As we trace the history of Jacob, we see that in his life there were three pillars and one tower. Although Jacob set up pillars four times, he erected them in just three places — at Gilead, at Bethel, and on the way to Bethlehem (Gen. 31:45; 28:18, 22; 35:14, 20). Because Jacob set up pillars in three places, twice setting up a pillar at Bethel, there were actually three pillars in his life as landmarks of his experience. In addition to these three pillars, Jacob also experienced a tower, the tower of Eder (Gen. 35:21). We must believe that everything recorded in the Bible has a special significance. In this message we must consider, as a parenthesis, the significance of the three pillars and the one tower in Jacob's life.
The three pillars set up by Jacob were landmarks in his life. They divided his life into three sections. In the first section Jacob experienced God's care. From the day of his birth, he was under God's care. However, Jacob, a supplanter, a heel-holder, thought he was under his own care. Eventually he realized that he was not under his own care, but under God's care. If Jacob had been under his own care, he would not have been able to deal with his cunning uncle, Laban, or to confront his strong brother, Esau. Rather, he would have been totally defeated by Laban or absolutely destroyed by Esau. But because Jacob was under God's care, neither Laban nor Esau could harm him. Although Jacob did everything possible to take care of himself, he gradually learned that he was under God's care.
Recall how Jacob left Laban. He did not leave in a glorious way; rather he was afraid of Laban and stole away from him in a somewhat shameful manner (Gen. 31:20-21). In doing so "Jacob stole the heart of Laban the Syrian" (31:20, Heb.). Thinking that he had to flee for his own protection, Jacob secretly stole away from Laban. Later Jacob realized that he was not protected by his skill, but by God's care. Although Laban did not know of Jacob's flight until three days later, he still pursued him until he caught up with him (Gen. 31:23). The night before Laban overtook Jacob, God said to him, "Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob from good to bad" (Gen. 31:24, Heb.). God seemed to be telling Laban, "Don't do anything to Jacob. You must leave him in My hands." Laban was unwise in relating to Jacob what God had told him the previous night (Gen. Gen. 31:29). If Laban had not divulged this, he could have made a deal with Jacob. Jacob used what God had told Laban as the ground to rebuke him, saying, "Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight" (Gen. 31:42). As Jacob was rebuking Laban, deep in his heart he might have felt grateful to God for protecting him. God was sovereign over all his circumstances for his existence.
Laban then said to Jacob, "Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee" (Gen. 31:44). Jacob responded to Laban's proposal by taking a stone and setting it up for a pillar (Gen. 31:45). Although Laban intended to pile up a heap of stones, Jacob set up a pillar. This pillar was a testimony of God's care of Jacob. Jacob had come to see that his living was altogether under the care of God. Hence, he set up this pillar as a strong testimony of God's care for him.
Jacob was under God's care for more than twenty years. Although he was in Laban's squeezing hand for such a long time (Laban changed his wages ten times — Gen. 31:41), God was with him all the while, and His hand was upon him. Therefore, as Jacob was making a deal with Laban, he set up a pillar to testify that he was under God's care. This pillar was for Jacob's existence. Many of us have also set up such a pillar. If you consider your own Christian experience, you will see that the first stage of your Christian life was the stage of experiencing God's care. Even before we were saved, our intention was to have God's care. When we heard the good news of the gospel, our intention in believing in the Lord Jesus was to have His care. For many years we, like Jacob, have been under the care of our heavenly Father. At the end of the first stage of our Christian life, we need to set up a pillar testifying of God's care. However, if you have been with the Lord for quite a long time, it may be too late for you to set up this pillar. Rather, you need to set up the second pillar, the pillar at Bethel.
Years before Jacob set up this pillar at Gilead, he had set up a pillar at Bethel (Gen. 28:18, 22). However, Jacob set up that pillar immediately after having a dream. Once again we see that Jacob's biography is also our biography. Not long after we were saved, we heard something about the house of God and we responded to what we heard. But everything we heard and did was like a dream. We did not actually experience the house of God. In Genesis 28 Jacob had a dream. After that dream, he had a real experience, not of the house of God, but of the care of God. At the end of this stage of his experience he set up a pillar at Gilead as a landmark to testify of God's care. As we shall see, in our Christian life we need three pillars, three landmarks, the first of which is the pillar testifying of God's care for us.
After Jacob had left Padan-aram and had returned to the good land, he did not go directly to Bethel. God had to intervene and call him to Bethel, saying, "Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother" (Gen. 35:1). This indicates that Jacob had no intention of fulfilling the vow he had made to God at Bethel twenty years earlier. He had probably forgotten it. Instead of journeying directly to Bethel to fulfill his vow, Jacob journeyed to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and made booths for his cattle (Gen. 33:17). Later he traveled to Shechem, where he bought a parcel of land and spread his tent (Gen. 33:18-19). After the serious trouble following the defilement of Jacob's daughter, Dinah, God came in and told Jacob to arise and to go up to Bethel. When Jacob came to Bethel the second time, he did not have a dream. He had been ordered by God to go there, to dwell there, and to build an altar there to the God who had appeared to him when he was fleeing from Esau. At Bethel Jacob consecrated himself to God so that He might fulfill His purpose of having Bethel, the house of God. Here at Bethel Jacob set up the second pillar, the second landmark in his life (Gen. 35:14). As Gen. 28:22 indicates, the pillar in Bethel was called the house of God. Therefore, the first pillar was a testimony of God's care, and the second was a testimony of God's house.
Because Jacob's history is also our experience, we all must worship the Lord. Many of us have set up pillars both at Gilead and at Bethel. We can testify, not only of God's care, but also of God's house. Jacob's first pillar was a testimony of God's care for his existence. When Jacob, a poor supplanter, arrived at Laban's house, he had nothing. But when he returned to the good land, he had acquired great riches. He had armies of people and armies of flocks and herds. In his vow made in 28:20 and 21, Jacob said, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God." In other words, Jacob was actually saying, "If the Lord will not give me food and clothing, and if He will not bring me back to my father's house in peace, then I will not take Him as my God. Rather, I will forget about Him." What a deal Jacob had made with God! Nevertheless, God met all the conditions of Jacob's vow, supplying him with food and clothing, giving him peace, and even increasing him with armies of people and flocks. But here in chapter thirty-five God seemed to be saying, "Jacob, now you must go to Bethel. You should no longer be concerned for your food, your clothing, and your peace. You must take care of Me and My house. Jacob, I have been taking care of you for years. Beginning now, you must take care of Me."
Many of us can testify that years ago we set up a pillar at Gilead. At that time our testimony concerned God's care for us. We testified that our God was faithful, kind, gracious, and rich. But today our testimony is not that of the first pillar, the testimony of God's care; it is the second pillar, the testimony of God's house. However, not many Christians today take care of God's house. Most are primarily concerned about their own needs, and the pillar they set up is only a testimony of God's care. Very few experientially set up a pillar to testify of God's house. To have the pillar of God's care without the pillar of God's house is not normal. As today's Jacobs, we must set up the second pillar for God's building. Praise the Lord that many of us have done so. In our Christian life we have not only the first section, the section of God's care, but also the second section, the section of God's house. Nevertheless, we must journey on and set up the third pillar.
My burden in this message is the third pillar, the pillar on the way to Bethlehem (Gen. 35:16-20). At Bethel Jacob built an altar and set up a pillar. Not only did he answer God's call; he also consecrated himself to God for the fulfillment of His desire to have Bethel. However, Jacob's life did not end at 35:15. Verse 16 says that he journeyed on from Bethel. As Jacob was journeying on, he had an experience that was a matter of both joy and suffering, a matter of both gain and loss. Jacob gained a son, Benjamin, and he lost his beloved wife, Rachel. If you had to make the choice, would you prefer to gain the son or to keep the wife? In order to gain the son, you must sacrifice your wife, and in order to keep your wife, you must be denied the son. Although Jacob had eleven sons, not one of them was a full type of Christ. He had had many experiences, but not one of them was adequate to bring forth Christ. Thus, he was confronted with a choice — to keep Rachel or to gain Benjamin. This is a crucial matter, and we all must face it.
Actually, the choice was not made by Jacob. If he had preferred to keep Rachel, he could not have done so. Furthermore, if he had wanted to reject Benjamin, he would not have been able to do this. Both the death of Rachel and the birth of Benjamin were in the hand of God.
Leah, the one Jacob did not love so much, had brought forth six sons. Rachel, the object of Jacob's love, had brought forth only one son — Joseph, whose name means "addition." When Joseph was born, Rachel expected to have a second son and said, "The Lord shall add to me another son" (30:24). In her expectation of having another son, she seemed to be saying, "God has taken away my reproach and has given me a son. But one son is not sufficient. I want another one. Hence, I shall call the name of my first son Joseph." This should imply a prayer, a prayer answered at the cost of Rachel's life. Rachel had such a prayer in 30:24, and the answer came in 35:18. In order to gain her desire, Rachel had to lose her own life. In 30:24 she did not actually realize what she was saying. Rachel expected that God would give her a second son, but she did not know that this would cost her her life. Many of us have done the same thing. We prayed for a particular matter without knowing what it would cost to have our prayer answered.
At the time of the delivery of Rachel's second child, Jacob must have been happy. But he suddenly realized that Rachel, the desire of his heart, was dying. Benjamin was coming, but Rachel was departing. The fact that the birth of Benjamin and the death of Rachel occurred simultaneously means that Jacob gained a son by losing his natural choice. The crucial point in this message is that Jacob gained Christ through the loss of his natural choice. The third pillar in Jacob's life was a testimony of God's dealing with his natural choice.
It is wonderful to have the testimony of God's care and the testimony of the house of God. But not even the house of God is God's ultimate goal. God's ultimate goal is to express Christ. The expression of Christ is not an individual matter; it is a corporate matter in the house of God. The church as the house of God is for the expression of Christ. In order to express Christ, we must have the church. However, most Christians think they can express Christ without the church. But it is impossible to express Christ adequately apart from the church. In addition to the pillar of God's care and the pillar of God's house, we must have the third pillar, the pillar for the corporate expression of Christ. This pillar is costly.
Genesis 35:20 says that Jacob set a pillar upon Rachel's grave, and that this "is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day." This grave marked the death of Jacob's natural choice, the choice of his heart. Rachel was the first person Jacob met when he arrived at Laban's home, and he immediately fell in love with her. He did everything necessary to have her as his wife, and eventually she was given to him. Rachel did not die of old age; she died prematurely in childbirth. The fact that she was still able to bear children indicates that she was not in her old age. All of Leah's six deliveries of her sons and the one of her daughter went very well, but Rachel died in giving birth to her second child. Her death was allowed by God.
The death of Rachel signifies the death of our natural choice. The first two pillars we set up are not for us to have a happy life — they are for us to exist to build the house of God for the expression of Christ. Although Jacob had eleven sons, not one of them was a complete type of Christ. Not one of them was the son of sorrow and the son of the right hand. Joseph was excellent, but prior to the birth of Benjamin, he was not a type of Christ. In typology Joseph is the continuation of Benjamin. This implies that no matter how many spiritual experiences we have had, up to this point, not one of them is the expression of Christ. We still need Benjamin. In order for Benjamin to be born, our natural choice, our "Rachel," must die.
God used Rachel to bring forth Benjamin. But by His using her to bring forth Benjamin, He took her away. God will also use the "Rachel" we love. But through His using our "Rachel," He takes her away from us. If you examine your experience, you will realize that God uses your choice, your desire. But by using it, He takes it from you.
Rachel's death was not only a suffering to Jacob; it was also a suffering to Rachel. Matthew 2:18 says, "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she would not be comforted, because they were no more." For many years I could not understand how Rachel, who had been buried for more than seventeen hundred years, could still be weeping. Nevertheless, this verse says that, even at the time of the birth of Christ, Rachel was still weeping over her children, all of whom were descendants of Benjamin. Benjamin truly was "the son of sorrow," and Rachel was right in giving him this name. Benjamin's birth not only took Rachel's life, but also the life of his descendants more than seventeen hundred years later. Because Christ had been born in Bethlehem, Herod slew all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and younger (Matt. 2:16). Rachel was weeping over all her children, those who had been killed by Herod because of the coming of Christ. This means that Rachel suffered martyrdom for the coming of Christ. Rachel's weeping could be heard at Rama. Rachel was buried on the way to Bethlehem, and Rama is just two hundred yards from Bethlehem. Thus, Rachel's grave was close to both Bethlehem and Rama. This region was populated with the descendants of Benjamin, the son of Rachel.
After Rachel died and was buried, she still had to wait for more than seventeen hundred years to pass by. Not even losing her life for the birth of Benjamin was sufficient; she had to weep more than seventeen hundred years later for her descendants who were to suffer martyrdom for Christ. Rachel not only suffered at the time of her delivery; she even suffered more than seventeen hundred years later. The purpose of her suffering was the bringing forth of Christ. Firstly Benjamin, the type of Christ, came, and secondly Christ, the real One, came. Unlike us, God is not bound by the matter of time. For this reason, we need not be concerned about the interval of more than seventeen hundred years between the death of Rachel and the birth of Christ.
Jacob had set up a pillar at Gilead and a pillar at Bethel, but now he had to set up the third pillar on the way to Bethlehem. In our Christian life we also must have the landmark of the third pillar at Rachel's grave, the place where our natural choice is buried. Our love, our desire, and our choice will one day be brought to an end and buried. Upon the grave of our natural choice we must set up a pillar. This pillar is a signboard of the death and burial of our natural choice, the desire of our heart. Some person, some thing, or some matter we love dearly will die and be buried, and a pillar will be set up upon the grave to testify that our choice has been buried. Then we shall journey on to Bethlehem, the place where Christ is born. The pillar on the way to Bethlehem directs people to Christ.
When Jacob first met Rachel and fell in love with her, he did not know what trouble she would cause him. It was because Jacob loved Rachel that he was given Leah and the two maids, Zilpah and Bilhah. Without Leah and these two maids, he would not have had their ten sons to cause him problems. The more Jacob loved Rachel, the more trouble he had. Although Leah had given Jacob four sons, Rachel was childless and she complained to Jacob (30:1). To this Jacob said, "Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?" (30:2). Jacob seemed to be saying, "Rachel, why do you complain to me? Why don't you complain to God?" Eventually God hearkened to Rachel and gave her a son, Joseph (30:22-24). At the birth of Joseph, Rachel expected that the Lord would add to her another son. She did give birth to a second son, but as we have seen she lost her life in this childbirth. Thus, she called her second son "the son of sorrow." Furthermore, Rachel even suffered the martyrdom of the descendants of Benjamin for the coming of Christ. If you had been Jacob and could have foreseen all the troubles that would have come upon you for loving Rachel, would you still have loved her? You probably would have said, "Rachel, no matter how lovely you are, I dare not get involved with you. If I do, I will have too many troubles." Jacob of course did not know what was ahead of him. When Rachel died, he had no choice except to bury her and to set up the third pillar. He had set up the first pillar at Gilead and the second at Bethel; now he had to set up the third pillar upon Rachel's grave.
Today you may be very happy in the church life. But one day your "Rachel," the choice of your heart, will die that Benjamin might be brought forth. I am fully assured that Benjamin will be brought forth in the church life. Moreover, we must expect that even long after the death of our "Rachel," we shall still be weeping for her martyred descendants, those who suffered martyrdom for the coming of Christ.
Rachel wept because she was natural. Instead of weeping, she should have rejoiced. If she had exercised her spirit, she would not have wept; she would have rejoiced and exulted, saying, "The one whom I have called `the son of sorrow' is a shadow, a type, of the real Son of sorrow who will be born in Bethlehem." In the picture in Genesis 35 Rachel signifies our natural choice. To our natural choice, the birth of Benjamin is a sorrow. But to Israel it is a cause of rejoicing. The coming of Benjamin was a sorrow to Rachel, and the coming of Christ was a weeping to her. But both the coming of Benjamin and the coming of Christ were a joy to Israel. Certain things will happen in the church life that our natural man will consider a suffering and a sorrow. But to Israel, the spiritual man, these things will not be a sorrow, but a joy. Instead of weeping, there will be rejoicing.
In the first stage of our Christian life we experience God's care; in the second we experience God's house; and in the third we experience the bringing forth of Christ, the expression of Christ. The bringing forth of Christ and the expression of Christ cost us our natural life, our natural love, and our natural choice. Everything natural will eventually die and be buried. However, our natural choice will continue to suffer for a long time.
We all need three pillars, three types of testimonies. Years ago in Taipei in fellowship with the elders I pointed out that most of the testimonies in the church meetings were merely about God's care. Rarely did we hear a testimony regarding the house of God or the expression of God. At that time I did not see the picture of these three pillars as clearly as I do now. Our Christian life must have three sections: the section of God's care, the section of God's house, and the section of the expression of Christ. In the church meetings the younger ones, those who are newly saved, should testify of God's care. This is a wonderful testimony to hear from babes. But we also need some testimonies regarding God's house and the expression of Christ. If we have these three kinds of testimonies, it will be an indication that in the church we have the pillar of God's care, the pillar of God's house, and the pillar of the expression of Christ.
God's ultimate goal is the expression of Christ. This will cost our natural choice, our natural desire, and our natural life. In neither the first nor the second pillar do we see death and the grave. Only with the third pillar do we have the death of Rachel and the grave. But the pillar erected upon Rachel's grave is on the way to Bethlehem. Thus, this pillar is on the way to Christ, and it directs people to Christ. If you would journey onward to Bethlehem, you must be on the way where there is such a pillar. Not even after you arrive in Bethlehem will there be very much joy. Instead of joy, there will be killing. Firstly, just one person, Rachel, died. Even more than seventeen hundred years later, many of her descendants were martyred that Christ might be brought forth.
I believe that in the Lord's recovery this word will be fulfilled and that we shall experience these things. May the Spirit of the Lord interpret this picture to you in a strong, clear way. What I am speaking here is no mere doctrine or interpretation. It must be the record of our life history. Many of us can say that we have the first two pillars. Perhaps soon some will have the third pillar with the death of Rachel and the grave. Along with this death and burial, there will be the coming of Christ. No matter how much martyrdom and weeping there will be, there will also be a wonderful birth — the birth of Benjamin and the birth of Christ. There will be the coming of Christ and the expression of Christ. This is God's goal and God's testimony.
After Jacob set up the third pillar, he "journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder" (35:21). In Hebrew Eder means "flock." In Micah 4:8 the same Hebrew phrase is rendered "tower of the flock." Here at the tower of Eder something defiling, shameful, and immoral happened to Jacob: his son Reuben committed adultery with Jacob's concubine. This did not take place at the pillar, but at the tower.
I believe that the tower of Eder, the tower of flocks, indicates the ease of life. Jacob had many flocks. As he passed by the tower of Eder, he might have considered it a good place to rest. Instead of proceeding to Hebron, his destination, he stayed by the tower of Eder. This indicates that Jacob had come to a place where he could enjoy an easy life. As he was enjoying this easy life, something sinful occurred. Sin, especially the sin of adultery, always comes in when we are at ease. The fact that Reuben committed adultery with Jacob's concubine at that place was an indication that Jacob should not have stayed there. He should have journeyed on directly to Hebron. If he had not spread his tent by the tower of Eder, probably this evil thing would not have occurred.
Although Jacob set up three pillars, there was no need for him to build the tower of Eder because it was already standing there as a snare. As you are on your way following the Lord, there will always be a tower nearby to snare you. The way to escape this trap is not to stop or even look at it. Instead of spreading your tent by the tower of Eder, you must pass it by. No matter what stage of the Christian life we are in, there is always a tower to snare us. The ease of life is always a temptation to the followers of the Lord Jesus. Every follower of the Lord realizes that his final destination is a long way off. Because the journey is so long, you expect to find a place of rest along the way. But whenever you come to a tower of flocks, you should not think of it as a place of rest — it is a snare. Pass it by and go on. No matter how exhausted you are in following the Lord, you must say, "Lord, help me. I don't want to rest at any tower. Whenever I come to a tower, I will flee from it. I will never take it as a place of rest." If you do this, you will be protected and saved from the snare.
The desire of Jacob's heart was to take Rachel as his wife. If God had not intervened through Laban, Jacob would immediately have taken Rachel as his wife. Then whomever Rachel brought forth would have been Jacob's firstborn. However, God came in and, in a sense, forced Jacob to take Leah as his wife. Thus, Reuben was actually the firstborn son, and the birthright went to him. This, however, was contrary to the desire of Jacob's heart. Furthermore, it did not seem fair. While Jacob was enjoying the ease of life at the tower of Eder, Reuben committed adultery with his father's concubine. This evil deed caused him to lose the birthright (Gen. 49:3-4). 1 Chr. 5:1-2 clearly indicate that the birthright was given to Joseph. Here we see God's sovereign adjustment of the birthright. Reuben lost the birthright because of his defilement, and Joseph gained it because of his purity (Gen. 39:7-12). When Potiphar's wife tempted Joseph to commit adultery with her, he refused. Because Joseph kept himself pure, he gained the birthright Reuben had lost due to his defilement at the tower of Eder. Therefore, even Jacob's mistake was used by God to adjust the birthright. Praise the Lord for the mistake that brought about the adjustment of the birthright! But never use this fact as an excuse to say, "Let us do evil that good may come." Rather, we must bow down and worship God for His sovereignty.
The sovereign God, being fair and just, did not give all three parts of the birthright to Joseph. He gave Joseph the enjoyment of the double portion of the land, but He gave the priesthood to Leah's third son, Levi, and the kingship to her fourth son, Judah (Gen. 49:10; 1 Chron. 5:2; Deut. 33:8-10). Levi received the priesthood because of his faithfulness to God (Deut. 33:9), and Judah obtained the kingship because of his love toward his brothers and his care toward his father (Gen. 37:26; 43:8-9; 44:14-34). In this we see the sovereignty of God. He is behind everything and everyone. When we see this picture and how everything in it fits together, we must worship God. Hallelujah, we are under God's hand!
Jacob's biography is our history. In Jacob's life there were three pillars and one tower. We also shall have the three pillars and the one tower. I can testify that I have experienced all these things. I believe that as the years go by many of us will remember this message. Thank the Lord for the three pillars and for the one tower.
