The first sign of Jacob's maturity is the fact that he did not blame his sons when he heard the news about Joseph's being alive in Egypt (45:21-28). Although they had conspired to kill Joseph, eventually sold him into slavery, and lied to their father about him, Jacob did not blame them. If he had not been mature, he would have said, "What have you done to me? Don't you know that you nearly killed me?" But, according to the record of chapter forty-five, Jacob did not blame anyone.
Genesis 45:26 and 27 mention Jacob's heart and his spirit. Although some so-called Christians think that the spirit and the heart are the same, we know by the true light of the Bible that the heart is the heart and that the spirit is the spirit. Verse 26 says that "Jacob's heart became numb" (Heb.), and verse 27 says that "the spirit of Jacob their father revived." When Jacob heard the good news concerning Joseph, his heart became numb. Some versions say that his heart became cold. The Hebrew word means numb, having no feeling or sense. Although Jacob's heart was numb, his spirit revived.
We need to be like Jacob. In certain situations, our heart should be numb, and our spirit should be revived. Recently, many of the young people have been getting "drunk" with Christ. But I would ask them these questions: Is your heart numb? Have you been revived in your spirit or in your heart? I am not certain that they have been revived in the spirit. Perhaps their excitement is a mixture of the spirit and the heart. This mixture indicates that there has been no division between soul and spirit. According to Hebrews 4:12, the spirit must be divided from the soul. A mature saint is one who is revived, living, and excited in spirit, but numb in heart. Although we should be hot in spirit, we should be cold in heart. Our spirit must be a stove full of blazing fire, but our heart must be a refrigerator.
When we are young in our spiritual life, we are revived mainly in heart, and we are numb in spirit. The younger you are, the more you are revived in heart and numb in spirit. But as you grow, you become somewhat numb in heart and revived in spirit. In chapter forty-five we see that Jacob was a mature saint. Hence, the Bible says that his heart was numb, but that his spirit revived. This was a manifestation of his maturity. Such a saying about the heart and the spirit can be found only in the Bible, not in any secular writings.
Because Jacob's heart became numb and because his spirit was revived, he did not blame anyone or anything. In his heart there was no feeling, sense, or reaction. His soul life was completely deadened, and his heart was like wood. Because Jacob's soul and spirit had been divided, the good news concerning Joseph issued in the reviving of his spirit, not in the stirring up of his heart.
Do not think that I intend to cool down the excitement of the young people. No, the young people must be excited. Children are children, fathers are fathers, and grandfathers are grandfathers. How childish for a grandfather to be easily excited! It is the children who should be excited. If they are not, they may be physically or mentally ill. Healthy children are always easily excited.
When I returned from a recent trip to Europe, I brought back some souvenirs for two of my grandchildren. To the one, a boy of seven years of age, I gave a nutcracker, and to the other, a boy less than four years of age, I gave a little toy car. These boys were so excited that they could hardly eat, sleep, or stand still. The older boy even brought his nutcracker to school to show his teacher and classmates. We were very happy to see the excitement of our grandsons, for it was an indication that they are living and healthy. However, suppose I gave such a gift to one of the elders and, in his excitement, he showed it to the other elders. If he did this, I would doubt that he was the proper brother to be an elder. It is wrong for an older person to be excited like this. The young people, on the contrary, are young people, and they need to be excited.
Because Jacob was not excited, he did not blame others regarding the loss of Joseph. No one can learn this merely by being taught. Teaching about it simply does not work. If I teach my seven-year-old grandson not to blame his brother, it will be of no avail. As soon as I turn my back, he will blame his younger brother. Because he is at the blaming age and has a blaming life, he cannot keep from blaming others. Of course, this does not mean that we should not train our children. We must discipline them. But learning not to blame others depends on the growth of life, not upon outward teachings.
In Genesis chapter forty-five we see a saint who did not pretend, perform, or act. Because he had come into maturity, his heart was numb, and he did not blame others. Some may think that verse 26 indicates that Jacob's heart was shocked at the good news and that it became numb because of the shock. I do not believe this. When a young person receives some shocking news, his mind, emotion, and will continue to be active. They are not numb in the least. I have seen some who were severely shocked, yet their soul was very active. But when Jacob, an old man, received the good news about Joseph, he had no reaction: his heart was numb. This is a sign of Jacob's maturity in life.
Young people, do not try to imitate this maturity. There is no need to perform. You are young people, not fathers or grandfathers. Therefore, do not try to behave like a grandfather. Do not act as if you were numb in heart and revived in spirit. I appreciate it when my grandchildren are excited, for that behavior is genuine, natural, and spontaneous. It is not a performance. The young people should not be troubled by this message on the manifestation of maturity. I say again, the young need to be excited. If a young person is not excited, he is not normal. Do not pretend to be more mature than you are. Pretending only kills.