Books
创世记生命读经 · 第78篇

被变化（一）

BEING TRANSFORMED (1)
1圣经开始于神的创造，结束于神的居所。我们都需要对这两个辞有深刻的印象－创造和居所。圣经的总结乃是神永远的居所。我们若要认识圣经，必须牢记这两件事，神的创造和祂的居所。我们已经看过，创世记几乎包含了关于神经纶之真理一切的种子。也许这卷书里最后的一粒种子是伯特利，神的居所。不仅在圣经的结语，甚至在创世记的后半，也有神经纶的终结－伯特利，神的居所。伯特利这辞的意思就是神的家，或神的殿，神的居所。创世记包括八个伟大人物的传记：亚当、亚伯、以挪士、以诺、挪亚、亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各同约瑟。我们必须把约瑟的生平算为雅各生平的一部分。在亚当身上，有神的创造；在雅各身上，有神的居所，伯特利。在雅各身上，我们不仅仅看到神的拣选。基督教教师多半花相当的时间在神拣选雅各的事上。是的，神的拣选是开始，但神拣选的结果，总结的目标是甚么？乃是伯特利，神的居所。神创造、拣选、呼召并拯救我们，目的乃是要得著一个居所，直到永远。这粒建造的种子，像创世记里所有其他的种子一样，在整本圣经中发展。我们若要明白这粒种子的意义，就必须来看全本圣经。在雅各之后，有以色列家，以色列家实际上就是神的家。出了埃及以后，在以色列家中有帐幕的建造；接著帐幕，有圣殿的建造。因此，旧约的记载就是从亚当到雅各这八个伟大人物，加上帐幕和圣殿。圣殿的建造、拆毁和重建，把我们带到旧约的结束。在新约里有甚么？也有两件主要的事：帐幕，就是耶稣，（约一，）以及殿，就是召会。（林前三16。）召会是殿，牠的完成就是新耶路撒冷。要记住圣经，有一个有意义且简单的方法，就是记住从亚当到雅各八个伟大人物，旧约中帐幕和殿的豫表，以及新约中帐幕和殿的实际；牠终极的结果就是新耶路撒冷。这十三项包括了全本圣经。
1The Bible begins with God’s creation and ends with God’s habitation. We all need to be impressed with these two words—creation and habitation. The consummation of the Bible is God’s eternal dwelling place. If we would know the Bible, we must keep these two things, God’s creation and His habitation, firmly in mind. We have seen that the book of Genesis contains nearly all the seeds of the truths concerning God’s economy. Perhaps the last seed in this book is the seed of Bethel, God’s habitation. Not only at the conclusion of the Bible, but even in the latter part of Genesis, we have the consummate end of God’secon o my—Bethel, God’s dwelling place. The word Bethel means the house of God, or the temple of God, the dwelling place of God. The book of Genesis covers the biographies of eight great persons: Adam, Abel, Enosh, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with Joseph. We must include Joseph’s life as part of Jacob’s. In Adam, we have God’s creation, and in Jacob, we have God’s habitation, Bethel. With Jacob we do not merely see God’ss election. Most Christian teachers have spent considerable time on the matter of God’ss election of Jacob. Yes, God’ss election is the beginning, but what is the ending, the consummate goal, of God’ss election? It is Bethel, God’s dwelling place. God created, selected, called, and saved us for the purpose that He might have a dwelling place for eternity. This seed of the building, like all the other seeds in the book of Genesis, is developed throughout the whole Bible. If we would understand the significance of this seed, we must consider the entire Bible. Following Jacob, we have the house of Israel. The house of Israel was actually the house of God. After the exodus from Egypt, there was among the house of Israel the building of the tabernacle, and following the tabernacle, there was the building of the temple. Hence, the Old Testament is a record of eight great men, from Adam through Jacob, plus the tabernacle and the temple. The construction, destruction, and rebuilding of the temple bring us to the end of the Old Testament. What do we have in the New Testament? Again, we have two main things: the tabernacle, which was Jesus (John 1:14), and the temple, which is the church (1 14 Cor. 3:16). The consummation of the church as the temple is the New Jerusalem. One meaningful and simple way of memorizing the Bible is to remember the eight great men from Adam through Jacob, the tabernacle and the temple as the types in the Old Testament, and the tabernacle and the temple as the reality in the New Testament, the ultimate issue of which is the New Jerusalem. These thirteen items cover the entire Bible.
2圣经的主题是甚么？有些人可能说，是人的堕落、神的救赎、我们的悔改、神的赦免、我们的重生和我们的救恩。明显的，这些事都在圣经里。有些人可能指出，圣经题到像蛇、蝎子和青蛙这样的东西。圣经有一千多章，不是一本简单的书。甚至在一章之中，也可能包含了很多点。但圣经的主题是甚么？研究圣经与研究人类相似。虽然医学家已经研究解剖学和生理学许多世纪，但他们还未把人的身体，就是人的三分之一研究透彻。他们对于人的身体知道一点，但对于魂和人的灵一无所知。人是非常复杂的。虽然如此，人仍是一个完整的单位。我们不能说人是心、肾、或鼻子。人有鼻子，但人不是鼻子，鼻子也不是人。有些人说圣经的主题是称义；称义是包括在圣经中，但称义不是圣经的主题，正如人的鼻子不是人自己。我们若要认识圣经的主题是甚么，必须看见圣经告诉我们八个人物，开始于神创造中的亚当，经过连著神的家（伯特利）的雅各，接著有旧约中的帐幕和殿，以及新约中帐幕和殿的实际，而完成于新耶路撒冷。启示录二十一章说，新耶路撒冷是神的帐幕，神和羔羊是其中的殿。因此，新耶路撒冷是伯特利的终极结果。
2What is the subject of the Bible? Some may say that it is man’s fall, God’s redemption, our repentance, God’s forgiveness, our regeneration, and our salvation. Obviously, all these things are found in the Bible. Others may point out that the Bible mentions things such as serpents, scorpions, and frogs. The Bible, containing more than a thousand chapters, is not a simple book. Even one chapter may contain many points. But what is the subject of the Bible? Studying the Bible is similar to studying a human being. Although medical students have studied anatomy and physiology for centuries, they have not exhausted the study of the human body, one- third of a human being. They know something about man’s body, but nothing about the soul and the human spirit. Man is very complicated. Nevertheless, he is still a man, a complete unit. We cannot refer to a man as being a heart, a kidney, or a nose. A man has a nose, but he is not the nose and the nose is not the man. Some say that the subject of the Bible is justification. Justification is included in the Bible, but it is no more the subject of the Bible than a man’s nose is the man himself. If we would know what the subject of the Bible is, we must see that the Bible tells us of eight men, beginning with Adam in God’s creation through Jacob with God’sho use, Bethel, and that following this we have the tabernacle and the temple in the Old Testament and the reality of the tabernacle and the temple in the New Testament, consummating in the New Jerusalem. Revelation 21 says that the New Jerusalem is the tabernacle of God and that God and the Lamb are the temple in it. Hence, the New Jerusalem is the ultimate issue of Bethel
（四） 被变化
d. Being Transformed
3在创世记三十五章的时候，雅各必定有一百岁左右。虽然雅各经过了许多事物，但在本章以前，圣经没有告诉我们他作过彻底的清理。他从他的哥哥、舅父和表兄弟受了许多苦，在舅父拉班手下受了二十年的苦。但创世记从未说，雅各经过那些苦难的时候洁净自己，或对自己作了清理。反而圣经告诉我们雅各的技巧和抓夺。但我们要看见，当神叫他起来上伯特利去的时候，雅各作了一次彻底的清理。
3At the time of chapter thirty-five, Jacob must have been approximately a hundred years of age. Although Jacob had passed through many things, prior to this chapter, we are not told that he had ever made a thorough clearance. He suffered many things in relation to his brother, his uncle, and his cousins, suffering twenty years under the hand of his uncle Laban. But Genesis never says that as Jacob was undergoing those sufferings he purified himself or made a clearance of himself. Rather, we are told of Jacob’ss kill and supplanting. But, as we shall see, when God told him to arise and go up to Bethel, Jacob made a thorough clearance
4神第一次向雅各显现是在梦中；（创二八10～20；）在梦中雅各看见天开了，有一个梯子从地通到天，有天使在梯子上上去下来。当雅各从梦中醒来，他得著默示称那地方为伯特利，并且将他用来作枕头的石头立作柱子，浇油在上面。接著他向神许愿说，神若把他平平安安的带回他先祖之地，他所立为柱子的石头，就必作神的殿。（创二八22。）在这梦中，神给雅各恩典的眷临，使他（无疑是在灵里）说到神永远的经纶。如果雅各未受神的灵默示，他这个抓夺者怎能说出启示神永远目的的话来？这是不可能的。神向雅各揭示祂的心愿，就是要得著伯特利。
4The first time God appeared to Jacob was in a dream (28:10-22) in which Jacob saw heaven opened and a ladder extending from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending upon it. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he was inspired to call the name of that place Bethel, and the stone that he had used as his pillow he set up for a pillar and poured oil upon it. Following this, he vowed that if God would bring him back safely to the land of his fathers, then the stone which he had set up for a pillar would be God’s house (28:22). In this dream God paid Jacob a gracious visitation and caused him, undoubtedly in the spirit, to speak concerning God’s eternal economy. If Jacob had not been inspired by the Spirit of God, how could he, a supplanter, have spoken a word revealing God’s eternal purpose? It would have been impossible. God unveiled to Jacob His heart’s desire, which is to have Bethel.
5然而，在伯特利的梦一点没有改变雅各。似乎在作过梦之后，默示就回到天上去了。雅各的生活方式并未受到影响。我们也是这样。在伯特利，雅各奇妙的说豫言，说到神的家；但似乎豫言也回到天上去了。我们很多人和雅各一样有过梦、启示或默示，在其中我们说了豫言，若不是对人说，至少也对天使说。但我们在第二天继续照老样子生活。雅各在伯特利作过梦之后，继续抓夺，特别是对拉班抓夺，好像从来没有作过那梦。事实上，在那梦以后，他比以前更『雅各化。』在创世记三十三章，雅各仍旧是雅各。属天的梦和苦难并没有改变他。但在创世记三十四章有件事发生，摸著了雅各的心。他的独生女受玷污，他的儿子们因杀人并掳掠他们的城，使他受到困扰。这些事件深深摸著了雅各，使他有了根本的转变。这事以后，神来对他说话。
5However, that dream at Bethel did not change Jacob at all. It seems that after the dream had transpired, the inspiration returned to heaven. Jacob’s manner of life was unaffected. It is the same with us. At Bethel, Jacob prophesied in a wonderful way, speaking of God’sho use, but it seems that the prophecy returned to heaven. Like Jacob, many of us have had a dream, a revelation, or an inspiration in which we uttered a word of prophecy, if not to men, then at least to angels. But the next day we continued to live the same as always. After his dream at Bethel, Jacob continued his supplanting, especially the supplanting of Laban, as if he had never had the dream. In fact, he was even more “Jacobean” after the dream than before. In chapter thirty-three, Jacob was still Jacob. The heavenly dream and the sufferings had not changed him. But something occurred in chapter thirty-four that touched Jacob’she art. His only daughter became defiled, and his sons caused him trouble by slaughtering people and plundering their city. These events touched Jacob deeply and caused him to make a radical turn. After this, God came in to speak to him
（1） 神的题醒－回伯特利
1) God’s Reminding—Back to Bethel
6神没有向雅各讲一篇道；反之，因为雅各的心已被摸著，结果他就豫备好听神的话，因此神只简单的说，『起来，上伯特利去住在那里，要在那里筑一座坛给神，就是你逃避你哥哥以扫的时候向你显现的那位。』（创三五1。）这里我们看见神叫雅各作四件事：起来、上伯特利去、住在那里、为曾向他显现的神筑一座坛。雅各在创世记三十五章的转变，改变，是非常有意义的。
6God did not give Jacob a sermon. Rather, because Jacob’she art had been touched and, as a result, he was ready to hear the word of God, God simply said, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there; and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother” (35:1). Here we see that God told Jacob to do four things: to arise, to go up to Bethel, to dwell there, and to make there an altar to God who had appeared to him. The turn, or the change, Jacob made in chapter thirty-five was very significant.
（2） 雅各的回应
2) Jacob’s Response
7在创世记三十五章二至七节，我们看见雅各对神话语的回应。在这一章之前，没有记载过一个人行走在神的面光中，并且洁净自己和全家。二节说，『雅各就对他家中的人，并一切与他同在的人说，你们要除掉你们中间的外邦神，也要自洁，更换衣裳。』为著上伯特利这一个目的，雅各并一切与他同在的人，必须作一次彻底的清理，并洁净自己。在本章神没有说，『雅各，你要去伯特利，在那里筑一座坛；你该知道你必须圣别。我是圣别的，你也必须圣别。你必须除去一切外邦神，洁净自己一切的玷污，并且更换衣裳。』最近，一位作传道人四十多年的年长基督徒，问我们有没有教导我们的人怎样穿著。他观察到弟兄姊妹的穿著，希奇我们是否教导他们这样作。我告诉他，在已过的十四年中，我们从未立下甚么穿著的规则。但无论谁被神摸著，要为著神的居所，就感觉里头有个东西嘱咐他清理自己，洁净自己。你也许在生活中会容让一些玷污和松懈，但甚么时候你摸著召会，你对主认真要过召会生活，里面就有个东西嘱咐你说，那些东西是不适合召会生活的。神吩咐雅各起来上伯特利去之后，雅各立刻嘱咐他的家人除掉外邦神，洁净自己，更换衣裳。以后我们要看见，更换衣裳表征改变我们的生活方式，就是脱去旧的生活方式，并且穿上新人。神虽然没有叫雅各这样作，在他里面深处，却有个东西这样要求他。如果他受嘱咐要去一个属世的地方，他会觉得无须洁净自己。反之，他会准备更玷污自己。雅各所以有这样根本的改变，是因为他已被摸著来为著伯特利，为著神永远的居所。
7In 35:2-7 we see Jacob’s response to God’sword. Before this chapter, there is no record of a man who was walking in the presence of God and who cleared himself and his whole household. Verse 2 says, “Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments” (Heb.). For the single purpose of going up to Bethel, Jacob and everyone with him had to make a thorough clearance and to purify themselves. In this chapter God did not say, “Jacob, you are going to Bethel to build an altar there; you should realize that you must be holy. I am holy, and you must be holy also. You must rid yourself of all your foreign gods, purify yourself of every defilement, and change your garments.” Recently, an elderly Christian, a man who had been a preacher for over forty years, asked if we teach our people to dress in a certain way. He had observed the way the brothers and sisters dressed and wondered if we taught them to do so. I told him that during the past fourteen years we had never laid down any regulations about clothing. However, anyone who has been touched by God for His dwelling place will sense that something within is charging him to clear himself and to purify himself. You may tolerate certain defilements and looseness in your life. But whenever you touch the church and you mean business with the Lord to have the church life, something within charges you concerning those things which are not fitting for the church life. Immediately after God commanded Jacob to arise and go up to Bethel, Jacob charged his people to get rid of the foreign gods, to purify themselves, and to change their garments. Later we shall see that changing the garments signifies changing our manner of life, that is, putting off the old manner of life and putting on a new man. Although God did not tell Jacob to do this, something deep within him required this of him. If he had been charged to go to a worldly place, he would have sensed no need to purify himself. Rather, he would have been ready to defile himself even more. Jacob had such a radical change because he had been touched for Bethel, for God’s eternal dwelling place.
（a）作了一次彻底的清理
a) Making a Thorough Clearance
《一》除掉他们的外邦神－偶像
1) Putting Away Their Foreign Gods—Idols
8首先，雅各告诉他家中的人，并一切与他同在的人，除掉他们中间的外邦神。（创三五2。）当雅各和他的家人逃离拉班时，拉结拿了家中的神像。（创三一34～35。）在创世记三十五章以前，雅各从未嘱咐拉结把这些除掉。但在神叫他上伯特利去以后，每个人都得放弃他们的外邦神，他们的偶像。这是一个影儿，一个豫表，在整本圣经中发展。按照旧约和新约，为著神居所的缘故，我们首先要除去的，就是我们的偶像。
8Firstly, Jacob told his household and all that were with him to put away the foreign gods that were among them (35:2). When Jacob and his household were fleeing from Laban, Rachel took the household images (31:34-35). Prior to chapter thirty-five, Jacob never charged Rachel to put them away. But after God had told him to go up to Bethel, everyone had to abandon their foreign gods, their idols. This is a shadow, a type, that is developed throughout the Bible. According to both the Old Testament and the New Testament, the first thing we must eliminate for the sake of God’s dwelling place is our idols.
9也许很多人会宣称，他们从未与偶像有过关系。就物质方面说，你没有偶像也许是真的。但就属灵方面说，我们必须知道偶像是甚么。偶像就是顶替神的东西。你的教育，你的雄心，你的地位，你的名誉，你的愿望和你的企图，都会在你的生活中顶替神，因而成为偶像。你如果在这光中看这件事，就必须承认你有过很多外邦神。如果你的亲戚或朋友在你的生活中顶替了神，他就是你的偶像。我们的父母、配偶和儿女，都可能成为我们的偶像。你知道人为甚么拜偶像？无疑的，他们拜偶像是因为撒但的诱惑。但人这样作，在人这一面也有原因。人拜偶像是为要得著长寿和福乐。撒但威胁人，告诉他们如果不拜偶像，就没有长寿和福乐；如果拜偶像，就有长寿和福乐。福乐包括很多东西：钱财、地位、雄心、名声、名誉。很多人有偶像是由于他们想要健康。你为甚么有顶替神的东西？只因为这样东西会使你快乐。雅各不像拉结，没有具体的偶像，但在他的抓夺里有一些偶像。事实上，他的抓夺就是偶像。雅各为甚么对别人抓夺？因为他想要福乐和享受。今天人失去了神，就追求外邦神，在偶像身上追求福乐。但神才是我们的长寿和福乐。当神向雅各说到伯特利的时候，雅各得著了关于他一生的启示，认识他在地上的一生不是为著他自己的福乐，他的一生乃是为著伯特利，为著神的家。因此，伯特利成了他的目标，他在地上人生的目的。原先，他的目标是自己的福乐；现在，他的目标和目的更换了。他的目标不再是为著自己，乃是绝对为著神。在示剑，雅各有了一切。但因著他儿子们给他惹的麻烦，他失去了安全和平安。就在那个关头，神似乎说，『雅各，上我家里去。在示剑这里你没有安全和平安，安全和平安是在伯特利。你必须上那里去。』因此，伯特利成了雅各的目标和目的。雅各领悟神家的目标是圣别的，这不是凡俗的事。没有一个人能带著偶像、玷污，穿著老旧、肮脏的衣服进入神的家。因此，雅各嘱咐他的家人并一切与他同在的人，除掉所有的外邦神。
9Many may claim that they have never had anything to do with idols. Materially speaking, it may be true to say that you have no idols. But we must know, spiritually speaking, what an idol is. An idol is anything that replaces God. Your education, your ambition, your position, your name, your desire, and your intention may replace God in your life and thus become idols. If you view the matter in this light, then you will have to admit that you have had many foreign gods. If your relative or friend replaces God in your life, then he is an idol to you. Our parents, spouses, and children may all become our idols. Do you know why people worship idols? Undoubtedly, they worship them because of Satan’s seduction. But there is a reason on the human side why people do this. People worship idols for the sake of gaining long life and happiness. Satan threatens people, telling them that if they do not worship idols, they will not have long life and happiness, but that if they worship idols, then they will have long life and happiness. Happiness includes many things: money, position, ambition, fame, a name. Many have idols due to their desire to be healthy. Why do you have something that replaces God? Simply because that thing may make you happy. Unlike Rachel, Jacob had no literal idols, but in his supplanting he had some idols. In fact, his supplanting was an idol. Why did Jacob supplant others? Because of his desire for happiness and enjoyment. Today, man has lost God and, pursuing foreign gods, seeks his happiness in idols. But God is our long life and happiness. When God spoke to Jacob regarding Bethel, Jacob received the revelation concerning his life and realized that his life on earth was not for his own happiness. His life was for Bethel, for God’sho use. Thus, Bethel became his goal, the destination of his human life on earth. Formerly, his goal was his own happiness. Now, his goal and destination were replaced. No longer was his goal something for himself but something absolutely for God. In Shechem, Jacob had everything. But due to the trouble caused by his sons, he lost his safety and peace. At that juncture, God seemed to say, “Jacob, go up to My house. Here in Shechem you don’th ave safety and peace. Safety and peace are at Bethel. You must go up there.” Thus, Bethel became Jacob’s goal and destination. Jacob realized that the goal of God’sho use was holy; it was not a common thing. No one could enter into the house of God with idols, pollution, and old, filthy garments. Therefore, Jacob charged his household and everyone with him to put away all the foreign gods
《二》洁净自己
(2) Purifying Themselves
10雅各也嘱咐每个人洁净自己。（创三五2。）我们不但必须除掉外邦神，也必须洁净我们的全人。换句话说，我们的全人、生活方式和表现，都必须改变。这不仅仅是重生，或生命里的一些改变；这乃是完全的变化。在创世记三十五章这里，雅各被变化了。
10Jacob also charged everyone to purify themselves (35:2). We must not only put away the foreign gods, but also purify our whole being. In other words, our whole being, manner of life, and expression must be changed. This is not merely regeneration or a little change in life. Rather, it is a full transformation. Here in Genesis 35, Jacob was transformed.
11在圣经中，洁净自己的意思，就是洁除所有的玷污。我们的全人必须洁除在神眼中污秽的事物。林后七章一节保罗说，『所以亲爱的，我们既有这些应许，就当洁净自己，除去肉身和灵一切的玷污，敬畏神，以成全圣别。』保罗在林后六、七章的观念，和雅各在创世记三十五章的观念相同。因为哥林多人是神的殿，所以保罗叫他们洁净自己。神的殿和偶像没有一致。（林后六16。）偶像是偶像，神的殿是神的殿。你站在那一边？如果要偶像，就到偶像那边去；如果要神的殿，就除掉偶像到殿这边来。当你进入召会生活，没有人告诉你甚么，但你里面深处有个东西会说服你，为著正当的召会生活，有一些东西必须除去。我们每个人进入召会时，都有过这样的清理。那时，我们清理了许多（即使不是全部）外邦神，弃绝了许多我们赖以得著福乐的东西、事物、甚至人，我们说，『我不愿意再保留这些东西了。所有的外邦神都必须除去。』在召会生活中，没有一寸地方可以交于外邦神。再者，当我们进入召会生活，我们就得了洁净。至少，我们渴望纯洁，我们说，『为著召会生活的缘故，我愿意我的全人，我的心思、情感和意志，都是纯洁的。』我们与雅各有同样的愿望。当属雅各的人上伯特利去的那天，他们洁净了自己，在他们中间没有外邦神。
11In the Bible, purifying ourselves means to be purified from every pollution. Our whole being must be cleansed from anything that is pollution in the eyes of God. In 2 Corinthians 7:1 Paul says, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Paul’s concept in 2 Corinthians 6 and 7 was the same as Jacob’sin Genesis 35. Because the Corinthians were the temple of God, Paul told them to purify themselves. There can be no agreement between the temple of God and idols (2 Cor. 6:16). Idols are idols, and the temple of God is the temple of God. Which side do you take? If idols, then go to your idols. If the temple of God, then come to the temple without any idols. When you came into the church life, no one told you anything, but deep within something convinced you that certain things had to go for the sake of the proper church life. Every one of us had such a clearance upon coming into the church. At that time, we cleared away many, if not all, of the foreign gods, forsaking the things, the matters, and even the persons we trusted in for happiness, saying, “I don’t like to keep these things anymore. All foreign idols must go.” In the church life, not an inch of ground can be surrendered to foreign gods. Furthermore, when we came into the church life we were purified. At least, we aspired to be pure, saying, “For the sake of the church life, I want to be pure in my whole being, in my mind, emotion, and will.” We had the same desire that Jacob had. On the day Jacob’s people went up to Bethel, they purified themselves, and among them there were no foreign gods.
12我们很多人，包括我自己，都领悟自己不是那么好。也许就在今天你还说，『哦，我不是这么好，我的思想还不很纯洁。』但把你现在的生活方式和已往的比较一下。你虽然不该自傲，但你应当说，『主，感谢你。我不很满意自己，但我把现在的和已往的比较，我必须感谢赞美你，我和从前很不一样了。』虽然在创世记三十五章雅各还未成熟，但他无疑的已经从已往的他改变了。在下篇信息中我们要看见，雅各事实上怎样有了根本的变化。神再次把他的名字从雅各改为以色列。神告诉他不该再称自己为雅各，要称为以色列。我认识你们很多人已经有十二年，或者更久了。我知道你们很多人今天对自己不满意。当有人问你们近况如何，你们照著习惯说，『我很好。』但照著你们里面的感觉，你们不是很好。也许你刚悔改，向主呼喊过；有人问你近况如何，你说你很好。你虽然对弟兄说『很好，』但你从未对主这么说。我们不该骄傲，也不该失望。把你自己和十二年前的你相比，不是有很大的改变么？谁改变了我们？我们都必须承认，不是我们改变自己；我们是因为在伯特利，在召会生活里而改变的。你如果故意离开召会生活几周，你从前的丑样会回头，狐狸尾巴会露出来，蛇的舌头会运用起来，所有的臭虫也会活跃起来。但你若继续来到召会中，一再接触召会，狐狸尾巴要被除去，蛇舌要被割掉，臭虫也要被毒死。只要你来召会，臭虫统统要灭绝。召会生活是最有效的洁净。最近，在祷告聚会中我经历了很多的洁净。当我坐在聚会中一同祷告的时候，我就被冲洗洁净。我不愿说我被祷告洁净，我乃是被召会洁净。召会是个大浴室，我们在那里都被冲洗洁净。召会若没有这种功用，我怕这不会长久是召会。只要召会是召会，就有这样的功用。常常一到赴召会聚会的时间，里面有个东西就开始洁净我们，告诉我们要洗净自己。在赴会途中，我们常常祷告：『主，我正去聚会，赦免我这件事，洗净我那件事，把那个从我身上挪去。』这就是为著上伯特利而有的洁净。让我们都洁净自己，因为我们必须起来，上伯特利去会见我们的神。我们不能老旧、受玷污的会见祂，我们必须被洁净。这种洁净不是我们的工作，乃是那神圣的手在我们身上的工作。当我们关心祂的伯特利，祂神圣的手就要洁净我们。
12Many of us, including myself, realize that we are not very good. Perhaps even today you have said, “Oh, I am not so good. My thinking is still not very pure.” However, compare your present manner of life with your past. Although you should not be proud of yourself, you should say, “Lord, thank You. I am not very pleased with myself, but as I compare the present with the past, I have to thank and praise You that I am quite different from what I was.” Although in chapter thirty-five Jacob was not yet mature, he had undoubtedly changed from what he once was. In the next message we shall see how radically transformed Jacob actually was. God again changed his name from Jacob to Israel. God told him that he should no longer call himself Jacob but Israel. I have known many of you for twelve years or more. I know that many of you are unhappy with yourselves today. When someone asks you how you are doing, according to custom, you say, “I’m fine.” According to your inner sense, however, you are not so fine. Perhaps you have just repented, crying to the Lord; but when someone asks you how you are, you say that you are fine. Although you may say “fine” to a brother, you never say this to the Lord. We should neither be proud nor disappointed. Compare yourself with what you were twelve years ago. Has there not been a great change? Who changed us? We all must admit that we did not change ourselves; we were changed by being in Bethel, in the church life. If you deliberately stay away from the church life for a few weeks, your former ugliness will return, the fox tail will become visible, the serpent tongue will be exercised, and all the bugs will be active. But if you continue coming to the church, contacting the church again and again, the fox tail will be removed, the serpent tongue will be cut off, and the bugs will be poisoned. As long as you come to the church, the bugs will all be exterminated. The church life is the most effective purification. Recently, I experienced a great deal of purification in the prayer meeting. As I was sitting in the meeting joining in the prayers, I was bathed and purified. I would not say that I was purified by the prayers, but I was purified by the church. The church is a large bathroom where we all are bathed and purified. If the church does not have this function, I am fearful that it will not long remain the church. As long as the church is the church, it will function this way. Often, when it is time to go to the church meeting, something within begins to purify us, telling us to cleanse ourselves. On our way to the meeting, we have frequently prayed, “Lord, I’m going to the meeting. Forgive me of this, cleanse me of that matter, and take that away from me.” This is the purification for going up to Bethel. Let us all purify ourselves, for we must arise, go up to Bethel, and meet our God. We cannot meet Him in an old, polluted way. We must be purified. This purification is not a matter of our working, but of the working of the divine hand upon us. When we take care of His Bethel, His divine hand will purify us.
《三》更换衣裳
3) Changing Their Garments
13除了除掉外邦神并洁净自己以外，他们还更换衣裳。（创三五2。）按照圣经，更换衣裳的意思就是改变生活方式。以弗所四章二十至二十四节启示，旧的生活方式是堕落人性的生活，新的生活方式是召会的生活。召会是重生的新造，人性是堕落的旧造。我们未得救时，生活方式是堕落、旧造的生活；现在得救、重生、被带进召会生活，就必须有新的生活方式。我们必须脱去旧人，并且穿上新人。脱去旧人乃是脱去旧的衣裳，旧的生活方式；穿上新人乃是穿上新的生活方式，就是召会。除掉外邦神并洁净自己之后，我们必须更换衣裳，改变我们的生活方式。我们不该再以老样子表现自己，乃该以新的生活方式表现自己是召会，是新人。我们原是堕落的旧造，但现在是重生的新造。我们很多的亲戚、朋友、同事和邻居都能见证，在我们进入召会生活以后，我们的生活方式有了彻底的改变。召会已经改变了我们的生活方式，并且还继续来改变。这是为著伯特利。
13In addition to putting away the foreign gods and purifying themselves, they changed their garments (35:2). According to the Bible, to change garments means to change your manner of life. Ephesians 4:22-24 reveals that the old manner of life was the life of the fallen humanity and that the new manner of life is of the church. The church is the regenerated, new creation, and humanity is the fallen, old creation. When we were unsaved, we lived a manner of life that was of the fallen, old creation. Now, after having been saved and regenerated and having been brought into the church life, we must have a new manner of life. We must put off the old man and put on the new man. To put off the old man is to put off the old garments, the old manner of life, and to put on the new man is to put on the new manner of life, the church. After putting away the foreign gods and purifying ourselves, we must change our garments, changing our manner of life. We should no longer express ourselves in an old way, but express ourselves as the church, as the new man in the new manner of life. We were the old, fallen creation, but now we are the new, regenerated creation. Many of our relatives, friends, colleagues, and neighbors can testify that after we came into the church life, our manner of life drastically changed. The church has changed and continues to change our manner of life. This is for Bethel
《四》埋藏耳环
4) Burying Their Earrings
14创世记三十五章四节说，『他们就把外邦人的神像，和他们耳朵上的环子，交给雅各；雅各都藏在示剑那里的橡树底下。』不仅偶像埋了，耳环也埋了。耳环是美化自己的东西，这些要和偶像一样加以对付。许多人的耳环、饰物，在神眼中等于偶像。雅各家里的人除掉外邦神的时候，也除掉了他们的耳环。这指明对他们的良心而言，耳环和外邦神同样可憎。很多姊妹在摸著召会以后，有同样的感觉，并且除去这种可憎的饰物。这与道德无关，乃与神的家有关。
14Verse 4 says, “And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem” (Heb.). Not only were the idols buried, but also the earrings. Earrings are self-beautifying items. These were dealt with in the same way as the idols. Many people’se ar rings, ornaments, are equal to idols in the eyes of God. When those in Jacob’sho use hold were putting away the foreign gods, they also put away their earrings. This indicates that to their conscience their earrings were as abominable as their foreign gods. After touching the church, many sisters had the same conviction and put off this kind of abominable ornament. This is not something related to morality but to the house of God.
15神没有嘱咐雅各作这样的清理。祂更没有说，『雅各，你必须告诉你家人并一切与你同在的人作一次清理，并且洁净自己。』那么为甚么雅各这样嘱咐每个人？因为神的家不是个人的事。不是只有雅各。神的家必须是雅各家成了以色列家。至终，雅各所有的后裔都成了神的家，伯特利。真伯特利不是帐幕，乃是以色列人。同样，我们必须看见，今天我们是召会。我们必须被洁净，不仅因为我们要去伯特利，更因为我们要成为伯特利。我们必须除掉一切的外邦神和可憎的饰物，洁净自己，更换衣裳。除掉外邦神，意思也就是除掉一切外来的倚靠。我们在全人里外都必须清除一切的玷污，并且必须改变我们的生活方式。这都是为著召会生活。
15God did not charge Jacob to make such a clearance. Still less did He say, “Jacob, you must tell your household and everyone with you to make a clearance and to purify themselves.” Why, then, did Jacob charge everyone in this way? Because the house of God is not an individual matter. It is not only Jacob. The house of God must be the house of Jacob becoming the house of Israel. Eventually, all the descendants of Jacob became the house of God, Bethel. The real Bethel was not the tabernacle; it was the children of Israel. Likewise, we must see that today we are the church. We must be purified not only because we are going to Bethel, but because we are to be Bethel. We must put away all foreign gods and abominable ornaments, purify ourselves, and change our garments. Putting away the foreign gods also means putting away all foreign trusts. We must be cleansed in our whole being, inwardly and outwardly, from every pollution, and we must change our manner of life. This is all for the church life
《五》使仇敌惊惧
5) Terrifying the Enemies
16创世记三十五章五节说，『他们便起行前往；神使那周围城邑的人都甚惊惧，就不追赶雅各的众子了。』看到他们的仇敌都甚惊惧，是非常激励人的。雅各因他儿子们惹了麻烦，恐怕那些城邑的人会与他争战，击杀他；但雅各并一切与他同在的人除掉偶像，洁净自己，更换衣裳以后，神使那些城邑的人都甚惊惧。他们的清理和洁净使仇敌惊惧。这指明我们若为著召会生活的缘故，除掉一切外邦神和美化自己的可憎饰物，洁净自己，并且更换衣裳，鬼魔和缠累我们的罪就要惊惧。我们无须争战来得胜；仇敌要惊惧，胜利就是我们的。你曾否使罪惊惧？曾否使赌博、喝酒或吸烟惊惧？也许你发觉这些事很难胜过。若是这样，那是因为你没有除掉外邦神，洁净自己并更换衣裳。你若作了这一切，所有的『臭虫、』『蝎子』和『地鼠』都要惊惧，都要逃遁。我读过一些讲胜过罪和世界的书；四、五十年前，我实行在那些书中所读到的。但我越实行越失败，因为我不在召会里。藉著除掉外来的倚靠，洁净自己，更换衣裳而在召会里，就使罪和世俗惊惧，并使我们得著胜利。你被脾气这小『地鼠』困扰么？牠要惊惧。创世记三十五章五节说，那些城邑的人不敢追赶雅各。神使雅各顺利的上伯特利去。甚么时候我们在召会中，所有的『地鼠』就都惊惧。
16Verse 5 says, “And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.” It is very encouraging to see that their enemies were terrified. Due to the trouble caused by his sons, Jacob was afraid that the city people would fight against him and kill him. But after Jacob and all those with him had put away the idols, purified themselves, and changed their garments, a terror from God fell upon the city people. Their clearance and purification terrified the enemy. This indicates that if, for the sake of the church life, we put away all foreign gods and self - beautifying and abominable ornaments, purify ourselves, and change our garments, the demons and besetting sins will be terrified. There will be no need to fight to overcome; the enemy will be terrified and the victory will be ours. Have you ever terrified sins? Have you ever terrified gambling, drinking, or smoking? Perhaps you have found these things difficult to overcome. If so, it is because you have not put away foreign gods, purified yourselves, and changed your garments. If you do all this, all the “bugs,” “scorpions,” and “gophers” will be terrified and will flee and hide. I have read some books about overcoming sin and the world. Forty or fifty years ago I practiced what I read in those books. But the more I practiced, the more defeated I was because I was not in the church. Being in the church by putting away the foreign trusts, purifying ourselves, and changing our garments terrifies sin and worldliness and gives us the victory. Are you troubled by the little “gopher” of your temper? It will be terrified. Genesis 35:5 says that the people of the cities did not dare to pursue Jacob. God gave Jacob a prosperous journey up to Bethel. Whenever we are in the church, all the “gophers” are terrified.
（b）上伯特利
b) Going Up to Bethel
17雅各和他所有的人作了一次彻底的清理以后，就起来上伯特利去。（创三五，6。）在伯特利，他筑了一座坛给神，『给那地方起名叫伊勒伯特利，』（创三五7，）他领悟神在伯特利是他的神。我们必须回应神的呼召或题醒，上召会去，在那里我们可以筑坛真正献上自己，并且实际经历神。在我们进入召会以后，我们都领悟真正奉献的需要；藉著这样的奉献，我们就经历神在祂的家，就是在召会中，是我们的神。
17After making a thorough clearance, Jacob and all his people arose and went up to Bethel (vv. 3, 6). At Bethel, he built an altar to God and “called the3 place El-Beth-el” (v. 7), realizing that God was God to him at Bethel. We must respond to God’scall or reminder to go up to the church where we can build the altar of our real consecration and experience God in a practical way. After we come into the church, we all realize the need of a real consecration. By such a consecration, we experience God being God to us in His house—the church.
（3） 神的清理
3) God’s Clearing
18创世记三十五章八节说，『利百加的奶母底波拉死了，就葬在伯特利下边橡树底下；那棵树名叫亚伦巴古。』有相当一段时间我不能明白，为甚么利百加的奶母底波拉在这个时候死了。圣经中没有废话。底波拉是雅各母亲利百加的奶母。利百加必定死在雅各回来以前；因此，底波拉对雅各必定非常亲爱，代替他母亲作他的安慰。正当雅各有伯特利的经历时，他的安慰，底波拉，被神取去了。我们很多人能见证，当我们除掉外邦神，洁净自己，更换衣裳，并进入召会生活时，神就进来取去我们的『底波拉，』我们的奶母。我们很多人都有个『底波拉，』就是那可爱，同情并抚慰我们的人或物。但我们进入召会生活那天，神自然取去我们的奶母，我们的『底波拉』死了。召会生活是不需要奶母的生活。没有一个召会的人需要奶母。但很遗憾，我们有些人仍喜欢有一些奶母同情我们，抚慰并安慰我们，像母亲照顾婴儿一样。关于奶母，任何正面的话都是对婴儿说的。你在召会中已经这么久，还需要人乳养你么？然而，即使年长的人也仍旧盼望有个『底波拉』抚慰并照顾他们。但我们若为著伯特利对主认真，祂就要挪去我们的奶母。
18Verse 8 says, “Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allon - bachuth.” For quite a while, I could not understand why, at this juncture, Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died. There are no wasted words in the Bible. Deborah was a nurse to Jacob’s mother, Rebekah. Rebekah must have died prior to Jacob’s return. Thus, Deborah must have been very dear to Jacob as a comfort in place of his mother. At the precise time Jacob had the experience of Bethel, Deborah, his comfort, was taken away by God. As many of us can testify, when we put away the foreign gods, purified ourselves, changed our garments, and came into the church life, God intervened to take away our “Deborahs,” our nursing mothers. Many of us had a “Deborah,” someone or something loving, sympathizing, and soothing. But the day we came into the church life God spontaneously took our nurse away, and our “Deborah” died. The church life is a life that does not require a nurse. None of the church people needs a nursing mother. But, sorry to say, some of us still like to have some nurses to sympathize with us and to soothe and to comfort us like a mother taking care of an infant. Any word spoken positively regarding nursing mothers is addressed to babes. After being in the church for so long, do you still need someone to nurse you? Nevertheless, even the older ones still desire a “Deborah” to soothe and care for them. But if we mean business with the Lord for Bethel, He will remove our nurses.
19在这些经节里，我们看到三样东西埋葬了：偶像、耳环和奶母；都埋在橡树底下。橡树是茂盛生命的象征。因此，所有外邦的神、美化自己的物品和奶母，都埋葬在茂盛的生命，特别是召会中的生命之下。这不是一个道理，乃是和我们的经历相符的。召会中的生命就如橡树一般茂盛，但在树底下乃是『底波拉。』我们除掉偶像，摘去耳环，但神使我们的『底波拉』死了。这是从我们的一面和神的一面真正的洁净。我们除掉，神取去。我们除掉外邦神、耳环、玷污和衣裳，神取去奶母。在召会生活中，我们不需要同情或乳养，我们所有的『底波拉』都必须埋葬。底波拉所埋之处的橡树是在『伯特利下边。』（创三五8。）这指明我们经历『底波拉』被取去并埋葬，不是在高水平上，乃是在召会的水平下。召会作神的家是在最高的水平上，我们在召会这里也必须有一些最高水平的经历，就如经历基督作我们的生命和人位。经历我们的『底波拉』被埋葬，是相当低的，是在伯特利下边。因此，那理葬奶母之处的橡树，称为亚伦巴古－『哀哭之橡。』这不是值得我们欢乐的事。
19In these verses we see that three things were buried: the idols, the earrings, and the nurse. All were buried under an oak. The oak is a symbol of flourishing life. Hence, all the foreign gods, the self-beautifying items, and the nurses are buried under the flourishing life, especially the life in the church. This is not a doctrine, but something that corresponds to our experience. The life in the church flourishes like an oak tree, but underneath it are the “Deborahs.” We put off the idols and removed the earrings, but God caused our “Deborah” to die. This is a real purification, both from our side and from God’ss i de. We put away and God took away. We put away the foreign gods, the earrings, the pollutions, and garments, and God took away the nurses. In the church life we do not need sympathy or nursing. All our “Deborahs” must be buried. The oak under which Deborah was buried was “beneath Bethel” (v. 8). This indicates that our experience of the taking away and the burying of our “Deborahs” is not on a high plane; rather, it is beneath the level of the church. The church as the house of God is on the highest plane, and here in the church we must have some experiences that are also on the highest plane, such as the experience of Christ as our life and our person. To experience the burial of our “Deborahs” is rather low; it is beneath Bethel. Hence, the burial oak was called Allon-bachuth—the oak of weeping. This is not a matter worthy of our rejoicing.