Tuesday: Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what
the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son’” (Exodus 4:21-23; NIV).
“Israel is
my firstborn son.” In ancient Israel, being the firstborn was a big deal. The
firstborn took over as the patriarch and leader of the family. He received a
double portion of the inheritance. His branch of the family tree was
influential. And here was Israel’s God affirming Israel’s special place within
His plans.
There’s
nothing wrong with affirming one’s special place. Truth be told, Israel’s God
regularly honored Israel in this way. On Mt. Sinai, just a few chapters after
today’s verse, He called them His ‘treasured possession.’ We Christians affirm
this all the time, whenever we personalize the Gospel: God loves me.
No, the
trouble comes in when a special place becomes an exclusive place. Israel was
God’s firstborn, not His only child. The remainder of humanity was also beloved
by Him. Israel’s task was to take on the firstborn’s responsibility for the
family, that is, to look out for the interests of all humanity. Too often,
Israel fell into thinking that God loved them and only them.
May the
Lord save us Christians from such thinking! May He constantly remind us that we
are a light to the world!
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