INSTABILITY AND ITS CURE

GENESIS 49:3

A. "REUBEN, THOU ARE MY FIRSTBORN, MY MIGHT AND THE BEGINNING OF MY STRENGTH, THE EXCELLENCY OF DIGNITY, AND THE EXCELLENCY OF POWER; UNSTABLE AS WATER THOU SHALT NOT EXCEL"
  1. There are two scenes in the life of Reuben which compel attention:
    1. His birth and the expectation of his father. He was the first born and for that reason his father envisioned strength, excellency of dignity, and excellency of power
    2. His instability and the disappointment it brought to his father - "unstable as water, thou shalt not excel"
  2. Thus we learn that advantages of birth are not necessarily criterion for nobility and attainment:
    1. We think of the two sons of Samuel - 1 Sam. 8:2-3; 12:3
    2. How often have we seen children, brought up by Christian parents, live a disgraceful life B. LET US CONSIDER THE INSTABILITY OF REUBEN AND DRAW SOME OBJECT LESSONS FROM OUR FINDINGS:
  3. "Unstable as water"
    1. Literally - bubbling up or bubbling over like water
    2. His nature was full of effervescence - the bright bubbling up of vivid life, of fancies, hopes, purposes, effervescent nobleness, effervescent baselessness, a sparkling water, quick to rise and quick to fall
  4. But the sad part in it all was that his noble aspirations had no stability:
    1. He could not be depended upon to carry out his impulsive aspirations. In the hour of crisis he was unstable like water
    2. Thus it is clear that because he lacked stability of character, his environment could not make up for his untrustworthiness
  5. "Thou shalt not excel"
    1. Someone else would take his place - Judah took his place - Rev. 7:5
    2. From this we see that a person's standing is and cannot be measured by his environment, but by his character C. FACTORS WHICH CAUSE INSTABILITY AND THEIR CURE
  6. While hereditary environment may be responsible for some people's instability:
    1. As in the case of Abijam - 1 Kings 15:3
    2. As Nadab did - 1 Kings 15:23
  7. Instability comes, many times, because of a lack of effort:
    1. Physical handicaps have often been overcome by patient and persistent effort
    2. Someone has said, rightly, that effort in the right direction is the backbone to a person's perseverance
    3. It is due, by enlarge to a person's failure to use the powers of reason in the moment of crisis; Examples: Esau failed to weigh correctly the implication of selling his birthright - Gen. 25:32; Heb. 12:16; Judas failed to see the terrible implications in selling the Lord for thirty pieces of silver - Matt. 14:16; 27:4-5
  8. God has a cure for man's instability:
    1. Said the Psalmist, "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved" - Ps. 16:8; 62:2
    2. Allowing the Lord to control our lives will develop stability; Examples: Peter, who was very temperamental and unstable became a pillar in the house of God. John Mark at the first cowardly, became on of Paul's trusted fellow workers
    3. The great secret of stability if found in our union with Christ. Think of Paul's testimony in Romans 8:31-39
  9. None need be discouraged:
    1. Note what Peter writes to the believers - I Peter 5:10
    2. Paul speaks the same language - 2 Cor. 12:10. Be nature most of us are weak and unstable; but when we allow Christ to live in us, our weakness becomes our strength - Phil. 4:13


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