The Plaut commentary on Parashat Bo suggests that the slaying of the first-born of the Egyptians and the sparing of the first-born of the Israelites sets up the tradition of primogeniture, and that that tradition is at odds with the frequency with which, in the Torah, God prefers a younger sibling to carry out His plan.
I'm not so sure the two are in direct opposition; Egypt mourned deeply but survives to this day. It seems to me that the Torah shows that primogeniture is often not the best determinant of merit.
(Spoken as an only child, mind you.)
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