Joshua 22: The tribes of Reuben, Gad and half Manasseh return.

With the land of Canaan now settled by Israel, the time had come for the men of Reuben, Gad, and one half of Manasseh to return to the other side of the Jordan, where their wives, children, cattle and sheep were left. The men of these two and a half tribes had been ordered to fight alongside the other tribes of Israel, and only then to return home.

They left, and when they came to the banks of the River Jordan, they built a large altar to the Lord. When the rest of Israel caught word of this, they wanted to go to war with these tribes, because they felt the altar was a sacrilege - Israel had the tabernacle for its worship of the Lord. They sent Phineas the priest to ask why they had built the altar. These tribes across the Jordan replied that in the future, the people of Israel may move against them, and reject them. They said the altar would serve as a witness to their worship of the Lord, just as the Israelites in Canaan worshiped. This answer pleased the priest, and when he told the leaders of Israel, it pleased them too.

The spiritual meaning of this episode is a very important one for us. The tribes living on the other side of the River Jordan stand for the worldly activities of our outward life, which in themselves are a very important part of our spiritual life. These actions make up the external part of spiritual life, in which we are able to do good (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 9824[2]).

The tribes building an altar to God portrays our understanding that all the good we do, and all the use we provide, is possible because of the Lord. He is the giver of all good, which is why we must serve the Lord. Without use, spiritual thoughts and beliefs do not have a foundation (Arcana Caelestia 9473[3]).

Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh said that the people of Israel might cut them off in the future. In spiritual terms, this would be to separate spiritual life and external life in daily living. This would result in such things as hypocrisy, and faith without charity, both of which are a threat to our spiritual well-being (see Swedenborg’s work, Doctrine of Life 4).

The altar, which was built on Canaan’s side of the Jordan before these tribes crossed over, was to stand as a witness to the union between the tribes within Canaan and the tribes across the Jordan, as one nation before the Lord (Arcana Caelestia 9714).

This unity means that we must be equally present in three areas of life: in the depths of our heart, in our worship and adoration of the Lord; in our mind, in our understanding and delight in the Lord’s Word with all its truth; and in our outward actions, where our acknowledgement of the Lord as our God leads us to be sincere, just, moral, fair, compassionate and dedicated to the service of God.

The answer from the three tribes pleased the priest and, in turn, the leaders of Israel. This reception represents our affirmation that ‘being spiritual’ does not take the place of helping others, but really demands that we serve the Lord in our daily actions (see Swedenborg’s work, Apocalypse Explained 325[4]).

9713. THE INTERNAL SENSE

Verses 1-8 And you shall make the altar from shittim wood, five cubits the length and five cubits the breadth; square shall the altar be, and three cubits its height. And you shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it ¹ , and you shall overlay it with bronze. And you shall make its pans to take away its ashes, and shovels, and its basins, and its forks, and its tongs; all its vessels you shall make of bronze. ² And you shall make for it a grating, a network, from bronze; and on the net you shall make four rings of bronze, on the four ends of it. And you shall put it under the rim of the altar beneath, and the net shall reach down to the middle of the altar. And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of shittim wood, and overlay them with bronze. And its poles shall be put into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. ³ A boarded hollow you shall make it; as it has appeared to you on the mountain, so they shall make [it].

'And you shall make the altar' means that which was representative of the Lord and of the worship of Him. 'From shittim wood' means righteousness. 'Five cubits the length and five cubits the breadth' means that which consists equally of good and of truth. 'Square shall the altar be' means that which for this reason is righteous. 'And three cubits its height' means what is complete so far as degrees are concerned. 'And you shall make its horns' means power. 'On its four corners' means every aspect of it. 'The horns shall be of one piece with it' means that the power must come from good. 'And you shall overlay it with bronze' means a representative sign of the good. 'And you shall make its pans to take away its ashes' means the removers of things which have served their purpose. 'And shovels, and basins, and its forks, and its tongs' means known facts that act as containers and serve every purpose. 'All its vessels you shall make of bronze' means that they must all be formed from good. 'And you shall make for it a grating, a network' means the level of sensory perception, which is the last and lowest. 'From bronze' means that this too must be formed from good. 'And on the net you shall make four rings of bronze' means the sphere of good by means of which a joining together is accomplished. 'On the four ends of it' means everywhere. 'And you shall put it under the rim of the altar beneath' means that sensory perception on the last and lowest levels. 'And the net shall reach down to the middle of the altar' means the extent of sensory perception. 'And you shall make poles for the altar' means the power to hold something in a state of good. 'Poles of shittim wood' means the good of righteousness, [and the power derived from this good.] 'And overlay them with bronze' means a representative sign of the good. 'And its poles shall be put into the rings' means the power of the sphere of Divine Good. 'And the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar' means the power of good imparted through truth, ⁴ and that of the truth which springs from the good. 'When it is carried' means bringing into being and keeping in being. 'A boarded hollow you shall make it' means the suitableness. 'As it has appeared to you on the mountain, so they shall make [it]' means in keeping with the correspondence of Divine realities in heaven.

Poznámky pod čarou: