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Reuben |
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Parents are usually the best judges of their children’s character.
Jacob summarized the personality of his son Reuben by comparing him to
water. Except when frozen, water has no stable shape of its own. It always
shapes itself to its container or environment. Reuben usually had good
intentions, but he seemed unable to stand against a crowd. His instability
made him hard to trust. He had both private and public values, but these
contradicted each other. He went along with his brothers in their action
against Joseph while hoping to counteract the evil in private. The plan
failed. Compromise has a way of destroying convictions. Without
convictions, lack of direction will destroy life. Reuben’s sleeping with
one of his father’s wives showed how little he had left of the integrity
he had displayed earlier in life.
How consistent are your public and private lives? We may want to think they are separate, but we can’t deny that they affect each other. What convictions are present in your life at all times? How closely does Jacob’s description of his son—"unruly as the waves of the sea"—describe your life? 1- Strengths and accomplishments
2- Weaknesses and mistakes
3- Lessons from his life
4- Vital statistics
5- Key verses "Reuben, you are my oldest son, the child of my vigorous youth. You are first on the list in rank and honor. But you are as unruly as the waves of the sea, and you will be first no longer. For you slept with one of my wives; you dishonored me in my own bed" (Genesis 49:3, 4). Reuben’s story is told in Genesis 29—50.
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Reuben The firstborn of Jacob and of Leah, and head of one of the twelve tribes. The territory they possessed also bears his name. He saved the life of Joseph when his brothers thought to kill him, and when they went to buy corn in Egypt, he offered to be responsible for Benjamin’s safety. Jacob, when blessing his sons, said, "Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it." #Ge 49:3,4. This speaks of failure in the firstborn, and implies loss of his birthright. (Joseph, type of Christ separated from His brethren, had the birthright.) Moses, when he blessed the tribes (shewing more their relationship with God according to His government) said, "Let Reuben live, and not die: and let not his men be few." #De 33:6. Reuben entered Egypt with his four sons, Hanoch, Phallu, Hezron, and Carmi. #Ge 46:9. At the Exodus the tribe numbered 46,500 men fit to go to war; and at the close of the wanderings they had decreased to 43,730. At their request, Reuben had their possession on the east of the Jordan, because it was ‘a place for cattle.’ It extended northward from the river Arnon about 25 miles, where it joined the possession of Gad. The Reubenites do not appear to have taken any prominent part in the struggles under the Judges; they had ‘great thoughts of heart,’ but remained with their flocks. #Jud 5:15,16. They made inroads upon the Bedouin tribes: being on the border of the wilderness doubtless this was unavoidable if they were to live in peace and safety. #1Ch 5:9,10,18; &c. The Reubenites, with the others on the east of the Jordan, went after the gods of the heathen, and Jehovah cut them short by Hazael, king of Syria. #2Ki 10:32,33. Afterwards by Pul and Tiglath-pileser they were carried away captive unto Halah, Habor, Hara, and to the river Gozan. #1Ch 5:26. The east of the Jordan was a place of danger. Remaining there was a type of a Christian stopping short of the place of nearness God has given him—not realising his death and resurrection with Christ, and his true place in the heavenlies. |