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In the last message we pointed out the difference between transformation and maturity. Transformation is the metabolic change in life, and maturity is the fullness in life. Maturity is the last stage of transformation. As we are being transformed, we are also being filled with life. The more we are transformed, the more we are filled with life. No one can be filled with life without being transformed. The degree of the filling is in proportion to the degree of transformation. When we have been completely transformed, we shall be filled with life in its fullness.
From chapter twenty-five to chapter thirty-two we see no change in Jacob's life. According to the record of chapter twenty-five, Jacob began supplanting even before he was born. Jacob's transformation began from the time God touched him. This took place in chapter thirty-two. Although in chapters twenty-five to thirty-two there is no transformation, no change in life, these chapters are full of dealings. Remember, Jacob spent twenty years under the hand of Laban. During those years he suffered one dealing after another. After those twenty years of dealings, one night, at Peniel, the Lord came and touched Jacob's strongest part, his thigh, and Jacob became lame. That marked the beginning of Jacob's transformation, and the process of transformation continued from chapter thirty-two to chapter thirty-seven. In these chapters we see a picture of how Jacob was being transformed. However, after the time Jacob lost Joseph in chapter thirty-seven, we see no further change in Jacob's life. The reason for this is that at that time his transformation was nearly completed. Thus, in chapter thirty-seven Jacob's maturity began.
There are three distinct periods in Jacob's life: the period of dealings, the period of transformation, and the period of maturity. If you compare three chapters, twenty-seven, thirty-seven, and forty-seven, you will see the dealings, the transformation, and the maturity. In chapter forty-seven Jacob's maturity reaches its peak and it is fully manifested. In this message we shall consider the manifestation of Jacob's maturity.
The first sign of Jacob's maturity is the fact that he did not blame his sons when he heard the news about Joseph's being alive in Egypt (Gen. 45:21-28). Although they had conspired to kill Joseph, eventually sold him into slavery, and lied to their father about him, Jacob did not blame them. If he had not been mature, he would have said, "What have you done to me? Don't you know that you nearly killed me?" But, according to the record of Gen. 45, Jacob did not blame anyone.
Gen. 45:26-27 mention Jacob's heart and his spirit. Although some so-called Christians think that the spirit and the heart are the same, we know by the true light of the Bible that the heart is the heart and that the spirit is the spirit. Verse 26 says that "Jacob's heart became numb" (Heb.), and verse 27 says that "the spirit of Jacob their father revived." When Jacob heard the good news concerning Joseph, his heart became numb. Some versions say that his heart became cold. The Hebrew word means numb, having no feeling or sense. Although Jacob's heart was numb, his spirit revived.
We need to be like Jacob. In certain situations, our heart should be numb, and our spirit should be revived. Recently, many of the young people have been getting "drunk" with Christ. But I would ask them these questions: Is your heart numb? Have you been revived in your spirit or in your heart? I am not certain that they have been revived in the spirit. Perhaps their excitement is a mixture of the spirit and the heart. This mixture indicates that there has been no division between soul and spirit. According to Heb. 4:12, the spirit must be divided from the soul. A mature saint is one who is revived, living, and excited in spirit, but numb in heart. Although we should be hot in spirit, we should be cold in heart. Our spirit must be a stove full of blazing fire, but our heart must be a refrigerator.
When we are young in our spiritual life, we are revived mainly in heart, and we are numb in spirit. The younger you are, the more you are revived in heart and numb in spirit. But as you grow, you become somewhat numb in heart and revived in spirit. In chapter forty-five we see that Jacob was a mature saint. Hence, the Bible says that his heart was numb, but that his spirit revived. This was a manifestation of his maturity. Such a saying about the heart and the spirit can be found only in the Bible, not in any secular writings.
Because Jacob's heart became numb and because his spirit was revived, he did not blame anyone or anything. In his heart there was no feeling, sense, or reaction. His soul life was completely deadened, and his heart was like wood. Because Jacob's soul and spirit had been divided, the good news concerning Joseph issued in the reviving of his spirit, not in the stirring up of his heart.
Do not think that I intend to cool down the excitement of the young people. No, the young people must be excited. Children are children, fathers are fathers, and grandfathers are grandfathers. How childish for a grandfather to be easily excited! It is the children who should be excited. If they are not, they may be physically or mentally ill. Healthy children are always easily excited.
When I returned from a recent trip to Europe, I brought back some souvenirs for two of my grandchildren. To the one, a boy of seven years of age, I gave a nutcracker, and to the other, a boy less than four years of age, I gave a little toy car. These boys were so excited that they could hardly eat, sleep, or stand still. The older boy even brought his nutcracker to school to show his teacher and classmates. We were very happy to see the excitement of our grandsons, for it was an indication that they are living and healthy. However, suppose I gave such a gift to one of the elders and, in his excitement, he showed it to the other elders. If he did this, I would doubt that he was the proper brother to be an elder. It is wrong for an older person to be excited like this. The young people, on the contrary, are young people, and they need to be excited.
Because Jacob was not excited, he did not blame others regarding the loss of Joseph. No one can learn this merely by being taught. Teaching about it simply does not work. If I teach my seven-year-old grandson not to blame his brother, it will be of no avail. As soon as I turn my back, he will blame his younger brother. Because he is at the blaming age and has a blaming life, he cannot keep from blaming others. Of course, this does not mean that we should not train our children. We must discipline them. But learning not to blame others depends on the growth of life, not upon outward teachings.
In Genesis chapter forty-five we see a saint who did not pretend, perform, or act. Because he had come into maturity, his heart was numb, and he did not blame others. Some may think that verse 26 indicates that Jacob's heart was shocked at the good news and that it became numb because of the shock. I do not believe this. When a young person receives some shocking news, his mind, emotion, and will continue to be active. They are not numb in the least. I have seen some who were severely shocked, yet their soul was very active. But when Jacob, an old man, received the good news about Joseph, he had no reaction: his heart was numb. This is a sign of Jacob's maturity in life.
Young people, do not try to imitate this maturity. There is no need to perform. You are young people, not fathers or grandfathers. Therefore, do not try to behave like a grandfather. Do not act as if you were numb in heart and revived in spirit. I appreciate it when my grandchildren are excited, for that behavior is genuine, natural, and spontaneous. It is not a performance. The young people should not be troubled by this message on the manifestation of maturity. I say again, the young need to be excited. If a young person is not excited, he is not normal. Do not pretend to be more mature than you are. Pretending only kills.
Genesis 46:1 says, "And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac." In 35:1 God told Jacob to arise and go up to Bethel and to make an altar there unto God. But in 46:1 Jacob went to Beersheba to offer sacrifices on his own initiative. This verse does not say that he offered a sacrifice; it says that he "offered sacrifices." He went to Beersheba for the purpose of offering sacrifices to God. This verse does not tell us that Jacob prayed, praised, or gave thanks to God. Rather, it says that he offered sacrifices. He did so that he might have true fellowship with God. Using New Testament terms, Jacob offered for God's satisfaction the Christ he had experienced in many aspects. This is the worship God desires to receive from us. But this worship is related to our growth in life. When we are matured, we shall frequently worship God in this way. God did not ask Jacob to go to Beersheba and offer sacrifices. Jacob went there of his own accord to offer Christ for God's satisfaction.
The next verse says, "And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night." Notice that this verse does not speak of a vision, but of visions. During that night in Beersheba, God appeared to Jacob at least twice and spoke to him. When we are young in life, we often say, "Lord, what is Your mind? Please tell me what You want me to do." However, in chapter forty-six Jacob did not say this. Instead of asking God for guidance, he offered sacrifices for His satisfaction. Then, during the night, God appeared to him. Here we see the kind of fellowship a saint mature in life has with God. There is no praying, praising, giving of thanks, or seeking. Instead, there is the offering of Christ to God for God's satisfaction. In this kind of worship, Jacob had fellowship with God, and God appeared to him. This surely is another manifestation of Jacob's maturity.
We cannot imitate Jacob's degree of life. Our degree of life is always related to our growth in life. If we do not have the growth, we simply cannot have the degree. Although you may pretend, perform, or act, you still do not have the degree of life you are imitating. Therefore, we all need to grow. When we grow into a certain degree of life, spontaneously we shall have the manifestation of life related to that degree of life.
Another sign of Jacob's maturity was that he displayed no excitement showing looseness of self at seeing Joseph (Gen. 46:28-30). Jacob was not excited, because his heart had become numb. It is all right for young people to be excited, but there should be no looseness in their excitement. There must still be a certain amount of control. Sometimes my grandchildren are so loose in their excitement that they are destructive. One of them became so excited that he even walked on the furniture. Children who display such looseness need to be disciplined. Nevertheless, you young people must be excited, and the churches and halls filled with young people must be exciting places. You may even "raise the roof" with your excitement.
The more the young people are excited, the better it is; for the more excited they are, the faster they grow. I have never seen a numb child grow. Children need to be active and excited. This indicates that they are living, healthy, and normal. I enjoy the excitement of the young people because it is a sign of their normality. This assures me that they will grow. However, in your excitement there should not be any looseness or lawlessness. In the midst of your excitement, your spirit may say, "Be careful. Don't do too much or go too far." This control is right.
Young people, I encourage you to be excited. Although I am an old man, I do not like to be in an old people's meeting. I prefer to attend the young people's meeting and stay in a church filled with young people. Although they may not yet have transformation and maturity, they are living. The presence of life gives me the assurance that growth, transformation, and maturity will eventually follow.
After Jacob arrived in Egypt, he did not beg for anything. However, when he was young, he begged wherever he went. He not only begged; he supplanted others and robbed them. Jacob expected to have everything for himself. If he stayed with you, what was in your pocket would sooner or later end up in his.
In the early years, Jacob robbed his father, his brother, his uncle, and even his wives. Eventually, when he was old, he himself was robbed and was bereft even of his sons. But, in his maturity, he did not beg for anything. According to his position after he arrived in Egypt, he had the standing to claim everything. However, he did not ask for anything. This is a strong sign of maturity. A mature person is not demanding. Instead of demanding, requiring, or asking, Jacob stretched forth his hands to bless others. If we beg, ask, and demand, it proves we are young in life. We, the saints, should not place demands on one another. However, this cannot be performed; it is the issue of the growth in life.
In any family the children are very demanding, much more demanding than anyone else. The grandfather, on the contrary, demands nothing; instead, he is constantly giving. But all day long the little children are asking for candy, cookies, and toys. My grandchildren are constantly asking their grandmother for things. The younger you are, the more demands you make. You may make demands of the elders, and of the brothers and sisters, but you never make demands of yourself. This proves that you are like a little baby. A baby does nothing except make demands. While the Lord may take some time to answer my prayer, the prayers of the babies are answered immediately. Making many demands is an indication that you are young.
Excessive praying may also be a sign of immaturity. Some young saints, thinking that the elders are not humble or diligent enough, pray for them in a childish way. Not praying for the elders in this way is a proof that you have grown up. Praying improperly for the elders indicates that you are young. The more you pray for them, the less mature you are. If you do not pray for the elders, then you must be grown up.
Many prayers for the church are also childish. Some saints pray, "Lord, I dare not tell you about the church. But, Lord, You know the situation. O Lord, do something about it." This kind of prayer is actually a condemnation of the church. When you pray like this, you accuse the church. To pray this kind of prayer is to ask the Lord to deal with the church. You pray so much for the church because, in your eyes, the church does not satisfy your requirements. Paul, however, did not pray for the church in this manner. Fifty years ago, I also prayed in the way of blaming, begging, demanding, and accusing. But the Lord can testify for me that during the past six months I have not prayed for the elders in Anaheim. This does not mean that they are perfect; it means that I do not make demands of them and that I am not inwardly bothered by them.
Do not try to imitate this characteristic of maturity. Do not say, "Brother Lee told us that for six months he did not pray for the elders. From now on, I won't pray for them either." If you are able to keep from praying for the elders for six months, it is an indication that you have grown. It reveals that you are not begging or making demands.
When Jacob went to Egypt, he did not engage in any activity for himself. This also is a manifestation of his maturity. Do not think that Jacob was lazy, tired, or lacked the energy to act. If he had not been able to do anything, he could have ordered his sons to do things for him. However, he did not do this. Rather, he was fully satisfied and rested absolutely in God's sovereignty. He did not depend upon his own endeavors. From his experience through the years, he had come to know that his destiny was in the hands of God, not in his own hands. As Jacob was about to bless the two sons of Joseph, he spoke of God as the One who had shepherded him all his life long (Gen. 48:15-16, Heb.). Jacob's word in 48:15 and 16 is a reference to the Triune God. Here we see the Triune God in Jacob's experience, not in doctrine. In these verses Jacob said, "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which shepherded me all my life long unto this day, the Angel which redeemed me from evil, bless the lads." Here we see a threefold mention of God: the God before whom Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who shepherded Jacob his whole life long, and the Angel who delivered him from evil. The God before whom Abraham and Isaac walked must be the Father; the God who shepherded Jacob his whole life must be the Spirit; and the Angel who redeemed him from all evil must be the Son. This is the Triune God in Jacob's experience.
Jacob experienced God's sovereign, shepherding care. Shepherding includes feeding. The shepherd meets every need of the sheep, who only eat and rest. Every provision for their existence comes from the shepherd. The example of the shepherd is a marvelous illustration of Jacob's realization that his destiny and existence were absolutely in the hands of the shepherding God. Thus, after he had matured and had arrived in Egypt, he did nothing for himself. This is another sign of the maturity of life.
Now we come to the strongest sign of Jacob's maturity: his blessing of others. The first thing Jacob did after arriving in Egypt was bless Pharaoh (Gen. 47:7, 10). Although Pharaoh was the highest person on earth, he was under Jacob's blessing hand. According to Hebrews 7:7, "the lesser is blessed by the greater." Thus, the fact that Jacob blessed Pharaoh was a proof that he was greater than Pharaoh. After Jacob had been ushered into Pharaoh's presence, he did not speak to him in a polite, political way. He stretched forth his hand and blessed him. This is absolutely different from human culture and religion. As Jacob was leaving Pharaoh's presence, he blessed him again.
Blessing is the overflow of life, the overflow of God through someone's maturity in life. In order to bless others, we must be filled to the brim with life so that life overflows to them. Having such an overflow of life, Jacob blessed Pharaoh and the two sons of Joseph (48:8-20).
Jacob's father, Isaac, blessed blindly. But Jacob's blessing of his two grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, was full of insight. Although his physical eyes were dim, his spirit was clear (Gen. 48:10). Joseph presented his sons to Jacob, placing Manasseh, the firstborn, at Jacob's right hand and Ephraim at Jacob's left hand. Joseph expected that Jacob would place his right hand upon Manasseh's head and his left hand upon Ephraim's head. But being very clear inwardly about what he was doing, Jacob crossed his hands and placed his right hand upon Ephraim's head. Joseph was not happy with this and he said, "Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head" (Gen. 48:18). But Jacob refused and said, "I know it, my son, I know it." Jacob guided his hands purposefully and intelligently. Unlike his father, Isaac, he did nothing blindly. Because he was mature and because he was one with God in life, he was clear in the spirit. In his spirit he knew that it was God's will to establish Ephraim above Manasseh.
Later we shall see that Jacob's mature life was filled with blessings. Jacob blessed his twelve sons, and those blessings were prophecies relating to the destiny of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob was so filled with life that he overflowed blessings to everyone he met. This is the strongest manifestation of Jacob's maturity in life.
