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ויראו אתו מרחק ובטרם יקרב אליהם ויתנכלו אתו להמיתו׃
Arcana Coelestia # 4788
4788. 'The Midianites sold him into Egypt' means that those in whom some truth partnering simple good was present consulted facts. This is clear from the representation of 'the Midianites' as those in whom the truth that partners simple good is present, dealt with in 3242, 4756; from the meaning of 'Egypt' as facts, dealt with in 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 2588, 4749; from the meaning of 'selling' as alienating, dealt with in 4752, 4758; and from the representation of 'Joseph' as Divine Truth. When the latter is said to have been alienated - or 'sold' to facts, meant by 'Egypt' - by those in whom the truth partnering simple good is present, the meaning is that they consulted those facts. For people in whom the truth partnering simple good is present allow themselves to be led away, very much so, by the illusions of the senses, and so by means of facts based on these.
[2] In verse 28 above it was stated that Joseph was drawn out of the pit by the Midianites, who then sold him to the Ishmaelites. From this it would seem that only the Ishmaelites could have sold him in Egypt. Yet he was not sold by the Ishmaelites but by the Midianites, and the reason for this is that the Ishmaelites represent those in whom simple good is present, 4747, whereas the Midianites represent those in whom the truth partnering that good is present. 'Joseph' or Divine Truth could not be sold by those who are governed by good, only by those governed by truth; for those governed by good know from good what Divine truth is, whereas those governed by truth have no such knowledge.
[3] Members of the Church fall into two distinct categories - those governed by good and those governed by truth, the former being called celestial, the latter spiritual. Between the two there is a wide difference. Those governed by good are moved by an affection to do good for its own sake and without thought of reward. To them being allowed to do good is itself the reward, for doing good gives them feelings of joy. Those governed by truth however are not moved by an affection to do good for its own sake; rather, they are moved to do it because they have been commanded to do it. For the most part these people do think about reward; and this, as well as boasting about what they do, is what gives them their feeling of joy.
[4] From this it is evident that people motivated by good to do good act from an internal affection, whereas those motivated by truth to do good act from some external affection. From this the difference between the two groups may be seen, namely that the former are internal people, the latter external ones. Those therefore who are internal people are unable 'to sell' - that is, to alienate - Divine Truth represented by 'Joseph', because good enables them to discern what is true. Neither the illusions of the senses therefore, nor consequently facts, lead them away. But those who are external people are able 'to sell' or alienate it because no good is present enabling them to discern what is true. They do know what is true, but only because doctrine and teachers have given them that knowledge. If they consult facts they easily let themselves be led away by illusions, for they have no inner gift to speak to them. This now explains why Joseph was not sold by the Ishmaelites but by the Midianites.
Isaiah 37
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It happened, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into Yahweh's house.
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He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.
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They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth.
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It may be Yahweh your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.'"
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So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
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Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'Thus says Yahweh, "Don't be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
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Behold, I will put a spirit in him and he will hear news, and will return to his own land. I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."'"
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So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
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He heard news concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, "He has come out to fight against you." When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
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"Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, 'Don't let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, "Jerusalem won't be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."
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Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. Shall you be delivered?
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Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar?
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Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?'"
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Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to Yahweh's house, and spread it before Yahweh.
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Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh, saying,
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"Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, who is enthroned among the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
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Turn your ear, Yahweh, and hear. Open your eyes, Yahweh, and behold. hear all of the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to defy the living God.
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Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the countries and their land,
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and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.
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Now therefore, Yahweh our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are Yahweh, even you only."
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Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'Because you have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria,
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this is the word which Yahweh has spoken concerning him. The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.
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Whom have you defied and blasphemed? Against whom have you exalted your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel.
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By your servants, have you defied the Lord, and have said, "With the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon. I will cut down its tall cedars and its choice fir trees. I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field.
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I have dug and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt."
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Have you not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it in ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to destroy fortified cities, turning them into ruinous heaps.
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Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field, and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops, and like a field before its crop has grown.
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But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me.
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Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore will I put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.
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This shall be the sign to you. You will eat this year that which grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs from the same; and in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
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The remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.
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For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go forth, and survivors will escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.'
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Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the king of Assyria, 'He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither will he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it.
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By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come to this city,' says Yahweh.
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'For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake.'"
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The angel of Yahweh went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
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So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, went away, returned to Nineveh, and stayed there.
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It happened, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons struck him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Esar Haddon his son reigned in his place.
