第一週・週一
晨興餧養
出三15『神又對摩西說，你要對以色列人這樣說，耶和華你們祖宗的神，就是亞伯拉罕的神，以撒的神，雅各的神，差我到你們這裏來。這是我的名，直到永遠…。』
太二二32『「我是亞伯拉罕的神，以撒的神，雅各的神。」神並不是死人的神，乃是活人的神。』
聖經給我們看見，神的子民有兩個起點：一個起點是亞伯拉罕，因爲神的揀選、神的恩召是從亞伯拉罕起頭的：還有一個起點是以色列國，神告訴以色列人，他們要在萬民中作屬祂的子民， 他們要歸祂作祭司的國度，爲聖別的國民。(出十九5〜6。)所以，神的子民的的確確是從亞伯拉罕起頭的，神的子民也的的確確是從以色列國起頭的。在這兩個起點中間，神得著了三個人，就是亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各。…然後…以色列國…作〔了〕神的子民。從此以後，就有了神的子民。 所以，我們可以這樣說，以色列國的根基，是建造在亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的身上。…如果沒有亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各，就沒有神的子民。(倪柝聲文集第二輯第十五冊，二至三頁。)
信息選讀
亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各冇他們在神面前特別的地位，他們三個人屬靈的經歷，就是代表三個不同的屬靈的原則。…凡是眞實的以色列人，真實的神的子民，都得說，我們的祖宗是亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各。光說，我們的祖宗亞伯拉罕，是不彀的，因爲以實瑪利和他的子孫也能說，我們的祖宗亞伯拉罕；光說，我們的祖宗亞伯拉罕、以撤，也是不彀的，因爲以掃也能這樣說，以掃的後裔也能這樣說。…連雅各也〔要包括〕在裏面，纔能站得住；要三方面都有，纔能站得住。(倪柝聲文集第二輯第十五冊，五至六頁。)
按照神聖記載的含示，亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各不是三個分開的個人。同樣，他們的神—亞伯拉罕的神，以撒的神，雅各的神，也不是三位神，而是一位三一神。在亞伯拉罕身上我們看見父神，在以撒身上我們看兒子神，在雅各身上我們看見靈神。父、子、靈，三而一，乃是獨一的三一神。 同樣的原則，亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各是三一的人，他們是三而一，在生命的經歷上是一個完整的人。
在亞伯拉罕的記載裏，我們看到呼召的事。然而按照神的啓示，呼召不是第一項。神的揀選在神的呼召之前。…在已過的永遠裏，亞伯拉罕已蒙揀選；在迦勒底他纔蒙召。但亞伯拉罕蒙揀選的記載在那裏？乃是在創世記二十五章雅各蒙揀選的記載裏。…亞伯拉罕的生命沒有完全的起頭，也沒有完整的結束，因爲他旣沒有蒙揀選，也沒有在生命上成熟，這兩者都在雅各身上。…亞伯拉罕本身在神眼中不是一個完整的人，他需要雅各和以撒。亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各，這三個人代表一個完整人的屬靈經歷。…在亞伯拉罕身上我們清楚看見神的呼召，但沒有看見揀選，也沒有看見生命的成熟。
亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各在生命的經歷上形成一個完整的人。亞伯拉罕因爲生命不成熟，他沒有祝福人。以撒有一點成熟，但缺少生命成熟的豐富，所以盲目的祝福。雅各生命成熟，就完滿且清楚的祝福。凡他所說的都是神的話，凡他所祝福的都是豫言，說到神對祂所有兒女的經綸。至終，雅各變成以色列，神的彰顯。(創世記生命讀經，九八四至九八五、九八八頁。)
參讀：亞伯拉罕以撒雅各的神，第一章；創世記生命讀經，第六十二篇。
WEEK 1 — DAY 1
Morning Nourishment
Exo. 3:15 And God also said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever…
Matt. 22:32 “I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob”…He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
The Bible shows us that God’s people had two beginnings. The first beginning was with Abraham because God’s selection and calling began with Abraham. The other beginning was with the nation of Israel. God told the Israelites that they would be a people to Him among all the nations. They would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exo. 19:5-6). Hence, Abraham was a definite beginning for God’s people, and the nation of
Israel was also a definite beginning for God’s people. In between these two beginnings, God gained three persons, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…Then the nation of Israel…became the people of God, and God had a people of His own. Hence, we can say that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are the foundations of the nation of Israel…Without Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, there would not be a people of God. (CWWN, vol. 35, “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” pp. 5-6)
Todays Reading
Each of these men occupies a particular position before God. Their different spiritual experiences typify three different kinds of spiritual principles…All true Israelites and all genuine people of God must say that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors. To say that Abraham is our ancestor is not enough, because Ishmael and his descendants can also say that their ancestor is Abraham. Neither is it enough to say that both Abraham and Isaac are our ancestors, because Esau and his descendants can say the same thing…Jacob must be included for complete qualification. All three must be together before we can justifiably be a people of God. (CWWN, vol. 35, “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” pp. 7-8)
According to the implication of the divine record, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not three separate individuals. In like manner, their God—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—is not three gods but the one Triune God. In Abraham, we see God the Father; in Isaac, we see God the Son; and in Jacob, we see God the Spirit. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit, the three-in-one, are the unique Triune God. In the same principle, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are a triune person. Being three-in-one, they are a complete person in the experience of life.
In Abraham’s record we see the matter of calling. According to the divine revelation, however, calling is not the first item. God’s selection comes before God’s calling…In eternity past Abraham was chosen, and in Chaldea he was called. But where is the record of Abraham’s selection? It is in Genesis 25 in the record of Jacob’s selection…Abraham’s life had neither a full beginning nor a complete ending, for he had neither selection nor maturity in life, both of which are with Jacob…Abraham cannot stand as a complete person in the eyes of God. He needs Jacob and Isaac. These three persons—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—represent the spiritual experience of a complete man… In Abraham we clearly see God’s calling, but we do not see selection or the maturity in life.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob form one complete person in the experience of life. Abraham did not bless, because he did not have the maturity in life. Isaac, having some maturity but lacking the richness of the maturity of life, blessed in a blind way. Jacob, who was mature in life, blessed in a full and clear way. Whatever he spoke was the divine word, and whatever he blessed was a prophecy concerning God’s economy with all His children. Eventually, Jacob became Israel, the expression of God. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 811- 812, 814)
Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 35, “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” ch. 1; Life-study of Genesis, msg. 62
