The story of Reuben going up to his father’s bed (Genesis 35:22) is often read as a scandalous family drama. But within a symbolic and metaphysical reading, especially through Neville Goddard’s teachings, it reveals a profound lesson about the earliest and most common mistake we make when attempting to manifest a new life: the refusal to fully separate from the old self.
Reuben as the First Attempt at Assumption
Reuben’s name means “Behold, a son!” — from ra’ah (to see) and ben (son). Symbolically, he represents the first awareness that imagination has creative power: the initial spark of “I see.”
However, as Neville taught, seeing is not enough. Without discipline and full commitment, this awareness remains unstable, unable to produce lasting transformation. Thinking about manifesting for two minutes and then going straight back to the old way of thinking is not going to yield results.
The Act: Falling Back Into Old Patterns
Reuben, as Jacob’s firstborn, is the most established aspect of mind, and because of this, he “went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine.”
In metaphysical terms, “the father” symbolises the I AM — the awareness of being, the origin of identity. To “go up to the father’s bed” means to return to inherited assumptions, old mental patterns, and familiar limitations that formed the old self.
This violates the spiritual law in Genesis 2:24:
"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall become one flesh."
This verse is not about literal marriage. It describes the mental and spiritual law of manifestation: to bring a new desire into reality, you must separate from the old conditioning (“father and mother”) and unite completely with the new state (“wife”).
The Symbolism of Bilhah
Bilhah’s name means “bashful” or “weak,” symbolising a lesser, compromised state of consciousness.
In Neville’s metaphysics, concubines represent fragmented desires — fallback identities or half-hearted assumptions that dilute your focus.
Rather than cleaving to a pure, central desire (the true “wife”), Reuben slips into an uncommitted state. He merges with a lesser mental image, showing how we often attach ourselves to limiting beliefs instead of fully embodying the new self.
The Subconscious Pull: Why We Revert
The subconscious mind resists change because it values familiarity. Even when we consciously intend to create a new life, the subconscious clings to what is known — the old “father’s bed.”
This is why relapse into old patterns is so common. Reuben’s act represents that seductive pull back into the comfortable yet restrictive patterns of thought and behaviour.
Manifestation is not just about new affirmations or mental pictures. It is about transforming the subconscious to accept and sustain the new identity. This requires persistent “cleaving” to the new state despite the subconscious urge to revert.
The Loss of the Birthright
The birthright symbolises dominion over your creative power — the ability to consciously shape your reality. Reuben forfeits this by trying to mix the new with the old. He attempts to inherit a new future while remaining tied to outdated mental patterns.
As a result, the birthright passes to Joseph (symbolising imagination aligned with divine purpose) and Judah (symbolising praise and deep devotion to the I AM). Only those who fully unite with their chosen state, without turning back, can inherit the creative authority.
Cleaving to the Wish Fulfilled
The antidote to Reuben’s mistake is simple but demanding:
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Leave the old assumptions and identity (the “father’s bed”).
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Cleave to your new desire, becoming one with it in imagination.
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Persist until this union feels natural and complete.
This is the essence of Genesis 2:24, and it echoes the Song of Solomon’s language of intimate union and devotion. Manifestation is a spiritual marriage — a merging of self and desire so deep that no space remains for the old self.
Final Thoughts
Reuben’s story is not about family scandal. It is a timeless metaphor for the mental battle that everyone faces when stepping into a new self-concept.
By understanding that setbacks and subconscious resistance are normal — and seeing them as a signal to return and cleave even more deeply to your desired state — we reclaim our power.
The Bible, when read symbolically, becomes a profound psychological map rather than a moral code. It acknowledges the nonlinear, often messy path of inner transformation and invites us to persist through the turbulence with unwavering devotion to the new self.
Leave and cleave. In that spiritual law lies the entire secret of true, lasting manifestation.
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