3209. 'The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done' means perception from the Divine Natural showing how real things stood now. This is clear from the meaning of 'telling' as perceiving, for perception is so to speak an internal telling, and therefore perceiving is expressed in historical descriptions in the Word by the verb 'to tell', and also 'to say', 1741, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862; from the meaning of 'the servant' here as the Divine Natural, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the things' as real things, dealt with in 1785. From all this it is evident that 'the servant told all the things that he had done' means that Divine Rational Good perceived from the Divine Natural how real things stood now.

[2] The situation is that the rational part of the mind exists in the degree above the natural, and Rational Good within the Lord was Divine. Truth however which was to be raised up from the natural was not Divine until joined to the Divine Good of the Rational. So that the Good of the Rational might flow into the natural therefore, there had to be a means in between. This means could not be anything else than the natural which was to partake of the Divine. This is represented by the oldest servant of Abraham's house administering all that he had, 3019, 3020, for that servant means the Divine Natural, see 3191, 3192, 3204, 3206.

2863. 'Behold, Milkah, she also has borne sons, to Nahor your brother' means those outside the Church who dwell in a brotherly relationship by virtue of good. This too becomes clear from what has been stated already about Milkah and Nahor in 1363, 1369, 1370. For Terah had three sons, Abram, Nahor, and Haran, who worshipped other gods, see 1356; Milkah was Haran's daughter who became Nahor's wife, 1369; and Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans 'in the presence of Terah', 1365-1368. These places show what 'Milkah and Nahor' means, namely that 'Milkah' means truth as it existed among those gentiles, and Nahor good. The existence of truths among these nations becomes clear from many considerations, for it is well known that wisdom and intelligence existed with them in former times, such as their acknowledgement of one God, and their writing about Him in a sacred fashion. They also acknowledged the immortality of the soul and a life after death, as well as happiness for the good and misery for the evil.

[2] In addition to this they had the ten commandments for their law, that is to say, the commandments that they should worship God, honour parents, and not murder, steal, commit adultery, or covet what belonged to others. Nor were they satisfied to be such as are interested only in external things, but were interested in internal. It is similar at the present day, in that the more decent of the gentiles from all parts of the world sometimes talk more fittingly about such matters than Christians do. Nor do they merely talk about them but also live according to them.

[3] These and many other truths exist with gentiles, and these join themselves to the good which comes to them from the Lord. From these conjunctions of truths and good, gentiles are in a condition to receive still more truths, for one truth acknowledges another. Truths link together without difficulty as they are all interconnected and related to one another. For this reason people who have been endowed with good in the world accept the truths of faith without difficulty in the next life. Falsities with them do not combine with that good but merely attach themselves to it, yet in such a way that they can be separated from it. Things that are combined remain, whereas those that merely attach themselves are separated. They are separated at the same time as people come to know and take in truths of faith. Every truth of faith removes and separates falsity till at length the individual loathes it and flees from it. From this it is now evident who are meant by the sons whom Milkah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother, namely those outside the Church who dwell in a brotherly relationship by virtue of good.