12 sons….Reuben…
….Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.
Genesis 35:22b-26
Year ago when my children were young and still at home, I read a book that was popular at the time by Dr. Kevin Leman about birth order…some of the ideas fit and some didn’t. My children, by God’s design, were 4 years apart. So in some instances, it felt like they were all first born. But in other areas, they followed the traits of their birth order pretty closely…
So with this in mind, and reading about Jacob and his 12 sons, the beginning of the 12 tribes of Israel, I thought it would be interesting to follow each son and their mention through the Bible…so beginning with Reuben, who was Jacob’s first born by Leah, his first wife…
“Firstborns bask in their parents' presence, which may explain why they sometimes act like mini-adults. They're also diligent and want to excel at everything they do. As the leader of the pack, firstborns often tend to be:
• Reliable
• Conscientious
• Structured
• Cautious
• Controlling
• Achievers”. From parents.com
Reuben =“Means "behold, a son" in Hebrew. “Son of vision” In the Old Testament “ behindthename.com
1. And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.”
Genesis 29:32
The next mention of Reuben..
2. In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.”
Genesis 30:14
I didn’t know what mandrakes were…
“Mandrakes have unusually large, forked roots that sometimes resemble a human body with open arms and legs. In the ancient world, mandrake roots were considered an aphrodisiac and were commonly prepared and eaten as a fertility drug. There are many references to mandrakes in folklore and superstitions in various cultures. Talked about in the Song of Solomon.
The one other biblical account to speak of mandrakes is found in Genesis 30. There, Jacob’s two wives, Rachel and Leah, vie for Jacob’s attention. Rachel wants a child, and Leah wants more children. Leah’s son Reuben finds some mandrakes in the field and gives them to his mother. Leah then trades the mandrakes to Rachel in exchange for the opportunity to sleep with Jacob that night (Genesis 30:14–16). Rachel, who was as yet childless, accepts the trade, believing that the mandrakes would help her conceive at a later time. Leah sleeps with Jacob that night and becomes pregnant with her fifth son (verse 17). “Gotquestions.org
3. While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard of it. Genesis 35:22. Reuben lost a blessing because of this act…
4. But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”— that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” Genesis 37:21-22,29-30….Reuben was the only brother who stood up for Joseph before he was sold into slavery…
Later, when Jacob’s sons went to Egypt, Reuben still must have felt the guilt and responsibility of Joseph’s earlier disappearance as he bargained with his own sons with Jacob to take Benjamin back to Egypt to Joseph..
5. And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”
Genesis 42:22,37
6. Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!
Genesis 49:3-4
He lost his blessing by his taking of Rachael’s servant…one author suggested he did it to show his retaliation for Joseph being a favorite son over Reuben’s firstborn status…
Going on, Reuben was mentioned 89 times in the Bible, from Genesis through the historical books, a bit in Ezekiel and lastly in Revelations.
In the travels through the wilderness with Moses, they
( the Reubenites) were placed on the south side of the camp and when traveling, they set out second after the tribe of Judah…
7. On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the chief of the people of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, All those listed of the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. They shall set out second.
Numbers 2:10,16
The Reubenites fought to take the promised land with the other tribes but asked to live in Gilead as they found the land more suitable for their abundance of livestock..
8. We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east.” So Moses said to them, “If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the Lord for the war, and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord, until he has driven out his enemies from before him and the land is subdued before the Lord; then after that you shall return and be free of obligation to the Lord and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord . Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead,
Numbers 32:18-22,26
“Following a similar trajectory to their namesake, the tribe of Reuben started off in a position of honor and strength, always listed first among the twelve tribes of Israel. But, just as Jacob prophesied, the tribe did not maintain an honored position as a consequence of Reuben's incestual relations with Bilhah. Moses had said of the tribe, "Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few" (Deuteronomy 33:6). No prominent leader of any kind emerged from the tribe of Reuben, and aside from being referenced in a list including the other tribes in Revelation 7:5, the tribe is not mentioned anywhere in the New Testament. “
From compellingtruth.com, Reuben in the Bible
It was interesting to follow Reuben….the take away for me…was a reminder of the verse…spoken by Moses to the tribes…it was in reference to tribes not going over the Jordan…
But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.
Numbers 32:23
But, because Reuben had taken Rachael’s servant, he lost a blessing…
God in just and forgiving, but, there may be long term consequences of our actions…which Reuben experienced….
Blessings and thank YOU…for lessons to be gleaned from Your Word…
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