Reuben was what the Yorubas call agbaya, literally translated as ‘bad elder’ or ‘immature adult.’ He was what my late father would refer to as a stupid senior. How did he end up like this? By birthright, he was a leader. As the firstborn of his father, he held a position of authority in his father’s household. He should have been the one to receive the blessing that had been passed down from Abraham and Isaac to his father, Jacob.
But Reuben not only disqualified himself from that blessing, he disqualified himself from any blessing at all and received a curse from his father Jacob. By himself and with his own hands, he excluded himself from leadership. Reuben inherited the leadership position by birth, but his character disqualified him from it.
Genesis 35:22 states, “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.” This incident marks Reuben’s first recorded offence, and it is significant because, in Leviticus 18:8, it is established as a statute that reveals God’s perspective on the matter. By sleeping with his father’s concubine, Reuben dishonoured his father and “uncovered his father’s nakedness.” Jacob would later cite this action as the reason for cursing Reuben.
Genesis 37:2 says that Joseph brought an evil report about his older brothers to his father, Jacob. The older brothers include Reuben. So Reuben’s shenanigans didn’t end with sleeping with his father’s concubine; when Reuben should have been a model example to his younger siblings, not only was he not, but his younger brother must have been abhorred by his behaviour, which he felt the need to report to their father.
Later in the same chapter, a conspiracy to kill Joseph is revealed. Reuben attempts to act as a leader, but we see what a weak one he is. Genesis 37:22 says, “And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.”
But if you know the story well, then you know he could never deliver Joseph because, behind his back, the other brothers brought Joseph out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites. According to the Bible, this was Judah’s decision. “And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content”(Genesis 37:26-27).
What does Reuben do when he returns and finds Joseph gone? In Genesis 37:29-31, the Bible says, “And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood.”
Reuben does not rebuke his younger brothers for selling Joseph; instead, he conspires with them to cover up their actions. It’s interesting to note that before Reuben arrives, there is no evidence of a conspiracy to hide what they did. Reuben initially takes a stand by urging his brothers not to kill Joseph, but he ultimately fails by suggesting that Joseph be thrown into a pit instead of letting him go free.
That he was willing to have Joseph put in the pit made him responsible for Joseph being sold into slavery. Therefore, he couldn’t tell his father the truth; he had to conspire to cover up the deed. But what Reuben didn’t realise was that by not taking a firm stand against evil, he was gradually losing his birthright as a leader. He indulged in evil, so he could not effectively stand up to his younger brothers when they sought to engage in it. He was a people-pleaser who didn’t understand that a leader is not a circus clown, and he compromised when he should have put his foot down and said, No.
The brothers had their subsequent encounter with Joseph in Genesis 42, and in verse 22, the Bible says, “And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? Therefore, behold, also his blood is required.” Reuben quickly shifts the blame for what happened to Joseph to his brothers. He forgot that he had negotiated for Joseph to be put in the pit instead of being killed, when he should have set him free altogether to return home. A weak leader shifts blame and never accepts responsibility.
Right before their eyes, Joseph took Simeon and locked him up in jail (Genesis 42:24). Reuben did not speak up or offer to take Simeon’s place. He left his younger brother in prison in Egypt and returned home to their father. Then, he had the audacity to ask Jacob to entrust Benjamin to him. He said to Jacob, “Slay my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; deliver him into my hands, and I will bring him back to you again” (Genesis 42:37).
My daughter said concerning Reuben’s reckless statement, “Should your father’s compensation for his missing son be the death of his grandsons at his own hands?” That makes no sense. It certainly solves nothing. Reuben spoke brashly without giving a thought to what he was really saying. He spoke like a fool. Little wonder the father paid him no mind. Nothing is worse than a leader who opens his or her mouth without wisdom.
In Genesis 43:8-9, we see how Judah handles the same matter. The Bible says, “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. I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever.” Judah had sons, but did not speak of them being killed. Because he spoke sensibly, Jacob entrusted Benjamin to Judah instead of Reuben.
When Jacob disregards Reuben’s request but honours Judah’s, it reveals a lot about his perception of both sons. In that moment, he was effectively transferring the role of the firstborn to Judah. However, Reuben’s decline as a leader had actually begun earlier, when he failed to honour his father and slept with his concubine.
