July 19, 2023

Oh, what a tangled web we weave! Back in Genesis 35, Ruben, Jacob's oldest son by Leah, slept with his father's concubine wife Bilhah, and he found out about it. We are in Genesis 37, and the brothers are irritated by Joseph, Jacob's favorite son. They already hated him, but when he told them his prophetic dreams of his brother bowing down to him, they hated him even more. Joseph was sent to the field to check on them. They saw him coming and devised a plan to kill him. Ruben stepped in and didn't allow them to kill him. They threw him in a pit and then sold him to some merchants heading to Egypt. I thought it was noble that Ruben saved him, but as a human, I don't see things the way God sees them. I thought his actions might have covered his sin of sleeping with his dad's wife. Jumping ahead to Genesis 46, when it came time for Joseph to bless Ruben when he was near his death and make him the head of the family, he overlooked him and blessed Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. This scenario shows that no amount of good can overcome sin, even saving someone's life. You would think what he did would go a long way and help him, but in his dad's eyes, he was still abhorrent. Only Jesus can cover our sins. It doesn't work to try and cover your evil action with good; God saw what you did. Aren't you grateful for what Jesus has done for us?  

And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. Genesis 37:21

And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place.And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. Genesis 48:9