At the end of verse 40 Paul said, "But I think that I also have the Spirit of God." The little word "also" here means a great deal. Paul seemed to be saying, "I not only have my opinion; I also have the Spirit of God." Notice that Paul did not say, "I have the assurance," or "I believe"; rather, he said, "I think." This indicates that he was not certain. Although he did not have the assurance that he had the Spirit of God, we all recognize chapter seven of 1 Corinthians as the word of God. Eventually, as I was listening to Brother Nee that day in 1940, I agreed with his word that 1 Corinthians 7 records the peak of Paul's Christian experience. Paul's opinion was God's word.
In principle, it is the same with Jacob in Genesis 49. Whatever Jacob uttered in this chapter was God's word. Although it was his opinion, it was also the word of God. In 49:3 and 4 Jacob seemed to be saying, "Reuben, you are my firstborn; however, because you have been defiled, you cannot enjoy the preeminence of having the birthright." Jacob's word to Reuben was somewhat of a prediction, for it concerned the loss of the birthright; it was also somewhat of a curse, for it pointed out that Reuben was to be bereft of the birthright. This was not the speaking of a young man nor even of an ordinary human being. It was the utterance of a man who was filled with God, a man who had been constituted with God in his entire being. At the time of chapter forty-nine, Jacob was a God-man, a man filled, constituted, permeated, and even reorganized with God. Thus, whatever he spoke was God's word; whatever he thought was God's thought; and whatever opinion he expressed was God's opinion. Neither a young person nor a middle-aged person can speak this kind of word. It can only be uttered by one who has come to full maturity. Jacob's speaking in this chapter reveals that he had fully matured.
My burden in this message is to impress you all, especially the young people, with this fact that your speaking exposes where you are. If you have a lot to say when you lose your socks, that should remind you of your immaturity. This kind of reaction makes evident your need for the growth in life. Forget that pair of socks and seek to gain more life. If you have to say something, you should say, "I need more life." Do not say, "Where are my socks?" Rather, say, "Brothers, do you know where my growth in life is?" Whenever a brother asks about his socks, the others should say, "Here is your growth in life."
Many of us are talkative. We were born this way. It is our nature, disposition, and characteristic to be talkative. Whenever you are talkative you should be reminded that your talkativeness is a sign that you need to grow in life.
Genesis 49:2 says, "Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father." This verse is in the form of Hebrew poetry, which is always written in pairs. The first part of the pair in verse 2 is, "Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob," and the second part is, "And hearken unto Israel your father." The begetting father was Jacob, and the speaking father was Israel. All twelve sons were born of Jacob, the father in the flesh, a supplanter, a heel-holder, and a liar. But the blessing and prophesying father was no longer a Jacob; he was Israel. In his natural being, Jacob could never have uttered such a word. It was only because of his maturity that he was able to speak this kind of word. Jacob did not say to his sons, "Hearken unto Jacob your father"; he said, "Hearken unto Israel your father." Israel was not only a transformed person, but also one matured in the divine life. We all would enjoy hearing testimonies from those who were Jacobs many years ago but who are now Israels. We need more Israels, those who speak not only for God, but also with God. Whatever they say is God's utterance. In Genesis 49 Israel was fully permeated, saturated, constituted, and reorganized with God. Because he was one with God, whatever he spoke was the word of God. Therefore, in this chapter we have a prophecy that is permeated with blessing.
Verse 28 says, "All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them." Is this a prophecy or a blessing? Although it is a prophecy, it is prophecy filled with blessing.
The Jacob in chapter forty-nine is spiritually and divinely knowledgeable. He knows God, and he knows the situations of his sons. Furthermore, he has the necessary riches with which to prophesy and bless. Therefore, he can speak a prophecy permeated with all manner of blessing. In his speaking there is no error, opaqueness, darkness, emptiness, or vanity. Rather, his speaking is a rich, deep, profound prophecy permeated with blessing. This is absolutely different from the "Thus saith the Lord" common among Christians today. In just a few minutes you may receive the gift to speak that kind of prophecy. But it takes many years to grow to the stature where you can utter the kind of word spoken by Jacob in this chapter. This is not a matter of gift or function; it is a matter of growth and maturity.
To be mature is to be constituted with God. All that God is must be constituted into our being. Every fiber of our being must be reorganized and permeated with the element of God. When this has taken place, like Jacob, we shall be the kind of person who can prophesy with blessing. In this maturity we are divinely knowledgeable, knowing thoroughly the things of God and the situations of other people. In this maturity we also have the riches to speak a blessing prophecy.