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“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26)
Primo-geniture/ first-born is the most common practice in the Western world, but ancient societies valued proven competence over birth order. for obvious survival reasons. An extension of the Father’s base-line authority, he also chose the son who became the new head of the family when he ceded his authority.
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The Godfather saga is a case study of the concept of granting inheritance to the son who best manifests the father’s likeness by demonstrating commitment to the values of the father. Out of Vito Corleone’s sons, the older two go their own ways, both out of pride – the oldest out of arrogance and the second son out of resentment. Only Michael, the youngest, inherits the father’s dominion, because he carries out his father’s will.
Michael in turn publicly names his nephew Vincent as his heir, because Vincent has become just like him because he has submitted himself to the punishing training required to make him capable of carrying on Michael’s legacy.
The ancient term for designating a child one’s heir is “begat”.
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It should also be noted that being named an heir doesn’t guarantee investiture in that role. That is based on our ultimate choice to become like the Father.
“Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth” (Genesis 5:32) but only Shem was like his godly father and the rest lost their proffered inheritance.
“Shem…begat Arphaxad two years after the flood: And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years” (Genesis 11:10-14) during which time Shem maintained his God-given position and Arphaxad and his named heir Salah followed false gods. Details in relevant posts, the historic details of which are absolutely fascinating.
It was not until the 3rd generation after Shem that an heir qualified to take the reins of godly government.
“Unto Shem also, the father / absolute authority of all the children of Eber” (Genesis 10:21) This defines the [H]ebrews, the generational offspring of Shem’s great-grandson, as his heirs. And tucked into what has become meaningless data to later faithless and perverse generations is the fundamental reason why people in this faithless and perverse generation turned to YHVH. “Unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided.” (Genesis 10:25)
It was the end of the world all over again! “The children / followers of Eber flocked to Shem’s religion from their pagan families of origin to hear his preaching on salvation.
History repeats itself. “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:37) “The Son of man” defines, not just any human being, but a unique figure in prophecy, uniquely bonded to YHVH’s spirit. In this case, that would be Shem.
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction…
through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. For if God spared not…the old world, but saved ______, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities_________into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just ______, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.” (II Peter 2:1-10)
The point being, despite all the known history of catastrophic world-wide destruction predicted by Noah to occur because of mankind’s wickedness, and reminded by Shem’s preaching and recurrences in Eber’s day, mankind just kept on sinning. And that is exactly what we are seeing in what must be the last days as humanity is setting in motion the ultimate manmade weapons of self destruction.
And Peleg…begat Reu, and…And Reu…begat Serug…And Serug…begat Nahor…And Nahor…begat Terah…And Terah…begat Abram.” (Genesis 11:11-28)
“Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him [anyone] that…believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is [also] counted for righteousness…[He is] the father / authority of all them that believe…
For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith…to the end the promise might be sure to all…which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,” (Romans 4)
The detailed analysis of the demographic data from Genesis 11 presented in the post First Fathers demonstrates that Shem was still living when Abraham took over the reins of government.
With this background information we understand that Shem’s rule functionally leapfrogged over multiple generations of potential heirs of dominion until handed off to Abraham, and thence to his descendants.
“Terah lived seventy years, and begat / declared three heirs 1) Abram, 2) Nahor, and 3) Haran.” (Genesis 11)
1) “Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.” (Genesis 11:28).
2) “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee…from thy father’s house [renounce your inheritance]…go out into a place which he should after [instead] receive for an inheritance,” (Genesis 12:1-2, Hebrews 11:8) [Paralleled by Jacob to get out from under Laban’s authority]
3) Nahor’s son Laban is left, and he demonstrates that he in the likeness of his father Terah – a pagan. “It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of YOUR father [note, not the god of MY or OUR fathers] spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. And now…wherefore hast thou stolen MY gods?” (Genesis 31:29-30)
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“the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” (Genesis 15:1)
We need to take this statement at face value. God is not saying that he will reward (verb) Abram. He is saying that he is (noun) Abram’s reward. The only way this can be understood in the context of scripture is that he has named Abram heir to “the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth.” (Genesis 14:18-19).
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“And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless?” (Genesis 15:2)
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“Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David…being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ / Chosen Heir to sit on his / God’s throne….
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ…
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:29-39)
“The gift of the Holy Ghost” is not just eternal life for its own sake, or rescue from the fires of hell, but essentially the granting of dominion promised since the world began, to those who meld their identity to the unique Son of Man / Son of God.
“thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation…and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10)
“This is the book of the generations of Adam…Adam begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth…And after he had begotten Seth…he begat sons and daughters.” (Genesis 5:3-5)
In any inheritance there are two elements to one’s estate – material assets and authority to manage them.
Abram’s response makes far more sense than complaining that he’d really rather have a human child when we recognize that he is speaking in the subtle hinting used to nudge royalty – think Queen Esther. He is gently reminding God that for mortals, a lineage of sons is needed to perpetuate the inheritance.
“And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian…to her husband Abram to be his wife…and she conceived:….and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael/ God Hears.” (Genesis 16)
Hears what? “I need an heir to possess heaven and earth!”
“And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant [of possessor / dominion over heaven and earth / Creation] with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.”(Genesis 16:19)
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went…Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.” (Hebrews 11:8-12)
And as for Ishmael, Ihave heard thee: Behold, [in addition to Isaac]I have blessed him [also with an inheritance], and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him [also] a great nation.” (Genesis 17:20)
Details in the relevant post.
And the inheritance of dominion over the earth continues through a lineage of God’s Chosen Heir.
Kingdom Come 