创世记包括九位伟大人物的传记：亚当、亚伯、以挪士、以诺、挪亚、亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各以及约瑟。最长的记载是雅各的生平，几乎占了全书的一半。为甚么创世记用这么长的篇幅记述这个人？你若细读创世记，会看见雅各的记载不像亚伯拉罕的记载，其中包含许多细节。以诺的传记不及半章长，以挪士的传记只占了几节。挪亚虽然是个重要人物，然而创世记没有给他多少篇幅。雅各的记载这样长，原因是在生命的经历上，没有一件事像变化需要这么长的时间。我们在瞬间蒙召，即刻得救，不到一分钟就蒙赦免、得重生。然而变化需要我们的一生。自从我们得救那天，我们就一直经历变化的过程。
在亚伯拉罕身上，我们看到神的呼召和称义。在以撒身上，我们看到一个一直享受神恩典的人。以撒似乎不要知道甚么，也不自己作甚么。当雅各欺骗他的时候，他知道有问题，因为他说，“声音是雅各的声音，手却是以扫的手”（创二七22）。虽然以撒认得两个儿子的声音，也明明听见雅各的声音，却“辨不出他来”（创二七23）。这意思是以撒不喜欢运用他的辨别力。他在吃的事上不懒惰，然而他懒于运用辨别力。在创世记中没有多少篇幅用来记述以撒的一面。
在雅各身上，我们看不见神的呼召或称义，也看不见恩典的享受。相反的，我们看见他怎样受神对付（创二五19-三二21）。甚至雅各还在母腹中，神就对付他。他一生不断在神的对付之下。神的对付是为着要变化他。雅各生来是个抓夺者，抓脚跟的人，然而神的心意是要得着神的王子。这样一个抓夺的人怎样能变成神的王子？只有藉着变化。改变物质的建筑容易，然而把一个抓夺的人改变成神的王子不容易。这不能一夜完成，乃需要一生之久。因着雅各代表变化的一面，所以他有这样长的传记。
信息重点：得救是一瞬间的事，但变化是一生的事。神用创世记近一半的篇幅记载雅各，因为祂要向我们启示：一个抓夺的人被变化成为神的王子，需要漫长的过程。
应用祷告：主耶稣，感谢你不仅拯救我，也在我身上开始变化的工作。求你赐我忍耐和信心，使我愿意接受你长期的制作，直到我成为合乎你心意的人。
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Jacob’s Experience — Being Dealt With (1) — Gen. 25:25-26
Genesis includes the biographies of nine great figures: Adam, Abel, Enosh, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. The longest record is that of Jacob’s life, occupying nearly half the entire book. Why does Genesis devote such an extensive portion to this one man? If you read Genesis carefully, you will see that Jacob’s record is unlike Abraham’s — it is filled with an abundance of detail. Enoch’s biography is less than half a chapter long; Enosh’s takes only a few verses. Though Noah is an important figure, Genesis gives him relatively little space. Jacob’s record is so long because in the experience of life, there is nothing that requires as much time as transformation. We are called in an instant, saved immediately, forgiven and reborn in less than a minute. But transformation requires a lifetime. From the day we are saved, we continually undergo the process of transformation.
In Abraham, we see God’s calling and justification. In Isaac, we see a man who simply enjoyed God’s grace throughout his life. Isaac seemed to have no need to know much or to do much himself. When Jacob deceived him, he knew something was wrong, for he said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau” (Gen. 27:22). Though Isaac could recognize both sons’ voices and clearly heard Jacob’s voice, he “did not recognize him” (Gen. 27:23). This means Isaac did not care to exercise his discernment. He was not lazy about eating, but he was lazy about exercising discernment. Not much of Genesis is devoted to the aspect represented by Isaac.
In Jacob, we see neither God’s calling nor justification, nor the enjoyment of grace. Instead, we see how he was dealt with by God (Gen. 25:19–32:21). Even while Jacob was still in the womb, God was dealing with him. His entire life was under God’s dealing. God’s dealing was for the purpose of transforming him. Jacob was born a grasper, a heel-catcher, yet God’s intention was to gain a prince of God. How could such a grasping man be transformed into a prince of God? Only through transformation. It is easy to change a material building, but to transform a grasping man into a prince of God is not easy. It cannot be accomplished in a single night — it requires an entire lifetime. Because Jacob represents the aspect of transformation, his biography is so long.
Message Focus: Salvation is an instantaneous event, but transformation is a lifelong process. God devoted nearly half of Genesis to Jacob because He wanted to reveal to us that transforming a grasping man into a prince of God requires a long and extended process.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for not only saving me but also beginning a work of transformation within me. Please grant me patience and faith, that I may be willing to accept Your long-term molding process until I become a person after Your own heart.