Reuben's Sin Caused A Great Loss

     For our teaching today notice the picture above of Leah holding the white blossoms from the mandrakes that her son Reuben gave her to make her appear beautiful and attract her husband Jacob. Rachel in the background is asking Leah to give her Reuben's mandrakes to become attractive to Jacob. Rachel and Leah were in a competition to have the most children for Jacob. Leah denied Rachel's request and because of Reuben's mandrakes, Leah appeared beautiful to Jacob, and as a result Leah had more children than Rachel. Leah's children were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and one daughter named Dinah. Rachel only had two children named Joseph and Benjamin.

     The lesson I want you to see from this bible study is how Reuben's use of mandrakes with his mother Leah caused Reuben to sin and commit incest (forbidden relations between close family members) with his own stepmother Bilhah. Bilhah was Rachel's handmaid and mother to Dan and Naphtali. Reuben thought his sin of making older women like his mother Leah attractive by mandrakes was fun, and as a result Reuben himself became attracted to Bilhah from mandrakes and lost many blessings by committing incest with his own stepmother Bilhah.

     The story about the picture above is at Genesis 30:14 and says And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes (love apples) in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. And she (Leah) said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

     Jesus showed Brother Bob that Reuben's handling of mandrakes was like a little sip of beer or wine, or a little pleasure from a joint of marijuana that caused great sin where Reuben committed incest with his stepmother Bilhah and lost many blessings. Reuben's sin reminds Brother Bob of James 1:13 that says Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth for sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

     Unlike Reuben, deny sin daily by looking with your hearts to the Lord Jesus and avoid death. Jesus said at Luke 9:23 If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Get saved, repent, decide to stop sinning, confess that Jesus is God, and believe the gospel that Jesus died on the cross for you, was buried, and rose again. 

     Reuben's loss of blessing is recorded at Genesis 49:3 where Jacob tells Reuben, Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. Reuben's sin is recorded at Genesis 35:22. 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 it. Reuben lost so many blessings for just one sexual sin of incest with his stepmother Bilhah. Reuben lost the priesthood blessing to Levi, the blessing of being Jesus' great grandfather to Judah, and the double portion blessing to Joseph.

     The reason Joseph received Jacob's double portion blessing instead of Reuben was because Joseph unlike Reuben denied having an affair with an older woman pictured above who was Potiphar's wife. Let's all be like Joseph pictured above and flee from the sexual sins of adultery, incest, and fornication that usually are the worst sins that appear first in bible lists of sins. I'll prove this to you while I quote several scriptures where adultery and fornication appear first in bible lists of sins that we all must avoid in order to be blessed and live with Jesus. 

     1 Corinthians 6:9 says Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Galatians 5:19 says Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness. Fornication and adultery usually top bible lists of sins and we should all daily deny these sins and look to the Lord Jesus in order to live with peace.

     1 Corinthians 6:18 warns us all to Flee fornication (any illicit sex including incest with close relatives, adultery,  homosexuality, and lesbianism). Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. And notice how the will of God is defined at 1 Thessalonians 4:3 that says For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication.

     If Reuben had avoided incest and not touched mandrakes, he would have received so many blessings as the firstborn son of Jacob. If you are tempted to sin, learn to look to the Lord Jesus and deny any small little sin that will eventually get worse and cause death. To avoid sin, daily study the Word of God and listen to anointed praise and worship music. Ephesians 5:19 says Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. 

     If in the past you have been guilty of any sin don't be discouraged because you can be forgiven and the blood of Jesus can remove all your sins and make you clean. The Lord Jesus would say to you, Live, and go, and sin no more. 1 John 1:7 says But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

     Note the following scriptures that encourage us to deny the smallest sins to live a blessed life and avoid problems and death. Song Of Solomon 2:15 says Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. Ecclesiastes 10:1 says Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. 1 Corinthains 5:6 says Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Ephesians 4:27 says Neither give place to the devil.

     Pictured above we see how blessed it is for a man and a woman (not a man and a man or a woman and a woman) to be married in the sight of God. It's wrong when any country approves and supports same sex marriage. The bible defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Mark 10:7 says For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife (called a woman bride). 

     Brother Bob tells everyone that same sex marriage is wrong and that God declares that marriage between a man and a woman is a blessing. Jesus wants a man and a woman to be married and have children trained up in the goodness of our Lord Jesus. Hebrews 13:4 says Marriage is honourable (called precious) in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. 

    Jesus showed Brother Bob that when Reuben committed incest with his stepmother Bilhah, the prophet Amos said that Reuben profaned the name of God. Amos 2:7 says And a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name. Just the thought of a child committing incest with his parent is wicked. It's like a man that I heard about who divorced his wife and married his mother in law. Deuteronomy 27:20 says Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife; because he uncovereth his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen. Deuteronomy 22:30 says A man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt. 

     Reuben's sin of incest with his stepmother was worse than anything that a heathen Gentile could do. The sin of incest was not even named or mentioned among the Gentiles. 1 Corinthians 5:1 says It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 

     This scripture reminds Brother Bob of modern day America where homosexuals and lesbians are puffed up and rejoice in laws approving same sex marriage. Like Paul, Brother Bob mourns about these ungodly laws approved by America and prays that America's leaders will repent and reinstate the sanctified definition of a marriage to be the union of a man and a woman. 

     Because of Reuben's sin of incest, his children made wrong decisions and also lost blessings because of their father's sins. I pray that parents in any country reading this can unlike Reuben, be like the parents pictured above and daily train their kids to pray and learn about the Lord Jesus and the bible. Our kids today need to learn about Jesus and the truths from the bible. What a precious picture above of the little girl praying and learning about our Lord Jesus.

     Reuben's sons also sinned and tried to undo what daddy had lost when they along with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebelled against Moses to obtain the priesthood that Reuben had lost to Levi. Reuben's sons should have said God forgive us and let's do whatever you command, realizing that they can't go back and undo daddy's prior sins. Numbers 16:1 says Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, 250 princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? 

     Because Reuben's sons sinned trying to become priests, Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and Reuben's sons all went down quickly into the the pit of hell as the earth opened up and swallowed them alive. Also the 250 famous princes that unlawfully tried to be priests by offering incense were burned to death as the fire of God consumed them. This story is also found at Numbers 16. What's amazing is that after the earth swallowed up all these people, many people kept complaining to Moses that it was wrong for God to kill these sons of Reuben. As a result, a plague afflicted the people because of their murmurings and Aaron as the high priest had to pray to stop the plague. Aaron was like the Lord Jesus who constantly prays for us to repent to avoid plagues. This is proven by Hebrews 7:25 that says Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.

     Just a couple of more notes on how Reuben's one sin of incest caused the tribe of Reuben to suffer a great loss. Reuben was the first tribe taken as slaves to be captives to the Syrian enemy. This is proven by 1 Chronicles 5:25 that says And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them. And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.   

     You might say after reading about all of Reuben's losses for his tribe and children, is there any hope for Reuben? Brother Bob says yes there is a light at the end of a dark tunnel for Reuben and that light is the Lord Jesus. The bible proves that the Lord Jesus forgave Reuben of his sin of incest because Reuben's name is on one of the twelve gates in the kingdom of God. The story about Reuben has a happy ending because a blessing was proclaimed for Reuben by Moses at Deuteronomy 33:6 that says Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few. 

     If Reuben can be forgiven for his wicked sin of incest, right now receive forgiveness for any past sin you ever did and get saved. The blood of Jesus will cleanse you from any sin. Reuben was blessed to be listed as one of 12 tribes at Revelation 7:5, but because of his sin of incest with Bilhah, Judah was listed as the first tribe before firstborn Reuben, who is listed as the second tribe at Revelation 7:5 

     Another thing I learned this week was that Abraham also committed more sexual sins after Sarah died that caused the birth of many Arab Muslims that to this day persecute Israel and the people of God. After Sarah died, Abraham sinned and married another wife named Keturah who had five children that started Arab Muslim nations that to this day are the enemies of Israel. This was a sin because the promised blessing was already given to Isaac, the son of Sarah, and Abraham knew that the promised blessing would not be given to any of Keturah's sons. 

     Genesis 25:1 says Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran (musician), and Jokshan (snarer), and Medan (contention),and Midian (strife), and Ishbak (he releases), and Shuah (wealth). Genesis 25:5 says And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country (modern day Iraq and Iran). Keturah's children became the modern day Arab Muslims in Iraq and Iran.

     Remember though, if you are reading this book about the Lord Jesus in a Muslim Arab nation that is an enemy to Israel, you can be saved with the Lord Jesus today. Lord Jesus bless anyone that reads this bible study in any Muslim Arab nation, and I pray in Jesus name that these Muslims get saved and believe that Jesus is God.

     Revelation 22:17 says And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Jesus said at John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Jesus receives anyone in any nation from any background that repents, confesses that Jesus is God, and believes the gospel that Jesus died on the cross for them, was buried, and rose again.

     Ruth, who lived in Moab, a country that was an enemy to Israel, was blessed when she got saved and decided to leave Moab and become a citizen of Israel. Ruth told Naomi at Ruth 1:16 Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Manasseh and Ephraim were two half Egyptians that were blessed to be named among the twelve tribes of Israel. Cornelius, a Gentile who was a Roman centurion was blessed when he got saved and received the Holy Ghost from Peter, even though Rome was an enemy to Israel.

     I pray in Jesus name that this bible study blesses multitudes everywhere with great joy, peace, and strength. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 746-7071. Till we all meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.