雅各的心愿是要娶拉结为妻。神若没有借着拉班加以干预，雅各会立刻娶拉结为妻。然后拉结无论生谁，那就是雅各的长子。然而，神进来，在某种意义上，可以说是强迫雅各娶利亚为妻。因此，实际上，流便是长子，长子的名分归了他。这违反雅各的心愿，也似乎不公平。然后，当雅各在以得台享受安逸的生活时，流便与他的妾犯了奸淫。这邪恶的行为使流便失去了长子的名分（创四九3-4）。代上五章一至二节清楚指明，长子的名分归了约瑟。在这里我们看见神的主宰调整了长子的名分。流便因着他的污秽失去了长子的名分，约瑟因着他的纯洁得着了长子的名分（创三九7-12）。当波提乏的妻子试诱约瑟时，他拒绝了。因为约瑟保守自己纯洁，他得着了长子的名分。流便由于在以得台的污秽，失去了长子的名分。所以，甚至雅各的错误也被神用来调整长子的名分。赞美主，因着这错误，调整了长子的名分！但绝不要用这事实作借口说，『让我们作恶以成善罢。』反而，我们必须为着神的主宰俯伏敬拜祂。
这位主宰的神，既公平又正直，并没有把长子名分的三部分完全归给约瑟。祂将双分土地的享受赐给约瑟，却将祭司职分赐给利亚的第三个儿子利未，并将君王职分赐给她的第四个儿子犹大（创四九10，代上五2，申三三8-10）。利未因着向神忠信，得着了祭司职分（申三三9）。犹大因着对弟兄的爱并对父亲的照顾，得着了君王职分（创三七26，四三8-9，四四14-34）。在这里我们看见神的主宰。祂在一切人、事、物的背后。当我们看见这幅图画，以及其中的一切如何配合在一起，我们必须敬拜神。阿利路亚，我们在神的手下！雅各的传记就是我们的历史。在雅各的一生中有三根柱子和一个台。我们也有三根柱子和一个台。
信息重点：流便因污秽失去长子的名分，约瑟因纯洁得着长子的名分；神又将祭司职分赐给利未，将君王职分赐给犹大。这使我们看见，神在一切人、事、物的背后主宰并调整一切，我们是在神的手下。
应用祷告：主耶稣，求你使我在一切环境中看见你主宰的手，也保守我远离污秽，在试诱中持守纯洁。无论环境怎样变化，使我相信一切都在你的手中，学习俯伏、敬拜并接受你的安排。阿们。
请享受诗歌 (点击诗歌名）
The Birthright — God’s Sovereignty — Gen. 35:21-22
Jacob’s heart’s desire was to marry Rachel. If God had not intervened through Laban, Jacob would have married Rachel immediately. Then whoever Rachel bore first would have been Jacob’s firstborn. However, God came in and, in a sense, could be said to have forced Jacob to marry Leah. Therefore, in fact, Reuben was the firstborn, and the birthright belonged to him. This went against Jacob’s heart’s desire and seemed unfair. Then, while Jacob was enjoying a life of ease at Eder, Reuben committed adultery with his father’s concubine. This evil act caused Reuben to lose the birthright (Gen. 49:3-4). First Chronicles 5:1-2 clearly indicates that the birthright was given to Joseph. Here we see God’s sovereignty adjusting the birthright. Reuben lost the birthright because of his defilement, and Joseph gained the birthright because of his purity (Gen. 39:7-12). When Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph, he refused. Because Joseph kept himself pure, he received the birthright. Reuben, because of his defilement at Eder, lost the birthright. So even Jacob’s mistake was used by God to adjust the birthright. Praise the Lord, through this mistake the birthright was adjusted! But we should never use this fact as an excuse to say, “Let us do evil that good may come”. Rather, we must bow down and worship God for His sovereignty.
This sovereign God is both fair and righteous, and He did not give all three parts of the birthright to Joseph. He gave the enjoyment of a double portion of land to Joseph, but gave the priesthood to Leah’s third son, Levi, and gave the kingship to her fourth son, Judah (Gen. 49:10; 1 Chron. 5:2; Deut. 33:8-10). Levi received the priesthood because of his faithfulness to God (Deut. 33:9). Judah received the kingship because of his love for his brothers and his care for his father (Gen. 37:26; 43:8-9; 44:14-34). Here we see God’s sovereignty. He stands behind every person, matter and thing. When we see this picture, and how everything in it works together, we must worship God. Hallelujah, we are under God’s hand! Jacob’s biography is our history. In Jacob’s life there were three pillars and one platform. We too have three pillars and one platform.
Message Major Points: Reuben lost the birthright because of his defilement, and Joseph gained the birthright because of his purity; God then gave the priesthood to Levi and the kingship to Judah. This shows us that God stands behind every person, matter and thing, sovereignly adjusting all things — we are under God’s hand.
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, grant that I would see Your sovereign hand in every circumstance, and keep me far from defilement, holding on to purity amid temptation. No matter how circumstances change, let me believe that everything is in Your hand, and teach me to bow down, worship and receive Your arrangement. Amen.