4572. 'I am God Shaddai' means a state of temptation is past, and now there is Divine comfort. This is clear from the meaning of 'God Shaddai' as temptation and subsequent comfort, for the ancients had called Jehovah or the Lord 'God Shaddai' whenever they referred to Him in connection with temptations and the comfort that followed these, see 1992, 3667. Therefore 'God Shaddai' means a state of temptation that is past, and now there is Divine comfort. The reason why it is past is that previously, in particular when he wrestled with the angel, Chapter 32:25-end, and when he met Esau, Chapter 33, 'Jacob' represented temptations; and the reason why now there is comfort is that the joining of good and truth within the natural is effected by means of those temptations. The actual joining together brings that comfort since such a joining together is the end in view of the temptations. Indeed whoever attains that end receives comfort, as much as he has suffered severely in the means to that end.

[2] In general it should be recognized that every joining together of good and truth is effected by means of temptations. The reason for this is that evils and falsities offer resistance and so to speak engage in rebellion, and by every means try to prevent the joining of good to truth, and of truth to good. This conflict takes place between the spirits present within man, that is to say, between the spirits governed by evils and falsities and the spirits governed by goods and truths. Man experiences that conflict as temptation within himself. When therefore the spirits governed by evils and falsities are conquered by the spirits governed by goods and truths, the former are compelled to depart and the latter receive joy from the Lord by way of heaven. This joy is also felt by the person concerned as comfort; he feels it within himself. Yet the joy and comfort do not come because a victory has been won but because good and truth have been joined together. Joy is present within every joining together of good and truth, for that joining together is the heavenly marriage, in which the Divine is present.

3059. Verses 12-14 And he said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, make it go right for me today ¹ and deal mercifully with my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing beside a spring of water and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. And let it be that the girl to whom I say, Let down now your pitcher and I will drink, and she says, Drink, and also I will give your camels a drink - let her be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And in this I shall know that You have dealt mercifully with my master.

'He said' means communication. 'O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham' means of the Divine itself, which is the Father, with the Divine Human, which is the Son. 'Make it go right for me today' means providence at work from eternity. 'And deal mercifully' means an influx of love. 'With my master Abraham' means the Divine Human. 'Behold, I am standing beside a spring of water' means a state when within the Human conjunction takes places involving Divine truth. 'And the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water' means affections for truth, and instruction acquired through those affections. 'And let the girl to whom I say' means an affection that has innocence within it. 'Let down now your pitcher' means submitting facts. 'And I will drink' means instruction from them in truth. 'And she says, Drink' means an affirmative response to the same. 'And also I will give your camels a drink' means consequent enlightenment of all facts within the natural man. 'Let her be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac' means the joining together of Divine truth and Divine Good in the Rational. 'And in this I shall know that You have dealt mercifully with my master' means that the beginning of the marriage lies in Divine love.

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