One of the strangest proofs of the inspiration of the Bible is the fact that (where recorded) the firstborn of Jesus’ lineage who deserved a double portion, never received it. This cannot simply be a coincidence. God must have guided it. These things do not happen by themselves. The great exceptions will be the nation Israel and Israel’s Messiah, Jesus Christ (Ex 4:22; Mt 1:25; Lk 2:7).
Deuteronomy 21:17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.
Adam’s firstborn was Abel who was slain. The blessings went to Seth (Gen 4).
Abraham’s firstborn was Ishmael but Isaac received the double portion of the blessings (Gen 16).
Isaac’s firstborn was Esau but Jacob received his blessings by deceit (Gen 27).
Judah’s firstborn was Er whom God killed. His firstborn illegitimate son through Tamar should have been Zarah but he was replaced by Pharez who was in the lineage of Jesus (Gen 39).
Jacob’s firstborn son was Reuben but the double portion was given to Joseph through Ephraim and Manasseh while the spiritual blessing was given to Judah (Gen 48).
Joseph’s firstborn was Manasseh but the greater blessing went to the second-born Ephraim whom God called his first-born (Gen 48; Jer 31:9).
Although not related to this study, it is interesting that Egypt’s firstborn died in the plagues (Exodus 4-12).
Aaron’s firstborn, Nadab, died (Num 3:2; 26:61). Jesse’s firstborn was Eliab but God chose his eighth-born, David, to be king (1 Sam 16; 1 Chron 2).
David’s firstborn was Amnon but he chose Solomon, his tenth child and fourth by his seventh wife, to be king (1 Chron 3:6).
See First Chronicles 3:10-43. The only mention of “firstborn” in Judah’s king list is Josiah’s firstborn Johanan who did not become king after his father (1 Chron 3:15). The list makes no mention that the sons who reigned after their father were the firstborn; it merely says “his son reigned.”
How can anybody accuse all the Bible writers of deliberately manipulating the many stories and removing the firstborn from their birthrights? Either this is another incredible coincidence or it is proof of the divine inspiration of the Bible.
RUTH: EVIDENCE OF BIBLE INSPIRATION
In Genesis 19:30-38 the daughters of Abraham’s nephew, Lot, got him drunk and had children by him who became the tribes of Moab and Ammon.
In Deuteronomy 23:3 Ammonites and Moabites were forbidden to join with Israelites for ten generations.
Deut 23:3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever.
In the book of Ruth a man of Judah, Elimelech, allowed his two sons to marry Moabite women (Ruth 1). After Elimelech and his two sons had died in Moab, Naomi, Elimelech’s wife, brought the Moabite woman, Ruth, back to Judah where she re-married Boaz. Ruth became the mother of Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David and a descendant of Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:17).
Why was this allowed? The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew lists exactly ten (10) generations before Boaz from Abraham: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Pharez, Ezrom, Aram, Abinadab, Nasson, Salmon (who married the harlot Rahab of Jericho) and Boaz.
It is hard to believe that Bible writers deliberately manipulated these names in order to justify allowing a Moabite back into the fellowship of Israel – much less into the genealogy of King David.
