Although Reuben’s name has been stuck in my head for ages, I have been pretty unmotivated recently. Also, I wasn’t sure what angle to take with this one. Reuben’s story is pretty straightforward, for those of us who know him, but then it occurred to me that maybe there is no angle. Maybe his story is exactly what it’s supposed to be. The story of a man who lacked discipline but had some sort of moral compass, just like most of us today. Maybe Reuben is the image of the Millennial Man without God. But let’s start at the beginning.
Reuben was the first child of Israel by Leah. He was the one who “vindicated” her and secured her place in Jacob’s house as his wife. He was evidence of her fruitfulness, even though she was unloved and quite literally, the spare wife. You see, Jacob loved Rachel, the beautiful one, and had had no intention of ending up with Leah, who the Bible describes as having “weak eyes”, whatever that means. As a bespectacled girl, I lean towards interpreting that to mean that she had poor sight, but that’s not a crime, and I find myself to be very sympathetic to her struggles. Regardless, I neither take from, nor add to the Word. But this isn’t about Leah, although her story is upcoming. Let’s get back to Reuben.
Like I said, Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah. And as firstborn, he had access to everything Jacob owned. He was the oldest, so he would have been in charge of almost everything as his father grew older, including taking care of his younger siblings. After his birth, the next time we hear about Reuben is in Gen. 30, where he was mentioned in passing as the one who found the mandrakes that Leah used to “rent” Jacob from Rachel for a night. Then in Gen. 35 when he mistook having access to everything his father owned as ownership and went to sleep with his father’s concubine Bilhah. The dynamics of this singular act are quite confusing to me and just don’t make sense. But maybe that’s just me, so I’ll explain it to you and let’s see what you think, alright?
Bilhah was Rachel’s maid, who she gave to Jacob in her desperation to have children and best her sister. Bilhah got pregnant, and had sons, as did Rachel eventually. But that means that at the time when Jacob had Bilhah in his bed, she was already of childbearing age. Fast forward to Reuben’s time. So you’re telling me that this boy went and slept with someone his mother’s age?? That’s even besides the fact that she’s was his step mother’s maid and his father’s concubine. I’m shocked. But realistically, am I? Isn’t that the very definition of our generation? Isn’t the “sugar mummy/daddy” thing celebrated in modern society? Isn’t disregard and disrespect for parent figures and parental authority being encouraged among children and young adults today?
Anyways, my own is that he was bold sha. You’re seriously going to play that type of rough play with a man that wrestles with spirit beings (Gen.32:24)? The same man that saw the Ladder to Heaven with angels ascending and descending (Gen. 28:12)? The same man that God Himself renamed (Gen. 35.10)? That man?? That’s the man you want to cross?? Omooooo, that’s all I can say. But for real, it was pure foolishness, for petty pleasure. But isn’t that how we are today?? Chasing after the petty pleasures of life against the will of the One who literally created us and everything we have?? We mistake our access to everything God created as ownership all the time, forgetting that stewards don’t own their masters properties, and sons inherit only after the father dies. In our case, that one won’t work because our Father never dies, but despite that, we have ACCESS. We just don’t understand how valuable that access is because we’re so focused on claiming ownership of amassing more than the next person. Beginning to feel uncomfortable yet?? Lol, there’s more in front.
After his horizontal bedroom Olympics, Reuben disappears again from our view until the brothers are ready to kill Joseph. But come to think about it, how annoying does your sibling have to be, and how jealous can you get, to get you to not only consider killing them, but also be ready and willing to?? This life sha. I would have just left the house for you and your father to be doing your love in Tokyo by yourselves. Anyways, they were really ready to dispatch the 17-year old thorn in their hides when big brother Reuben stepped in to downgrade the crime from 1st degree manslaughter to abandonment, because he had a plan. However, you’ll find that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, especially when you’re dealing with youths. By the time Brother Reuben went and came back, the brothers of prophecy had already done their own. Work no pay, as Nigerians will say, because who actually sent them message?? Put the boy in the well, so that someone can see road to rescue him later, but nooo, those ones went to sell him into slavery. What was Reuben supposed to tell Jacob when they got home?? “Daddy, I thought you’d prefer money to dreams??” That’s how you know a group of people that don’t think, because when he asked them what he was supposed to do, they didn’t even consider coming clean to their father, instead they caused him extra pain with their lie.
Regardless, we don’t hear from Reuben again until they are all confronted with the guilt of their sin when they go to Egypt to buy grain and he reminds them of their guilt. But in that time, there is a subtle shift in the dynamics of the sons of Israel. Notice how Reuben and his acts had been briefly touched on, but the Bible focuses heavily on Joseph and his trials. However, there’s also a detailed story about Judah, the 4th son in Gen. 38. In fact, the entire chapter is about him. And from then on, he assumes a position of authority among them. Put a pin in that for now.
By the time the brothers are reunited with Joseph and the entire family moves to Egypt to settle, time passes and Jacob grows old. And eventually, they prepare for the blessings of Israel on his death bed. Well, blessings for some, not so much for others.
Reuben is completely disinherited, as are Simeon and Levi, the next two in line. While both are rebuked for their anger and scattered for their cruelty, Reuben is simply taken down from his post as heir. Surprising? Not in the least. His sin was laid before him. He defiled his father’s bed, and I’m not sure there was anything worse than that in those times, or even now. Remember, the Bible clearly says that Israel knew what Reuben had done (Gen. 35:22), but it didn’t say anything about his reaction. Not until he was about to die do we see the depth of his pain on the subject, we see how his son’s recklessness caused him grief. Jacob called Reuben his might, the beginning of his strength in one breath (Gen. 49:3) and revealed his demotion in the next. His actions had cost him dearly, because Israel had been incredibly wealthy and as first born, everything should have been his. It would have been, but that singular moment, that reckless decision, cost him everything. His place, his inheritance, his preeminence and his future. Instead, it all went to Judah.
As believers, Heaven is our inheritance as children of God. A life of purpose, spent walking in the will of God, that’s our place, and everlasting life is our future. It’s really that simple. Are our actions going to cost us our inheritance? Is recklessness also going to disinherit us? Note that under no circumstances am I claiming that our actions grant us everlasting life, the Bible is crystal clear on that; eternal life in Christ is a gift from God that comes when we accept and believe in Christ. However, what we do with this gift is of the utmost importance.
So sweetheart, what are you doing with your gift today?
…Greetings from the foot of the Cross,
Gabby.
