We Christians, born of God, are the first fruits of His creatures (James 1:18) that God has reaped in His creation. In that sense we are the firstborn sons of God. Hence, the church, composed of us, is called the church of the firstborn (v. 23). As the firstborn sons of God, we have the birthright. This includes the inheritance of the earth (Heb. 2:5-6), the priesthood (Rev. 20:6), and the kingship (Rev. 20:4), which will be the main blessings in the coming kingdom and which the profane, world-loving-and-seeking Christians will lose at the Lord's coming back. Eventually, this birthright will be a reward given to the overcoming Christians in the millennial kingdom. Any worldly enjoyment, even one meal, could cause us to forfeit this birthright of ours, to miss the full enjoyment of Christ and we could lose the kingdom rest with all its blessings.
Esau was one who lost his birthright (Gen. 25:29-34), because of his lust in eating. This should be a warning to us. If we do not exercise our priesthood today to contact Him and prayerfully minister to Him, how can we fulfill our priestly duty in the kingdom? If we do not exercise our spirit with the God-given authority to rule our self, our flesh, our entire being, and the enemy with all his power of darkness today, how can we be Christ's co-kings and rule the nations with Him in His kingdom (Rev. 2:26-27)? Our enjoyment of Christ and the practice of the priesthood and kingship today in this age are the preparation and qualification for our participating in Christ's kingdom tomorrow in the next age!
The first four sons of Jacob: Ruben, Simeon, Levi and Judah were sinners which indicate that the history of God’s people begins with sinners; however, two of the sinners, Levi and Judah were transformed to become priests and kings.
Stanza 3 concerns the priesthood of Levi:
“The priesthood to Levi giv’n
As his inheritance—for he
Did count his family but loss
And owned God’s things supreme to be. ”
In Genesis 49:5-6, Levi and his brother Simeon receive no blessing because they slew the men of Shechem (Genesis 34). Their father Jacob scatters them among the children of Israel (v. 7) so that they would not be able to behave cruelly according to their disposition.
Later, Levi used his disposition in a renewed, transformed way to slay the worshipers of the golden calf (Exodus 30:26-28). Because of his absoluteness, desperation and faithfulness towards God, Levi received the blessing of the priesthood with the Urim and the Thumim.
In Genesis 49:8-12, Jacob blesses Judah with the birthright by prophesying that his brothers would bow down to him alluding to the kingship.
Stanza 4 of this hymn reads:
“The kingship Judah did receive
For tending to young Joseph’s need
Through Benjamin’s adversity. ”
Genesis 38 gives us an account of Judah in his natural self. He lies to his daughter-in-law Tamar and commits fornication when she disguises herself as a prostitute. In the previous chapter when Joseph’s brothers plot to kill him, Ruben and Judah do not agree so Joseph is thrown into a pit. Later Judah suggests Joseph be sold into slavery to Ishmaelites who are traveling through the area thus saving Joseph’s life.
It is not until chapter 44 that we see a broken and subdued Judah. Joseph tested his brothers again and again to see if they had changed after more than 20 years of not seeing them. He then decides to have his silver cup put in Benjamin’s sack and accuse him of stealing it. Judah pleads with Joseph using tender words to describe his father and the love that he has for his son Benjamin, the only son of his mother for his other brother (Joseph) had died. He then offers willingly to take the place of Benjamin as a slave in order to allow his younger brother to return to his father. It is at this juncture that Joseph (chapter 45) reveals his true identity to his brothers. Judah’s words comforted Joseph realizing there had been a change in all of his brothers’ dispositions. Through Judah’s actions, Joseph had been comforted and Benjamin’s adversity was at that point over.
Judah is the type of Christ who became our Substitute in order to please God the Father’s righteous requirement of the law. Judah became a surety for Benjamin by being willing to take his place as a slave in order to guarantee the return of his brother back to his father.
Judah’s actions had a long lasting effect in the history of Israel. When the children of Israel received their allotted portion of the good land, Judah and Benjamin received their portion next to each other indicating they would always be together. The city of Jerusalem is in the territory of Benjamin at the border of Judah. Later, when the kingdom was divided, the ten Northern tribes were captured and lost but Judah and Benjamin which are to the south became the Southern kingdom that was preserved. It seems as if Judah’s action in saving his brother was the reason Benjamin always stayed by his brother’s side and under his protection.