Nougat 8

Hi dear

In Jamaica we say every unfair game plays twice; and there are those who argue that that was what Reuben did to Jacob. In reading today’s Holy Nougat, I’m not entirely sure I agree with those commentators.

“Then Jacob traveled on and camped beyond Migdal-eder. While he was living there, Reuben had intercourse with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Jacob soon heard about it.” Genesis‬ ‭35:21-22‬a NLT‬‬

It is worth noting that in those days, as is the case now, women – especially concubines – were exceptionally vulnerable in large households. It was too common it seems, for the oldest male to declare their parents (actually their fathers) unfit to reign by having intercourse with their concubines. I suspect it was their way of saying we have the ability you no longer have; it’s time to hand power over totally. This was the highest insult the child could register. (In 2 Samuel 16:20-23, David merits similar treatment from his son Absalom; who was responding to ‘good advice’ from a friend, whose words were heeded by Absalom as though it were from God.)

While I appreciate the scholarship that proposes this was about the chicken coming home to roost – Jacob tricked Esau / stole Esau’s birthright and now his son was trying to do likewise; it doesn’t sit right with me. I note however, that this happens after Rachel’s death when Jacob would have been very preoccupied with tending Benjamin, and so I believe that it was premeditated and pure evil.

Reuben was the firstborn. It was expected that the inheritance was going to be his; for at that time there was no mention of Jacob’s favoritism towards Jacob. It might have been retaliation for Dinah’s rape; but Jacob actually allowed them (the sons) to speak on his behalf to Shechem and Hamor. It might have been in defense of his mother; but the rivalry was as old as he was.

My dears, for me it boils down to rape, plain and simple. The disrespect is a bit secondary to the point. Reuben knee himself to be powerful and with no concern for God, his father or anyone else; he abused that power by taking advantage of the ‘least powerful’. For in his mind, she wasn’t his direct relative, Rachel was his aunt; Leah his mother and the other concubine, Zilpah, was his mother’s servant. Bilhah was the least powerful of the four women; especially upon Rachel’s death.

BUT she was his brothers’ mother. Didn’t that count for something?!

Perhaps he was ensuring that by ‘defiling’ her, his father would give Leah her due. A noble reason; but still untenable. We do not get the sense that Bilhah was a willing party; and even then, respect for his father, his siblings, his mother’s honor and for himself should have stopped him. But it didn’t. Not even in the wake of his sister being raped.

So we are left wondering about the significance of this act being included in the Bible. It may be one way of explaining Reuben’s loss of his status as firstborn and being strongly reprimanded rather than being blessed by his father. Or demonstrating the individual depravity of Jacob’s sons. Murderers, rapists, liars: the sins of the father …

I contend that it is a reminder-warning of what bitterness can do to us when we give it free reign. At the first opportunity, we lose ourselves.

I hasten to say God does NOT condone rape. Under any circumstance.

And our aim is to please God in every circumstance. Whether it’s inherited traits, personal characteristics or the heat of the moment; we are called to live God’s plan for us. Let’s not lose our spiritual inheritance for the sake of bitterness. It’s truly not worth it.

In Christ’s love and grace . . .