带进基督为忧患之子（便俄尼），并为右手之子（便雅悯）
创世记三十五章十八节说，『她将近于死，灵魂要走的时候，就给她儿子起名叫便俄尼，他父亲却给他起名叫便雅悯。』这孩子有两个名字，一个是他母亲起的，一个是他父亲起的。便俄尼的意思是『忧患之子。』拉结给他起这名，因为她在受苦，在忧患中。但雅各立刻将他的名字改为便雅悯，意思是『右手之子。』在全宇宙中，只有一位既是忧患之子，又是右手之子，这一位就是基督。一面，基督是便俄尼；另一面，祂是便雅悯。基督是具有这两面的奇妙人物。没有一个人遭遇忧患像基督那样多，也没有一个人被高举像基督那样高。以赛亚五十三章三节描述祂『常经忧患，』行传二章三十三节说祂『被高举在神的右边，』希伯来一章三节说祂『坐在高处至尊至大者的右边。』首先，耶稣是忧患之子，苦难之子。拉结不是惟一经历这忧患的人；基督的母亲马里亚也经历过。照着路加二章三十五节，她的魂被她儿子的苦难刺透。但在三十三年半以后，基督在复活并升天里，成了神的右手之子。因此，没有人能否认，便雅悯是受苦并被高举之基督的预表。拉结必须死去，便雅悯才能生出。阿利路亚，拉结去了，便雅悯来了！
为甚么拉结的死不在雅各经历伯特利之前？这的确是照着神的主宰。在神的主宰里，拉结的死正发生于雅各在伯特利奇妙的经历之后。在十六节，雅各因他在伯特利的经历必定满了喜乐，并且热切的期待亲爱的妻子拉结生出另一个孩子。但拉结的孩子出生的时候，雅各天然的拣选死了。拉结给她第二个儿子起名叫便俄尼，一个忧患的名字，但雅各立刻将这名改为便雅悯，一个激励的名字。雅各更改他儿子的名字，证明他没有因着失去拉结而失望灰心。他没有沮丧，反而满了把握、信心和盼望。雅各似乎说，『不，他的名字必须是便雅悯。他不是忧患之子，乃是右手之子。』雅各有何等的信心和盼望！在伯特利的经历之后，雅各是个变化过的人。
创世记三十五章二十一节指明雅各的确变化了，『以色列起行前往，在以得台那边支搭帐棚。』在拉结的死和便雅悯的生之后，雅各头一次真正的称为以色列。圣经不是告诉我们雅各起行，乃是告诉我们以色列起行。那时候雅各成了变化过的人。在这之前，他的名字已经从雅各改为以色列（创三二27-28，三五10），但他从来没有真正按着新名被称呼过。
信息重点：便雅悯首先是“忧患之子”便俄尼，后来成为“右手之子”，预表基督经过苦难而进入高举。雅各失去拉结，却没有停留在忧患里，反而凭信心把儿子的名字改为便雅悯。这显明经过伯特利以后，雅各里面已经有了真实的变化，从雅各成为以色列。
应用祷告：主耶稣，在忧患和失去中，求你使我不灰心，也不只看环境。让我看见你是经过苦难而被高举的基督，使我在对付中仍有信心和盼望，并让你在我里面产生真实的变化。阿们。
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Jacob’s Deeper Dealing — The Death of Rachel (2) — Gen. 35:17
Bringing in Christ as the Son of Sorrow (Ben-oni) and the Son of the Right Hand (Benjamin)
Genesis 35:18 says, “It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin,” This child had two names, one given by his mother and one given by his father. Ben-oni means “son of my sorrow”. Rachel gave him this name because she was suffering in sorrow. But Jacob immediately changed his name to Benjamin, meaning “son of the right hand”. In the whole universe, there is only one person who is both the son of sorrow and the son of the right hand, and that person is Christ. On the one hand, Christ is Ben-oni; on the other hand, He is Benjamin. Christ is a wonderful person possessing both of these aspects. No one has ever suffered sorrow as Christ has, and no one has ever been exalted as high as Christ. Isaiah 53:3 describes Him as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” Acts 2:33 says He was “exalted to the right hand of God,” and Hebrews 1:3 says He “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” First, Jesus is the son of sorrow, the son of suffering. Rachel was not the only one who experienced this sorrow; Christ’s mother Mary also experienced it. According to Luke 2:35, her soul was pierced through by her son’s suffering. But after three and a half years, Christ, in resurrection and ascension, became the son of God’s right hand. Therefore, no one can deny that Benjamin is a type of Christ, who suffers and is exalted. Rachel had to die before Benjamin could be born. Hallelujah, Rachel is gone, and Benjamin has come!
Why did Rachel’s death not occur before Jacob’s experience at Bethel? This was indeed according to God’s sovereignty. In God’s sovereignty, Rachel’s death took place right after Jacob’s wonderful experience at Bethel. In verse 16, Jacob, because of his experience at Bethel, was certainly full of joy and eagerly anticipated his beloved wife Rachel giving birth to another child. But when Rachel’s child was born, Jacob’s natural choice died. Rachel named her second son Ben-oni, a name of sorrow, but Jacob immediately changed this name to Benjamin, an encouraging name. Jacob’s changing his son’s name proves that he was not disheartened or discouraged by the loss of Rachel. He was not despondent; instead, he was full of assurance, faith and hope. Jacob seemed to say, “No, his name must be Benjamin. He is not the son of sorrow, but the son of the right hand”. What great faith and hope Jacob had! After his experience at Bethel, Jacob was a transformed man.
Genesis 35:21 indicates that Jacob indeed had been transformed: “Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.” After Rachel’s death and Benjamin’s birth, Jacob was for the first time truly called Israel. The Bible does not tell us that Jacob journeyed on; it tells us that Israel journeyed on. By that time, Jacob had become a transformed person. Before this, his name had already been changed from Jacob to Israel (Gen. 32:27-28; 35:10), but he had never actually been addressed by his new name.
Message Main Points: Benjamin was first “Ben-oni,” the son of sorrow, and later became “Benjamin”, the son of the right hand, typifying how Christ passed through suffering to enter into exaltation. Jacob lost Rachel, yet he did not remain in sorrow; instead, by faith he changed his son’s name to Benjamin. This shows that after Bethel, a real change had already taken place within Jacob — from Jacob to Israel.
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, in sorrow and loss, make me not to be discouraged, and not to merely look at the environment. Let me see that You are the Christ who was exalted through suffering, so that in Your dealings I may still have faith and hope, and let You produce a real transformation within me. Amen.