Do your people practice primogeniture? I know it sounds bad, but oldest sons love it. According to the law of primogeniture, the eldest son received half of the inheritance. If he had ten little brothers, they split the other half. Like Jesus, I am sometimes asked to resolve inheritance issues in families. Like Jesus, too, I decline to become arbiter.
Eugene Peterson observed that God subverted primogeniture and polygamy every time he could. It appears that the birth order in Noah’s family was Japheth, Ham, and Shem. But sometimes Shem was listed ahead of his elder brothers (9:18). Abraham descended from Shem, so we are not surprised Moses changes the order of names as he recognizes that God chose to work through the lineage of a younger brother. Noteworthy in this table of nations is the one named Peleg. In his time the earth was divided. This makes me think I may get to pray for a boy named Peleg at a home dedication. One family named their firstborn son Leviticus. They call him Levi!
Has our world ever been more divided? It is hard to imagine. In this case, God did the dividing at Babel because the unity made it a little too easy for humans to challenge God. Our divisions today are more often initiated by humans. Disagreement too soon yields to demonization. Once again, Jesus’ teachings will help us: we are not free to practice eye for an eye. Instead, we are not to resist and evil person. We turn the other cheek, hand over our coats and walk the extra mile. What would happen if we took Jesus at his word? We would become salt and light (Matt 5:13-16). The world would see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven. The alternative strategy seems to be: if you can’t beat them, join them. Bad strategy!
What is our hope in an unfair world? God’s first-born Son gives life to all who believe. So, by all means, believe. And those who believe should also behave like our Lord Jesus. Why? Because in the end, God’s first-born Son is just the first of many brothers and sisters (Romans 8:29). We are his people in the world. Does the world see our resemblance to Jesus?
