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Advent Productions

Benjamin Ng

Reuben and the Birthright


Father in heaven, thank you for this time that we have to come and study and read about your word once more. I pray that you please speak to us with your Holy Spirit. I pray that you please guide us. I pray that you please draw close to us and may you inspire us that as we read these words it would prick our heart and help us to see another aspect of your great love and how you work in the hearts of men and women today. So lead us we pray in Jesus name we pray and ask.

Amen. Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob, whose name would later be changed to Israel. He being the oldest son, the firstborn, had the right to the father's inheritance. That is what we call the birthright. He was the 1 that was supposed to lead the family in its spiritual inheritance and also its physical blessings as well, simply because he was the firstborn.

He received all the advantages that a firstborn son usually gets from being in that position. Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob. It wasn't any secret that Jacob loved this son the most out of his 12 sons. After all, he was the son of his favorite wife, Rachel. He despised Leah because he was tricked into marrying her.

And so she was barren for many years, Rachel was, and Leah had many sons before Joseph came along but it was not any secret that he gave all the affection that a father could give to this son, Joseph. He was the 1 that received the coat of many colors. He was 1 that received the most prominent position probably at the seat of the father's table. He was the 1 that was most loved above all the children that Jacob had. And yet, Reuben was from Leah, the wife that he was tricked into marrying.

And look what the Bible says in 1 Chronicles 5. If you're watching along, please turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 5 and verse 1. This is what the Bible says first about Reuben and then about Joseph. 1 Chronicles 5 and verse 1, the Bible says, Now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, he was indeed the firstborn. But because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright.

So look, even though Reuben was the firstborn and by right the firstborn received the birthright, the physical and spiritual inheritance of the father. But yet the Bible says here that because Reuben defiled his father's bed, the birthright went from him to who? Joseph's sons. So it was ultimately Joseph who inherited the birthright because of the evil actions of his oldest brother. So this blessing that is usually bestowed on the oldest fell to Joseph, who was then the firstborn of Rachel.

However, the narrative does not stop there. Let's continue in 1 Chronicles 5. I hope you're following with me in your Bible. 1 Chronicles 5 and now verse 2. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler, but the birthright was Joseph's.

Yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, from him came the ruler, even though The birthright belonged to Joseph. Very interesting isn't it? Even though Joseph inherited the birthright, he was meant to inherit the spiritual blessings But yet it would be through Judah that Jesus Christ, the Savior, would come, the 1 who would be a blessing to the whole earth. Even though Reuben was the firstborn of all the sons of Jacob, and Joseph was the firstborn of Jacob's favorite wife and hence becoming his favorite son and receiving the birthright, yet the Bible says it would be Judah that prevailed over all his brothers. It would be through Judah and his descendants that Jesus would come.

It would be through Judah that God's covenants to Abraham would be fulfilled. It would be through Judah that all the nations of the earth would be blessed. We look at that as a spiritual blessing. But you know what friends? We look at spiritual blessings in the wrong way.

Who was Judah? He was the fourth son of Leah. It didn't seem like he was outstanding in anything. There were still 3 brothers ahead of him. Do you know who they are?

They are Reuben, Simeon and Levi. So Reuben, Simeon, Levi and then came Judah. So he was the fourth of all the brothers. There didn't seem to be anything outstanding about him. What was it that entitled him to receive the spiritual blessing, seemingly birthright above his 3 brothers?

And you know, even from there already, we can notice and we can learn that things aren't always what they seem. Even when it came to Jacob's wives, look at this, Rachel wasn't even buried. Jacob's favorite wife, Rachel, she was not even buried in the cave that housed Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebecca. Leah was the 1 that was buried there. You go to Genesis 49 and 31, the Bible says, there they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.

Rachel was not buried in the cave that Abraham and Isaac were buried in. And their wives, even Rachel was not, Leah was. Well, let's look at the 3 brothers. But I want you to notice this and remember this. Things aren't always what they seem.

Okay? Let's look at the 3 brothers. Why did Reuben, Simeon, and Levi not inherit the spiritual blessing and the birthright? Well, We already know about Reuben. He defiled his father's bed.

If you go to Genesis 35 and verse 22, look at this. Genesis 35 and verse 22. The Bible says, 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. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve." So he went and slept with his father's concubine, Bilhah. He did something that no son should have ever done, and as a result, for Reuben, the birthright was taken away from him.

But how about Simeon and Levi? Why did not the birthright fall upon Simeon and Levi? Well why do we put them together? We don't separate these 2 because, do you remember that the 12 brothers, they had a sister. Her name was Dina, Dina, whatever you wanna call her.

Dina, that's what I say. And in Genesis 34, we read about Dina, and we also read about Simeon and Levi. What happened? A man, his name was Shechem, and he liked Dina and eventually he slept with her. The Bible is not clear whether he forced her or not, but he ended up sleeping with her and he was madly in love with her.

So he goes to his father and says, Please, I love this woman, get her to be my wife. And the father went and talked to the father of Dina, which is Jacob, and they both said yes. And then after that, the conversation really didn't involve the fathers anymore. This is where Simeon and Levi stepped in. They were actually quite angry at what Shechem had done, that they had defiled the sister.

And hiding their hatred, they didn't show it openly, but they went up to Shekham and said, look, if you want to marry our sister, your whole city, where you live, your whole town, your tribe, whatever you call it, they have to get circumcised. And because Shechem was so in love with Dina, he quickly ran back, him and his father, and managed to convince the whole city to get circumcised. And while they were all in pain, Simeon and Levi came in and killed the whole town. And so they came in and did this huge slaughter that at the end in Genesis 49 verse 5, while Jacob is about to pass away, this is what he says about his sons, Simeon and Levi. Genesis 49 and verse 5, the Bible says, Simeon and Levi are brethren.

Instruments of Cruelty are in their habitations. And so they would be scattered amongst the other 12 tribes. But of course, Levi, it turned around for good and a blessing, they became the priests of Israel eventually. But Judah, why was Judah chosen above his other brothers? Even above Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, the 1 that would deliver his brothers from starvation and allow the children of Israel to grow into a great nation.

Why would it be that Judah would be chosen? It's not like he was a good man. When you look at Genesis chapter 38, in Genesis 38 we see Judah and he is quite a bad man. What happens? You see, he has 2 sons and they both died.

What happened? Well, you see, his first son was married to this woman named Teyma. And his first son died and so they had no children so it was tradition that the second son should go and take up the first son and raise up seed unto his brother and for the family. And when that second son married Tehma, well, he died as well. And so, of course, as a father, what are you thinking?

This woman is bad luck. So he said to her, deceptively, just wait for my third son. When he's grown up you can marry him and you'll be alright." Well, by and by he grew up and he, Judah, did not give his third son to Temah. So what happened? Temah heard about it, she went and dressed up like a harlot, sat along the roadside, and Judah, not knowing that it was her, he went into her and he committed fornication with Tamar.

Eventually, had a son and he found out and she wanted to stone him, but she said, ah, you're the man that made me conceive to have this son. He was an adulterer. He was a fornicator. Judah was not a good man. So why is it that somehow the Bible and Jesus and God and Judah, Jacob still chose him to be the 1 that would receive the spiritual inheritance?

Strange, isn't it? What happened? Well, it's in Genesis 43 and verse 8 and 9 that we begin to understand the change that would take place in Judah. Genesis 43 And we're reading verses 8 and 9. The Bible says this, And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and thou and also our little ones.

What's the background of this? The famine had already taken place. Joseph had been sold into slavery. He'd already become prime minister. But all these years, the father thought that Joseph was killed by a lion.

And so he was reluctant for Benjamin, the youngest son, to go down into Egypt. Only the 10 sons went. The 10 that were the oldest. And because Joseph wanted to test them to see if they had changed, He kept 1 of the brothers back and says he is not allowed to go back and you're not gonna see my face until you bring Benjamin down to prove that you're not lying and that you're not spies. Well Jacob was unwilling He was unwilling to lose and risk the the chance of losing his youngest son.

But Judah steps in and says, look, we got to go. If not, we're all going to die. We're all going to starve to death. And then he says this in verse 9 of Genesis 43, I will be surety for him. Of my hand shalt thou require him.

If I bring not him unto thee, and set him before thee again, then let me bear the blame forever." He was willing to be surety for his brother. He's willing to stand in place and say, look, if anything happens to him, I will bear the blame. I will be the 1 that will bear the blame. This was in comparison to what his older brother said, Reuben. You see, Reuben was quite an emotional fellow.

Look what he said in Genesis 42, 37. He was desperate to go back because they were getting hungry. They were running out of food. But look at what Reuben says to his dad. Reuben spake to his father saying, Slay my 2 sons if I bring him not to thee, deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again." Reuben's response was rash and unreasonable.

He was quite an emotional fellow. And so you can understand the reason why at least the birthright was taken from him in the first place. But he was really speaking more out of passion and rather than trying to reason with his father. And so when the situation really took place, not only was he willing to take the blame forever, this is Judah, but he was willing to take the place of his brother Benjamin. Why?

You see, they go back finally to Egypt. 10 brothers, Joseph's already in Egypt with the other brother, Jacob finally allows Benjamin to go with him. So the 10 brothers go and of course Joseph, he gives them the test. We know this story. He places the golden cup in the sack of Benjamin.

Joseph comes running out and says, you stole from me and not all of you have to come back, just the 1 that took my cup, he's the 1 that's gonna be my servant forever. By and by, they find the cup in Benjamin's sack and They're ready to take Benjamin back to Egypt. All the brothers are going, but this is what Judah says in Genesis chapter 44 and verse 30. Genesis 44 verse 30, the Bible says this, Now therefore, when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us, speaking of Benjamin, seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life, it shall come to pass when he seeth that the lad is not with us, and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave." He's explaining to him this is the reason why Benjamin has to go back. Verse 432, for thy servants became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

And so what does he do? Now therefore I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad, a bondman to my Lord, and let the lad go up with his brethren, for how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me, lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father." Joseph finally saw the response that was representative really of all the brothers. They had changed, but Judah above all of them was willing to bear the blame forever. He was willing to be surety for Benjamin. He was willing to stand in place of his brother and be the 1 that would go to prison on his behalf.

Above all, Judah, his character stood out to Joseph and really to God. What character was that? The character of self-sacrifice. Friends, more than anything else, God treasures character. He was willing, Judah was willing to be responsible for whatever happened to his youngest brother and sure enough when the test came his love for Benjamin stood out amongst everything else above any of his brothers.

Judah, he was not the oldest. He did not receive the birthright, yet he became the greatest blessing to all the world. It would be through Judah that the Savior would come. Rachel, she was treasured above Leah. Yet, Leah was the 1 that was buried in the cave that housed Abraham and his wife, and Isaac and his wife.

It was, it would be through Leah and not through Rachel that the Messiah would come. Jacob stole the brother's birthright, Yet Esau kept all the father's inheritance and Jacob had to wrestle with Jesus himself to actually receive the blessing that he so desired that his father blessed him with. What am I trying to show you here friends? Things are not always what they seem. Things are not always what they seem.

Things are not always what they seem. It doesn't always turn out the way that we desired. Even though we received the birthright, even though it seems like we received the spiritual blessing, things don't always turn out the way we expect it. Maybe today you feel like that. Maybe you're not a person of any significance.

You're not the favorite child in your family. Maybe you're not even the most loved and it's obvious. Maybe it seems like life's advantages have been given to someone else. You don't hold any prominent position. You're not from a prominent family.

You've never been asked to serve in any position in church. You've never been asked to preach. You've never held any high honors. And it seems like, God, what can you do with me? I want to tell you, friends, that if you remain faithful to God, to allow Him to work the character change in your life, that He will work wonderfully and mightily through you to be a blessing to the whole world.

God, He doesn't look at rank, He doesn't look at position, He doesn't look at ability, He doesn't look at the numbers in your bank account. He doesn't look at how many degrees you get. He doesn't care about how many straight A's you got in your SPM or how well you did in your high school or in your college years. He doesn't care how many masters or doctorate degrees you have. He doesn't care how much you're earning on a monthly basis.

My friends, what matters to God is character. Let's not study so hard just to get a top grade, but still have the worst character in the whole class. Proverbs 23 verse 4 tells us, let us not labor to be rich. Some of you, you're working so hard just to earn money, just to get a few pennies that will burn away in the second coming and you're neglecting the most important training of all and that is our character training. And friends, this is where the effort needs to be.

Let's be sure to put God first today. Let's be sure to put character above wealth, above head knowledge, for that is the true treasure that we will bring with us 1 day to heaven. Things don't always seem to be what they are. We strive for so much and yet we could possibly lose out on much more. My dear friends, may the story of Judah Be 1 of an encouragement to you today.

Let's not strive to be like Reuben. Let's not even strive to be like a Joseph, just to get these inheritance and these seeming blessings, and yet we neglect the most important training, and that is in our character. That is not to say that Joseph was a bad man. Genesis, it talks the most about Joseph. He was a man of God, a man of integrity, but yet the spiritual blessing would still go to Judah.

It would be through Judah that the whole world would be blessed. He was not the oldest, he was not the most favorite, he was not the most loved, but yet God saw in him something that he could say, I can entrust him to be the man that would carry the spiritual blessing to the whole world. Friends, in this week let's not neglect the training of our character. It's got to begin in the morning as we commit our ways to God. And it's got to continue throughout the day as we keep our eyes fixed on Christ and the prize that must be set before us.

Laying aside every weight, let us press forward to that 1 prize and that mark of that high calling in Jesus Christ our Savior. Let us pray. Father in heaven, Lord, I want to thank you. You are a God that does not look on the outward. You look in the heart.

And so Father, help us to look there this evening. Help us to look at our own hearts. Help us to realize and assess where our shortcomings are and where our failures are. And help us, Lord, to be repentant. Help us to come back to your throne of grace and mercy because it is there that you can change us.

It is there that you can transform us. It is there that you can transform us. It is there that you can chip away all those pieces that we've picked up from the world and it's made our gem grow dim and we fail to be a light to the world. Lord Please help us to be restored back into your image today. And so in this coming week, Lord, help us to focus on character.

Help us to remember that that is the only thing that we are taking with us to heaven. Let that be our priority in this new week. Help us, Lord, to remember that and to remember that you're coming very soon to take us home. So Lord, may you help us to be faithful in this new week. Help us to keep our eyes steadfastly fixed upon You, for we pray in Jesus' name.

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Reuben and the Birthright

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