“[21] Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

[22] While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it.”

What a dreadful, weighty, and honestly shocking moment we find here mentioned in verse 22. And it’s just kinda mentioned in passing, isn’t it?

We don’t know how long they lived in the land beyond the tower of Eder. But while they lived in that land, Reuben went and laid with Bilhah, his father’s concubine.

In Genesis 29:29, we see Bilhah introduced for the first time. Laban gives her to Rachel as a servant, and later Rachel gives Bilhah to Jacob as a wife or concubine.

Through Bilhah, Jacob has two sons: Dan and Naphtali. And now Reuben, Jacob’s son, went and laid with her, his stepmother.

The act of laying with a woman is a gift only to be enjoyed within the confines of marriage. It’s a private act to be enjoyed between a husband and a wife alone. Yet, here, Reuben has taken a gift that belonged to his father and sought to enjoy it for himself. This was a profound act of dishonor toward his father.

And some commentators have suggested that there may have been more going on here than simply sexual lust. Throughout the Old Testament, taking possession of a king’s or ruler’s concubines could function as a public declaration of authority.

We see something similar with Abner when he was accused of sleeping with Saul’s concubine in 2 Samuel 3. And we see something similar when Absalom publicly took David’s concubines in 2 Samuel 16.

Because of this, some believe that Reuben’s action are an attempt to assert his authority as Jacob’s firstborn, to reach for what belonged to his father.

The reality is, we don’t know Reuben’s motives. This could be an action driven by lust or it could be an action driven by thirst for power.

But, even though we don’t know his motives… we do know that Reuben took for himself what belonged exclusively to his father. And whether his motive was sexual desire, an attempt to assert authority, or some combination of the two, it was deeply selfish and dreadfully wicked. His actions were rooted in taking something that belonged exclusively to his father.

In a moment of great loss for Israel, Reuben went and laid with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. When Reuben should have been lamenting with his father or comforting his hurting family, he took from his father.

The Bible says to “weep with those who weep.” But, instead of weeping, Reuben chose to make a mockery of his hurting father.

And the text says that Israel heard of it. But, notice that it doesn’t appear that he does anything about it! There’s no confrontation. No immediate punishment. No recorded response.

Israel “heard of it…” and that’s it.

But, silence is not always equivalent to forgetfulness…

At this point in the text, it seems like Reuben might have gotten away with his actions. But, as we will see later in Genesis 49, Jacob will act accordingly. Years later, at the end of Jacob’s life, he calls his sons together to speak a blessing over them. And when he comes to Reuben, he says, “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. [4] 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!”

So, due to being the firstborn, preeminent in dignity and power, Reuben possessed a privilege that no one else possessed. Like Esau, he would have been the natural heir to the family birthright, the first in line to receive the blessing of his father. But, because he defiled his father’s bed, he would no longer be afforded these rights. He forfeited his preeminence.

Friends, listen.

Grace doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for our actions. All throughout the Bible, you will find men fall into sin and experience the consequences of their sin. You cannot carry fire next to your chest without your clothes being burned. You cannot walk on hot coals without your feet being scorched. In the same way, you cannot touch your neighbors wife and go unpunished. There are consequences for your actions.

So, as we continue to read, we then see the twelve sons of Jacob laid out for us. And then, almost quietly, the camera moves back to Isaac.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. [23] The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. [24] The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. [25] The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and Naphtali. [26] The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

[27] And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. [28] Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. [29] And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.”

There’s a always a sobering reality whenever we see a death recorded in the Bible.

Verse 29 says, “And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.”

Like just think about how monumental of a figure Isaac was in the story of Genesis. He was the child of promise. And for years, the story of Genesis anticipated his birth.

But, then it seems that his life played such a small role in Genesis whenever you compare it with Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph. A large portion of Isaac’s life seemed to be clouded by the life of his son, Jacob, And now it’s like the camera pans back over to Isaac as his life comes to a close.

And I think there is a sobering reminder for us here.

Life is quick, isn’t it? It’s short and fleeting. At some point your life will come to a close, just like Isaac’s. And, like with Isaac, you can play a meaningful role in advancing the kingdom of God while living in the shadows of others. You don’t have to have everyone looking at you to be relevant in the kingdom of God! You can live a meaningful life, even if your life is lived in someone else’s shadow.

You may never be the person everyone notices. You may never have the platform you hoped for. You may never have the ministry you dreamed about. You may never be the person people write books about. But that doesn’t mean your life is insignificant.

A life lived with an understanding that death is coming can lead to a life lived more fully in the present. Worship is heightened when we understand that we have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading kept in heaven for us. When we remember that this life is short, we stop living as though this life is all there is. We can begin to loosen our grip on temporary things because we know we have something eternal waiting for us! Therefore, we can rejoice in trials now knowing that one day the “tested genuineness of our faith may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ!”

GENESIS 36

Now, I’m not going to read all of Genesis 36. But, I’m going to hit a few cliff notes for us today. And before we hit those notes, let me set the stage with this.

One of the primary purposes of this chapter is to show, once again, the faithfulness of God. God keeps his word.

Go back to Genesis 25. Rebekah is pregnant with twins, and the two children struggle within her. She asks the LORD, “Why is this happening to me?” And God tells her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

So, before Esau was ever born, God had already told Rebekah that these two boys would become two nations. And now Genesis 36 gives us the descendants of Esau, showing us how he became a nation. God said Esau would become a nation, and Esau became a nation.

Even though Esau was not the covenant heir, God didn’t abandon his promise to Esau. God keeps His word.

In fact, if you were to look at verses 6-7, you’ll see that Esau became so prosperous that he and Jacob could no longer remain together— “Their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock.”

God had blessed both Jacob and Esau, fulfilling his promise to both.

Now, Esau’s descendants will be the Edomites. This will be a group of people that God’s people will encounter as enemies throughout the Bible. In Numbers 20, for example, as Israel is traveling toward the promised land, Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom, asking permission to pass through Edom on the King’s Highway. “But Edom said to him, ‘You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you.’”

Israel asked again, promising to stay on the King’s Highway, not taking any of Edom’s resources.

But, Edom still refused, saying, “You shall not pass through.’ And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.”

Because of their treatment against Israel, we will find later in the prophets (Obadiah), judgment promised to Edom. God will deal justly with rebellion against him and his people.

Now, if you were to skim through this chapter, you would notice that Esau acquires chiefs, kings, and nations. And notice that Jacob has non of those things at this point in time.

Jacob and his descendants will be sojourners. They will be waiting, wandering, living in tents, and looking forward to promises that have not yet been experienced.

So, if you were to look at the visible circumstances of Jacob and Esau at this point in time, you might think that Esau is better off than Jacob. But, maybe blessing and prosperity are not always synonymous?

We’re all tempted at times to measure God’s blessing by what we can see.

“My neighbor has a bigger house than I do. Maybe they’re better off than me?”

“My neighbor has a nicer car than I do. Maybe I’m doing something wrong?”

“My neighbor has the family I’ve always wanted. Maybe I’m in sin?”

But, having less than your neighbor doesn’t mean God has forgotten you. Genesis 36 reminds us that earthly prosperity is not a reliable measure of God’s covenant blessing. Esau had kings, while Jacob had tents. Esau has political power, but Jacob had a promise. Esau appears established, while Jacob appeared unsettled.

Church, following God may not always look prosperous. Maybe following God will sometimes feel like wandering. But, remember that the greatest blessing we could ever have is God himself. Better to be a sojourner with God than a king without Him. Better to have little with God than much without Him.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Reuben seemed to get away with his sin for a time, but Genesis 49 shows that his actions eventually had consequences. What does Reuben’s story teach us about the relationship between grace, forgiveness, and consequences?
Isaac’s death is recorded almost quietly in the middle of Jacob’s story. How should the hope of our eternal inheritance affect the way we respond to temporary suffering, possessions, success, and disappointment?
Genesis 36 demonstrates that God fulfilled what He had told Rebekah in Genesis 25: Esau became a nation. What does this chapter teach us about the faithfulness of God?
Esau had chiefs and kings long before Israel ever did. Why is it tempting to measure God’s blessing by visible prosperity?