Scripture Reading: I Cor. 15:5-47; Gen 17:18-19; Gen 25:23; Rom 9:12-13; Gen 48: 18-19; I Sam 8:5; I Sam 16:1; 2 Sam 12:14; 24,25
‘So also it is written, the first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life giving spirit. Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthly, the second man is of heaven.’
Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, ‘Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shall call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.’
Jehovah said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels: and the one people shall be stronger than the other people: and the elder shall serve the younger.
Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for this is the first born; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son I know it; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: howbeit his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
They said unto him, Behold, thou are old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. Jehovah said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill thy horn with oil, and go: I will send thee to Jesse the Bethehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.
Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of Jehovah to Blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die… And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her and she bare a son and he called his name Solomon. And Jehovah loved him: and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, for Jehovah’s sake.
Show the Picture. Dr. Alfred Adler, an Austrian psychoanalyst, first brought the effect of birth order to light. He suggested that birth order has a strong affect on a child’s character. Dr. Adler was a middle child himself. Middle children often feel left out and invisible, a contrast from their older and younger siblings. While older children get the benefits of all of the “firsts” a child accomplishes, younger children benefit from the emotional impact of being the baby of the family, often being spoiled and coddled. Middle children, however, often feel as though they have nothing special that is just “theirs.” They are not the first, or the baby of the family. Some studies suggest that middle children are also more prone to depression and typically have stronger immune systems (I believe this has to do with the fighting spirit within) than their older siblings. Middle child syndrome is the feeling of exclusion by middle children. This effect occurs because the first child is more prone to receive privileges and responsibilities (by virtue of being the oldest), while the youngest in the family is more likely to receive indulgences. There are some common characteristics of middle child syndrome, though having any of these it doesn’t necessarily mean the middle child is suffering at all. Middle children often feel unseen, overshadowed by the older and younger siblings, so they may suffer from low self-esteem. Not being able to connect with their parents may also lead to jealousy, resentment, anger and eventually violence. A middle child will most commonly be either the angry, violent, aggressive, attention-seeking type or will be the quiet, emotional, lonely type. These are both extreme ends of the spectrum.
I want to give encouragement to that middle child today. I know how painful being left out can be. Some are holding your anger inside you. I heard of a middle child that brings a knife to school so that others will fear that child. Some middle child just pushed themselves to do more. They didn’t want recognition but just wanted to prove to themselves that they are just as special. Of course some parents always say “That will never happen in my family,” but the fact is, you can’t stop it. It just happens. It doesn’t matter who your parents are, you always feel like you live in your older or younger sibling’s shadow. There’s nothing you can do to get out of it, because they’ll always be better than you, especially in your parents’ eyes. The “Middle Child Syndrome” is inevitable.
Well, God think otherwise. You must thank God that there is a God. Actually after this sermon, you will be grateful you are a middle child; or a second child. Before I go into further details, this message is not to belittle the first child or the younger children. Only that in this sharing, God has a special purpose for the middle child and God wants to reveal an important principle. I share this message because I heard a testimony in my cell group and also in my family I am the second son of my parents. I experience this truth in my life when it comes to God. As a second child I was the first to come to know Jesus Christ. There is nothing wrong with my elder brother. Pastor Lily can testify that my brother is a real good fellow and a good Christian. But the truth of the matter is that I cannot deny God working out the principle of the Second in my life.
The passages that that the Bible presented here, revealed a principle of God. We may call this the principle of the Second, or the Law of the Second. But I would like to title it, ‘The Power of the Second’. What can we learn from these passages of scriptures?
1. God always chooses the Second
In the scriptures, I often wondered why is it that God seem always to choose the second person. I mean that is in total contrast to this middle child syndrome that is propagated by Psychoanalyst. It is true. The first is of the earth; the second is of heaven. Wow, the first is earthly, the second is heavenly. The first is natural, while the second is spiritual. Do you know what it means? The second will be spiritual while the first is normal, earthly.
Let’s look at the examples in the bible. Ishmael is the elder son, yet God chooses Isaac, the younger son. From Ishmael comes the Muslim world. Yet the bible tells me that from Isaac comes the Jewish world. I know the final outcome between the Muslim World and the Jewish world. It doesn’t look like it right now. But it will be one day. Esau is the elder son, yet God chooses Jacob the younger brother. It is a strong statement: Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. Esau the first born is the son of the flesh. Actually Esau is such an accurate description of the principle of God when choosing the second over the first. Because the first born, which is Esau, is carnal, fleshly, earthly, natural. Whereas the second is Jacob who has spiritual inclination. He loves God. Later on, we learn that though Ephraim is the second son while Manasseh is the firstborn, God nevertheless chooses Ephraim. Actually you seldom hear about Manasseh after his birth. But Ephraim has constantly been mentioned and became synonymous with the ten Northern tribes of Israel. Joseph the father wasn’t happy about it but Jacob says, ‘I know it, my son, I know it; he (the firstborn Manasseh) shall also become a people, and he also shall be great: howbeit his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.’ Moses the ‘second son’ of blessing became the deliverer of Israel whereas Aaron the first born is of the flesh. Bathsheba gave birth to two children, but God smote the first child while he loved the second child Solomon. He loved Solomon so much that He sent the prophet Nathan to give another name to him, the name Jedidiah – which means ‘beloved of the Lord’ and from this child our Lord came from this very root.
The record of the Bible is never casually set down. The way it is recorded indicates a vital principle. Though such a principle may not be universally recognized, we are nonetheless sure that God never does anything arbitrarily. Once, twice, and many times over He does something in a particular manner in order to show us where His way lies. He always chooses the second. I look at my own life. There are 10 members in my family; four sisters and four brothers and my parents. I am the second son in my family. Then one day, because I did badly in my first paper for Mathematics, I went to church; a catholic church to be more specific and prayed to God to help my second paper for Mathematics. God did not just help me in my second paper for mathematics; he took control of my life. He sent someone to share the Gospel to me in the next 2 months and later another brought me to church. From there I became the first in my entire family to receive Christ and shared the Gospel to most of my brothers and sisters. Sounds coincidental? I don’t think so. God always chooses the second.
2. The Second will rule
Ecclesiastes 4:15 says, ‘I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.’ ‘With the second child that shall stand up’ means that the second child shall arise to reign. This child may be understood to be of the King’s child, or son and heir, call second in respect to his father, whose successor he is. ‘With the second child’ also means that the people, subjects, follow, favor, and worship him, as the rising sun, upon which the eyes and hopes of most people are fixed upon. On the surface of it, this verse seems such an insignificant little thing; nevertheless, it has the power to stand on the path of understanding God’s knowledge. Of course the child refers to Jesus Christ who shall arise in the Second Coming to reign. The first Adam is a living soul and he failed. The second Adam, which is Jesus, is the life giving spirit and he will rule. People, subjects will follow him, look at him with favor and worship him, as the rising sun upon which the eyes and hopes of most people are fixed upon. Well Jesus surely will reign forever, being King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Apart from Jesus Christ, Abraham is probably the most important person in the Bible. Abraham is a giant in scripture. His stature is far greater than that of Moses, David of Paul. These latter three were great men, and God used them in great ways, even giving portions of the Scriptures to us through them. But each one of them would have agreed without qualification that Abraham was far greater than them. Abraham had two brothers, Haran and Nahor. So there are three in the family. Haran was the ‘first born’ and the reason for this assumption being, Terah lamented greatly over Haran’s death and left the Ur of the Chaldees to escape the associations of that death, going out with his family. It is a tragedy in the family if a child dies before the parent and Haran the firstborn died ahead of his father Terah. Haran was much older than Abraham and Nahor. He actually built a city called the city of Haran. But he died. Haran left a son, Lot and two daughters. The historian Josephus states that the two daughters are Sarai and Milchah. Nahor married Milchah while Abram married Sarai. I know that there are some discrepancies on whether Sarai was Haran’s daughter but Josephus being a famous historian has his reasons for stating his opinion. My personal opinion upon this matter was that Abraham was indeed Terah’s second child. Abraham’s brother Nahor settled completely it seems in the city of Haran, Mesopotamia perhaps inheriting his brother Haran’s possessions of the ‘birthright’. These possessions would not have gone to Abraham as the ‘second son’ because God had ‘earmarked’ Abraham ‘twice’ to call him away from these material gifts. He has been set apart instead of the first born. Today Abraham has become the father of many nations and his descendants like the sand of the seas and the stars of heaven. That is ruling.
The last examples is David, The first king, Saul is rejected by God, but David, who was the second king, is chosen by God for He declares that David is a man after His own heart. Saul the first born was always disobedient, presumptuous and rebellious. He always does things contrary to what God has instructed clearly to him. David on the other hand, is soft toward God, humble and in repentance when he was wrong. In the 1000 years millennium, after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, God has given David the greatest honor among all the kings of the earth to be the King of Israel, Jerusalem when Jesus comes to set up his kingdom on earth. That is ruling.
History is filled with Jewish suffering caused by the descendants of the firstborn sons. Cain, Ishmael, Esau, King Saul and so on. Persecutions, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the pogroms, and the Holocaust were all birthed in the spiteful hearts of Ishmael and Esau. Today’s conflict in the Middle East is still the fruit of sibling rivalry. But the second born sons became the Patriarchs. They were imperfect; they made mistakes, but they pleased God by their faith and obedience to Him. God told us their stories as examples of how He wants us to live. As Abraham’s descendants, Israel was the first group of people chosen by God to carry out His plans. Gentile believers in Yeshua could be called the second born (after the Jew) who inherited the promises of God today. One day, we Gentile will return to rule the earth together with Jesus Christ when he set up his kingdom on earth.
3. The First is Natural; the Second Spiritual
Why is it that God rejects the elder and accepts the younger? Why does He hate the first one and love the second one? This can be seen in the example of Esau and Jacob; Saul and David, Adam and Jesus (the second Adam).
The choice of the second child is known as the second alternative in biblical scripture. It is the basis of God’s clever handiwork in hiding the secrets of truth, so that we might desire to work hard and seek it out.
The tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil (not that it is evil in itself but that humans are unable to handle it) sees its hope in the second tree; the tree of life. The tree of Life, represented by Jesus Christ will one day, removes all the evils and curses as the result of the first tree. When the tree of the knowledge of good and evil failed, God see the tree of life as the second alternative. When the first Adam fell, God has a second alternative, by sending his Son, Jesus Christ to bring about the plan of God for Man.
Cain was the first born of men, inheriting that birthright as the ‘first born’. But he is fleshly, natural. The second son of God, Abel was given heavenly blessings. Cain killed Abel (The devil killed Jesus) and so Seth, took the place of the second child Abel. At the birth of Seth, the spiritual, man began to call upon the name of the Lord. The second is always spiritual.
The choice of the second child is also known as the God of Second Chance. I see in the court of Law that once you commit a crime, you have to pay for it. You are never given a second chance. Mankind need second chance. We all need second chance. I need a second chance. If I am not given second chances in my life, I think I will be a total failure in life. That is why we have the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The Old Covenant is about Law and the New Covalent is on Grace. Grace is all about second chance. The second covenant is better.
A couple had a son by the name of Paul. Paul was adventurous and always pushing the limits. The dad tried many approaches in disciplining him, including the discussion methods. The discussion method is where you resist blowing your top or using physical harm in favor of discussing the problem and find a solution. One day Paul was guilty of breaking an important rule, which was riding his bike in a dangerous location after the dad had specifically told him not to do this very thing. In Paul’s room the parents sat him down reviewing the events and decided together what should be done. The dad said to him, ‘Well Paul, if you were me here, if you were the dad, what would you do in this situation?’ He answered, ‘If I were you, I’ve give you a second chance.’ This little boy understood something that the dad, in his anger and frustration, had completely forgotten. As far as the dad was concerned, there was only one course to follow and that was punishment. Their discussion method was merely an effort to decide just how much punishment would be administered. Paul reminded us that there was one other choice (one more favorable to him) and that was forgiveness in the form of a second chance. This reminds us of our heavenly father’s character. When I read about God’s dealing with his children, I realize that he is the God of second chances.
In the Old Testament, there is no clearer example of a person receiving a second chance than David, the king of Israel. In 2 Samuel 11 we read of David’s great sin with Bathsheba The armies were away fighting and David was in his palace and saw a woman bathing. He lusted after her and seduced her even while knowing that she was one of his commander’s wives. She became pregnant and to hide the sin, he brought the husband back hoping he would sleep with his wife and cover up the pregnancy. The plan failed and David had him killed in the battlefield. Being confronted by Nathan the prophet, David responded to God by acknowledging his sins and regretting his actions. He said this in Psalms 51, ‘Again thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou might be justified when thou judgest.’ He mourned deeply when the baby was born sick, asking God to spare his life but the child died anyway. But then, we see how the God of second chances dealt with David. David was allowed to start anew with Bathsheba. And they had the second child who was named Solomon. The first child died but now the Lord loved Solomon (the second child), whose name comes from the root word ‘Shalom’, meaning ‘peace’. And Jehovah told Nathan to call this second child Jedidiah, meaning the ‘beloved of the Lord’. When God forgives you, he loved you in such a way as if you have never sinned. We know that at our born again experience. Solomon did become the successor of David, in the midst of numerous children of David.
Another example of this aspect of God’s character is seen in John 8:3 where Jesus comes face to face with a woman accused of adultery. Some say that this was a trap and the woman who was having an affair was set up so she could be caught in the act with witnesses so there would be no doubt as to her guilt. The law did specify that punishment for this kind of offense which was death by stoning. Jesus, who knows the truth about her, knows her life, her secrets and her failures, gives her a second chance. That is what God will do for you. He knows the truth about you, knows your life, your secrets and your failure and he wants to give you a second chance. For the woman this sin was known, this sin came crashing down on her with all the humiliation, life destroying, ego crushing force that sin can cause. She was caught, she was going to pay and what did Jesus do? He saves her from the mob. Jesus open up another option for the guilty –forgiveness and the possibility of a second chance in life. Brothers and Sisters, Jesus is opening up the possibility of a second chance in life where all the traditions and teaching, laws of the earthling don’t give you a second chance.
Lastly the choice of the second is because only the second is spiritual. Why is it that God rejects the elder and accepts the younger? Why He hates the first one and love the second one? In Exodus God command all the children of Israel to put blood on the two side posts and on the lintel of their doors for the sake of the firstborn? Why were the firstborn exposed to danger, but the second born were not? Why in the Bible must all the firstborn of the herds and the flocks be redeemed, otherwise they would have their necks broken (meaning death)? Why is God especially displeased with the firstborn? We know the record of the Bible is never casually set down. The way it is recorded indicates a most vital principle. 1 Corinthians 15:6 says, ‘Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual. The first is natural and not spiritual. The natural body comes first, and then comes the spiritual body. Look at us. We were born in our mother’s womb; the natural body. Then we are born again of the spirit. We are only spiritual after the second birth (the second again). That is born of the flesh is flesh. He who is born once cannot see the kingdom of God and is reckon as useless. Last night while in the midst of touching up my sermon, Pastor Lily suddenly has an urge to make salad. Well being a good husband as I am, I went with her to the supermarket to get all the ingredients for salad. While in the supermarket, there was a music playing the song ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, Worship His Holy Name.’ Wow it was soothing. Then I asked, are the owners of the supermarket Christian now that they played Christian music and such soothing music. O they have done a lot of good in the sense that they employed the mentally retarded. Is God pleased with it? I tell you no. I explain why.
Whatever is born of the flesh (we are all born of the flesh) is endowed naturally – belongs to the first; not just sins but all that you inherit from your parents; such as affection, talent, cleverness, gentleness, humbleness, love, peace, determination and patience. No matter how lovely it is viewed in human eyes is flesh. To put it correctly, it is carnal, not acceptable by God.
Only that which is born again of the Spirit that comes from believing in the Lord Jesus, from trusting in God, from appropriating through the Holy Spirit is acceptable and pleasing to God. I put it clearly. God never looks at the endowment which we received naturally but at the source of those good works. What is the source of your good works? Whatever you are doing right now; where is its source? Is it the result of the natural endowment you receive in our first birth or the source is from God? From where your zeal actually originate? I remember when I first got born again. I have tremendous zeal and faith. It was that zeal that caused me to witness to friends and members in my family. It was that zeal that causes me to love the church, the ministry and the works of God. Was I endowed with this zeal from my parents? No. It came from God. The source came from God. I have tremendous faith. I had faith to go through the army training. Again was this faith from my parents’ natural endowment. No. It came from God. The source is from God. What am I trying to say? What is the underlying principle in asking such questions? It revolves, quite plainly around this issue of the first or the second. God always rejects the first but approves the second. For instance, a preacher that speaks boldly and works actively. God wants to know if these qualities come from the first or the second. The natural resources of the first cannot supply spiritual needs. Are there changes in our lives since we believed? That which is spiritual is only possible through being born again. That is why Jesus says, ‘You must be born again.’
Giving the example of the power of the second, God is telling a very important principle. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. When you are born in your mother’s womb and inherited all the attributes and qualities which seemingly are good to many others is flesh. Only that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. He implies that being born once is not good enough. God rejects the first. God hates the first. He that is born only once cannot see the kingdom of God and is reckoned as useless – yes all your good qualities you inherited from your parents in the first birth is useless. That is what Paul meant by ‘in me dwelleth no good things’. ‘All my righteousness is like filthy rags.’
All I inherited from my parents such as affection, talent, cleverness, gentleness, humbleness, love, peace, determination and patience no matter love lovely it is viewed in human eyes is flesh.
One of the things I learned as a Christian is that after going through all that is in life, no matter what I have achieved, no matter who I am, all my righteousness is as filthy rags. That is what God meant. I have to acknowledge that only what comes from believing in the Lord Jesus, from trusting God, from appropriating through the Holy Spirit is acceptable and pleasing to God.
Therefore I speak to many of you here. Maybe you have been in this church for a long time. You think you have changed a lot by your own strength and you think you pleased God. You think even by going to church service, and with all the natural endowment you are alright. No, what you naturally possesses and learns is hopeless and useless before God. Let me tell you, they are flesh. The first matter of importance is for you to be born again.
Christian must learn how to distinguish between the first and the second between what is given to us by our parents and what is given to us by God through the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately many believers do not have this clear understanding. They are unable to differentiate the first from the second, unable to discern what comes from the first and what comes from the second. They assume that as long as they are zealous and patient, as long as their speech is proper and their prayer is good, that their lives and works will be acceptable. God never looks at the good works per se. He only looks at the source of those good works. What is the source of your good works? He asks where that goodness comes from. Look at Cain, Esau and Saul. Their source has never been from God. They will always and are naturally carnal, rebellious, and disobedient because they don’t have an encounter with God. To put it in today’s term. They are never born again and therefore their sources has never comes from the Holy Spirit. Does it come from yourself or from the Holy Spirit? From where does your zeal for good works originate from? From your self or from the Holy Spirit. What is the underlying principle in asking such questions? It revolves, quite plainly around this issue of the first or the second. God always rejects the first but approves the second.
