keys (or any place you have come to) is The Lord’s! He has allotted it to His first born! If you live here, then this is your promised land. Regardless of who lived in the land before they arrived in Canaan, God gave it to His people. Have you claimed your portion… Listen to this…
Daniel 4:17 “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, (a decree is a higher law) and the demand of the word of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whosoever He wills”…. If the place, the city, the county or region you’re at is the Lord’s, then He can give it to whoever He wants, and that would be to the fellowship of the first born! Remember the first born gets a double portion! We should expect Christian Mayors, Christian commissioners, Christian teachers in our schools, Christian business owners, Christian fishermen, Christian policemen, firemen, and transportation officials, etc, etc! Satan wants to push Christian’s out, but God says “My kids, come first”…
Now this is exciting….(at least I think so) because that allotmentGod talks about, is also described in… Mark 10:29 “And Jesus answered them and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that has left houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, v30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the world to come eternal life”.
With all of this said, there are many who have forfeited their birthright or simply failed to claim what was theirs….
Genesis 25:29 “Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. v30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of your stew, for I am hungry and exhausted!” v31 And Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright then.” v32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” v33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and he sold his birthright to Jacob. v34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. In doing this Esau despised his birthright”. Folks may say that they are “starving to death”, but usually they’re not there quite yet! Esau was hungry and exhausted and during this time of physical weakness, Esau trades something very valuable, He is willing to trade his birthright, for something temporary and of very little lasting value, a bowl of stew. So, the scene ends with this declaration: “Thus Esau despised his birthright.” Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered his birthright unimportant. He treated his birthright as nearly worthless.Whatwould make a person throw away something so valuable in the future for something so cheap and so fleeting in the present? The answer is that Esau is so consumed getting instant gratification that he has no concept of waiting or of sacrificing to have something better. He had to satisfy his desires today and he hasn’t learned enough discipline or will power to strive for something better. Therefore he forfeits the riches of the inheritance to come, and settles for a mere bowl of stew to satisfy his immediate hunger.It’s a foretaste of his entire life….do it now.. pick up the pieces later….
A baby circus elephant, will have a rope placed around it’s foot, almost from the day it is able to walk. It will strain and strain against its bonds but after a while it knows that it is impossible to break free, so it eventually gives up. When the elephant is older, all that is needed to keep it from running away is a small rope. The full-grown adult elephant is very capable of easily breaking its bonds, but because it has been conditioned for so long in its mind, that this is just the way it is, it now accepts it’s restraints without even trying anymore! Settling for less is just the way things are, it figures….. With just a slight flex of its muscles the full grown elephant could easily pluck up the stake and break the rope that has it bound, but it has been preprogrammed to accept the limitations placed upon it. God has given all of us a birthright but like that elephant we can get so programed to accept less….
But as we come to understood our birthright, we can no longer accept the limitations that have kept us in bondage! Too often, we are held by the weak rope of Satan’s lie. But the time has come to flex our spiritual muscles like a modern day Samson who finally came to his senses…His eyes were plucked out, his hair was cut off and he became the enemy’s mule… But he felt his hair growing and his strength was the birthright of power…While they were mocking and making sport, He shook himself and a double portion came into him and he shook free from the things that bound him… Hereached a point where he would settle no more! (tell someone…. “settle no more”)
Paul wrote to the church and us as well….Ephesians 1:18 “I pray also that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints.”
We don’t have to be someone else that we’re not… Or be comparing ourselves with someone else…. If we’re to believe the bible, this glorious inheritance is ours simply because we were born into the family of God (or born again)… take a fresh look at it with me, and get excited…. I’ll say it again…. this is not about what we do but what HE HAS DONE, in order to qualify us…. In the natural realm the child only has to be born…to receive the birthright. It’s the firstborn’s right by birth. The moment you accepted Christ and made Him lord of your life, it was and is yours!
Colossians 1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. V13 Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. v14 In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name”
You need to know that God is safe keeping your inheritance for you, where thieves cannot enter and steal, and where the things of this world cannot affect it….The word of God is His will and testament Jesus died, rose and ascend to inforce it!
1 Peter 1:3 ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you”… (it’s already deposited in your account) Perhaps you’ve messed up, or like Esau, you have failed to appreciate what you have, and have failed to claim it…. The great news is, you haven’t lost it, God is holding it for you, till the day you decide to take it and make it your reality!
That is very different from the guy I read about who was about to inherit millions of dollars and a huge estate. His dad was about to pass away any time, so Clyde decided he needed a woman to enjoy it with. Going to a cafe, he met a woman there whose beauty just took his breath away. He went up to her and said, “I think you are gorgeous. I'm only an ordinary man, but in just a week or two, my father who is very ill will die, and I'll inherit a 20 million dollarbusiness plus an expansive estate." The woman went home with Clyde, and the next week she announced that she had become his stepmother. Fortunately, your heavenly father is safeguarding your inheritance better than a step-mom!!!
2 Timothy 1:12 “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day”.
I read that there is over 58 billion dollars in unclaimed inheritance that is being held by each state, waiting for those who are the heirs, to claim it. They have a web site which you can check at www.Unclaimed.org, it’s the website of the (NAUPA) or theNational Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. This free website contains information about unclaimed property held by each state. Folks are encouraged to check every state where they have relatives who have lived there. The money is not lost, it is waiting for someone to claim it…. It’s already theirs, they just haven’t claimed it!
It's the same way with God, He’s holding the inheritance that you never claimed. So what are you waiting for, child of God!
When Esau realized what he had done he ran to Isaac his father and here’s what he said….
Genesis 27:38 “Is there not a blessing for me, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept loudly”. The good news is, that even though Esau messed up, he still got ablessing…. He became a very powerful man in the land… with extensive lands and a legacy that he could passed down…..even though he misused it….God knew that in the future, the blessing would cause one family to be opposed to the other…. This also shows us that we will be held accountable for what we do with the blessing….But this account concerning Esau shows us that God is very serious about our inheritance and our birthright…..
In Christ, You have received a double portion of the inheritance, represented in this life and the life to come… You have became a person of authority with it’s source in the Spiritual realm which supersedes natural authority….
You have became part of the spiritual Priesthood, in the fellowship of the Firstborn….
