A Displaced Genealogy

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel – he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright (1 Chronicles 5:1).

Interestingly, the chronicler did not list the genealogy of Jacob’s sons according to its chronological order. By right, the firstborn son should have his genealogy mentioned first, before all his brothers. Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn son. But he had his genealogy listed after Judah and Simeon’s genealogies. Why did the chronicler mention Judah’s genealogy first before all the other sons of Jacob, but not Reuben’s? There are probably for 2 reasons for that:

Firstly, it is because of the purpose of 1 Chronicles. 1 Chronicles was written to emphasize the Israelite’s continuity with their past when they returned from captivity. In order to remind the Israelites of their great heritage, the Israelites were encouraged by the thought that God would establish His reign upon the earth through David’s royal line. Therefore, 1 Chronicles focuses on the glories of David’s reign. And David came from the line of Judah. The chronicler emphasized Judah’s lineage by mentioning that “Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler” (1 Chronicles 5:2). Consistent with that statement, the chronicler listed Judah’s genealogy before the rest.

Secondly, Reuben’s sin against his father was underscored by the way the chronicler recorded Reuben’s genealogy. In an attempt to assert his right to be the principal heir to succeed his father, “Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine” (Genesis 35:22). Because Reuben “defiled his father’s bed”, his genealogy was “not listed according to the birthright”.

Not only did Reuben's genealogy get “dethroned” among the sons of Jacob. By his misdeed, he also forfeited his birthright that he so desired to have. Jacob gave the birthright to Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, instead of giving it to Reuben. Jacob laid his hands on Ephraim and Manasseh, and said “Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth” (Genesis 48:17).

So, what is the moral of the story? The moral of the story here is not to encourage an obsession about genealogies. The bible teaches us not to “give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith” (1 Timothy 1:4). Rather, the real point here is to point out the ramifications of being over-zealous, or wanting something too much. Reuben’s obsession of getting his birthright, which is probably fuelled by his own insecurities, has led him to commit a misdeed that not only made him lose the very thing that he wanted so much, but also the superiority of his genealogy in the way it was listed among the sons of Jacob.