7444. To the end that thou mayest know that I am Jehovah in the midst of the land. That this signifies a noticing that the Lord is the only God of the church, is evident from the signification of “knowing,” as being to notice; and from the signification of “the midst of the land,” as being where truth and good are with those who are of the Lord’s church; the inmost being where truth from good is (n. 3436, 6068, 6084, 6103); thus by “the midst of the land” is signified the church, the same as by “the land of Goshen” just above spoken of (n. 7443); by “I am Jehovah” is signified that He only is the I AM, thus that He only is God. (That “Jehovah” in the Word denotes the Lord, see n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6303, 6905, 6945, 6956.) Hence it is evident that by “that thou mayest know that I am Jehovah in the midst of the land” is signified a noticing that the Lord alone is the God of the church.

3436. And he went up from thence to Beersheba. That this signifies that from this the doctrine of faith was Divine, is evident from the signification of “Beersheba” as being the doctrine of faith, which is Divine (n. 2723, 2858, 2859). The doctrine of faith, which is here signified by “Beersheba” is the very literal sense of the Word, for the Word is doctrine itself; and although the Word as to the literal sense is such that truths may be drawn from it, it is also such that things not true may be confirmed from it, as is well known from the existence of heresies. But he who reads the Word in order to be wise, that is, to do what is good and understand what is true, is instructed according to his end and affection; for unknown to him the Lord flows in and enlightens his mind, and where he is at a loss, gives understanding from other passages.

[2] Moreover the man who is in simple good, and in simplicity believes the Word according to its literal sense, when instructed in the other life by angels is gifted with the faculty of perceiving truths; and in the meantime the few truths he has are vivified by charity and innocence; and when these are in the truths, the falsities which also had infused themselves in the shade of his ignorance are not hurtful, for they are not adjoined to good, but are withheld therefrom as it were in the circumference, and thus can be easily cast out. Very different however is the case with those who are not in the good of life, for with them the falsities which by a wrong interpretation they have hatched from the Word hold as it were the middle or center, and truths the surroundings or circumferences; and therefore falsities are adjoined to the evil of their life and truths are dispersed.