After Jacob (Israel) blessed the two sons of Joseph, he blessed his twelve sons. We want to note the first four of these "blessings." If we're honest, a few of these don't sound like blessings at all. Of Reuben, Jacob says, "You shall not have preeminence because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it." This is a reference to Genesis 35:22, where it was recorded for us, "While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine." This act of betrayal prevented Reuben from receiving the blessing of the firstborn son. Remember, Reuben comes through the line of Leah and is her firstborn. Next, Jacob lumps Simeon and Levi together, "Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their council, or my glory be joined to their company." If you're wondering what this is all about, you will need to go back and read Genesis 34. In that chapter, Dinah, the daughter of Leah, was raped by a man in the city of Shechem. The rapist then went to Jacob and asked to marry Dinah. The brothers, deceptively, replied, "We can't let you marry our sister unless you are circumcised along with all your men in the same manner as we are." Jacob was abundantly wealthy, and the people of Shechem thought it seemed favorable to have their men circumcised so they could intermarry with the family and people of Jacob and, by so doing, obtain all his flocks and herds for themselves....