亚伯拉罕的生命没有成熟而死
创世记二十五章的用意是要显示亚伯拉罕在生命上没有成熟。他没有成熟而死，因为我们看见，他死时没有祝福任何人。亚伯拉罕虽然好，但他在神圣生命里没有成熟。他蒙召，有信心，活在与神的交通里，但用新约的话说，他没有够多的变化。
变化是甚么？我们用石化木为例来说明。当水流经木头，木头的元素被带走，矿物的元素加进原处。当矿物的元素作到木头里面，木头就变化成了石头。这就是石化。我们是木头，活水的流必须把我们天然的成分带走，并将一切神圣、属天、圣别、属灵的元素带到我们里面。这样我们就有了变化。
亚伯拉罕他活在与神的交通里，并且照神的引导行动，但他没有完全变化。相反的，他再娶妻，用被神对付过的肉体，又生出六个“以实玛利”来。
亚伯拉罕需要雅各和以撒作他的完整
亚伯拉罕虽然好，但他并不完整。他必须藉雅各和以撒的一生来得着完整和完全。按照神圣记载的含示，亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各不是三个分开的个人。在亚伯拉罕身上我们看见父神，在以撒身上我们看见子神，在雅各身上我们看见灵神。父、子、灵，三而一，乃是独一的三一神。同样的原则，亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各是三一的人，他们是三而一，在生命的经历上是一个完整的人。
在亚伯拉罕的记载里，我们看到呼召的事。然而按照神的启示，呼召不是第一项。神的拣选在神的呼召之前。当亚伯拉罕在迦勒底拜偶像的时候，那是神呼召的时候，不是神拣选的时候。神的拣选是在创立世界以前。在已过的永远里，亚伯拉罕已蒙拣选；在迦勒底他才蒙召。但亚伯拉罕蒙拣选的记载在那里？乃是在创世记二十五章雅各蒙拣选的记载里。亚伯拉罕本身没有蒙拣选，他的蒙拣选是在雅各的蒙拣选里。亚伯拉罕的生命没有完全的起头，也没有完整的结束，因为他既没有蒙拣选，也没有在生命上成熟，这两者都在雅各身上。换句话说，就生命的经历而言，亚伯拉罕本身在神眼中不是一个完整的人，他需要雅各和以撒。亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各，这三个人代表一个完整人的属灵经历。在雅各一生的记载里，没有题到蒙召。雅各在何时何地蒙召？他在创世记十一章与亚伯拉罕一同蒙召，正如亚伯拉罕在雅各里面蒙拣选一样。在创世记二十五章有三个家谱：基土拉众子的家谱，以实玛利众子的家谱，以及以撒的家谱。这一章题名的人中，只有一个蒙拣选－雅各。
每日一问：就着生命的经历，我们在亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各身上分别看到什么？
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Abraham’s Life Was Not Mature (2) – Gen. 25:22-23
Abraham Died Without a Mature Life
The intention of Genesis 25 is to show that Abraham did not reach maturity in his life. He died without being mature, because we see that he blessed no one when he died. Although Abraham was good, he had not matured in the divine life. He was called, had faith, and lived in fellowship with God, but in the words of the New Testament, he did not have enough transformation.
What is transformation? We use petrified wood as an illustration. When water flows through wood, the elements of the wood are carried away, and mineral elements are added in their place. When the mineral elements are worked into the wood, the wood is transformed into stone. This is petrification. We are the wood; the flow of living water must take away our natural components and bring all the divine, heavenly, holy and spiritual elements into us. In this way, we have transformation.
Abraham was not a fully transformed person. He lived in fellowship with God and acted according to God’s leading, but he was not fully transformed. On the contrary, he remarried, using the flesh that had been dealt with by God, and produced six more “Ishmaels”.
Abraham Needed Jacob and Isaac to Complete Him
Although Abraham was good, he was not complete. He had to be completed and perfected through the lives of Jacob and Isaac. According to the implication of the divine record, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are not three separate individuals. In Abraham, we see God the Father; in Isaac, we see God the Son; and in Jacob, we see God the Spirit. The Father, the Son and the Spirit, the Triune God, are one. By the same principle, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are a tripartite man; they are three-in-one, forming one complete person in the experience of life.
In the record of Abraham, we see the matter of calling. However, according to God’s revelation, calling is not the first item. God’s election is before God’s calling. When Abraham was in Chaldea worshipping idols, that was the time of God’s calling, not the time of God’s election. God’s election was before the foundation of the world. In the past eternity, Abraham was already chosen; it was in Chaldea that he was called. But where is the record of Abraham’s election? It is in the record of Jacob’s election in Genesis 25. Abraham himself was not chosen; his election is in the election of Jacob. Abraham’s life did not have a complete beginning, nor did it have a complete ending, because he was neither chosen nor mature in life; both of these are found in Jacob. In other words, in terms of the experience of life, Abraham himself was not a complete person in God’s eyes; he needed Jacob and Isaac. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob represent the spiritual experience of one complete person. In the record of Jacob’s life, there is no mention of calling. When and where was Jacob called? He was called together with Abraham in Genesis 11, just as Abraham was chosen in Jacob. In Genesis 25, there are three genealogies: the genealogy of the sons of Keturah, the genealogy of the sons of Ishmael, and the genealogy of Isaac. Among those mentioned in this chapter, only one was chosen — Jacob.
Daily Question: In terms of the experience of life, what do we see respectively in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?