In writing this and other articles I have to keep mind I have only learned in part to practice what I preach. However, I will not keep back from others what I know is good for us all to obey. I feel safer when encouraging rather than exhorting, but we are told to do both.
“BE [CONTINUALLY]
FILLED
IN SPIRIT ...”
I have used only capital letters, but not just for emphasis; the original Greek manuscripts did not have the upper/lower case distinction many other languages do.
Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. He was named by his mother in hope that his existence in the world would be a turning point in her relationship with her husband, who had eyes only for her more-attractive sister. But now that Leah had given Jacob a son, perhaps finally she would be loved.
As one might anticipate, that optimistic gesture turned out to be futile. Leah’s hopes were dashed.
Did young Reuben resent the way his father treated his mother? Come on, a firstborn son? We feel responsible for everything that happens to everybody. That’s just the dynamics of birth order. It would have been impossible for him to grow up unaware of the ever-present tension between his mother and her sister, or of the lack of interest his father displayed in Leah. No, Reuben was right in the middle of all the family intrigue.