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Exodus 33

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1 I mluvil Hospodin k Mojžíšovi: Jdi, vstup odsud, ty i lid, kterýž jsi vyvedl z země Egyptské do země, kterouž jsem přisáhl Abrahamovi, Izákovi a Jákobovi, řka: Semeni tvému dám ji,

2 (A pošli před tebou anděla, a vyženu Kananea, Amorea, Hetea, Ferezea, Hevea a Jebuzea,)

3 Do země oplývající mlékem a strdí. Neboť sám nevstoupím s tebou, proto že lid tvrdé šíje jsi, abych nezahubil tebe na cestě.

4 A uslyšav lid řeč tuto přezlou, zámutek nesli, aniž vzal kdo okrasy své na sebe.

5 Nebo byl řekl Hospodin Mojžíšovi: Mluv synům Izraelským: Vy jste lid tvrdé šíje; jakž jen jedinou vstoupím mezi vás, zahladím vás. Protož již, slož okrasu svou s sebe, a zvím, co učiniti mám s tebou.

6 I svlékli s sebe synové Izraelští okrasy své u hory Oréb.

7 Mojžíš pak vzav stánek, rozbil jej sobě vně za stany, vzdáliv se od táboru, a nazval jej stánkem úmluvy. Tedy kdokoli hledal Hospodina, ven choditi musil k stánku úmluvy, kterýž byl vně za stany.

8 K tomu také, když vycházel Mojžíš k stánku, povstával všecken lid a stál každý u dveří stanu svého, a hleděli za Mojžíšem, dokudž nevšel do stánku.

9 Bývalo pak toto, že když vcházíval Mojžíš do stánku, sstupoval sloup oblakový, a stával u dveří stánku, a mluvil s Mojžíšem.

10 A všecken lid vida sloup oblakový, an stojí u dveří stánku, povstávali všickni, a klaněli se každý u dveří stanu svého.

11 A mluvíval Hospodin k Mojžíšovi tváří v tvář, tak jako mluví člověk s přítelem svým. Potom navracel se do táboru, ale služebník jeho Jozue, syn Nun, mládenec, neodcházel z stánku.

12 I řekl Mojžíš Hospodinu: Pohleď, ty velíš mi, abych vedl lid tento, a neoznámils mi, koho pošleš se mnou, ještos pravil: Znám tě ze jména, k tomu také nalezl jsi milost přede mnou.

13 Již tedy, jestliže jsem jen nalezl milost před tebou, oznam mi, prosím, cestu svou, abych tě poznal, a abych nalezl milost před tebou; a pohleď, že národ tento jest lid tvůj.

14 I odpověděl: Tvář má předcházeti vás bude, a dámť odpočinutí.

15 I řekl: Nemá-liť předcházeti nás tvář tvá, nevyvozuj nás odsud.

16 Nebo po čem poznáno bude zde, že jsem nalezl milost před tebou, já i lid tvůj? Zdali ne po tom, když půjdeš s námi, a když odděleni budeme, já a lid tvůj, ode všeho lidu, kterýž jest na tváři země?

17 I řekl Hospodin Mojžíšovi: I tu také věc, kterouž jsi pravil, učiním; nebo jsi nalezl milost přede mnou, a znám tě ze jména.

18 Řekl opět: Okažiž mi, prosím, slávu svou.

19 Kterýž odpověděl: Já způsobím to, aby šlo mimo tebe před tváří tvou všecko dobré mé, a zavolám ze jména: Hospodin před tváří tvou. Smiluji se, nad kýmž se smiluji, a slituji se, nad kýmž se slituji.

20 Řekl také: Nebudeš moci viděti tváři mé; neboť neuzří mne člověk, aby živ zůstal.

21 I to řekl Hospodin: Aj, místo u mne, a staneš na skále.

22 A když tudy půjde sláva má, postavím tě v rozsedlině skály, a přikryji tě rukou svou, dokudž nepřejdu.

23 Potom odejmu ruku svou, i uzříš hřbet můj, ale tvář má nebude spatřína.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 4299

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4299. 'For I have seen God face to face, and my soul is delivered' means that He suffered the severest temptations, seemingly attributable to the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing God' as going closer to Him by means of interior things, that is to say, by means of goods and truths, and consequently as presence, dealt with in 4198; and from the meaning of 'the face' as interior things, dealt with in 1999, 2434, 3527, 3573, 4066, and so as thoughts and affections, for affections and thoughts are interior things because they belong to the disposition and mind (animus et mens) and reveal themselves in the face; and from the meaning of 'my soul is delivered' as suffering God's presence. The fact that all these words mean that He suffered the severest temptations seemingly attributable to the Divine, cannot be seen from anything else than the immediate causes and the remote causes of temptations. The evils and falsities present with a person which lead him into temptations, and therefore the evil spirits and genii who instill them are the immediate causes, 4249. Nevertheless, no one can be tempted, that is, undergo any spiritual temptation, except him who has a conscience. Indeed spiritual temptation is nothing else than the torture of a person's conscience, and consequently none can be tempted but those who are governed by celestial and spiritual good. For the latter have conscience, but all others do not; indeed they do not even know what conscience is.

[2] Conscience is a new will and a new understanding received from the Lord, and so is the Lord's presence with a person, a presence which becomes all the closer the more the person is stirred by the affection for good or for truth. If the closeness of the Lord's presence exceeds the amount of affection for good or for truth in him, he enters into temptation. The reason why is that the evils and falsities which reside with him, and which are moderated by the goods and truths residing with him, cannot suffer that closer presence. This becomes clear from the following things that happen in the next life: Evil spirits cannot by any means move towards any heavenly community without starting to feel distress and torment; also, evil spirits cannot stand angels looking at them because they are instantly tormented and collapse unconscious. And in addition there is the fact that hell is remote from heaven, for the reason that it cannot suffer heaven, that is, the Lord's presence in heaven. This explains why in the Word it is said in reference to evil spirits,

Then they will begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. Luke 23:30.

And elsewhere,

They will say to the mountains and rocks, Rush down on us and hide us from the face of Him who is seated on the throne. Revelation 6:16.

Also the sphere of cloud and thick darkness which emanates from the evils and falsities of those in hell looks like a mountain or rock beneath which they are hidden, see 1265, 1267, 1270.

[3] From these considerations it can now be recognized that 'I have seen God face to face and my soul is delivered' means the severest temptations, seemingly attributable to the Divine. Temptations and torments do seem to be attributable to the Divine because they arise, as has been stated, through the Lord's Divine presence. Yet they do not originate in the Divine or the Lord but in the evils and falsities residing with the person who is being tempted or tormented. From the Lord nothing else proceeds but a holiness which is good and true and merciful, and it is this holiness - which is good, true, and merciful - that those subject to evils and falsities cannot suffer; for such evils and falsities are opposite or contrary to it. Evils, falsities, and lack of mercy are bent all the time on doing violence to those qualities belonging to holiness; and in the measure they assail these, they themselves suffer torment. And when they assail them and consequently suffer torment they imagine that it is the Divine who torments them. These are the considerations meant by 'seemingly attributable to the Divine'.

[4] It was well known to the ancients that no one can see Jehovah face to face and live, and from them knowledge of the same came down to the descendants of Jacob. This explains why they were so glad when they saw any angel and remained alive, as in the Book of Judges,

Gideon saw that he was the angel of Jehovah, therefore Gideon said, O Lord Jehovih! Inasmuch as I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to face. And Jehovah said to him, Peace be to you; do not fear, for you will not die. Judges 6:22-23.

In the same book, Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die, for we have seen God. Judges 13:22.

And in Moses, Jehovah said to Moses, You cannot see My face, for no man will see Me and live. Exodus 33:20.

[5] The reason why it is said of Moses that he spoke to Jehovah face to face, Exodus 33:11, and that Jehovah knew him face to face, Deuteronomy 34:10, is that He showed Himself to him in a human form suited to his reception, which was an external form - as a bearded old man sitting with him, as I have learned from angels. For the same reason the Jews had no other idea of Jehovah than of one who was very old with a long white beard, who was better able to perform miracles than other gods. They did not have the idea of His being the most holy because they did not know what holiness was, let alone that they could not in any way see the holiness proceeding from Him because they were governed by bodily and earthly love devoid of internal holiness, 4289, 4293.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.