The Last Shall Be First

The book of Genesis weaves a compelling tapestry of human ambition, divine promises, and startling reversals, with sibling rivalry emerging as a central theme that illuminates God’s sovereign choices. Through narratives like Cain and Abel (Gen 4:1-16), Ishmael and Isaac (Gen 16:1-4, 17:18-21, 21:1-14), Jacob and Esau (Gen 25:22-26, 27:1-40), Perez and Zerah (Gen 38:27-30), Joseph and his brothers (Gen 37:1-11, 39-50), and Manasseh and Ephraim (Gen 48:8-20), Genesis explores the struggle for birthright, divine favor, or covenant leadership.

These stories consistently challenge primogeniture—the ancient cultural norm where the firstborn son inherits the family’s wealth, title, and authority, leaving younger siblings with diminished prospects. By repeatedly elevating the younger or less-favored sibling, Genesis reveals a divine pattern that subverts human expectations, affirming God’s authority to choose the unlikely to fulfill His promises. For those feeling overlooked or marginalized, these accounts offer profound hope: God sees potential where humanity sees weakness, transforming the “last” into the “first” to accomplish His redemptive purposes.

Cain and Abel

The rivalry between Cain and Abel sets a dramatic foundation for this motif. Cain, the elder, and Abel, the younger, present offerings to God, but only Abel’s sacrifice finds favor, while Cain’s is rejected (Gen 4:4-5). The text remains silent on why God prefers Abel’s offering, cloaking the decision in mystery and emphasizing divine prerogative. Cain’s jealousy festers into murderous rage, ending Abel’s life in a tragic clash not over inheritance but over God’s approval. Abel, the younger, is exalted in God’s eyes, while Cain’s status as firstborn proves irrelevant.

Ishmael and Isaac

The narrative of Ishmael and Isaac further illustrates God’s rejection of primogeniture. Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn through Hagar, holds the natural claim as the elder son (Gen 16:1-4). Yet God designates Isaac, born later to Sarah, as the heir of the covenant, declaring, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named” (Gen 17:21). The expulsion of Ishmael and Hagar (Gen 21:1-14) is harsh by human standards, but it solidifies God’s choice by prioritizing divine promise over cultural norms. Isaac’s elevation as the younger son mirrors Abel’s favor, reinforcing the pattern of God choosing the unexpected to advance His plan.

Esau and Jacob

The story of Jacob and Esau brings the theme of reversal into sharp focus, rich with tension and human complexity. Even before birth, the twins struggle in Rebekah’s womb, prompting her to seek God’s guidance. The oracle she receives is cryptic: “Two nations are in your womb… one will be stronger than the other” (Gen 25:23). The Hebrew text is ambiguous, leaving it unclear whether the “abundant one” serves the “young one” or vice versa, adding layers to Rebekah’s later actions. Esau is born first, but Jacob, grasping his brother’s heel, earns his name (Ya’akov, from “heel”). Years later, Jacob exploits Esau’s hunger, trading a bowl of red lentil stew for the birthright (Gen 25:29-34). Esau’s impulsive trade is compounded by his marriages to Hittite women, which distress Isaac and Rebekah (Gen 26:34-35), raising fears about his suitability to lead their covenant family. Although Jacob is not without faults, he later deceives Isaac to obtain the firstborn’s blessing (Gen 27:1-40), which represents a material blessing of prosperity and authority. Yet Isaac always intended the covenant blessing of Abraham—promising land and descendants—for Jacob (Gen 28:3-4), confirmed by God in Jacob’s dream of the heavenly stairway (Gen 28:13-14).

Zerah and Perez

The brief but vivid story of Perez and Zerah echoes this pattern in a single, dramatic moment. As Tamar labors, Zerah extends his hand, marked with a scarlet thread to signify firstborn status (Gen 38:27-30). Yet Perez emerges first, claiming precedence. Divine will renders the scarlet thread, a human attempt to define priority, irrelevant, akin to Jacob supplanting Esau. Perez’s unexpected rise carries weight as an ancestor of David (Ruth 4:18-22), tying this reversal to God’s broader covenant plan.

Brothers and Joseph

Joseph’s narrative expands the motif to a broader sibling dynamic. As one of Jacob’s younger sons, Joseph receives divine favor through dreams predicting his dominance (Gen 37:5-11). His brothers, envious of their father’s affection and Joseph’s visions, betray him, selling him into slavery. Yet God orchestrates Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt, where his brothers eventually bow before him (Gen 50:18), fulfilling his dreams. Unlike Esau’s shortsighted trade, Joseph’s perseverance aligns with divine providence, enabling him to save his family from famine. Reuben, the firstborn, fades into obscurity, while Joseph’s elevation underscores God’s pattern of favoring the unlikely.

Ephraim and Manasseh

The blessing of Manasseh and Ephraim provides a final, symbolic iteration of the motif in the Book of Genesis. When Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons, he crosses his hands, giving the greater blessing to Ephraim, the younger, over Manasseh (Gen 48:8-20). Joseph protests—“Not this way, my father!”—but Jacob’s deliberate act reinforces God’s prerogative. The crossed hands, like Jacob’s heel-grasping or Zerah’s scarlet thread, symbolize divine reversal, tying this story to the broader pattern.

God’s People

This theme of reversal extends beyond individuals to God’s chosen communities. In Deuteronomy 7:7-8, God selects Israel not for their power but because they are “the fewest of all peoples,” whom He loves in order to fulfill His covenant with Abraham. This mirrors the younger siblings’ rise in Genesis, as Israel embodies the “last” made “first.” In the New Testament, Paul describes the Corinthian church as “not many wise, not many mighty” (1 Cor 1:26-29), yet chosen to shame the strong. Like Jacob or Joseph, these communities reflect God’s preference for the overlooked, showing His pattern of reversal shapes not just individuals but entire peoples, offering hope to those who feel insignificant.

The Ultimate Reversal

The motif of divine reversal finds its pinnacle in Jesus Christ. Born in humble Bethlehem, He is no worldly conqueror (Mic 5:2). Scorned and crucified, He is the “stone the builders rejected” (Psa 118:22; 1 Pet 2:6-7), yet His resurrection makes Him the cornerstone of God’s kingdom. His life and death embody the “last” becoming “first,” echoing the Genesis pattern and offering salvation to all. In Matthew 20:16 we read about Jesus’ famous saying: “So the last shall be first, and the first last.” This verse comes from the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16), where Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of Heaven. The parable shows that the least significant or latest may be exalted, while the prominent or earliest may be humbled.

Conclusion

The sibling rivalries in Genesis—Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Jacob and Esau, Perez and Zerah, Joseph and his brothers, and Ephraim and Manasseh—reveal a profound theological truth: God’s sovereign choice often overturns human expectations. Time and again, Genesis subverts the cultural norm of primogeniture, elevating the younger, the overlooked, or the unlikely to fulfill His redemptive purposes.

These narratives are not merely ancient family disputes but divine object lessons. Abel’s favor, Isaac’s election, Jacob’s blessing, Perez’s breach, Joseph’s exaltation, and Ephraim’s precedence all point to a recurring pattern—God delights in choosing the weak to shame the strong (1 Cor. 1:27). This theme extends beyond Genesis, finding echoes in Moses over Aaron, David over his brothers, Israel among the nations, and ultimately in Christ, the rejected Stone who became the Cornerstone.

For those who feel marginalized or inadequate, Genesis offers a message of hope: God’s ways are not ours. He does not measure worth by birth order, human merit, or societal status. His choices are rooted in grace, His purposes in redemption. Whether in the impulsive folly of Esau, the patient endurance of Joseph, or the crossed hands of Jacob, we see that God writes His story through the unexpected.

The ultimate reversal is Christ—the despised and crucified who became the exalted King. In Him, the last are made first, the humble are lifted, and the overlooked are called. Genesis invites us to trust a God who specializes in surprising reversals, turning human weakness into divine triumph. Hold fast to His promises, for He is faithful to fulfill them—often in ways we least expect.