SECTION XI.

Fulfilment.

Though Reuben was the "first-born" of Jacob, "the beginning of his strength, the excellency of his dignity, and the excellency of his power; "-yet, for the offence, of which he had been guilty, he was "6 not to excel."

Thus, we find, that the tribe of Reuben was less numerous than many of the other tribes. "Of the

tribe of Reuben were 46,500." Of that of Simeon were 59,300.-Of that of Judah 74,600.-Of that of Zebulon 57,400.-Of that of Issachar 54,400.-Of that of Dan, 62,700.—Of that of Naphtali, 53,400. (Numb. i. 21-43.)

The portion of Reuben was on the east side of Jordan, in the plains of Moab, to the north of the Dead Sea. That of Gad was in Gilead; and half the tribe of Manasseh occupied the land of Bashan, to the south of mount Hermon. (Joshua xiii. 15—33.) Thus these tribes were geographically separated, and,

as it were, cut off from the other nine tribes and a half by the river Jordan, and the lakes Asphaltes and Gennesaret.

While their brethren, on the west side of this boundary, possessed all the advantages of union and confederacy, Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh, were in a great measure a separate people. They feared, that, in time to come, the children of the other tribes might "speak unto their children, saying-what have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel? For the Lord hath made Jordan a border between us and you."

When ten thousand men of the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun overthrew the hosts of Sisera, at Mount Tabor, Deborah the prophetess, who then judged Israel, found no support or assistance from the tribe of Reuben. In her song of triumph, Deborah makes a great distinction between the tribes, who marched with Barak, and the unstable and divided tribe of Reuben. My heart," she says, "is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people." Ephraim, Benjamin, Zebulun, Issachar, were all entitled to her praise; but Reuben "abode among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flock." "For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart; for the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart." (Judges iv. 9, 16.)

The tribes, which were settled beyond Jordan, had

but an uncertain and precarious possession. Hazael, king of Syria, laid waste their territories. "When the Lord began to cut Israel short, Hazael smote them from Jordan eastward-the Gadites-the Reubenites, and the Manassites" (2 Kings x. 32, 33.) "Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, carried away captive Beerah. He was prince of the Reubenites ;" (1 Chron. v. 6.) and in the year 771 B.C. (cir.)" the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites," because " they transgressed against the God of their Fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land." (1 Chron. v. 25, 26.)

Thus was the prophecy of Jacob, against his firstborn Reuben, completely fulfilled in the history of that tribe. In their allegiance to the one God Jehovah ; and in the possession of their allotted portion of the promised land, they were unstable as water, and did not excel.

But the sentence, pronounced against the first-born of Israel, was most especially fulfilled by the disinheritance of his tribe with respect to the spiritual birthright, of that gracious and glorious promise, which God had made to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. "In thy seed shall all the families of the

earth be blessed."

The genealogical descent from the respective heads of the twelve tribes is particularised in 1 Chron. v. 1.

It is there recorded- "Now Reuben was the firstborn. But forasmuch as he defiled his Father's bed, his birth-right was given unto the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel." This birth-right was two-fold.

It signified primarily, and in a temporal sense, that double allotment to one tribe in Canaan, which be

came necessary, in consequence of there being no apportionment required for Levi. But in a secondary and prophetic sense, it comprised that promised blessing to all the world, which the Almighty had declared should proceed from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as one root in three persons.