Crystallization-Study of GENESIS(3)
Message Four
The Reality of Bethel and the Bringing Forth of Christ as the Son of Affliction and the Son of the Right Hand
Scripture Reading: Gen. 35:1-20, 27
I. In Genesis 35 the vision of Bethel came again; however, this time it didnot come as a dream—it came as a reality—vv. 1-15:
A. We all come into the church life twice—28:12, 16-17; 35:15:
1. The first time we come in a dream, and the second time we come in reality;we need both the dream and the reality.
2. The dream in the beginning was a true picture, and everything in thereality is the same as that in the dream.
B. At Bethel Jacob's name was changed to Israel, indicating that his being hadbeen changed; now he was Israel at Bethel—32:28; 35:10.
C. In Genesis 35 there is a crucial and radical turn from the individual experienceof God to the corporate experience of God—the experience of God as the God ofBethel—Eph. 3:17-21; 4:4-6:
1. In Genesis 35:7 we have a new divine title—El-bethel, "God of the house ofGod."
2. Before this chapter God was the God of individuals; here He is no longerjust the God of individuals but is El-bethel, the God of a corporate body,the God of the house of God.
3. Bethel signifies the corporate life, which is the Body of Christ; thus, in callingGod the God of Bethel, Jacob advanced from the individual experienceto the corporate experience—1 Cor. 12:12:
a. The altar that Jacob built at Shechem was called El-Elohe-Israel, thename of God as related to an individual—Gen. 33:17-20.
b. The altar that Jacob built at Bethel was called El-bethel, the name ofGod as related to a corporate body—35:6-7.
c. The altar at Shechem is an individual altar, but the altar at Bethel is acorporate altar—the altar for the house of God.
D. The All-sufficient God is revealed for the building of Bethel; only at Bethel is itpossible for us to realize the all-sufficiency of our God—v. 11a:
1. The purpose of God's revealing Himself as the All-sufficient One is for Hisbuilding; the All-sufficient God is for God's building.
2. We cannot experience the All-sufficient God in an individualistic way; inorder to experience the All-sufficient God, we must be in Bethel, in thechurch life.
3. God's all-sufficiency requires the Body; we need the house, the building, inorder to experience this aspect of Him—Phil. 1:19.
4. The Father, the Son, the Spirit, and the church are four-in-one; ultimately,the church is a group of people who are in union with, mingled with, andincorporated with the Triune God—Eph. 4:4-6; 3:16-21.
E. At Bethel Jacob set up a pillar and poured out a drink offering on it; thisindicates that the drink offering is for God's building—Gen. 35:14a:
1. The drink offering typifies Christ as the One poured out as the real winebefore God for His satisfaction—Exo. 29:40-41; Num. 15:1-10; 28:7-10.
2. The drink offering also typifies the Christ who saturates us with Himselfas the heavenly wine until He and we become one to be poured out forGod's enjoyment and satisfaction and for God's building—Matt. 9:17; Phil.2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6.
3. Our pouring ourselves out as a drink offering to God brings in the outpouringof the Spirit for God's building—Gen. 35:14b.
F. The function of Bethel, the house of God, is to express Christ—Eph. 1:22-23:
1. God's ultimate goal is the expression of Christ, and the expression ofChrist is not an individual matter but a corporate matter in the houseof God—John 17:22; Eph. 3:21; Rom. 9:23.
2. The bringing forth of Christ for the corporate expression of Christ will costus our natural choice, our natural desire, and our natural life.
G. After experiencing the reality of Bethel, Jacob entered into full fellowship withGod at Hebron; the fellowship at Hebron means intimacy, peace, satisfaction,and joy—Gen. 35:27; 1 Cor. 1:9:
1. Although we are in the church life, we still need to journey on until wecome to Hebron and enter into full fellowship with the Lord—1 John 1:3.
2. The fellowship at Hebron is not only fellowship with God but also withother members of the Body of Christ—Phil. 2:1; 1 John 1:7.
3. If we know the life of the Body of Christ, we will see the importance offellowship, and we will realize that apart from the fellowship of the Body,we cannot live—1 Cor. 12:14-27.
H. Toward the end of his life, Jacob declared that the Lord had shepherded himall the days of his life; the Lord's shepherding is for Bethel, the house of God—Gen. 48:15-16; 28:10-22; 35:1, 3, 7-11.
II. The birth of Benjamin typifies the bringing forth of Christ as the Son ofaffliction and the Son of the right hand—vv. 16-18:
A. The birth of Benjamin and the death of Rachel occurred simultaneously; thismeans that Jacob gained a son by losing Rachel—vv. 16-20:
1. Rachel was Jacob's natural choice according to his heart's desire—29:18-20.
2. The death of Rachel, the loss of Jacob's natural choice, was a deep andpersonal dealing for Jacob—35:16-20.
3. Jacob lost Rachel, but in the process he gained Benjamin, who is a type ofChrist—vv. 18-19:
a. In the same manner, God will eventually take away our natural choiceso that we may bring forth Christ for His expression.
b. God's goal is not to make His chosen ones suffer loss; it is to bring forthChrist through them—Phil. 3:7-8.
B. As Rachel was dying, she called the child Ben-oni, meaning "son of my affliction,"but Jacob immediately changed the child's name to Benjamin, meaning"son of the right hand"—Gen. 35:18:
1. As the son of affliction, Benjamin typifies Christ, who, as the man of sorrowsin His incarnation and human life on earth, accomplished God's eternalredemption for His full salvation—Isa. 53:3; Heb. 9:12.
2. As the son of the right hand, Benjamin typifies Christ, who, as the Son ofthe right hand in His resurrection, victory, and ascension, ministers in theheavens to carry out the application of God's redemption for His salvation—8:1-2; 7:25.
3. Christ was incarnated to be Ben-oni, the man of sorrows, but in His resurrectionHe became Benjamin, the Son of the right hand in glory and honor—Psa. 68:27; 80:17; Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33; 5:31.