In the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as a corporate person, we can see someone who was loved, chosen, called, and justified by God and made to enjoy all the riches of Christ. Also, this one was destined to live a struggling life, a suffering life. Last, through all these sufferings this one was transformed by the Spirit and matured in the divine life. When he was old, he knew only to bless people, to reign for God, and to distribute God as the life supply.

Every day we are suffering ones and enjoying ones. On the one hand, we are enjoying Christ. On the other hand, we are experiencing sufferings. Christ is ministering all His riches to us, whereas the Spirit is always working in all things to discipline us. If we do not behave in the Spirit, the things we have can become instruments used by the Spirit to deal with us. If a brother has many suits and loves these suits more than he loves God, these suits can be used by the Spirit to trouble him. In a physical sense, it is more convenient for a brother to have a number of suits so that he can dress appropriately. But if he does not behave in the Spirit, these suits can become more instruments used by the Spirit to deal with him. Whatever we have can be used by the Spirit to trouble us. This works together for our good, the good of being conformed to the image of the firstborn Son of God.

The many things that Jacob had were used to trouble him. Jacob had four wives, and these wives became a suffering to him. The married brothers know that even to have one wife is sufficient for being troubled by the Spirit. The Spirit uses the wives to trouble the brothers for their transformation. All persons, all matters, and all things related to us are the means of the Holy Spirit to work good for us so that we can be loaded with good (Psa. 68:19a), with the Triune God Himself. This is the way the Holy Spirit transforms us, and this is the way we can become mature in the divine life. Eventually, through the transforming work of the Spirit to make us mature, we will be those who bless others. Today God uses all persons, things, and matters to trouble us so that we can become mature in the divine life to bless all the people.

Eventually, we will not be those who are complaining and condemning others. We will know only how to stretch out our hands to bless others as Jacob did in his old age (Gen. 47:7, 10; ch. 48; 49:1-28). When Jacob became old, his unique job was to bless people. Blessing people was his profession. When you can bless people, surely you have the scepter, the authority, to rule. Then when you can rule, you will be able to distribute all the riches of God as the food supply to others. In Jacob’s old age we see the maturity of one of God’s elect. The book of Genesis selected three persons to be one complete person with three sections to reveal the complete Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.