Firstborns:  Protect and/or Plead Forgiveness for Younger Siblings or Persuade Parent(s) to Punish

by Tara Nicole (Lang) Chapman

July 2009, Roman calendar




This article is a message to firstborn children living in their parents' care, who have younger siblings; and this message is to all the children of God to help them better appreciate our Lord's intercessory work as High Priest, as the perfect Firstborn Son of God, Jesus the Christ (Yahshua the Messiah).


Whenever a younger sibling does something wrong, sometimes they knew they weren't to do it, and sometimes they didn't know any better.  Sometimes a parent finds out about it, and sometimes a parent does not.  When the firstborn child knows that the younger sibling did something wrong, he sometimes has the responsibility of telling a parent, and sometimes the transgression is such that it is not necessary for telling a parent, if the firstborn can successfully correct the younger sibling on his (or her) own.  Sometimes a firstborn child can act as a parent.  Indeed, firstborn children tend to possess good leadership abilities.  


What if a younger sibling does something wrong, such as break a vase or something, due to carelessness, and the firstborn is present when it happens, and a parent is not?  What if the younger sibling feels badly about it?  If you were a younger sibling, would you rather your firstborn sibling run and tell a parent and try to convince the parent(s) to swiftly punish the other child; or would you rather your firstborn sibling intercede, mediate, between you and your parent(s), telling the parent that you did wrongly but that he (or she) would help you to do better and to please forgive you, and that he or she would help you clean up the mess (or do it for you alone, if you're really young)?  Which kind of older firstborn sibling would YOU like to have?


Firstborns, has your younger sibling ever done something and you have run to your parent and said, "He did such and such; he needs to be punished!"  If a rule has been broken, for which punishment was forewarned for another transgression, have you been quick to remind your parent of such?  Say, for example, a younger sibling was told by a parent that he would be punished if he left his clothes on the floor again.  The next time the child leaves his clothes on the floor, are you, as a firstborn, quick to remember that warning and just as quick to remind the parent?  "He left his clothes on the floor again.  You said he'd be punished."  


Or have you been more likely to spot the clothes before the parent did and remind your sibling, "Hey, remember what you were told?  You left your clothes on the floor, and you better pick them up before you get in trouble."  Or if the sibling isn't around, maybe you've picked the clothes up yourself and taken them to the dirty laundry basket or folded them and put them away (depending on whether the clothes were clean or dirty), and then reminded your sibling of the offense later. 


A good-hearted firstborn will do like the second example.  But, of course, a good firstborn isn't going to keep picking up after a younger sibling, keep taking the blame for something, and keep shielding the younger sibling(s) from being punished.  If it becomes clear to the wise firstborn that the younger sibling is taking advantage of the firstborn's protective qualities, the firstborn will eventually give the younger sibling over to be punished!  It becomes clear to a wise firstborn whether the younger sibling needs more grace and help or whether the younger sibling is making no effort to do a better job of following the rules and being more pleasant.  


A firstborn child, and especially a firstborn son, often takes a lot of blame for younger siblings' misdeeds.  It's not uncommon for a firstborn to willingly give himself up to be punished for a younger sibling's transgressions.  I know this all too well, because I am a firstborn child myself (a firstborn daughter of two girls, no boys), and I've been there.  I could have tried to get my sister punished numerous times when I didn't, and rather instead I rebuked her for her folly myself.  Other times I got in trouble for things she did and for which I had no fault.  I also have two living sons at the time of this writing, with another child on the way.  I note very carefully the firstborn vs. younger sibling relationship between the two.  


The Christ, the Most High God's firstborn son, has taken the blame for things we, his younger begotten siblings, have done.  He has been punished for our misdeeds.  He is innocent, and we are not.  And He daily mediates between our Heavenly Father and us for all the folly we still manage to live out, despite our wanting to do better.  He tells our Father that He should forgive us and that we'll try better.  BUT, there are SOME who don't even try.  There are some who are taking advantage of the Firstborn's GRACE when our misdeeds go before the Father.  


Are you a younger sibling?  Did or has your firstborn sibling taken the blame for you or prevented you from being punished for something?  Are you thankful for this?  Or do you not CARE what your firstborn sibling went through to protect you and give you slack?  So, what about your place in the family of God?  Are you thankful for what your Firstborn Sibling has done and is doing for you? Or could you not care less and just carelessly do whatever, totally dismissing your Father's Law of Love?


It's time to really evaluate your standing with your Father and with your Firstborn Elder Sibling.  We ALL need to be daily evaluating this, if we are a child of the Eternal One.  We all need to have a humble repenting attitude and an attitude of following in our Father's Firstborn's steps.  He is perfect, and he lived perfectly while dwelling in a body of flesh.  Our Father said of him, "This is my son, in whom I'm well pleased."  If we want any chance of having our Father say this of each of US, then we'd better be trying our best, keeping the perfect Law just as His Firstborn did.  And we'd better not forget the Firstborn's role in all this.  Our Father is listening to Him.  Our Father knows His Firstborn is INNOCENT of any wrongdoing and willingly GAVE HIMSELF UP for OUR WRONGS.  So, we'd better be showing that we are trying to be like our Elder Brother, the Lord Jesus, because we do not want to find ourselves being punished.  


When Christ and the saints inherit the Kingdom of God on Earth from the Father for the duration of 1,000 years, Christ will be like a Father.  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6  Sometimes parents leave their firstborn in charge over younger siblings when the parents are away.  The firstborn child takes care of the younger siblings and may even have the responsibility of meting out punishment.  During the "Millennium" age, Christ will act in a parental authority.  Then, He will hand over the Kingdom to His Father (see I Cor. 15:24).


For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ~Romans 8:29


For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin...Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. ~Hebrews 4:15; 7:25


Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.  ~Galatians 1:4



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