A season of Sadness

Genesis 35:16-29

A season of sadness is being encountered by Israel, and at the same time a son is born to him.  Rachel, his beloved wife, the one who had stolen his heart so many years ago, as she brought her fathers sheep to be watered.  Rachel was having her second son, it should be a time of feasting and joy, but it’s a time of tribulation; Rachel has gone into hard labor and as she was dying she gave birth to a son that she named Benoni.  Rachel has been praying for a second son for some fifteen years, it was Jacob/Israel’s twelfth and final son and yet Rachel knew that giving birth to him had cost her life, so she named him Benoni, “Son of Sorrow” but Israel changed his name.

Israel is about 105 at this time and his wisdom comes forth in the renaming of his last son.  There is no doubt that Israel is in great pain and suffering in the lost of his soul mate but he does not want his last son tagged with that name and the burden that would come with it, so he calls him, Benjamin, meaning “Son of the Right Hand.”

During the time of sadness, Reuben the oldest of Israel’s twelve sons had an affair with Bilhah, one of Israel’s wives, the mother of his younger step-brothers Dan and Naphtali.   When Jacob/Israel learned of the affair, he more than likely put a stop to it, but the Scripture does not tell us of any punitive actions against either party.  However, in all things we reap what we sow and later Reuben will lose his birthright because Jacob/Israel never forgot and could not excuse such actions. (Genesis 49:3-4)

In this season of sorrow the last thing that happened was the death of Isaac at the age of 180 years.  The good news is that both brothers were still in fellowship and together they buried their father.  When the Bible states that he was gathered to his people, it is telling us that he was buried in the cave that Abraham purchased in Mamre; where Abraham, Sarah and Rebekah were buried.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice