IX. THE SECULAR SKILL BEING USEFUL
FOR GOD’S BUILDING ONLY IN RESURRECTION
AFTER THE WORLDLY FATHER HAS DIED
AND THE LEARNED SON HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED
TO THE TRIBE OF NAPHTALI
The secular skills we gain will only be useful for God’s building in resurrection, that is, after the worldly father has died and we have been transferred into the tribe of Naphtali. After your "Tyrian" father has died and your "Danite" mother has become widowed, you must not remain a natural person. Anything natural is a waste. Instead of being natural, we must exercise ourselves to be in resurrection in every aspect of our living. This is a great matter. The more you exercise yourself to be in resurrection, the more useful you will be. You must be in resurrection even in your relationship with your wife. All the skills we acquire must be in resurrection.
Years ago, I often wrote a letter two or three times because after the first writing I felt that some phrases were too natural and were not in resurrection. Hence, I destroyed the letter and began again. After exercising like this to write a letter, I would still wait a day before mailing it. My purpose in doing so was to determine whether or not that letter was truly in resurrection. We all must learn to do things and to have our being in resurrection. This is a basic matter.
X. THE TRANSFERRED NAPHTALITE
NEEDING TO BE FETCHED
OUT OF TYRE AND TO COME
TO KING SOLOMON IN JERUSALEM
WHERE GOD’S BUILDING IS
Hiram was fetched out of Tyre and was brought to King Solomon in Jerusalem. This means that the transferred Naphtalite must be fetched out of Tyre and come to King Solomon in Jerusalem where God’s building is (1 Kings 7:13-14). King Solomon was a type of Christ, and Jerusalem, the place where God’s building was, signifies the church. Today’s Solomon and God’s present building are both in the church. In a very good sense, the church today is Jerusalem. Although your "Tyrian" father has died, your widowed "Danite" mother continues to exist, and you are in resurrection, you still need to come to the church because this is where God’s building is. God will not build His temple in Tyre. Although you may be very useful, if you remain in Tyre, you will be useless as far as God’s building is concerned. If you remain in Tyre, you may be qualified, but your standing, your ground, will be wrong. The Lord must fetch you out of Tyre and bring you to Jerusalem. If your "Tyrian" father dies, your "Danite" mother goes on living as a widow, and you are in resurrection and have come to Jerusalem, then you will be useful for God’s building.
XI. THE CASES OF MOSES WITH JOSHUA
AND PAUL WITH TIMOTHY
You are probably familiar with the cases of Moses with Joshua (Num. 27:15-23) and of Paul with Timothy (1 Tim. 1:1-3; 2 Tim. 1:1-2, 6-8; 2:1-3). Moses and Paul firstly became pillars themselves and later became pillar builders. Moses built Joshua and Paul built Timothy. Moses did not actually bring the children of Israel into the rest; Joshua, who was a pillar built up by Moses, did this. Likewise, Paul built up Timothy, and Timothy became a pillar standing to bear the church testimony. In the cases of both Moses and Paul we see that their "Tyrian" fathers died. In Philippians 3, Paul, speaking of his religious background, said, "What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." Paul had learned a great deal at the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), but Gamaliel, the source of Paul’s skill, had to be cut off. However, Paul’s human existence remained. Furthermore, both Moses and Paul were in resurrection. They were also fetched out of "Tyre" and brought to the place where God’s building was. With Moses this building was the tabernacle, and with Paul it was the church. History records that Moses and Paul were more than useful in the hands of God. They were not only pillars; they were also pillar builders. This is the need in the church today. In order for this need to be met, we all must pray to the Lord, saying, "Lord, for the sake of Your building, make me a pillar and a pillar builder."
(Life-Study of Genesis, Chapter 86, by Witness Lee)
