Focus: Learn from Reuben’s story, while placing your hope and trust in Christ’s story.
Function: Reuben’s story drives us to put our hope and trust in God’s story of salvation and grace in Christ Jesus.
Text: Genesis 49:1-4
Coming up with a name for a child that you are expecting can be a daunting experience. Your spouse comes up with an exotic name, for example. You look at her and you say: “Nah, we can’t do that to our daughter. Her peers at school will make fun of her name.” Or your spouse comes up with a name that triggers a response like this: “Uh, uh, that name reminds me of a kid who was a jerk and bully. I won’t go for that name, honey.”
At one time in my 26 years of ministry I encountered a couple that could not decide on a name for their child until about two weeks after their child was born. Naming a child can be a daunting task for many. Rosanne and I gave our four children names that expressed our prayers and hopes for our children as their lives may unfold: Jessica: May she know the grace of God and be an instrument of grace. Her name means: “Gift of God.” Joy: May she know and spread the joy of the Lord. Elliot: May he live by the meaning of his name: “The Lord is my God.” And Eric: May he live by the meaning of his name: “The Lord is my strength.”
When Leah, the wife of Jacob, became pregnant and gave birth to Jacob’s firstborn son, she gave him the name “Reuben.” Now there’s a story.
Jacob’s first and greatest love is
Rachel, Leah’s sister. Jacob loves Rachel with an undying love. But Rachel’s
father thought it wise to deceive Jacob by giving him on his wedding day—not
Rachel, but Leah. We learn from Scripture that Leah was Laban’s older daughter.
“Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.” (Gen. 29:16,17).
So, through deception
by Laban, his father-in-law, Jacob ended up with two wives: Leah and Rachel.
And a great rivalry of envy existed between the sisters. Leah knew in her heart
that Jacob loved Rachel more than her. Jacob tolerated Leah’s existence and
lived with her as her husband, but he did not love her like he loved Rachel.
When God—in his mysterious design--opened Leah’s womb, Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son; and the Scripture says that “She named him Reuben, for she said, ‘It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.’” (Gen. 29:32). By naming her firstborn son “Reuben,” Leah expressed her hope and deepest longing that Reuben would be the cause or reason for Jacob to love Leah more than Rachel.
As the mother of Reuben Leah hoped that she now would receive pre-eminence (first place) in Jacob’s heart and household. Reuben was supposed to be the salve that would heal Leah’s wounded heart. Surely, Reuben would elevate Leah to a place of honor.
But anyone who knows the story of Jacob’s wives and children will know that Reuben could not achieve such a dream for his mother. In fact, no child should ever be saddled with such a burden. No child should ever be or become the cause of love in marriage. Children should never be expected to generate love between a husband and wife. Children are the fruit of love between a husband and wife. And the fruit of a healthy, love-strong marriage can never be the root of love in marriage; Children should be the fruit of love—not the root.
“See, a son, Reuben!” exclaimed Leah. Her cry of excitement hailed the beginning of an ambiguous life, filled with dashed hopes and lots of grief for Jacob and the people of God.
Congregation, learn from Reuben’s story and place your hope and trust in God’s story of grace and salvation through Christ, God’s Son.
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Now in this final scene of Jacob on his deathbed, we note that Jacob calls for his 12 sons to gather around his bed. And Jacob says to his sons: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.” In other words, Jacob assumes the role of a prophet. He does so under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which becomes clear when you note the reference to Jacob’s covenantal, new name—Israel. It is God who speaks to Jacob’s sons. Listen: “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.”
When Jacob, however, speaks with prophetic foresight about things to come, Jacob is not afraid to look into the past. Jacob knows that God’s way forward with his people Israel is through the past. The past shapes the future. In Jacob’s words to his 12 sons, then, we see silver-lined clouds of blessings but we also hear the rumblings of reproaches and warnings. It is not all roses that are being forecasted by Jacob.
Listen to
Jacob’s words for Reuben, his firstborn son: “Reuben, you are my
firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor,
excelling in power.” Now embedded in these words, we observe Jacob’s
initial hopes and dreams for his first child. Reuben had it all: pre-eminence
as a firstborn son; honor and dignity were Reuben’s. But…but Reuben dashed his
father’s hopes and dreams. Listen: “Turbulent as the waters, you (Reuben)
will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and
defiled it.”
Earlier in the service, we read the story of Reuben, having sexual intercourse with Bilhah, the maidservant of Jacob’s beloved wife, Rachel. In his arrogance and pride, the firstborn son called Reuben assumed a place that did not belong to him. He disgraced his father by having a sexual relationship with Bilhah. The firstborn son of Leah mocked Rachel and Jacob by assuming a posture of disgrace. Reuben answered the call of lust and the flesh rather than the call of the Spirit. Reuben humiliated his father and caused him lots of grief.
Reuben’s rashness resembles turbulent waters—treacherous to navigate. Turbulent waters bring chaos and floods and death to people. We’ve seen that turbulence recently in Cedar Rapids and elsewhere in Iowa. Those floodwaters can be devastating. Reuben’s temperament is rash, focused on him, and geared to satisfy his own lust and drive for pleasure and comfort in life. And that’s why Jacob denied Reuben his firstborn right to a double-portion and blessing of Jacob.
Now speaking this way to Reuben, Jacob was not only looking back to the times of Reuben’s rashness. Jacob also looked forward. With the eyes of faith and inspired by God’s Spirit, Jacob also foresaw and foreshadowed the legislation that Moses’ law would bring to God’s people: No man would be allowed to sleep with his father’s wife. A father and son may not have relations with the same woman.
One of the
early church fathers, (Ambrose,
the bishop who taught and discipled St. Augustine), observed that Jacob
was not only looking back but also forward. In speaking thus, Jacob warned
God’s people against being stiff-necked, rash, and defiant to the Word and
Spirit of God. Jacob warns us today of Reuben’s rashness. As Ambrose observed
in one of his messages: “Israel itself was called the firstborn and said to
be stiff-necked, and of it Moses said, ‘You are a stiff-necked people’” (Ex. 33:3; p. 322).
We see this rashness of Reuben also
in the days of Jesus and the early Christian church. When Stephen defended
himself against the hostility of the Sanhedrin, he told them the grand story of
God’s workings all throughout the history of the house of Israel, leading up
all the way to the Israelites rejecting the Son of God. “You stiff-necked
people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers; You
always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not
persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous
One. And now you betrayed and murdered him—you who have received the law that
was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.” (Acts 7:51-54)
There is a streak of
Reuben’s rashness running throughout the history of God’s people, including the
church. The rashness centers on self-centered lust and a strong desire to go
our own ways. We must learn to listen to God’s Word; We must acknowledge our
place before God; we must listen to the call of God’s Spirit in our lives—lest
we should lose our inheritance, lest we miss God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Learn
from Reuben’s story and place your hope and trust in God’s story of salvation
and grace through Jesus Christ.
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The story of Reuben is part of the greater story of God’s dealings with his people throughout history. In rescuing a lost humanity and a creation in turmoil, God invested himself in our lives. He came to us with signs and wonders; he loved us with covenant promises and miraculous deliverances; he spoke to us through prophets and Law; he sent us his eternal Son, the Lord Jesus, who took on our flesh, our humanity. Jacob and Reuben are part of that story; so are you and I.
From Jacob’s pronouncement on his deathbed, I learn that our actions have consequences. Reuben’s rashness and defiant act of defiling Bilhah—his father’s concubine--led to Reuben losing his place of honor and pre-eminence. When you study Reuben’s relationship with his father, you’ll sense that he brought more grief than delight to Jacob. And when you study Reuben’s family tree—Reuben’s place in the life and history of God’s people—you’ll discover that Reuben never assumed a new place of honor.
However—and here is God’s grace made visible—Reuben never lost out on God’s forgiveness and saving grace.
The church of Christ is universal, spanning the ages, crossing the boundaries of tribes and nations. In the end, when Christ comes again to judge all people and to make all things new, there will be sons and daughters of Reuben—people who goofed and sinned and fell astray, but who are saved by the mercy and power of God’s Spirit and cleansed by the blood of Christ. And these sons and daughters of Reuben—some of them are our sons and daughters, and yes, some of us may see ourselves in Reuben—will be part of the welcome wagon.
You see, the tribe of Reuben is also found among God’s elect. Sealed by the Holy Spirit, washed in the blood of Christ, we discover them among God’s elect, God’s people, the holy church or nation that welcomes Jesus on that final Day of Judgment. In Revelation 7 we notice that the apostle John, in a vision, heard “the number of those who were sealed: 144.000 (the number of completion, the number that signifies countless people, a huge multitude) from all the tribes of Israel.” And among that number we find “from the tribe of Reuben 12,000.”
From Reuben’s story I learn that actions have consequences. From God’s great story of salvation in Christ Jesus, I learn that we should never give up hope for our sons and daughters and neighbors—who perhaps in this stage of their journey of life—are living with Reuben’s rashness, defying God’s call in their lives.
Keep praying for them. Keep modeling to them the life of faith and trust in Christ Jesus. And whenever you have the opportunity tell them the story of Reuben and the larger story of Christ.
May God give us courage, faith and tenacity to do what is right and pleasing in his sight. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.