THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE
The Divine and Eternal Life
Message One—The Line of Life throughout the Whole Bible
Scripture Reading: Gen. 4:4, 26; 5:22, 24; 6:9; 12:7-8; 26:2, 24-25; 35:1, 9; 48:3; Exo. 25:9; 1 Sam. 12:23; John 6:57; Phil. 1:21; Eph. 1:23; Col. 3:4; Rev. 22:1-2
I. Almost everything in the first two chapters of Genesis has been sown there as a seed and that this seed grows gradually in the following books of the Bible, appearing as a crop in the New Testament and ripening as a harvest in the book of Revelation; this is a basic principle of the divine Word—Gen. 1-2; Rev. 21-22: (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
A. If we read the Bible carefully we will discover that throughout the Bible we have two lines—the line of the tree of life and the line of the tree of knowledge—Gen. 2:9; Rev. 21:8; 22:2, 15. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
B. In the beginning of the Bible we have the start of two lines, the line of life and the line of knowledge; at the end of the Bible we have two results, two consummations—the city of living water and the lake of burning fire. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
II. Through the promised redemption it has been available throughout the ages for God’s people to touch, enjoy, and experience—Gen. 4:4, 26; 5:22, 24; 6:9,; 12:7-8; 26:2, 24-25; 35:1, 9; 48:3; Exo. 25:9; 1 Sam. 12:23; John 6:57; Phi. 1:21; Eph. 1:23; Col. 3:4; Rev. 22:1-2: (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
A. The characteristic of Abel’s life was that he contacted God in God’s way; Abel did partake of God as the tree of life; he truly ate of the fruit of this tree—Gen. 4:4. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
B. After Abel was slain, the line of life seemed to be terminated; nevertheless, Seth and Enosh were raised up to continue it; these two generations had one outstanding characteristic—they began to call upon the name of the Lord; to call on the name of the Lord is simply to enjoy Him and to eat Him as the tree of life—v. 26. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
C. The characteristic of Enoch’s life was that he walked with God; we are not told that he worked for God or that he did great things for God, but that he walked with God—Gen. 5:22, 24: (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
1. The fact that Enoch walked with God proves that he loved God; he simply loved to be in the presence of God. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
2. The Lord Jesus rebuked the church at Ephesus because they did many works for God but had lost their first love; the Lord does not want to see so many good works; He wants to see our love toward God—Rev. 2:2-4. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
3. We need to love the Lord; “Lord Jesus, I love You. I want to live in Your presence. I want to walk with You because I love You”; this loving attitude is the preparation, condition, and basis of being raptured. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
D. Noah followed Enoch’s footsteps and also walked with God; as Noah walked with God, God showed him a vision of what He wanted to do in that age—Gen. 6:9. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
E. Abraham was transfused with the appearing of the God of glory; in addition to experiencing the appearings of God, Abraham called upon the name of the Lord; as Abraham lived in the appearing of God and called upon the name of the Lord, he enjoyed Him as the tree of life—12:7-8. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
F. Isaac, as the son of Abraham, was in the same way of contacting God as was his father; he also lived in the appearing of God and called upon the name of the Lord; he did not only inherit all the blessings of his father, but also his way to enjoy God—26:2, 24-25. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
G. Jacob, as the third generation of the called race, was eventually led by God not to live by his supplanting way, but by the same way of contacting God as his grandfather and his father did; after being dealt with by the Lord for a considerable time, he learned to live in the appearing of God and to call upon the name of the Lord—35:1, 9; 48:3. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
H. Moses, like Noah, received a vision of God’s building; while he was in the glory on the mountain, God gave him a detailed pattern of His dwelling place on the earth; if we are one with God as we minister and work for Him, our work will not be a labor, but an enjoyment—Exo. 25:9. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
I. During the forty years in the wilderness the children of Israel enjoyed the presence of God; they also ate manna, the heavenly food, day after day, meaning they enjoyed God as the tree of life; thus, even in the wilderness we see the line of the tree of life—16:35; cf. Num. 11:6-8. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
J. The Lord told Joshua to be strong and courageous, for the Lord would be with him wherever he went; Joshua was a person who enjoyed God—Josh. 1:5-9. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
K. Gideon’s outstanding characteristic was that he fought the battle in the presence of God; he not only lived, walked, and worked in the presence of the Lord, but fought with the presence of the Lord; Gideon enjoyed God as the tree of life—Judg. 6:12-16. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
L. Samuel was a person who prayed continually, who called on the name of the Lord, and who stood in the presence of God; by standing in the presence of the Lord and by calling on the name of the Lord, he enjoyed the Lord, partaking of Him as the tree of life—1 Sam. 12:23; Psa. 99:6; Jer. 15:1. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
M. David was a man who trusted in God and looked to Him; the secret of David’s life was that he desired to dwell continually in the house of God and to behold His beauty; moreover, he enjoyed God as the fatness and as the river of joy; even in ancient times David enjoyed God’s life as the tree of life and as the river flowing within him—1 Sam. 17:37, 45; 30:6; Psa. 27:4, 8, 14; 36:8-9. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
N. Daniel’s prayer life issued out of a holy life; he enjoyed God as the tree of life—Dan. 6:10-11; 9:3-4; 10:2-3, 12. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
O. Jesus not only enjoyed the tree of life; He was the tree of life; He Himself said that He came from the Father and that He lived by the Father; He did not live according to knowledge and learning; He lived, walked, and worked according to the Father who was working within Him—John 6:57; John 14:10. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
P. Our destiny as New Testament believers is simply to abide in the Lord and to allow the Lord to abide in us; this means that we enjoy the Lord; if we eat Him, we will have Him as our life and as the life supply by which we live; this is the genuine enjoyment of the tree of life—John 15:5. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
Q. Among all the New Testament believers, Paul was an example of a man who lived out the Lord; Christ was his life and his life supply, for Paul enjoyed Christ as the tree of life—Phil. 1:21. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
R. The entire church is the Body of Christ, depending on Christ and living by Christ as life; by this we can see that the church may enjoy Christ as the tree of life—Eph. 1:23; Col. 3:4. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
S. At the end of the Bible we see the consummation of the tree of life—the New Jerusalem; in the center of this city we see the river of life, which proceeds out of the throne of God and the Lamb, and in which grows the tree of life that bears fruit every month; our destiny and our portion for eternity will be the enjoyment of the tree of life and the water of life; this is the consummation of the line of life—Rev. 22:1-2. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)
III. “We should simply stay on the line of the tree of life, enjoying God as our life and as our life supply. We will have our daily life, walk, work, and the building up of the churches. May the Lord have mercy on us that we all may continue on the line of life.” (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 15)