Perhaps the best-known story about the Patriarch Abraham was that of his sacrifice of his son, Isaac. This is an important event on several levels. One of these relates to the Covenant: Issac, as Abraham and Sariah's only born child, held the birthright of the Covenant.
On the Church website, I found these facts about the birthright:
Under the patriarchal order, the right or inheritance of the firstborn is known as birthright. This generally included a land inheritance as well as the authority to preside. The firstborn of flocks and of human families was considered as belonging to the Lord and was expected to be dedicated to Him.
There are several instances in the scriptures of the one who was the firstborn losing his birthright because of unrighteousness and his office being given to another; such was the case with Esau. *
This was also the case with Jacob's firstborn child, Reuben, a son born of Jacob's wife, Leah. When Reuben violated his father's bed, he lost the birthright. It is interesting that the birthright did not pass to Jacob's second born son of Leah, Simeon, but of his firstborn son of his beloved wife, Rachel.
In the case of Abraham, Ishmael was his firstborn son of his concubinical wife, Hagar. (This may be why the Muslim's believe that it was Ishamael whom God commanded Abraham to sacrifice.) However, under the complex laws of marriage and inheritance among the Israelites, as a concubine or secondary wife, Hagar's children were not entitled to receive Abraham's birthright, which had to do, at least in part, with the priesthood. Sarah was Abraham's primary wife, and it was her child, Isaac, who was to inherit the birthright. So, when the scriptures tell us that God said: Take now they son, thine only son, Isaac, (Genesis 22:2) they were right on point.
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| Abraham became the father of many nations through his multiple wives, but it was only Sarah's child, Isaac, through whom the birthright passed. |
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