VII. MAN’S NATURAL CONCEPT
HOLDING BACK THE LORD’S BLESSING HAND
We have seen that Joseph tried to hold back his father’s blessing hand. This indicates that man’s natural concept holds back the Lord’s blessing hand. In the church life, the Lord will raise up many we do not like, and some of them will become the best elders. Surely I have had my human feelings, concepts, and tastes. But my natural concepts have been crossed out. We simply do not know from which direction Saul of Tarsus will come. The one you think is the best may turn out to be the worst. But one of the opposers will become today’s Apostle Paul. Although you do not like him, the Lord likes him. Many will be raised up who do not fit your concept. Forget your selection. It will never work. If it did, there would be no need for predestination. This is the reason the New Testament nowhere records the names of the children of the Apostles. Only the names of the spiritual sons are given. Paul called Timothy his "child in faith" (1 Tim. 1:2) and Titus his "genuine child according to the common faith" (Titus 1:4), and Peter spoke of "Mark my son" (1 Pet. 5:13). The names of the Apostles’ children are not mentioned because not all of them were predestinated. Likewise, we must also admit that not all our children have been predestinated. However, do not allow the matter of predestination to cause you to neglect the preaching of the gospel. To do that is to go to an extreme. Do not maneuver anything. Simply bring the boys to God and let Him make the choice. Do not let your natural concept hold back the Lord’s blessing hand.
VIII. JACOB’S SUPPLANTING HANDS
BECOMING BLESSING HANDS
Jacob’s supplanting hands eventually became blessing hands (25:26; 47:7, 10; 48:14-16). In chapter twenty-five we see that Jacob began his supplanting even when he was in his mother’s womb. How skillful he was in supplanting! But in chapters forty-seven and forty-eight we see that these two supplanting hands have become blessing hands, bringing people into God’s presence and ministering God into people so that they may enjoy Him. Would you have believed that Jacob’s supplanting hands could become the blessing hands of a mature person? Here we see the growth and maturity in life. A supplanter, a heel-holder, became the greatest person on earth at the time. He was able to bless Pharaoh because he had become greater than Pharaoh. He became this kind of person by the way of life. We need the growth in life and the maturity in life so that we may be filled with Christ to become those who are able to bless others.
(Life-Study of Genesis, Chapter 95, by Witness Lee)
