264. 12. Before the Word That Exists in the World Today, There Was a Word That Has Been Lost

Before the Word existed that was given through Moses and the prophets among the Israelite nation, people knew a form of worship through sacrifices, and their prophets spoke the word of Jehovah. This is clear from things mentioned in the books of Moses.

The following is evidence that people knew a form of worship through sacrifices: The children of Israel were commanded to overturn the altars of other nations, shatter their statues, and cut down their groves (Exodus 34:13; Deuteronomy 7:5; 12:3). "At Acacia, Israel began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab; they invited the people to sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate" (Numbers 25:1-3). Balaam, who was from Syria, built altars and sacrificed oxen and sheep (Numbers 22:40; 23:1-2, 14, 29-30). Balaam also gave a prophecy about the Lord saying, "A star will rise out of Jacob and a scepter out of Israel" (Numbers 24:17); and Balaam spoke the word of Jehovah in prophecy (Numbers 22:13, 18; 23:3, 5, 8, 16, 26; 24:1, 13).

The passages just given make it clear that a divine worship existed among other nations that was virtually the same as the worship instituted by Moses among the Israelite nation. From words in Moses (Deuteronomy 32:7-8) it appears that this worship existed even before the time of Abraham. This is still clearer from Melchizedek, king of Salem, who brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram, and Abram in turn gave Melchizedek tithes of all he possessed (Genesis 14:18-20). Melchizedek represented the Lord - he is called a priest to God the Highest (Genesis 14:18). In David it says of the Lord, "You are a priest forever on the order of Melchizedek" (Psalms 110:4). This is why Melchizedek brought out bread and wine as the holiest things in the church, just as bread and wine are holy in the Holy Supper also. Besides many others, these things are outstanding indications that before the Israelite Word there was a Word that gave these revelations.

415. On an Even Higher Level, the Neighbor We Are to Love Is the Church, and on the Highest Level, Our Neighbor Is the Lord's Kingdom

We are born for eternal life and are introduced into it by the church. Therefore we are to love the church as our neighbor on an even higher level [than we love our country]. The church teaches us the means that lead to eternal life and introduces us into that life. It leads us to eternal life by means of the true things in its body of teaching. It introduces us to that life through good ways to live.

This does not mean that we are to love the priesthood to a special degree or love the church on the priesthoods account. We are to love the church's goodness and truth, and love the priesthood on account of this goodness and truth. The priesthood only serves; it is to be honored according to its service.

We are to love the church as our neighbor on a higher level, even beyond our country, because our country initiates us into civic life but the church initiates us into spiritual life. Spiritual life is what sets us apart from a merely animal life.

What is more, our civic life is temporary. It comes to an end. Once it is over, it is the same as if it had not existed. Our spiritual life, on the other hand, is eternal, because it has no end. Spiritual life has a quality of reality therefore that civic life does not have. The difference between them is like the difference between what is finite and what is infinite - there is no ratio between them. Eternity is an infinity of time.