Image and Dominion—the Heart of Genesis形像与管治权—创世记的心脏 (Day2)
Samuel Lin
Gen. 47:7-8 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father and set him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Jacob, How many are the years of your life?
Psa. 24:1 The earth is Jehovah’s, and its fullness, the habitable land and those who dwell in it.
[Jacob] was matured in life to become Israel. El in the name Israel means “God.” God gave Jacob this name to signify that he had experienced God’s dealing and had reached maturity. He was God’s overcomer, God’s prince. He was full of God’s element and became God’s expression.
Under God’s sovereignty, through the sufferings in his circumstances and through God’s direct dealing, Jacob was transformed and matured so that he became Israel. (Truth Lessons—Level Two, vol. 2, pp. 99-100)
Today’s Reading
In the last few chapters of Genesis we see an Israel expressing God’s image and exercising His dominion. The exercise of God’s dominion over all things is manifested in Joseph’s life, whereas God’s image is expressed in Israel. Joseph is not separate from Jacob but is an aspect of the life that expresses God’s image. The two aspects of expressing God’s image and exercising God’s dominion must be found in one person. Therefore, what is found in Joseph’s life may be called the reigning aspect of the matured Israel. Without this light, you will not be able to understand this portion of the Word.
Joseph’s life under the heavenly vision was the life of the kingdom of the heavens described in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. According to the constitution of the heavenly kingdom revealed in these chapters in Matthew, our anger must be subdued and our lust conquered (Matt. 5:21-32). If we claim to be the kingdom people, yet we cannot subdue our anger or conquer our lust, we are finished. Instead of being in the kingdom,...we are those giving vent to our anger and indulging in lust. But all the kingdom people subdue their anger and conquer their lust. This is the kingdom life....We, the kingdom people in the kingdom life, are being trained to be kings, to be Josephs, to be the reigning aspect of the mature life.
Do you want to have a pleasant church life? Then you must be under restriction and deny yourself. We all need to learn this. Suppose Joseph had not been a self-denying person. In such a case it would have been impossible for the kingdom of God to be brought in and realized in a practical way. Joseph’s self-denial, his restriction under God’s sovereign hand, was the key to the practice of the kingdom life. Thank God for Joseph’s self-denying life. Through such a life God’s purpose was fulfilled, and the kingdom was brought in, realized, and practiced.
At the end of Genesis we find a seed of the truth of self-denial. In the closing chapters of Genesis, Christ is typified by Joseph, and the kingdom is foreshadowed by the house of Israel. Because Joseph denied himself, the kingdom of God could be realized in a practical way. The entire universe belongs to God, and God desires a kingdom. Although Pharaoh was ruling in Egypt, the kingdom of God was nonetheless realized through the reign of Joseph. The reigning of Joseph was the kingdom of God, which is for the fulfillment of God’s purpose.
If you study Genesis 47, you will see that eventually the whole land of Egypt became a land of enjoyment. No longer were there distinctions between high and low and rich and poor. All the people became enjoyers on the same level because everyone and everything was under the same lord. This is a picture of the millennium. In the millennium there will be no capitalism or socialism. Everyone will be on the same level because everything will be under the Lord’s hand. He will have bought everything, and He will have claimed everything and everyone. Truly the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof (Psa. 24:1)....Because Christ has claimed everything of us, we all are now on the same level enjoying the riches of Christ. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 1409, 1428-1429, 1520, 1513, 1532)
Further Reading: Life-study of Genesis, msgs. 110-111, 119-120
晨兴喂养
创四七7~8 约瑟领他父亲雅各进去，站在法老面前，雅各就给法老祝福。法老问雅各说，你平生的年日是多少呢？
诗二四1 地和其中所充满的，世界和住在其间的，都属耶和华。
〔雅各〕得生命的成熟，达于以色列。以色列这名字，末后的“列”字指神，神给雅各取这名字，表明他受过神的对付，达到成熟。他是神的得胜者，神的君王，他的所是满了神的成分，能作神的彰显。
雅各在神的主宰安排下，借着环境的折磨和神直接的对付，得以变化、成熟，达于以色列（真理课程二级卷二，一一○页）。
信息选读
在创世记末了几章，我们看见一个彰显神形像并施行神管治权的以色列。施行神的管治权管理万有，是表显在约瑟的生平里，而神的形像是彰显在以色列身上。约瑟不是与雅各分开的，他乃是彰显神形像之生命的一方面。彰显神的形像并施行神的管治权，这两面必须显在一个人身上。所以，我们在约瑟的生平里所看见的，可称为成熟的以色列掌权的一面。没有这光，你就无法领会这段话。
约瑟在属天异象之下的生活，就是马太五至七章所描述诸天之国的生活。照着马太这几章所启示属天之国的宪法，我们的怒气必须被制伏，我们的情欲必须被征服（五21~32）。我们若声称是国度的子民，却不能制伏我们的怒气，或征服我们的情欲，我们就了了。我们就不是在国度里，而是……发泄怒气，并放纵情欲的人。但所有国度的子民都制伏他们的怒气，并征服他们的情欲。这就是国度的生活。……我们在国度生活里的国度子民，正在受训练，要作君王，作约瑟，成为成熟生命掌权的一面。
你要有喜乐的召会生活么？那么你必须在约束之下，并且否认己。我们都需要学习这点。假定约瑟不是否认己的人，在这样的情况里，神的国就不可能带进来，并且实际地实现。约瑟的否认己，并他在神主宰的手下受约束，乃是国度生活实行之钥。为着约瑟否认己的生活，我们感谢神。借着这样的生活，神的目的得以达成，国度得以带进、实现并实行。
在创世记末了，我们看见否认己这真理的种子。在创世记末了几章，约瑟预表基督，以色列家预指国度。因为约瑟否认己，神的国就得以实际地实现。整个宇宙都属于神，而神渴望一个国度。虽然是法老在埃及统治，神的国却借着约瑟的掌权得以实现出来。约瑟的掌权就是神的国，这国是为着达成神的定旨。
你若研读创世记四十七章，就会看见埃及全地最终成了享受之地，不再有高低贫富之分。所有的人都成了同一水平的享受者，因为一切人事物都在同一个主人之下。这是千年国的图画。在千年国里，没有资本主义或社会主义。每个人都在同样的水平上，因为一切都在主的手下。祂要买回一切，并要得着一切人事物。的确，地和其中所充满的，都属耶和华（诗二四1）。……因为基督已经得着我们的一切，如今我们都在同样的水平上享受基督的丰富（创世记生命读经，一六八○至一六八一、一七○五至一七○六、一八○九、一八○○、一八二三页）。
参读：创世记生命读经，第一百一十至一百一十一、一百一十九至一百二十篇。
周 二
1 雅各被变化并成熟以后，成了神的彰显，成为以色列，一个团体的人—三五10。
2 施行神的管治权管理万有，表显在约瑟的生平里—四五8~9、26上：
ａ 约瑟在属天异象之下的生活，就是马太五至七章所描述诸天之国的生活。
ｂ 约瑟的否认己，乃是国度生活实行之钥—创四五4~8，五十15~21。
ｃ 因着约瑟活在神的限制之下，国度才能借着他带进来—太十六24~28。
ｄ 约瑟在埃及的掌权就是神的国，这国是为着成就神的定旨—创四一55~57，四七11~27，启十一15。
ｅ 在创世记四十七章，有一幅千年国的图画：
（一）在约瑟之下，埃及成了千年国的预影，所有的人都在同样的水平上，不再有分别。
（二）在约瑟的治理下，埃及全地成了享受之地：
(1)所有的人都成为在同样水平上的享受者，因为一切人事物都在约瑟之下—14~21节。
(2)这是千年国的图画，在那里一切都在主手下—诗二四1。
ᐧ