Scripture Focus:
“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.” Genesis 35:22
Jacob’s household was crumbling under the weight of unaddressed issues. This was not just
about Reuben’s sin, it was the result of years of poor parenting, sibling rivalry, favoritism, and
lack of spiritual order. These children were raised in a home of competition and emotional
manipulation, where their mothers competed, and their father failed to step up as a spiritual
leader. Jacob reaped what he sowed. His silence over Shechem, over Simeon and Levi, and
now over Reuben, exposed a dangerous pattern; parental passivity.
But Reuben, though a product of that environment, was still responsible. His sin of defiling his
father’s bed had long-term consequences. In Genesis 49, Jacob finally speaks, not in anger, but
in a declaration that cost Reuben his birthright. Sin has a way of revisiting us when we least
expect. Even if men keep silent, God never forgets.
Finally, parents and parents-to-be, raise your children with vision and structure. Do not keep
silent when correction is needed. Your silence today may become your sorrow tomorrow.
Prayer:
Lord, help me lead my family with wisdom. May I never be too passive to correct and too silent
to guide. Amen.
Further Reading: Genesis 35:22, Genesis 49:3–4, Proverbs 29:15.