The Way

The stories of Reuben going up to his father’s bed (Genesis 35:22) and Judah unknowingly conceiving with Tamar (imagination) (Genesis 38) are more than moral failures—they are profound symbolic moments in the Bible. When interpreted through the framework of spiritual awakening, both episodes represent misalignments or breakthroughs in the process revealed in Genesis 2:24: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” This command is not about social marriage—it is psychological. It is the first whisper of the transition from the old man (outer, inherited self) to the new man (inner, awakened self). It is the path of union that leads to transformation. Reuben: The Firstborn Who Clung to the Past Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, is the obvious heir in outward terms. But the firstborn in scripture often symbolises the old state—the natural man bound by inherited patterns. When Reuben “went up to his father's bed,” he ...

The story of Reuben going up to his father’s bed (Genesis 35:22) has long been seen as scandalous — a shocking family drama that cost Reuben his birthright. But when you look deeper, this event reveals a profound lesson about the earliest mistake we all make when trying to manifest change in our lives. Reuben’s Act as a Symbol of Falling Back Reuben, the firstborn son of Jacob, was meant to hold the highest position of responsibility and blessing in the family. Yet, instead of stepping into this role fully, he “went up to his father’s concubine.” Symbolically, this represents Reuben falling back into old behaviours and patterns instead of embracing a new identity or state of consciousness. He didn’t truly “leave the father’s house” in imagination — he reverted to an old way of being, violating the spiritual law of separation described in Genesis 2:24, which calls for leaving the old to cleave to the new. Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, ...

Reuben and the Refusal to Cleave to Desire In Neville Goddard’s teaching, Scripture is a psychological drama. It isn’t history—it’s the unfolding of consciousness within you. Genesis 35:22— “Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine” —symbolises the refusal to separate from old mental patterns and spiritually unite with a new, living desire. This is not merely a moral transgression. It is a metaphysical mistake. Reuben: The First Glimpse of Creative Power Name meaning: רְאוּבֵן ( Re’uven ) means “Behold, a son!” —from ra’ah (to see) and ben (son). Symbolism: The initial awareness that imagination has creative power—the spark of I see . But: As Neville often warned, seeing isn’t enough. Without discipline and direction, awareness becomes unstable. Reuben represents that early stage in spiritual awakening—when we become aware of imagination’s power but haven’t yet learned how to align it with a single, generative aim. The Father’s Bed: A Return to the Old Identity In...