Reuben: Act decisively and immediately

God’s People on Mission

Reuben: Act decisively and immediately

The story of Joseph, from the book of Genesis, is a special and challenging story in so many ways.  I’ve taught from it often and learned many truths from the difficulties that Joseph faced and where it led him in the end.  But there is a character in the story that I have never paid much attention to, but I think we can learn from him also.  That man is the eldest of the brothers, Reuben.

When Joseph’s older brothers banded together to rid themselves of the favourite son of Jacob, the one who’d report their rebellion to their Father – Reuben stood decisively against them, though it turns out, not decisively enough.  We read:

But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father. (Genesis 37:21 – 22)

His opposition to their plans to murder Joseph was strong.  He knew what was right.  Not only as the eldest that carried the extra weight of responsibility, simply as a human being he knew it was wrong to shed the blood of an innocent, much less their own brother.

But his opposition was week.  Rather than opposing their intent and getting to the heart of the matter, instead he chose to come back in secret to release Joseph under the cover of night.  But his intention, as well meaning as it might have been, failed because he didn’t take decisive action when he knew what he must do.

Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?” (Genesis 37:29 – 30)

Whether it is the natural response that we know and understand that God expects of us, either as ordinary human decency or the higher calling of a child of God – or whether it is in response to a prompting of the Holy Spirit, when we hear God call to us, our response should be decisive and immediate.

If Reuben had chosen to stand with his brother, as he clearly understood that he should have, he may also have faced the anger of the rest of his brothers.  But there is little doubt that would have been preferable to all that he suffered instead – years of guilt and shame knowing that he had been given the opportunity to defend his brother against evil intent and failed to act as he should have.

Is there a lesson, an application for us to pay attention to today?  Of course there is.  Many times our consciences direct us on how we should act, and the danger can be to soften it, put it off, only to find that we’ve missed an opportunity.

There is an application when it comes to sharing the Good News, we know we are all called to speak and to act, certainly in different ways – for sure, but we put it off, wait for a better time.  We should learn from Reuben’s missed opportunity, after all, the fete that our friends and neighbours are facing is even worse than what Joseph endured.

Or maybe we might miss out in a different way – as Mordecai warned Esther:

For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.  (Esther 4:14)

The blessing we’d receive by acting in obedience to the prompting of The Holy Spirit, will be passed on to another, and we’d miss out, or worse, face the consequences of disobedience.

When you receive a message from the Holy Spirit, or when you just know that it is the right thing to do – don’t wait – act decisively and act immediately, trusting that if you do, you are free from the consequences of other people’s choices – and who knows – God may use you mightily in ways you hadn’t expected.