Hey, while you guys are talking about the contributions of Judah and
Leah, as I have been re-reading the same story, my heart has gone out
to Reuben, for the first time. When you think about it, that guy
really got a raw deal. I mean, think about it! He was the first
born. He should have received the blessing, the birth right and up
to half of the inheritance, according to Eastern custom. But, Jacob
didn't really like his mother so he ignored the boy. I suppose that
Reuben was a teenager when he decided to get it on with Bilhah, but
chances are, that could have been an act of desperation, and
frustration on his part. It was kind of an, in your face, I'm a man
now too, sort of thing. Maybe a kind of "peeing on the father's
turf," kind of challenge. Chris went through that kind of an
attitude a lot with us. Not toward me necessarily, I just mean that
pack mentality attitude of challenging the leader. Some boys are
just like that. Then, as he gets older, he is the first brother to
plead for Joseph's life and is secretly hoping to be able to sneak
Joseph back to Jacob and come off as a hero so that, maybe Jacob will
finally notice him and love him and recognize him as a person, but
no, that is not to be. Then, in the end, he gets nothing. Jacob
won't even acknowledge him on his death bed except to say, you
screwed up and I'll never forgive you for it, even with one foot in
the grave. Reuben must have ended up a very bitter person. He had
to suck up to his little brother just to stay alive. Jacob was
really a lousy parent, you know that? Incredible. I'll say one
thing for the bible, it doesn't hide the truth!
Kathy
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