神使用拉结生出便雅悯。但神借着使用她生出便雅悯，把她取去。神也要使用我们所爱的『拉结。』但神借着使用我们的『拉结，』把她从我们取去。拉结的死不仅使雅各痛苦，也使拉结自己痛苦。马太二章十八节说，『在拉玛听见号咷大哭的声音，是拉结哭她的儿女，不肯受安慰，因为他们都不在了。』多年来我无法懂得，拉结已经埋葬了一千七百多年，如何还能哭？然而这一节说，甚至在基督出生的时候，拉结还在哭她的儿女；他们都是便雅悯的后裔。便雅悯真是『忧患之子，』拉结给他取了这名是恰当的。便雅悯的出生不仅取去了拉结的生命，也取去了一千七百多年后他后裔的生命。因为基督生在伯利恒，希律就杀了伯利恒城里并四境所有两岁以内的男孩（太二16）。拉结哭她所有的儿女，就是那些因着基督来临而为希律所杀的人。这意思是拉结为着基督的来临殉道。拉结不仅在她生产的时候受苦；甚至在一千七百多年后还受苦。她受苦的目的乃是要生出基督。首先预表基督的便雅悯来了，其次真正的基督来了。
雅各在基列立了一根柱子，在伯特利立了一根柱子，但如今他必须在往伯利恒的路上立起第三根柱子。在我们基督徒的生活中，我们也必须有拉结墓上的第三根柱子这个里程碑，那里是我们天然的拣选埋葬的地方。我们的爱，我们的愿望，和我们的拣选，有一天要被带到尽头，并且埋葬。在我们天然拣选的墓上，我们必须立起一根柱子。这根柱子是我们天然拣选、心头愿望的死和埋葬的标记。我们所挚爱的人、事、物要死去，并且埋葬，在墓上要立起一根柱子，见证我们的拣选已经埋葬了。然后我们要起行往伯利恒去，就是基督出生的地方。在往伯利恒路上的柱子，指引人向着基督。今天你在教会生活中也许非常喜乐。然而到了一天，你的『拉结，』你的心头拣选要死去，使便雅悯能生出来。我相当确信，便雅悯要在教会生活中生出来。
在创世记三十五章的图画里，拉结表征我们天然的拣选。对我们天然的拣选而言，便雅悯的出生是忧患。但对以色列而言，这是欢乐的原因。便雅悯的来临对拉结是忧患，基督的来临对她是哀哭。但便雅悯的来临和基督的来临，对以色列而言全是喜乐。在教会生活中有些事会发生，我们天然的人会认为是痛苦和忧患。但对以色列，属灵的人而言，这些事不是忧患，乃是喜乐。没有哀哭，反而有欢乐。
信息重点：拉结的墓虽然是天然拣选死去和埋葬的地方，却位于往伯利恒的路上。天然的人看见忧患和失去，属灵的人却看见基督的产生；第三根柱子因此不是把人停留在死亡里，乃是指引人向着基督。
应用祷告：主耶稣，当你摸着我心头的拣选时，求你给我属灵的眼光，使我不只看见失去和忧患，乃看见你要更多产生基督。愿我接受你的手，继续往前，更多得着并彰显基督。阿们。
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Rachel’s Grave — On the Way to Bethlehem — Gen. 35:19
God used Rachel to bring forth Benjamin. But even as God used her to bring forth Benjamin, He also took her away. God also wants to use the “Rachel” we love. But even as God uses our “Rachel”, He takes her away from us. Rachel’s death caused not only Jacob pain but also Rachel herself pain. Matthew 2:18 says, “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more.” For years I could not understand how Rachel, who had already been buried for more than seventeen hundred years, could still be weeping. Yet this verse says that even at the time of Christ’s birth, Rachel was still weeping for her children, who were all descendants of Benjamin. Benjamin truly was “the son of sorrow”, and it was fitting for Rachel to give him this name. Benjamin’s birth took away not only Rachel’s own life but, more than seventeen hundred years later, also the lives of his descendants. Because Christ was born in Bethlehem, Herod killed all the male children in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under (Matt. 2:16). Rachel wept for all her children, those who were killed by Herod because of the coming of Christ. This means that Rachel was martyred for the coming of Christ. Rachel suffered not only in giving birth but even more than seventeen hundred years later. Her suffering was for the purpose of bringing forth Christ. First Benjamin, the type of Christ, came, and then the real Christ came.
Jacob set up a pillar at Gilead, and a pillar at Bethel, but now he had to set up a third pillar on the way to Bethlehem. In our Christian life we also must have this milestone — the third pillar at Rachel’s grave — which is the place where our natural choice is buried. Our love, our desires, and our choices will one day be brought to an end and buried. On the grave of our natural choice, we must set up a pillar. This pillar is the mark of the death and burial of our natural choice and the desires of our heart. The people, things, and objects we cherish most must die and be buried; over the grave a pillar must be set up, testifying that our choice has been buried. Then we must journey on to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ. The pillar on the way to Bethlehem points people toward Christ. Today you may be very happy in the church life. Yet one day your “Rachel”, the choice of your heart, must die, so that Benjamin can be born. I am fairly convinced that Benjamin must be born in the church life.
In the picture of Genesis chapter 35, Rachel signifies our natural choice. To our natural choice, Benjamin’s birth is a sorrow. But to Israel, this is a cause for joy. Benjamin’s coming was a sorrow to Rachel, and Christ’s coming was a weeping to her. But Benjamin’s coming and Christ’s coming were, to Israel, entirely a joy. In the church life, some things happen that our natural man considers to be pain and sorrow. But to Israel, the spiritual man, these things are not sorrow but joy — not weeping, but rejoicing instead.
Message Major Points: Although Rachel’s grave is the place where our natural choice dies and is buried, it lies on the way to Bethlehem. The natural man sees sorrow and loss; the spiritual man sees the producing of Christ. The third pillar, therefore, does not leave a person in death but points them toward Christ.
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, when You touch the choice of my heart, grant me spiritual eyes, that I may see not only loss and sorrow but that You want to produce more of Christ. May I accept Your hand and continue on, gaining and expressing more of Christ. Amen.