REUBEN: (Genesis 35: 22; 49: 1-3).
“And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. 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: The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun” (Gen 35: 21-23).
“And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. 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” (Gen. 49:1-4).
Reuben’s sin of sexual immorality was costly, although the consequence seemed not immediate. As the oldest son, he stood the chance to receiving a double portion of the family inheritance and a place of leadership among his brethren. But his involvement with sexual sin denied him all that! Reuben may have thought he had gotten away with his sexual sin. Perhaps he thought nobody heard about, but the holy writ says, “and Israel heard it.”
No more is mentioned of it again until Jacob, on his deathbed, assembled his family for the final blessing. Suddenly Jacob took away Reuben’s double portion and gave it to someone else. The reason? “thou wentest up to thy father’s bed: then defiledst thou it” (Gen 49: 4). The oldest son was supposed to receive a double inheritance, but Reuben lost his special honour. Unruly and untrustworthy, especially in his younger days, he had gone so far as to sleep with one of his father’s concubines thereby uncovering his father’s nakedness (Lev 18:8). Jacob could not give the birthright blessing to such a dishonourable son. “Cursed be he that lieth with his father’s wife: because he uncovereth his father’s skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen” (Deut. 27:20). Sexual sin normally displaces a man from standing in his destiny!
Sin’s consequences can plague us long after the sin is committed. When we do something wrong we may think we can escape unnoticed, only to discover later that the sin has been quietly breeding serious consequences. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy”. The sexual sin of Reuben placed a great backslash on his life and lineage till today!
“Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright” (1Chr 5:1). This was coming several years after Reuben had died. But then the consequences of his sin is still affecting his lineage! Before you give in to temptation, consider the disastrous consequences sin may produce in your life and the lives of others. Reuben’s sexual sin denied him of his birthright and equally displaced his lineage from standing in their inheritance!
ZIMRI
The story of Zimri is found in book of Numbers chapter 25.
“And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites” (Gen. 25: 6-14).
Just like the other cases, sexual sins always attract divine displeasure and severe punishment from God. The judgment of Zimri was severe and immediate because he was fearless and indifferent at the face of existing judgment against the children of Israel for committing the same sin. He died instantly! Sexual sins always bring death- both spiritual and physical!