3117. Verses 26-27 And the man bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah. And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His mercy and His truth towards my master. As for me, being on the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren.

'The man bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah' means gladness and joy. 'And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham' means here, as previously, from the Divine itself and the Divine Human. 'Who has not abandoned His mercy' means a perception of the influx of love. 'And His truth towards my master' means an influx of charity from that inflowing love. 'As for me, being on the way' means within a state of truth joined to good in the Rational. 'Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren' means to good, the source of truth.

In most cases, the meaning of "before" is pretty straightforward, both as a way of assessing relative time, and in its use meaning "in someone's presence." It takes on a deeper significance, though, when used in connection with the Lord. To be "before" the Lord means not just in His presence, but also receiving the desire for good and the understanding of truth from Him, and living according to them. And when used as an assessment of time in connection with the Lord, "before" means "from eternity," and refers to a spiritual state rather than time as we experience it.

(Odkazy: Apocalypse Revealed 366, 617; Arcana Coelestia 6983, 8439, 9888)