Reuben - Firstborn, birthright

Gen 37:21-22  21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.  22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. KJV

• Here Reuben is pleading for Josephs life. He is trying to figure out how to keep him alive.

Gen 37:29-30 29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?  KJV

• In verse 30 it would seem that Reuben was worried about himself not Joseph.  Because his concern is about what will happen to him when he tells his father that Joseph is gone.

Gen 35:22 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. KJV

• Reuben, Jacob's firstborn son, may have been aserting his right to be the principal heir.  Maybe he felt slighted by jacob's implication that the youngest son benjamin was the son of his right hand. By sleeping with his father's concubine, he was assserting that he would succeed his father. Ironically, this very action caused him to lose the blessing he desired (see 49:3,4)

Gen 49:3-4  3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:  4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. KJV

It also appears that the very same struggle that Jacob and Esau had over the birthright was still being faught through Jacobs oldest son Reuben, who many years later is still struggling to hold on to his birthright as the firstborn son.

Here Am I

Abraham's Faith Confirmed
Gen 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? KJV
Gen 22:11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. KJV

Isaac Blesses Jacob
Gen 27:1 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. KJV
Gen 27:17-19 17 And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? 19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. KJV

Jacob Flees from Laban
Gen 31:11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. KJV

Joseph Sold by His Brothers
Gen 37:13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. KJV

Jacob's Journey to Egypt
Gen 46:2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.  KJV

Moses at the Burning Bush
Ex 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. KJV

Samuel's First Prophecy
1 Sam 3:4-8  4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.  5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.  8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.  KJV
1 Sam 3:16-17  16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.  17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.  KJV

The Report of Saul's Death
2 Sam 1:6-10  6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.  7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.  8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.  9 And he said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.  10 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord. KJV

David Escapes from Jerusalem
2 Sam 15:24-30 24 And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.  25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation:  26 But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him. 27 The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.  29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.  30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up. KJV

Isaiah Called to Be a Prophet
Isa 6:7-12  7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.  8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.  9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.  10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.  11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,  12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.  KJV