In Step, or full of years

DEVOTION

GENESIS

 IN STEP

Gen 35:21-29

21 Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father's concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it. Jacob had twelve sons: 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Rachel's maidservant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Leah's maidservant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram. 27 Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 28 Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

NIV

Several things are happening in this passage, the first of which is regarding Reuben. This text, as well as the Hebrew text indicate Reuben had sexual relations with Bilhah. However, some rabbinical scholars have another take using older Aramaic text other than the Septuagint Hebrew text. They believe Reuben went in and turned her bed over in anger, as after Rachel’s death, his father had Bilhah's bed near him, preferring her over Reuben’s mother Leah. This view is collaborated by the blessing Israel gave to Reuben on his death bed that we will see in chapter 49. The blessing contains verbiage about Reuben going to his father’s bed and defiling it. This would combine the bed of Bilhah with his father.  The difference in views would be significant. If Reuben had relations with Bilhah, he would have been very wrong in his actions, and we would expect the text to indicate she became pregnant, as was the usual case in such intimate behavior, unless God had closed her womb, which we also are not told. If he simply turned the bed over in anger then his actions would be more acceptable and perhaps even honorable. But we are left with what it says here and then it simply moves on. God does not give any commentary regarding his actions. Jacob with his twelve sons now return to his father Isaac’s household. We remember Isaac well as the obedient son who carried the wood upon the mountain with his father Abraham where he was to be offered to God. This is where he learned the provision of God. He had the promise renewed to him which was given to his father. He lived a peaceful and productive life. However with having twin sons, we remember his family life with Rebekah was a bit tumultuous. There was a great deal of hardship between Jacob and Esau which appears has now been resolved in their meeting on Jacob’s journey home. The expression of his account, giving us once again all his sons, and who their mothers were gives us the idea the blessing or promise God bestowed upon Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was now fulfilled and is being carried on into these twelve sons of Israel. But our lesson is in the statement about the age and death of Isaac. We are told he lived to a good old age, old and full of years. Now we also have a lesson in the fact both Jacob and Esau maintained their brotherly connection because they both buried their father. It is important to put aside any sibling rivalry or attitudes which destroy good relationships. This is not fitting in the eyes of God and we should make every effort to reestablish any lost or broken relationships. This is especially helpful at the time of putting a parent to rest. The grieving process is better shared then not and who better to share it with then a sibling. The other truth here is in the full of years with which Isaac lived and died. It is interesting these men lived so long, till old age, the completion of their years. Sickness or disease never seems to be the cause of their death. Perhaps some men at that time met death early in years, but that was by the sword, not by illness. Why do so many men today die from so many things other than old age and full of years? What has changed? Some would say it is our diet. Foods that contain preservatives, growth hormones, pesticides and such. They say there are foods today which actually cause illness, cause cancer. Although it is true those men of old ate foods without all this added chemicals, it is also true they lived with the blessings of God in them. They were not, by any means, perfect men. They had their share of sin in their lives, but they also had the promise of God. They walked with God. The reason these men’s lives are recorded for us is twofold. Most of them are in the line which Christ will arrive here on earth. The second is because they are examples of men who walked with God, how he led them, how they followed. They show us how God matured them spiritually, how they grew in their understanding of God. This should serve as a lesson to us who desire to live to an old age full of years. Perhaps we do need to return to as natural a diet as is possible in this day and age, but the greatest value to living full of years is in our walking with God. If we are so distracted trying to walk with the ways of the world, we might not see the fullness of years we could, or should. It certainly does not have anything to do with wealth or the lack of it as many of these men gained much in their lifetimes. There was a lot of normal day to day living producing the needs of life. Yet when God called upon them, they responded. Their focus was on God. This is where real life exists. What we do in the temporal day to day is important in producing a living for ourselves and our family, but what we do in our eternal life has a greater bearing on our temporal life. Walking with God is far better than walking with the world. Who are we in step with?