（创25）头生子与祭司 (Genesis 25) Firstborn and Priesthood

(ChatGPT translation from Chinese, edited by Mijiale, 中文在后面）

In the reading portion titled “Descendants” (Genesis 25:19–28:9), the younger twin Jacob exchanges a bowl of lentil stew for the birthright of his elder brother Esau. The Bible criticizes Esau for despising his birthright (Genesis 25:34). Why was the birthright of the firstborn so important? According to Jewish tradition, there are two explanations:

The firstborn could inherit a double portion of the estate, as supported by Deuteronomy 21:17.
The firstborn was originally the priest of the household, leading their family in worshiping the Creator. After the Israelites sinned by worshiping the golden calf, the priesthood was passed down to Aaron’s lineage. Israelite firstborn sons had to be redeemed by paying some silver to Aaron’s descendants (see Pidyon Haben), after which they were relieved of priestly duties and could focus on secular matters.

While both interpretations have biblical support, I thought about a difficult question during Sabbath:

My question was:
“If the firstborn is tasked with managing a double portion of the estate, how would they still have the time to serve as a full-time priest?”

By God’s grace, I later found some possible answers through Scripture. The priestly duties of the firstborn may have been part-time. For instance, Noah built an altar and offered sacrifices to the Creator after leaving the ark (Genesis 8:20), fulfilling the role of a family priest, but he also later worked as a farmer (Genesis 9:20). Similarly, Genesis 26 records Isaac building an altar (performing priestly duties, Genesis 26:25) while also farming (Genesis 26:12) and digging a well (Genesis 26:22). The Bible also mentions Jacob shepherding for his uncle when he was poor (Genesis 31:38–41). After becoming wealthy and having his sons and servants manage his estate, Jacob began building altars and fulfilling his priesthood duties (Genesis 33:20, 35:7).

Thus, the priesthood of the firstborn was different from the later full-time priesthood of Aaron’s descendants. It was part-time, and in times of wealth, leisure, or retirement, the firstborn could increase their priestly responsibilities or even transition to full-time service. This model of priesthood for the firstborn might also be an ideal model of service for most modern believers. After getting tenure and becoming a full professor, I, too, gradually increased my service to G-d. Of course, the so-called secular professions of the firstborn were also forms of service to the Creator, just with varying methods, phases, and proportions. Ideally, as material conditions improve, one should increase the priestly service rather than reduce it.

Noah serves as a counterexample. He built an altar first and became a farmer later, suggesting he may have neglected his priestly duties in later years, which may have eventually led to his descendants building the Tower of Babel to challenge the Creator’s authority while Noah was still alive. Jacob, on the other hand, is a positive example. He shepherded first and later built altars, and his descendants at Mount Sinai became the Creator’s people—Israel’s twelve tribes.

When studying the Bible, finding answers to our questions is due to grace from G-d. Even the ability to think of meaningful questions is also by God’s grace. During a Sabbath conversation, my wife also shared a question that had puzzled her for a long time, also regarding the firstborn.

My wife’s question was:
“If the Bible places such importance on the firstborn’s status, why does it depict so many firstborn sons as being less successful than their younger brothers?”

Esau, the firstborn, despised his birthright and sold it cheaply. Jacob’s firstborn son, Reuben, also committed serious sin. Abraham’s heir was his second son, Isaac, rather than his first son, Ishmael. Isaac’s heir was his second son, Jacob, not the older son, Esau. Among Jacob’s sons, it was Joseph, one of the younger sons, who received the “double portion” of the firstborn and became two tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh. Even among Joseph’s sons, the younger Ephraim received a greater blessing than the older son, Manasseh (Genesis 48:19).

My wife’s question seems even more intriguing than mine. The time is not yet ripe, but with God’s grace, perhaps we can discuss more about it in the future.

（创25）头生子与祭司

在“后代” （创世记25:19-28:9）这个读经进度里，孪生兄弟中后出生的雅各用一碗红豆汤换取了头生子的名分。他的哥哥则被圣经批评不重视头生子的名分（创世记25:34）。头生子为什么那么重要？按犹太传统，有两种说法：

1。头生子可以继承双份的产业，这一点的圣经佐证，在申命记21:17。

2。头生子本来是在家里作祭司，带领亲属们敬拜造物主的，在后来以色列人犯了错误拜金牛犊以后才把祭司的职位给亚伦家世袭，而以色列人的头生子必须交给亚伦子孙一些银子，先被赎出来https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidyon_haben,

然后才可以免去作祭司的职责，专们做世俗的事。

虽然两种说法都有圣经的依据，但是在安息日的白天我想到一个难题：

我的问题是：“这两种犹太人的说法是不是互相有矛盾？头生子既然有了双份的产业要照料，怎么还能有时间全职作祭司呢？”

关于这个问题，感谢主让我后来通过圣经找到一些可能的答案。头生子的祭司职分可能是兼职的。比如挪亚在离开方舟以后筑坛献祭敬拜过造物主（创8:20），那是他在行家庭祭司的职分，但他后来也种过地（创9:20）。创世记26记载以撒筑坛（行祭司的职责，创26:25），但也记载他种地（创26:12）和挖井（创26:22）。创世记也记载雅各在穷困时为舅舅辛苦牧羊（创31:38-41），后来富有了，又有了儿子们和仆人们帮忙管理家业，就开始筑坛献祭行祭司职责（创33:20，35:7），所以头生子模式的祭司，是与后来亚伦家族的全职祭司不一样的，是兼职侍奉，而且在富有、空闲、退休等情况下，他们可以增加祭司职分的比重，甚至可以转为全职。这种头生子模式的祭司，也有可能是我们大多数现代信徒的理想的侍奉模式。我自己在拿到终身教职和升正教授以后也逐渐增加了侍奉。当然在头生子模式中，所谓的世俗事业，其实也是为了侍奉造物主，只是方式和阶段和比重有所不同。但是理想地来说，在物质条件改善时，信徒应该增加祭司职分的侍奉而不是减少。圣经里挪亚是个反例，他是先筑坛后种地，很可能是在家庭祭司的职分上松懈了，以至于后来挪亚子孙在他还活着时就造巴别塔挑战造物主的权威。圣经里的雅各则是个正面例子，他先牧羊后筑坛，后来雅各的后代在西奈山全部成为造物主的子民，就是以色列的十二个支派。

在学圣经时，我们的问题有了答案，都是靠主的恩典，而能想到好的问题，其实也是主的恩典。在安息日聊天时，我太太告诉我她也有一个问题困惑了很久，而且也是关于头生子的问题。

我太太的问题是：“既然圣经里那么重视头生子的名份，为什么又描写这么多头生子不如后面的兄弟有出息呢？” 雅各的哥哥是个贱卖了名份的头生子，雅各的长子流便也犯过错误。亚伯拉罕的继承者是第二个儿子以撒而非第一个儿子以实玛利。以撒的继承人是第二个儿子雅各而非先出生的以扫。雅各的儿子们只有后出生的约瑟才得到了“长子的双份”，发展成以法莲玛纳西两个支派。而约瑟的儿子们也是年轻的以法莲比年长的玛纳西得到了更大的祝福（创48:19）。

我太太的问题，好像比我的问题更有意思。现在时机还没有成熟，靠主的恩典，也许以后可以作一些分享。