Question From People Wey Dey Read Our Book

Na true sey for Bible time, person must be firstborn, or get firstborn right, before the Messiah go come from im family?

We don talk before sey, person must get the right as firstborn before Messiah go come from im family. And e be like sey wetin we talk agree with wetin dey Hebrews 12:16. That verse talk sey Esau “no value holy things” and e “sell im right as firstborn [give Jacob] because of one plate of food.” E be like sey this verse dey talk sey as Jacob collect the “right as firstborn,” e come dey among the people wey Messiah go come from.​—Matt. 1:2, 16; Luke 3:23, 34.

But when we look the matter well for Bible, we come see am sey no be must sey person go be firstborn before the Messiah go come from im family. Why e be like that? Make we explain.

Jacob (Israel) firstborn na Reuben, wey Leah born for am. After, Rachel wey Jacob love pass come born im first son, and im name na Joseph. When Reuben do something wey bad well well, im papa come give Joseph the right as firstborn. (Gen. 29:31-35; 30:22-25; 35:22-26; 49:22-26; 1 Chron. 5:1, 2) Even with that one, the Messiah no come from Reuben or Joseph family. Na Judah family the Messiah come from. Judah na the fourth son wey Leah born for Jacob.​—Gen. 49:10.

Luke 3:32 talk about five people for the family wey Messiah come from. E be like sey all of dem na firstborn. So Boaz come born Obed, and Obed come born Jesse.​—Ruth 4:17, 20-22; 1 Chron. 2:10-12.

But David wey be Jesse pikin, no be firstborn. Na im be the lastborn among Jesse eight son. But na David family the Messiah come from. (1 Sam. 16:10, 11; 17:12; Matt. 1:5, 6) Na so e still be for Solomon. Solomon no be David firstborn. But the Messiah still come from im family.​—2 Sam. 3:2-5.

This one no mean sey to be firstborn no mean anything. For Bible time, to be firstborn son na big position. And after im papa, na im be the next person wey fit be head of family. And when dem dey share property, na im own still dey many pass.​—Gen. 43:33; Deut. 21:17; Josh. 17:1.

Dem fit carry firstborn right give another person. Na im make Abraham remove firstborn from Ishmael hand, come give am to Isaac. (Gen. 21:14-21; 22:2) And as we talk before, dem remove firstborn right from Reuben give Joseph.

Make we go back to Hebrews 12:16 wey talk sey: “And make sure sey nobody dey among una wey dey put hand for sex wey no clean for God eye, or anybody wey no value holy things, like Esau, wey sell im right as firstborn because of one plate of food.” Wetin this verse dey talk about?

No be the family wey Messiah go come from apostle Paul dey talk about for this verse. E talk this thing when e dey advice the brothers and sisters. E tell dem sey make dem dey always do the correct thing. If dem follow this advice, God go bless dem. But God no go bless dem if dem put hand for sex wey no clean for God eye. (Heb. 12:12-16) If dem put hand, dem go be like Esau wey no value holy things. Wetin Esau do no good at all.

Esau live for the time wey head of family fit dey do priest work for im family. Dem fit make sacrifice give Jehovah. So e fit be sey Esau still make sacrifice sometimes. (Gen. 8:20, 21; 12:7, 8; Job 1:4, 5) But because e dey think only wetin im body want, Esau trowey the right wey e get because of one plate of stew. E fit be sey e want comot imself from the suffer wey God sey Abraham children go suffer. (Gen. 15:13) Esau still show sey im mind dey for things wey no good. E marry two women wey no dey serve Jehovah, and this one show sey e no value holy things at all. Wetin e do pain im papa and mama well well. (Gen. 26:34, 35) But im brother Jacob no be like that. E make sure sey e marry person wey dey serve Jehovah!​—Gen. 28:6, 7; 29:10-12, 18.

So, wetin we fit talk about the family wey Jesus, the Messiah come from? Sometimes, the family wey the Messiah pass come na firstborn. But no be everytime e happen like that. Jew people know this one and dem no argue am. Na im make dem agree sey Christ go come from David wey be Jesse last son.​—Matt. 22:42.