9259. Removing thou shall remove it with him. That this signifies encouragement, and effort toward amendment, is evident from the signification of “removing,” when said of the falsity which does not agree with the good of the church, as being amendment (see above, n. 9258), and here effort toward amendment, and encouragement, because such falsity is amended with difficulty. The falsities which do not agree with the good of the church are all those which are opposed to the Lord, to the good of love to Him, and to the good of charity toward the neighbor. That such things as have just been unfolded lie hidden within these two laws, or judgments, is evident from this additional consideration, that the things contained in the letter seldom happen, namely, meeting an enemy’s ox or ass going astray, and seeing the ass of one who hates us lying under a burden. Consequently these ordinances are not of sufficient importance to have been included among the laws and judgments that were promulgated from Mount Sinai. But the things they contain within them cause them to rank among the chief judgments; for they contain the injunction that the Gentiles too must be loved and be instructed in the truths of faith, and be amended in respect to the life. But these internal contents of the laws in question could not be set forth before the Israelitish and Jewish people, because these were in external things without internal; and because they had received from their fathers that they should hate, and therefore regard as enemies, all who were not of their brethren, that is, who were not born of Jacob. (Concerning the Jews and their character, see n. 4307, 4314, 4316, 4317, 4429, 4433, 4444, 4825, 4903, 6304, 8588, 8788, 8806, 8871)

245. That “He said to the serpent, Thou art cursed above every beast, and above every wild animal of the field” signifies that the sensuous part averted itself from that which is heavenly, turned itself to that which is of the body, and thus cursed itself, may be clearly shown from the internal sense of the Word. Jehovah God or the Lord never curses anyone. He is never angry with anyone, never leads anyone into temptation, never punishes anyone, and still less does He curse anyone. All this is done by the infernal crew, for such things can never proceed from the Fountain of mercy, peace, and goodness. The reason of its being said, both here and in other parts of the Word, that Jehovah God not only turns away His face, is angry, punishes, and tempts, but also kills and even curses, is that men may believe that the Lord governs and disposes all and everything in the universe, even evil itself, punishments, and temptations; and when they have received this most general idea, may afterwards learn how He governs and disposes all things by turning the evil of punishment and of temptation into good. In teaching and learning the Word, the most general truths must come first; and therefore the literal sense is full of such things.