We have spent 1 week in Poland this year in the “Poland camp” getting into The Significance, Preciousness, and Enjoyment of the Birthright in God’s Economy.
What is the birthright, and why is it so important? Especially in the Old Testament / in the old times, in a family, the firstborn son had “the birthright”, which, according to the Bible, included: a double portion of the land (a double portion than any of the other children/sons/daughters), the priesthood, and the kingship.
People fought to have this birthright, and they treasured it very much.
For example, Jacob did all he could to get this birthright (though he was the second son in his family; yet God chose him instead of Esau), Tamar fought for having a son in the lineage of Israel, etc.
For us in the New Testament age of grace, to have the birthright means that we have the right and the position, even the responsibility, to enjoy Christ fully with the privileges of being a priest(to bring man to God) and a king(to bring God to man).
Actually, God’s original intention in His creation of man was that man corporately would be “His Firstborn”, inheriting the birthright over all the creation. Genesis 1:26 says:
And God said, Let Us make man in Our image and according to Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of heaven, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
Though God wanted man to enjoy all the earth and be a priest and king to Him, man fell – so God came in to redeem and save us. Now in God’s salvation, we are being recovered to being priests to God to express Him in His image, being kings to God to represent Him with His dominion, and taking full possession of the lost earth for God’s eternal purpose.
So what is our birthright? Our birthright in God’s economy is:
- to enjoy Christ as the double portion of the good land – the real good land is in our spirit, and Christ is the all-inclusive good land for us to enjoy! Lord, increase our enjoyment of You every day! We admit we don’t enjoy You enough, Lord. We want to enjoy You more, in more aspects, in more situations, in more of what You are in Your unsearchable riches!
- to be priests to God – a priest is someone who spends time with God. It’s not about doing something for God – a priest is not someone who does a lot of activities, but who spends adequate time with the Lord to be infused by Him, to enjoy Him, and to pray for his friends/relatives / the ones around Him. He brings man to God, and then brings God to man by ministering to others what he enjoyed in God’s presence.
- to be a king to God – a king rules over everything. If we are a priest to God, this will result in us being a king to God. We study like a king, we live like a king, we do all things / say things like a king. We are under the ruling and reigning of the divine life, and so we reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. The kings are dignified persons, who do not speak in a loose way, do not lose their temper, but reign in life.
Lord, may today we enjoy our birthright of enjoying You, spending time with You, and reigning in life over everything in, for, and by You!
Amen! This message refreshed me again. I have enjoyed the life study of genesis. In there, brother Lee explained about these 3 things: to enjoy Christ as the double portion of the good land, to be priest to God, and to be king to God. In 1 Peter 2:9 it says "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light!" As a priest and king to God we must do our Job for His body. We must bring God to man and bring man to God. Praise the Lord.
This is so renewing and refreshing– my birthright in God's economy–the three "to"s in my life: (1) to enjoy Christ as the double portion in the good land; (2) to be priests to God; (3) to be a king to God! Praise the Lord, this is the all-inclusive, highest, noblest portion.