I was pondering the reversals of the inheritance status of Jacob and Esau, as well as Ephraim and Manasseh, in Genesis. I’ve always wondered why Jacob, Isaac and Rebekah’s second-born, was chosen by God to inherit before Esau, his first-born brother. Then Jacob reversed the blessing on Joseph’s sons, crossing his hands as he pronounced their blessings, giving preference to Ephraim, the younger, over Manasseh, the older. Why was this?
Then I remembered Jesus’s teaching regarding how it will be done in His kingdom, “The first will be last, and the last will be first.” (See Matt. 20:16, for example.) In fact, Jesus taught his disciples that the greatest among them should be the servant of all.
Then I saw a connection. The world’s basic way of doing things is that the first (e.g., strongest, richest, most attractive) get to be first, while the last (e.g., weakest, poorest, least attractive) tend to be last. Perhaps God was previewing the Kingdom way in reversing Esau and Jacob, as well as Manasseh and Ephraim. The (world) system would have put Esau and Manasseh first, they being the first born. God’s system, the Kingdom way, reversed that.
I have never heard this taught. I may be wrong about it, but it could be right. God put many previews of the Kingdom, as it would be after the cross, in Old Covenant Scriptures. Could it be that God was showing that He has always meant to exalt the weak? Something to ponder, isn’t it?
