-Fifty Six- First In God's Eyes

First in God’s Eyes

Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 26:10

Focal Verse: 1 Chronicles 26:10

Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons. Shimri the first (for though he was not the firstborn, his father made him the first)…

What order were you born into in your family? Are you a middle child? The youngest? The oldest? It probably doesn’t make much difference in these times, but in Biblical times, it was of extreme importance.

The firstborn got a double portion of the father’s inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17). The firstborn also got a special blessing from the father (Genesis 27:4,35). He became the chief, and priest until levitical times, of the family upon the father’s death (Exodus 24:5). The privileges of the firstborn were so great that Jacob tricked Esau and his father into making sure he had this birthright (Geneses 27:1-40).

So it is significant that this father named this particular son first, although he was not born first. Birthright was sometimes changed due to misconduct by the firstborn (1 Chronicles 5:1-2). The Bible is silent on why it was changed this time. It just says that it is so.

If you are a believer, God looks at you as a “firstborn”. His kingdom will be full of firstborns. The fact that you were a sinner doesn’t nullify that. As Romans 8:14-17a says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, the heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ”.

**Praise God that although you were not “firstborn” of Him, He has made you first.