4862. 'For she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife' means the insight that it could not otherwise be joined to the semblance of religion existing among those descended from Jacob, specifically those descended through Judah. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' as an insight, dealt with in 2150, 2325, 3764, 3863, 4403-4421. The reason this was the insight - that it could not otherwise be joined to the semblance of religion existing among the descendants of Jacob, specifically among those descended through Judah - is that 'Judah' means those descendants, 4815, 4842, 4852, and therefore the semblance of religion existing among them, to which it was joined because it could not be joined to Shelah. Also, 'Shelah' represents idolatry, 4825, 4826, 4845, to which the truth of the representative Church meant by 'Tamar' could not be joined.

2325. 'And Lot saw' means [their] conscience - that is to say, the conscience of those with whom the good of charity exists but whose worship is external. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'seeing'. 'Seeing' in the Word means understanding, see 897, 1584, 1806, 1807, 2150. In the internal sense however 'seeing' means having faith, a meaning which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed at Genesis 29:32. The reason why conscience is meant here is that people who have faith have conscience as well. Conscience is inseparable from faith, so inseparable in fact that it makes no difference whether you speak of faith or of conscience. By faith is meant faith through which charity comes, and which derives from charity. This being so, it is charity itself, for faith without charity is not faith at all. And just as faith is not possible without charity, neither is conscience possible without it.