The term "birthright" appears several times in the bible. The word refers to the inheritance rights
of the firstborn son in a Hebrew family in the Old Testament. The property of a father was normally divided among his sons
at his death. But a larger amount, usually a double portion, went to the oldest son (Deut. 21:17),
who assumed the care of his mother and unmarried sisters.
The birthright with its privileges and responsibilities could be forfeited by behavior that was offensive
to the father or opposed to God's will. For example, Reuben apparently lost his birthright by committing incest with his father's
concubine (Gen. 35:22; 49:3, 4). Esau foolishly squandered his birthright by trading it to his
brother Jacob for a bowl of stew made from **lentils (Gen.
25:29-34).
These ancient accounts about the birthright remind us that we can forfeit God's blessings if we do
not live responsibly as the heirs of God.
In New Testament times, inheritance practices were influenced by Greek and Roman regulations, which
focused less on the elder son. The Greeks relied on wills to pass on their property. However, if no will existed, property
was divided equally among sons in good standing. Under Roman law, the property of a man who died without a will went to his
wife and children.
Paul described Jesus as the "firstborn over all creation" (Col. 1:15),
and emphasized the spiritual birthright of all Christians as "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer
with Him" (Rom. 8:17). A willingness to share in the sufferings of Christ is the condition for
the blessings we receive as His spiritual heirs.
**Lentils, from which Jacob made stew, was a common vegetable of Old Testament
times. It grew in pods like peas or beans.
