We are moving into chapter 49 of Genesis with our word for today. חָלַל be defiled, put into use, profane, make impure, pollute, pierce through, be pierced. It is used 133 times in the Old Testament. This is a strong word of disobedience that carries heavy consequences with it. A good example is it is used to describe what happened to the Israelites who had to wander in the wilderness until the older generation died. Ezekiel 20:13-16 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly חִלְּל֣וּ profaned. “Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be הֵחֵל֙ profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my חִלֵּ֑לוּ Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.
This heavy consequence of profane or defile is also seen in our chapter today with Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son. Genesis 49:3-4 Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed; then you חִלַּ֖לְתָּ defiled it—he went up to my couch!
Jacob spoke directly to Reuben, his eldest son, but what he had to say wasn’t very complimentary. An old sin he’d committed finally caught up with Reuben Genesis 35:22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard of it. Because of Reuben’s sin he lost his privileges as the firstborn son. Jacob gave that blessing to Joseph and his two sons which we see in 1 Chronicles 5:1–2: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he וּֽבְחַלְּלוֹ֙ defiled his father's couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, so that he could not be enrolled as the oldest son; though Judah became strong among his brothers and a chief came from him, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph).
As Jacob’s firstborn son, Reuben should have been a strong man with dignity, who brought honor to his father and family, but he turned out to be a weak man, who disgraced his family by defiling his father’s bed. “Unstable as water” speaks of both turbulence and weakness. Reuben’s arrogant attitude and reckless way of life weren’t fitting for a firstborn son. Water is certainly weak in itself, but turbulent water can be very destructive. Dathan and Abiram were Reubenites who gave leadership in the rebellion of Korah (Numbers 16:1), which led to the deaths of thousands of people.
The good news is that Christ can save us from this any all of our sins. Acts 13:38-39 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. This is amazing but we also have to remember that Christ died to not just save us from the consequences of our sin, separation from God in hell, but also to make us holy like him. Hebrews 13:12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. I’ll close with the warning God gives us writing through Peter. 2 Peter 2:20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.
