Daily Devotion for Lent 2018 - Day 20, Thursday

Scripture Reading: Genesis 25 (NRSV)

Do you think the oldest should get a double share?

This chapter seems to largely deal with the issue of inheritance.  In the beginning, we see that Abraham has six other sons after Ishmael and Isaac.  However, it mentions that after he died, all of the inheritance went to Isaac which is interesting since Isaac was not the firstborn.

Birthright is an important concept in the Bible.  Later, in Deuteronomy 21:15-17, it spells out the rules for what was legal to give to one's descendants:

If a man has two wives, one of them loved and the other disliked, and if both the loved and the disliked have borne him sons, the firstborn being the son of the one who is disliked, then on the day when he wills his possessions to his sons, he is not permitted to treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the disliked, who is the firstborn.  He must acknowledge as firstborn the son of the one who is disliked, giving him a double portion of all that he has; since he is the first issue of his virility, the right of the firstborn is his.

Abraham ignored this law (which to be fair was not given until Moses hundreds of years following) as he essentially treated Isaac as his only-born son.

Now Isaac has twin sons in Jacob and Esau.  The two nations they represent are Israel (Jacob will be given the name Israel later in Genesis) and Edom.  Jacob or Israel will be the line with which the covenant of God plays out.

We see that Esau doesn't appear to have much self-control, self-worth or intelligence.  Take your pick!  Jacob's name means, "He supplants" which foreshadows his interactions with Esau.  So was the line destined to go through Jacob or did it go through Jacob because he was the more enterprising?

When Jesus later tells the parable of the prodigal, we see the older brother asserting a righteous anger over the actions of the younger.  This was within his right as the responsibility of the family assets would fall to him following the father's death.  To give any inheritance before death was shocking and we see that this would have been a fantastic tale.  But we see that the father is forgiving and merciful.  Does the older son inherit a double share of these traits?

What do we hope to pass on to our descendants that is more important than money or property?

Almighty God,
who knows our necessities before we ask,
and our ignorance in asking:
set free your servants from all anxious thoughts for the morrow;
give us contentment with your good gifts;
and confirm our faith that according as we seek your kingdom,
you will not suffer us to lack any good thing; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen.


Prayer by Augustine, 5th century, Africa

Photo by Emily via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.