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The Portrait of Ruben (Part 2).

 ·   ·  ☕ 9 min read  ·  ✍️ Odunayo Rotimi

Key Characters

Key Text: Genesis 37:12-36
Ruben: Jacob’s first son.
Joseph: Hatred victim.
Judas: A Ruben-like Christian.

Ruben, the fearful (cont’d)

Genesis 37:26-27 So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened.

Genesis 37:26-27 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. 27 Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed.

Genesis 37:26-27 Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood (murder)? 27 Come, let us [instead] sell him to these Ishmaelites [and Midianites] and not lay our hands on him, because he is our brother and our flesh.” So his brothers listened to him and agreed.

In Part 1 of this series, we stopped at Ruben being effeminate, was afraid of what his younger ones could do to him and, therefore, was unable to veto his brothers’ decision to dispose of Joseph. He thought he could cowardly dislodge his brother later to come to save him from the pit. Alas, such efforts would only amount to loud sorrowful tears after the jar of milk has been broken and the milk spilt!

Ruben and his company of Friends

Ruben, the mentor

Ruben has many a great company amongst the current-day professing Christians. Many deny God publicly or save their faces from the shame associated with owning Jesus, hoping later to return in their closets to repent. Such often forget the standing words Jesus left. It reads: “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father, who is in heaven1". Now by denial, He means everything He is heir to, including forgiveness and remission of sins.

Would you deny Jesus as a Christian and think you would be guiltless? I do not think so! Those who rejected Him at the cross were forgiven based on their ignorance. But the calculated denial that seeks to return and ask for forgiveness as if Jesus were a fool who lacks knowledge of your intention makes one a mocker of Jesus. Yet, Paul would not let such go without warning, saying, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap2.” Sow denial; you reap denial. Sow ignorance to the cause of Jesus; you reap ignorance on His part to your ceaseless and fruitless toiling.

Matthew 10:33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 10:33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:33 But the one who denies and rejects Me before men, that one I will also deny and reject before My Father who is in heaven.

My counsel for us is that which Jesus had for His disciples. He said to them not to fear men. The farthest extent to which a man could go is to kill the body by sniffing breath out of one by any cruel means. No man yet or till eternity will have the ability to crush the other’s soul, no! That ability is exclusively reserved for God in His supremacy. And God has made sure it will be fashioned in a body that feel the heat of the pains of hell, yet undiminishing in sates. If God says, He is a terrible God3. He truly is, and no man can achieve half as much. Don’t wait till hell before you know the severity of this merciful Father.

Like Ruben, Like Judas

When Ruben returned, he could not find Joseph in the pit again. Dear prospective Returnee, ask Judas, you may never meet Jesus where you left Him. He may not be there to whisper courage to ears again. Nor to roar boldness in your fainting heart. One act of willful denial of Jesus through adultery, immorality, bribery or whatever deliberate sin lies in us can deny us that privileged access we once have to intimacy with Him. It lands one in such cases where one would feel emptied out.

judas jesus pharisees crucifixion death betrayal
Judas: Judas showing Jesus to the guards.

Ruben ripped his clothes to show a great misery that would now befall and haunt him till old age. He tore his clothes as if to feel empty. He ripped his clothes as if to show remorse, but Joseph was gone! Some tears may be shed in great sorrow when one intentionally denies Jesus to no avail; oh, Esau4 tried the same but found no aid. The difference between Judases’ and Peter’s denial of Jesus was that while Judas’ case portrayed a calculated effort, Peter’s response was a spontaneous effort to rescue himself from impending danger. Up until the moment the rooster crowed5, he was still very ignorant of the grievous act he was committing.

O, that we know how much it cost Jesus to own us before his arch-enemy, being subjected to his mockery and his power for 33 and a half years! O, that we see and; that we know how Jesus befriend us to own our misery and by ownership, purge us of the same! O, that we know that the angels to whom Jesus did not show mercy are more capable and perfect beings than mere men that we are, whose life is at the cost of the nose’s breath! Should Jesus, therefore, own you, and you deny before men, you know you would be guilty with a pang of guilt that knows no end!

The scheme

The younger brothers of Ruben soon came up with a perfect device. This scheme was designed to help old thoughtless Ruben stop thinking and help Jacob stop partiality in the home: they have been on the receiving end of this hostility since their cradle. They made up a cloth smeared with blood and would report it to Jacob as evidence of Joseph’s regretful death6.

When one succeeds in denying Jesus publicly, advocates like the wicked brothers of Ruben will console him. Just like Satan, who stirred Judas to betray Jesus, became his best associate and advised Him accordingly on how, Jesus even though He had preached on 70-by-7 times forgiveness per day, would not forgive him. O, he was advised how Peter: who had a sword to cut down one of the ears of a high priest’s security personnel7, would stop at nothing to shred him into pieces! And would not be able to practice what Jesus had taught them about forgiveness! “If not for you, Peter would not have denied his Master,” Satan must have said to Judas' ears. Consequently, Judas was offered the humble pie of suicide, believing that Jesus could not keep his work in His ability to forgive and restore a repentant sinner.

I believe that the guilt of intentional sin; does more to drive the man away from God’s forgiveness than it solidifies God’s intention not to forgive. He is merciful! But the sinner has the habit of running when no one chases after him or her8. And sometimes Satan takes advantage of whatever gap has been created to solidify the impossibility of finding repentance. The result is a further widening.

Dear friend

Would you rather; consider where, how and why you cannot own up Jesus and tell Him those reasons in a sincere confession? If you perish, it will not be because of His intention but because of your deflections. How I wish Ruben had told Jacob the truth! How I hope you too can tell Jesus why He is not anything you want to associate with amongst your peers, in your professional sphere, or within your immediate family! More than Jacob could do to forgive this act, Jesus is ready, if you would be sincere with Him, not only to forgive; but also to empower your Spirit man to gain confidence in Him. Jesus is not a menace; He is a prize to be won. Jesus is a treasure to be sought. He is One whose fellowship one must prove himself or herself worthy of9. He is the Lord of the earth.

The circumstance in which He camouflaged Himself to come and save the sons of men does nothing to reduce the eternal majesty in which He reigns and rules. If one is associated with Jesus, he is united with the noblest. To know Jesus is to have wisdom that source, formed, founded, and is steering the affairs of the world. Endeavour not to leave Jesus in the pit; your thorn clothes like Ruben may not restore Him to you. Your regrets, like Judas, may lead you to suicide. Own Jesus, brother, and own it all.“Draw near to God," Brother James admonished, and He will draw unto you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded10. But we are also warned by the saying: “With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd." Anywhere you choose to fall, Jesus is all in all to you. As you can do nothing against, but for the truth11; just like the brothers of Joseph meant Him harm but landed him in world supreme position12.

References

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Odunayo Rotimi
WRITTEN BY
Odunayo Rotimi