Where did the first born blessing come from?
score:3
The firstborn of one's mother is referred to in the Bible as one who "opens the womb" of his mother. God told Moses to consecrate every firstborn male to Him (Exodus 13:1-2).
The first blessing mentioned in the Bible was from God to both Adam and Eve, whom He created (Genesis 1:28). The second blessing from God was upon Noah and his three sons (Genesis 9:1).
The Bible establishes that it is God who issued the first blessing. Genesis 27 shows that although Jacob received the birthright, Isaac blessed both his sons.
The practice of bestowing a birthright on the eldest son (primogeniture) is first recorded in Genesis 25 when Jacob, by deception, received the greater blessing from his father Isaac:
The earliest account of primogeniture to be widely known in modern times involved Isaac's son Jacob being born second (Genesis 25:26) and Isaac's son, Esau being born first (Genesis 25:25) and entitled to the "birthright", but eventually selling it to Isaac's second son, Jacob, for a small amount of food (Genesis 25:31–34) A similar transfer is shown by the writer of 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 where, although the tribe of Judah prevailed above their brethren, nevertheless the "birthright", the double portion of two tribal allotments, was Joseph's.
According to the Law of Moses, the firstborn may be either the firstborn of his father, who is entitled to receive a double portion of his father's inheritance (compared to the other siblings), (Deuteronomy 21:17) or the firstborn of his mother. Deuteronomy 21:15–17 provides inheritance rules preventing the husband with more than one wife from leaving property to the son of the favoured wife. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firstborn_(Judaism)
A blessing, on the other hand, does not necessarily result in the first born receiving the birthright.
A blessing could be given regardless of birthright. However, a greater blessing was given to the one who held the birthright. After Jacob’s deception, Esau complained that “he took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” (Genesis 27:36). Esau begged his father for some type of blessing to be given to him, and he did receive a secondary, inferior blessing (verses 38-40).
An interesting parallel took place later in the life of Jacob. Jacob’s son Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Manasseh was the elder son and should have had the birthright. But when Jacob bestowed his blessing upon his grandsons, he crossed his hands, much to Joseph’s surprise, placing his right hand on the younger son. In this way, Ephraim, the younger son, received the greater blessing (Genesis 48).
In Genesis 49, Jacob gave blessings to each of his 12 sons. Reuben, the firstborn, had forfeited his birthright due to an egregious sin (verse 4). The birthright was instead given to Joseph’s sons (1 Chronicles 5:1). All of Jacob’s sons received some sort of blessing.
While a birthright belonged to the firstborn son, anyone could receive a blessing. In the time of the patriarchs, such blessings acted as a “last will and testament” and were highly prized as a means of revealing God’s will. https://www.gotquestions.org/blessing-birthright.html
You might find this answer on the principle of birthright useful: What is the biblical basis for thinking God established the principle of birthright and inheritance
More post
- 📝 What is the meaning of the word "ONE" in the Bible?
- 📝 How do Unitarians respond to quotations from Ignatius of Antioch that seem to show Ignatius believes Jesus is God?
- 📝 1 Timothy 4:1-3 - Are We Still Living in the Great Apostasy?
- 📝 Was the near-stoning of the adulterous woman something to be considered common practice, or was it strictly to trick Jesus?
- 📝 According to Biblical Unitarians, Did Jesus know that he would succeed?
- 📝 Who represented "the Lord" in Exodus 4:24-26, and what's the deal with the foreskin?
- 📝 Which Person(s) of the Trinity were in Jesus?
- 📝 What is the biblical & patristic basis for the belief that the saints go to Heaven instead of Sheol after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus?
- 📝 The Mormon Church teaches that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son. How do you reconcile this when the Bible says the Father cannot be seen?
- 📝 Does the Evangelical Free Church allow women elders?
- 📝 Seem we have to atone our sins ourselves as per Ezekiel 18?
- 📝 Were the similarities between the miracles of Elisha and Jesus deliberate or simply coincidental?
- 📝 What is the LDS stance on John 14:9-10?
- 📝 Passage in Bible saying: Every morning I wake up a new person?
- 📝 What determines when the Flores de Mayo and the Santacruzan festival will occur each year?
- 📝 Historical figures mentioned in the Bible that sceptics doubted existed but were later confirmed by archaeology
- 📝 How did Martin Luther addressed the problem on the Biblical canon?
- 📝 Ruth 'the wife of Mahlon' or Elimelech?
- 📝 Christ as primordial sacrament
- 📝 According to Trinitarians who believe Philippians 2:6 says Jesus is God, why did Paul add the word 'form' ('morphe')?
- 📝 What does it mean when Archbishop Ganswein stated that Pope Benedict XVI expanded the Petrine Ministry?
- 📝 What is the difference between immediate judgment after death and the final judgment, according to Catholicism?
- 📝 What's the biblical basis that Joseph adopted Jesus?
- 📝 Does Catholicism confound the role of "elder" and "priest"?
- 📝 How is Tamar Viewed in Judeo-Christian tradition?
- 📝 What is Paul meaning of "husband" and "married to another" in Romans 7:1-6
- 📝 In what way does the author of Hebrews argue that every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution?
- 📝 What is meant by "Get behind me Satan"?
- 📝 What is the significance of priest breaking the bread (Host) in a Catholic mass?
- 📝 Why did Jesus say he came to create division?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Where did the first born blessing come from?
- 📝 Where did the belief that Saul fell from a horse come from?
- 📝 Where did the hierarchical designations of priest, cardinal, bishop, and pope come from in the Catholic church?
- 📝 From where did the Pearl of Great Price come and how did it become recognized as Scripture in the LDS church?
- 📝 From where did the Book of Abraham come and how did it become part of LDS Scripture?
- 📝 Where did all the water come from and go during the flood?
- 📝 Where did the idea of deacon's benches come from and what are they for?
- 📝 Where did the trait in man come from which causes him to deny the superiority of God?
- 📝 Where did the idiom "asking Jesus into your heart" come from?
- 📝 Where did the notion that Adam and Eve ate an APPLE come from?
- 📝 Where does the Catholic tradition that Mary did not have pain giving birth to Jesus come from?
- 📝 Where did the "humans become angels" tradition come from?
- 📝 What is the basis for King Melchizedek actually being Jesus? Where did this idea come from?
- 📝 Where did the religious symbol of the 'halo' come from?
- 📝 From where did Mary get the attribution of "Full of Grace"?
- 📝 From where does the tradition come that Mary rode on a donkey to Bethlehem prior to the birth of Jesus?
- 📝 Where did the concept of Christians attending a church building come from?
- 📝 How did the Born Again teaching be associated with one first believing in Jesus Christ?
- 📝 Where did the idea of the Trinity come from?
- 📝 Where did the dates at the bottom of the pages in the Book of Mormon come from?
- 📝 When did the term "New Testament" first come into usage?
- 📝 When and where did the Catholic tradition of first communion at 7 years old start?
- 📝 Where did the idea of the inerrancy of the King James Bible come from?
- 📝 Where does the tradition come from that Noah's sons went separate directions?
- 📝 Where did the claim that "the Bible we have today is unreliable because of retranslation" come from?
- 📝 Did the American Constitution and independence from England usher in the first full separation of Church and state?
- 📝 Where did the idea of being "called to preach" come from?
- 📝 Where did the idea that Catholics can have a break from their Lenten discipline on Sunday originate?
- 📝 Where did Jesus go after he arose from the grave?
- 📝 Did the "spirit of Samuel" come from God?