THE TRIBE OF REUBEN

　

And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “Surely the LORD has looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.” Genesis 29.31-32

Reuben was Leah and Jacob’s first born son. Reuben means, “See, a son! A new beginning.” It comes from two Hebrew words:

raah…“to see, consider, to look, to make to enjoy, to have experience, to perceive, to present, to provide.”

Ben…“a son (as a builder of the family name), anointed one.” When studying Reuben it would be good to read Genesis chapters 27, 28, 29.1-32


INSIGHTS INTO REUBEN’S PERSONALITY1. Reuben’s tender conscience: Genesis 42.21-22

2. Reuben’s passion/radical guarantee: Genesis 42.36-37

3. Reuben’s rash decision making: Numbers 32.1-5

4. Reuben’s reluctance to pick a fight: Numbers 32.6-7


PROPHECIESThese prophecies to Judah and to all the tribes in Genesis 48 and 49 are key to understanding the Bible and the end of the age. When we come to a full understanding of the tribes it opens up the big picture of what God is doing through the events of mankind from the beginning until the end. In order to understand the end we must go back to the beginning! These prophecies have individual, tribal, and end time meanings that very few in the body of Christ understand. This study will try to answer many of these meanings. When waiting upon the Lord it is worthy of your time to ask Him to help you understand these things.

 
JACOB’S PROPHECY TO REUBEN“Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, principal in dignity, and the principal in power. Unstable as water, thou shalt not be principal because thou didst go up to thy father’s bed; then thou became defiled, going up to my couch.”
Genesis 49.3-4

　

“Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, principal in dignity, and the principal in power. The patriarch Jacob is remembering the strength of his youth. When he looks at Rueben he sees himself. Jacob was able to roll the stone off the well when Rachel came to water her sheep. He had the strength to wrestle with the angel at Peniel. His strength had gone into Reuben’s conception.

Reuben would become a headstrong individual. Once he made up his mind that’s what he was going to do. When the Reubenites saw the land east of the Jordan river was good for cattle they went to Moses and said that was the land they wanted. They weren’t going to wait to cross over Jordan--they wanted this land now! This was not the original land of Canaan which God had promised. In their impatience they did not enter into the full promises of God (Numbers 32).

We need to be careful what we ask of God because he will often give it to us. Afterwards we may experience a leanness in our soul and spirit as we are unfulfilled.


Unstable as water…Water takes on the shape of the vessel into which it is poured. It will adapt itself to any situation. It will always take the easiest route to get to where it is going. This is a good characteristic when led by the Spirit of God, but not so good when led by our own self will.

When Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him Reuben objected--just as the first born should have. Then he went somewhere and forgot about the issue. When he came back his brothers had already taken action. Reuben should have stayed focused on this issue and not allowed Joseph to have anything happen to him.

Reuben was ardent, impetuous, unbalanced, generous, and kindly. He was not cruel or malicious--he was a cattleman.

In the Bible we see that the tribe of Reuben has no great judges, heroes, prophets, warriors, or kings. They were peace loving ordinary people who hated to go forth to battle.


“…thou shalt not be principal because thou didst go up to thy father’s bed; then thou became defiled, going up to my couch.”
Reuben’s great sin was a shadow of his weakness:
And it came to pass when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Genesis 35.22

Rachel and Leah gave their handmaidens as concubines to Jacob in their competition to give him sons. This was the accepted social custom of that time. Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaiden, in this circumstance was like a mother to the sons of Jacob. She would have been called “mother” by all the sons. When Reuben committed this sin it was a very serious thing--even incestuous.

Bilhah means “fear, dread (of God), timidity, tenderness, modesty.” She was probably a very timid woman. Rachel most likely was a tough mistress who always gave Bilhah instructions in a bossy way. When Rachel died Bilhah was left alone with only her sons to comfort her. She had only known servitude all her life.

Reuben was about thirty years old when this happened. He saw her alone and took advantage of her. It was a reckless act of passion and showed a total lack of respect towards his father. He had usurped his fathers exclusive rights and privileges. This act would cause him to lose the blessing of the first born (1 Chronicles 5.1). He was not the leader as he should have been.

　

MOSES PROPHECY TO REUBEN
“Let Reuben live and not die, and let not his men be few.” Deuteronomy 33.6 
There is disagreement among Bible scholars as to the meaning of this scripture. The word “not” in this verse is added by the translators. Without that word the verse would read: “Let his men be few.” This sounds as though God wants to limit them in numbers.

The Hebrew word for “men” in this verse is a seldom used word, math, which means, “an adult of full stature, the tall ones, the grown ones, the mature ones.”

The Hebrew word for “few” means, “not only few, but numbered, a certain number.”

When we look at Revelation 7 we see that Reuben had twelve thousand sealed along with the other tribes. Since this verse is talking about the 144,000 who are sealed at the end of the age we can interpret this verse in Deuteronomy as: “Let his matured ones be numbered or marked.” This is a much better and more meaningful way to look at the prophecy.

Reuben is impulsive and quick to act but God is loving and merciful and is making room for the Reuben who has matured in his walk in the spirit. Reuben, though losing his first born status, is not cast off!


REUBEN IN TODAY’S WORLD
“Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, principal in dignity, and the principal in power. Unstable as water, thou shalt not be principal because thou didst go up to thy father’s bed; then thou became defiled, going up to my couch.” Genesis 49.3-4 
It is apparent in this latter day prophecy that Reuben will have “pride and power” but will not be the principal or great power among the other tribes. He has lost his birthright to Joseph (1 Chronicles 5.1). The prophecy also points out Reuben’s passion, emotion, and questionable sexual restraint. In the modern world he will be known for loose attitudes towards sex.

France is a nation in modern Europe that has substantial “power and pride,” but less power than the English or Germans. They are volatile, emotional, and famous for their physical and sexual appetites. The French are the third strongest on the continent of Europe. They have historically been one of the more powerful nations in Europe and had a substantial colonial empire of their own in north Africa and other areas of the world.

The French have a tradition of military power as the French Foreign Legion has a strong tradition and Napoleon was one of the world’s greatest general’s. (He was also very sympathetic towards the Jewish people in his time.) France fulfills the prophecy of being a “principal in power.”

The word dignity in the prophecy certainly epitomizes the French. They are known to take pride in their culture and French is considered a “diplomatic” language used in diplomacy around the world today--especially in many African nations. Much dignity is displayed in French institutions like the Versailles Palace, the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and the Cathedral of Notre Dame.

The French are famous for their emotional volatility and the term “French-leave” is a term meaning “a hasty and unauthorized departure.” The Encyclopedia Americana states: “…during the 70 years of the Third Republic (1874-1945)…more than 100 cabinets succeeded one another in France with an average tenure of less than eight months. The main cause of instability was the lack of disciplined parties…” We can see this instability in French politics in our day.

Finally, the word “French” is commonly associated with sensuality and romance: French perfume, French kisses, French films, French fashions. In America or Britain a politician can be brought down by a sex scandal but not the case in France where it is “no big deal.”

What country other than France fulfills the “latter day” prophecy to the tribe of Reuben?

For more information on Israel’s Tribes Today see www.bibleblessings.net for the book by Steven M. Collins.