Day 23: Exodus 4-6

Moses Given Powerful Signs. Moses Returns to Egypt. Making Bricks Without Straw. God Promises Deliverance. The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron.

Why Abraham (a.k.a. Abram) was chosen


One of the most enlightening discoveries for me in today's morning devotion is the reason God chose Abram to be his people.

And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” (Exodus 4:21-23 ESV)

The selection of Abram was not at random, as I had previously thought. I feel now that Abram was the obvious candidate by virtue of being the firstborn in a line of firstborns, a preference indicated by God's justification for letting the people of Israel go because Israel was God's firstborn son.

Tracing the genealogy of Israel, I found indeed that Jacob (a.k.a. Israel) comes from a line of firstborn descendants of Noah. The line of firstborns from Noah goes:

  1. Shem, inferred from Noah's blessing (Gn 9:26-27), where he placed Shem above his brothers as is the traditional treatment of firstborns.
  2. Arpachshad, inferred from Genesis 11:10, on the basis of being the only child explicitly called out among other sons and daughters of Shem.
  3. Shelah, inferred from Genesis 11:12.
  4. Eber, inferred from Genesis 11:14.
  5. Peleg, inferred from Genesis 11:16.
  6. Reu, inferred from Genesis 11:18.
  7. Serug, inferred from Genesis 11:20.
  8. Nahor, inferred from Genesis 11:22.
  9. Terah, inferred from Genesis 11:24.
  10. Abram, a.k.a. Abraham, inferred from Genesis 11:26, on the basis of being the first name presented in the listing of Terah's sons in Genesis 11:26 and Genesis 11:27.
  11. Isaac (Gn 21:2-3). Whats important to note is that technically Ishmael was born before Isaac, but Ishmael was not born to Sarah.
  12. Jacob, a.k.a. Israel...?!

But isn't Isaac's firstborn son Esau (Gn 25:25-26)? While Esau did indeed come out first, and his privileged status as firstborn came as his birthright, it seems to me that when Esau sold his birthright (Gn 25:33), he also sold his firstborn status by association.

This theory actually would answer another question I had lingering from Genesis 25, which was: What was Esau's birthright, and what was its significance?

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