OCTOBER 28: BITTERNESS OF REUBEN

In a polygamous home, the older wives are considered as mothers to all the children while the younger wives compete to get the attention of their husbands. The children of such homes find themselves in the middle of battles they did not ask for; there is always one drama after another with some people ending up as casualties of the experiences.

Rueben was the first-born of Jacob. You will recall that Jacob served Laban for 7 years for Rachel and was short-changed with Leah. Rueben was Leah’s first child; Rachel was married to him after another 7 years. Leah’s handmaid was Zilpah, while Rachel’s handmaid was Bilhah; therefore, Jacob had 2 wives and 2 concubines.

Jacob and his family were sojourners. They settled at the Tower of Edar. During this period, Reuben slept with Bilhah, his father’s concubine after the death of Rachel. It was said that Reuben was jealous of Rachel and so did that to spite his father. When it was time for his father to bless his children, he cursed Reuben and gave his inheritance to the sons of Joseph.

His father referred to him in Gen 49:3-4 as His might and beginning of his strength, with excellence of dignity and power but yet, he was said to be Unstable as water. Reuben lost his birth right and his leadership position due to his instability. He was recognised as a man of dignity and power, yet his lack of discipline ruined everything. Our memory verse says in verse 8, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways”. Instability due to an inability to make right choices doomed Reuben and his descendants to obscurity in the things that matter.

The lesson in our study today is that immediate gratification will have a long-lasting effect of tragedy. The bitterness in the heart of Reuben drove him to an unbridled passion with Bilhah that was not worth the sorrow caused to Jacob, Reuben himself and his generation after him. Rape is a major crime now punishable by imprisonment. His character flaw being unstable made him not to control his emotions and he allowed bitterness to drive him to adultery. This trait marked Reuben and continued to characterize his descendants. May our weakness not stand as an obstacle to our blessings. We need to seek help to deal with emotional imbalances, unreasonable outrage, sexual immorality, recklessness in making choices. All of these are character flaws that can stand in our way of pleasing God.

Prayer: Father, I know that you created me and that you love me. Of myself, I cannot do the right thing; my personal limitations always come in the way. I ask that you help me to overcome my weaknesses so that I can stay strong in your word. Everything contending with God’s plan and purpose for me shall not stand in Jesus name. I declare that I shall not miss my inheritance in Christ Jesus, Amen