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Also, Esau, the firstborn in Isaac's home, despised his birthright, disliked restraint, and chose his own rather than God's way, thus becoming a victim to natural inclination--a servant of vanity.
When Jacob was old, he called his household, and said: "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days."  And when Joseph brought his two sons, Jacob laid his right hand on the younger rather than on the first born, declaring that the younger shall be greater than the older.  (Gen. 49:1; 48: 11-19.)
Those entitled to the priesthood were the first born of all the tribes of Israel.  But as they proved unfaithful to their trust, the Lord instead chose the tribe of Levi for that service.  All the earlier born in the Exodus movement, except Joshua and Caleb, lost out in the wilderness, because they failed to believe and trust in God as they were taught to do by Moses.
In Christ's day, a whole church and nation--the firstborn or the early morning laborers (the Jews)--lost their opportunity because they allowed formality, the love of self, pride of opinion, and ceremonialism to take the place of true piety and strict adherence to the spirit of the law of God--the words of the prophets.  These ensamples were for lessons and warnings to every succeeding church and people from that day to this.

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LESSONS OF THE FIRST BORN


One of the saddest of all Bible records is that concerning the failure of those whose privilege has been that of being the first in accepting God's message; of being, so to speak, the first-born.
Cain, the firstborn child in the history of mankind, who was evidently endowed with great natural ability for his office, lost his high calling of being the priest and teacher of the household--the lawful successor of his father--because he wanted to have his own instead of God's way.  The sad record of his life stands as a monument of folly, jealousy, egotism, bigotry, unbelief and unfaithfulness--speaking to us, "upon whom the ends of the world are come," louder than to any in the past.

As a result of John's preaching, there "went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him."  (Matt. 3:5.)  And "Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John."  (John 4:1.)  But when Jesus was on trial, both of the multitudes--John's and Jesus', the ones who were first called to the message, the first born, so to speak--forsook the Lord, and there were only 120 who, on the day of Pentecost, received the power of the Spirit.  Then a second multitude came into the church and took the place of the first which went out.


The ministry, the firstborn, who brought us to the Seventh-day Adventist church are also in danger, and of some of them it is already said: they have "betrayed their trust ("Testimonies for the Church," Vol. 5, p. 211), and only a "few great men will be engaged" in the closing work of the Third Angel's Message.  ("Testimonies for the Church," Vol. 5, page 80.)

These things being written for our admonition, "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."  (Heb. 4:1, 2.)
"Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith.  Be not highminded, but fear:...Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."  (Rom. 11 :20-22.)


"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.  Do ye look on things after the outward appearance?  If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's."  (2 Cor. 10:5-7.)
Shall we, who have first embraced the message, now fail, as did those who were called first in every age?
To "us upon whom the ends of the world are come," these concerns speak louder than to any people at any time in the past.  Therefore let us cry out to God to help us take warning from the sad experiences of those who have failed, so that we may, as did the Ninevites of old, defeat the prophetic voice of history, which broadcasts the warning that, unless we take heed, the tragic doom of the firstborn, hanging ominously over our heads, will take us also.

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