Arcana Coelestia # 8717
8717. And it shall be, every great word let them bring unto thee. That this signifies that everything is from the truth that is immediately from the Divine, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being truth immediately from the Divine (see n. 7010, 7382); that everything is from this, is signified by “every great word let them bring unto him.” It appears from the sense of the letter as if everything was to be brought to Divine truth; but as everything comes from the Lord through the truth proceeding from Him, for everything of life is from Him, therefore in the internal sense it is not signified to this truth, but from it. The case herein is as was shown concerning influx (n. 3721, 5119, 5259, 5779, 6322), namely, that influx does not take place from exteriors to interiors; but from interiors to exteriors. The reason is that all exteriors are formed to minister to interiors, as instrumental causes to their principal causes, and the former are dead causes without the latter. Be it known that in the internal sense things are set forth such as they are in themselves; not such as they appear in the sense of the letter.
[2] In itself the fact is that by means of the truth proceeding from Himself the Lord directs all things down to the veriest singulars; not as a king in the world, but as God in heaven and in the universe. A king in the world exercises only a care over the whole, and his princes and officers a particular care. It is otherwise with God, for God sees all things, and knows all things from eternity, and provides all things to eternity, and from Himself holds all things in their order. From this it is evident that the Lord has not only a care over the whole, but also a particular and individual care of all things, otherwise than as a king in the world. His disposing is immediate through the truth Divine from Himself, and is also mediate through heaven. But the mediate disposing through heaven is also as it were immediate from Himself, for what comes out of heaven comes through heaven from Him. That this is so the angels in heaven not only know, but also perceive in themselves. (That the Divine disposing or providence of the Lord is in all things and each, nay, in the veriest singulars of all, howsoever otherwise it appears before man, see n. 4329, 5122, 5904, 6058, 6481-6487, 6490, 6491.)
[3] But this subject falls with difficulty into the idea of any man, and least of all into the idea of those who trust in their own prudence; for they attribute to themselves all things that happen prosperously for them, and the rest they ascribe to fortune, or chance; and few to the Divine Providence. Thus they attribute the things that happen to dead causes, and not to the living cause. When things turn out happily they indeed say that it is of God, and even that there is nothing that is not from Him; but few, and scarcely any, at heart believe it. In like manner do those who place all prosperity in worldly and bodily things, namely, in honors and riches, and believe that these alone are Divine blessings; and therefore when they see many of the evil abound in such things, and not so much the good, they reject from their heart and deny the Divine Providence in individual things, not considering that Divine Blessing is to be happy to eternity, and that the Lord regards such things as are of brief duration, as relatively, are the things of this world, no otherwise than as means to eternal things. Wherefore also the Lord provides for the good, who receive His mercy in time, such things as contribute to the happiness of their eternal life; riches and honors for those to whom they are not hurtful; and no riches and honors for those to whom they would be hurtful. Nevertheless to these latter He gives in time, in the place of honors and riches, to be glad with a few things, and to be more content than the rich and honored.
Genesis 41
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It happened at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and behold, he stood by the river.
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Behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, sleek and fat, and they fed in the marsh grass.
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Behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ugly and thin, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river.
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The ugly and thin cattle ate up the seven sleek and fat cattle. So Pharaoh awoke.
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He slept and dreamed a second time: and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good.
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Behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
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The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
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It happened in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of Egypt's magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
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Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, "I remember my faults today.
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Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker.
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We dreamed a dream in one night, I and he. We dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
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There was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard, and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams. To each man according to his dream he interpreted.
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It happened, as he interpreted to us, so it was: he restored me to my office, and he hanged him."
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Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in to Pharaoh.
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Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."
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Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It isn't in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace."
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Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I stood on the brink of the river:
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and behold, there came up out of the river seven cattle, fat and sleek. They fed in the marsh grass,
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and behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.
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The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle,
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and when they had eaten them up, it couldn't be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ugly, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
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I saw in my dream, and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, full and good:
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and behold, seven heads of grain, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
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The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me."
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Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dream of Pharaoh is one. What God is about to do he has declared to Pharaoh.
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The seven good cattle are seven years; and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dream is one.
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The seven thin and ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine.
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That is the thing which I spoke to Pharaoh. What God is about to do he has shown to Pharaoh.
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Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt.
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There will arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land,
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and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous.
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The dream was doubled to Pharaoh, because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
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"Now therefore let Pharaoh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.
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Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt's produce in the seven plenteous years.
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Let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up grain under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.
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The food will be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt; that the land not perish through the famine."
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The thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
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Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?"
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Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Because God has shown you all of this, there is none so discreet and wise as you.
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You shall be over my house, and according to your word will all my people be ruled. Only in the throne I will be greater than you."
41
Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Behold, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."
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Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck,
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and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, "Bow the knee!" He set him over all the land of Egypt.
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Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without you shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt."
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Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-Paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
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Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
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In the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth abundantly.
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He gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was around every city, he laid up in the same.
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Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number.
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To Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.
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Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house."
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The name of the second, he called Ephraim: "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."
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The seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end.
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The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
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When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do."
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The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
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All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.
