Like Father Like Son
Genesis 35: 21 Then Israel journeyed
and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. 22 And
it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with
Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard about it.
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After arriving in Ephrath, Israel settled down in a
prominent place. After some time, perhaps years, Reuben, Israel’s oldest son,
slept with Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant and Israel’s concubine.
My Observations:
- Rachel’s
plan to have a child by her maidservant carried unintended baggage that
now came to fruition.
- Bilhah
must have been young when she gave birth to Dan and Naphtali.
- Bilhah
may have been one who believed in the power of household gods like Rachel.
No child came out of this incident, yet GOD felt it
necessary to include what happened. Reuben had at his choice, many women from
Shechem who were widows from Simeon and Levi’s rampage.
But Reuben chose Bilhah. She may have also chosen him,
thinking nothing is wrong with the relationship. The significance of Israel
hearing about it may have showed the strained relationship Reuben had with his
father. GOD still watched over this messy family.
Challenge
- Why
do you think GOD included the actions of Reuben in HIS dictation to Moses?
- Have
you ever done something intentionally wrong to get attention?
- Have
you considered another way that results in GOD being pleased with your
actions?
