"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."
Israel heard it as he heard the manner his sons had created a stink over the Dinah affair. "And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land." Their deceit and their dishonourable conduct to justify their robbery pursue them even today. None of them felt a whiff of remorse, "They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,/ And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house."(34.28-29) Despite of Hamor and Shechem fulfilling their obligation faithfully,(' and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.') they could jesuitically justify,'And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot? (34.21) The sons growing up in the house of Laban proved their personalities were licked into shape by nature and nurture. What will you expect with Laban creating a vicious power play along his daughters with their servants as concubines against and for Jacob? The wily Laban set the tone with an all too warm flourish,"Surely thou art my bone and my flesh" (29.14) and this domestic drama matches with what Rebekah and Jacob played against old Isaac and Esau. Yes, God had found Jacob despite of his deceit with a deep undercurrent, amenable to correction. It is thus some saints of old, Augustine of Hippo for instance, were taken under His hand. Jacob was indeed brought to His rest at Peniel. It goes without saying holiness does not let consequences go away. This explains how the ten sons of israel turned out to be shabby Jews and we shall see yet another specimen Judah continuing where Reuben began.
"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."
Israel heard it as he heard the manner his sons had created a stink over the Dinah affair. "And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land." Their deceit and their dishonourable conduct to justify their robbery pursue them even today. None of them felt a whiff of remorse, "They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,/ And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house."(34.28-29) Despite of Hamor and Shechem fulfilling their obligation faithfully,(' and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.') they could jesuitically justify,'And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot? (34.21) The sons growing up in the house of Laban proved their personalities were licked into shape by nature and nurture. What will you expect with Laban creating a vicious power play along his daughters with their servants as concubines against and for Jacob? The wily Laban set the tone with an all too warm flourish,"Surely thou art my bone and my flesh" (29.14) and this domestic drama matches with what Rebekah and Jacob played against old Isaac and Esau. Yes, God had found Jacob despite of his deceit with a deep undercurrent, amenable to correction. It is thus some saints of old, Augustine of Hippo for instance, were taken under His hand. Jacob was indeed brought to His rest at Peniel. It goes without saying holiness does not let consequences go away. This explains how the ten sons of israel turned out to be shabby Jews and we shall see yet another specimen Judah continuing where Reuben began.
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