6238. “跟流便和西缅一样, 他们是我的” 表他们将成为真理和真理之良善。这从 “流便” 和 “西缅” 的代表清楚可知: “流便” 是指理解力中的信, 和人能藉以获得生活良善的教义真理 (参看3861, 3866节), 因而是指总体上属于理解力的真理; “西缅” 是指意愿中的信, 因而是指行为中的信, 也就是信之良善或真理之良善 (3869-3872, 4497, 4502, 4503, 5626, 5630节), 因而是指总体上属于新意愿的良善。以法莲和玛拿西所代表的也一样, 这是很明显的。

但由于流便亵渎了他所代表的东西 (4601节), 西缅玷污了他所代表的东西 (参看4497, 4502, 4503节), 他们因此受到诅咒 (参看创世记 49:3-7), 所以他们丧失了自己的长子名分, 而约瑟的儿子以法莲和玛拿西则取代他们被承认为长子 (历代志上 5:1)。然而, 流便和西缅仍保有他们所代表的东西, 因为这与代表之人的品质没有任何关系 (665, 1097, 4281节); 也就是说, 流便仍代表理解力中的信, 西缅仍代表意愿中的信。而以法莲代表教会的理解力, 玛拿西代表教会的意愿。

These days we tend to think of "roads" as smooth swaths of pavement and judge them by how fast we can drive cars on them. A "path" is something different, suitable only for walking or maybe bicycles, and a "way" has more to do with giving directions than any physical reality. When we get "lost" it usually means we're in a car on an unfamiliar road -- a far cry from being in the middle of a trackless wilderness with no idea which direction to go. The ancient world was very different, with isolated towns and endless square miles of trackless wilderness. Then a "way" was a set of landmarks to follow to get from one place to another through the wilderness. A "path" was a way used enough to leave a visible trace on the ground, and a "road" was a heavily used path, easily followed and walkable. So it makes sense that when used in the Bible, all three terms represent guiding truth, ideas that lead us where we want to go. This is pictured in the modern use of "way" -- when we talk about the "way" to do something or the "way" to get somewhere. We're talking about the correct, best, most efficient method of doing something or getting somewhere. And it's good information -- truth -- that helps us find that best way.