Behold the Son -- Do Not Sleep With Fear

"And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: 23The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun: 24The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin: 25And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali: 26And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram." (Genesis 35: 22-26)

God renamed Jacob not once but twice "Israel", affirming his new identity no longer as a "grabber" but a "Prince with God, who had struggled yet prevailed to receive from Him. Jacob had also returned to Beth-El, where he had first met God moving in His life. Returning to recognizing God as first place in His life also protected him from future attacks from the surrounding pagan peoples (Genesis 35: 1-5)

Then Reuben did something very bad: he slept with his father's concubine Bilhah, the maid of Reuben's mother Leah.

Bilhah means "frightened" or "to be troubled."

When we behold the Son, we have no reason to fear:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

Just as the LORD changed the identity of the Patriarch "Jacob" to "Israel", so to every believer in the Body of Christ has been transformed from dead in trespasses to alive in Christ (Ephesians 2: 1-6)

When we forget who we are in Christ, we fall into sin. Paul severely rebuked the Corinthians for the frequent perversions, by reminding them who they are in Christ:

"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" (1 Corinthians 6: 1-2)

and then

"9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6: 9-11)

"And so were some of you". . . The key is always to remember who we are in Christ!

"Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." (1 Corinthians 6: 15-17)

We are joined to Christ through the Holy Spirit. Why would we live beneath this privilege and commit fornication with anyone? Why even sleep with fear?

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
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Today, every believer in the Body of Christ has a new identity, is a new creation in Christ. When we rest in this perfected love, then fear is cast out of our lives (1 John 4: 18)

Do not sleep with fear - Behold the Son, and His love will banish every fear in your life!