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Genesis 15

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1 After these words*, the word of Jehovah was to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram; I am a shield for thee, thy reward is multiplied exceedingly.

2 And Abram said, Lord Jehovih*, what wilt Thou give to me, and I am walking childless, and the son, the steward of my house, he is Eliezer the Damascene?

3 And Abram said, Lo, to me Thou hast not given seed, and behold a son of my house is the heir with me.

4 And behold the word of Jehovah was to him, saying, This one shall not be thine heir; for he that shall go·​·out from thy bowels shall be thine heir.

5 And He brought· him ·forth outside, and said, Look now toward the heavens, and number the stars, if thou be·​·able to number them; and He said to him, Thus shall thy seed be.

6 And he believed in Jehovah, and He reckoned* it to him for justice.

7 And He said to him, I am Jehovah who brought· thee ·out from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give to thee this land, to possess her.

8 And he said, Lord Jehovih, By what shall I know that I shall possess her?

9 And He said to him, Take for me a heifer of·​·three years, and a she-goat of·​·three years, and a ram of·​·three years, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

10 And he took to him all these and parted them in the midst, and put each part to meet its companion; and the birds he did not part.

11 And the swooping fowls came·​·down upon the corpses, and Abram caused them to fly* away.

12 And it was that the sun set* and a deep·​·sleep fell on Abram; and behold a terror of great darkness falling on him.

13 And He said to Abram, Knowing thou shalt know that thy seed shall be a sojourner in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.

14 And also upon the nation whom they shall serve will I make·​·judgment; and after thus shall they go·​·out with great acquisition.

15 And thou shalt come to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age*.

16 And in the fourth generation they shall return hither, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not consummated* even·​·until now.

17 And it was that the sun set*, and there was deep·​·darkness; and behold, a smoking oven, and a torch of fire that passed between those pieces that·​·were·​·severed.

18 In that day Jehovah cut a covenant with Abram, saying, To thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates;

19 the Kenite, and the Kenezzite, and the Kadmonite;

20 and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim;

21 and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.

   


Thanks to the Kempton Project for the permission to use this New Church translation of the Word.

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Arcana Coelestia # 1835

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1835. That 'Abram drove them away' means that the Lord put them to flight is clear from what has been stated. The position is the same with regard to the Church. When it starts to depart from charity, evils and derivative falsities are quite easily put to flight, for it is still in a state not far removed from charity, and so people's minds are quite pliable. In the course of time however evils and derivative falsities increase, and so are confirmed and consolidated. This matter will be dealt with later on.

[2] As far as it is possible the Lord is constantly putting evils and falsities to flight, but He does so by means of conscience. When the bonds of conscience are loosed no channel exists by which the Lord may flow in, for the Lord's influx with man is an influx by way of charity into his conscience. But when this comes about a new channel, an external one, is formed and takes the place of charity, that is to say, influx now comes through a fear of the law, fear of loss of life, honour, wealth, and consequent reputation. But these bonds are not those of conscience; they are merely external bonds which enable a person to live in society with others and to appear friendly, whatever he may be like within.

[3] This channel, or these bonds, are of no value whatever in the next life, for in that life things that are external are taken away, and such as the person is within remains. There are very many who have led good lives, private and public, have harmed no one, and have performed acts of friendship and kindness; indeed they have done good to very many. Yet they acted solely for themselves, for the sake of honour, gain, and similar considerations. In the next life these are among those in hell since they have nothing good and true within them at all, only evil and falsity. Indeed they have nothing but hatred, revenge, cruelty, and adultery within them, which do not show themselves before anyone - not showing themselves, that is, insofar as those fears which constitute external restraints prevail.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.