2979. 'Abraham buried Sarah his wife' means that they received truth joined to good from the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'burying' as regenerating, dealt with above in 2916, 2917 - the fact that man was regenerate once he had received truth joined to good from the Lord will be discussed next; from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord, often dealt with already; and from the representation of 'Sarah as a wife' as truth joined to good, dealt with in 2063, 2065, 2507.

[2] The regeneration of the spiritual man proceeds as follows: At first he is taught the truths of faith, during which time the Lord maintains his affection for truth. At the same time the good of faith, which is charity towards the neighbour, is instilled into him, though in such a way that he hardly knows it because that good lies concealed within the affection for truth. All this takes place to the end that the truth of faith may be joined to the good of charity. As time goes by the affection for the truth of faith increases and truth is seen because of its end in view, which is good, or what amounts to the same, life. That affection grows more and more. In this way is truth instilled into good, and while it is being instilled the person absorbs into himself the good of life in accordance with the truth that has been instilled into it. Thus he acts, or seems to himself to act, from good. Prior to this the truth of faith has been for him the chief thing, but after this the good of life becomes the chief thing.

[3] At this point the person is regenerate, but regenerate according to the nature and extent of truth instilled into good. And when truth and good act as one, he is regenerate according to the nature and extent of the good. This is how regeneration proceeds. Regeneration is carried out to the end that a person may be received into heaven - heaven being nothing else than the marriage of truth and good, and of good and truth, see 2508, 2618, 2728, 2729. Unless the marriage of truth and good is effected in a person he cannot be in the heavenly marriage, that is, be in heaven.

1420. 'You will be a blessing' means that every single thing comes from the Lord. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'a blessing'. Blessing has reference to every form of good - in the external sense to bodily, worldly, and natural forms, in the internal sense to spiritual and celestial forms. 'Being a blessing' means the Source of every form of good and the Giver of this, an attribution that cannot possibly be made to Abram. From this it is also clear that 'Abram' represents the Lord, who alone is a Blessing. So also with the attributions made to Abraham further on, such as,

Abraham will surely become a great and numerous nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Genesis 18:18.

Concerning Isaac,

In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed. Genesis 26:4.

And concerning Jacob,

In you all the families of the earth will be blessed, and in your seed. Genesis 28:14.

That nations are not able to be blessed, nor were they blessed, in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and in their seed, but that they were blessed in the Lord, may become clear to anyone. This is clearly stated in David,

His name will be for ever, before the sun His son's name; and all nations will be blessed in Him Psalms 72:17.

This refers to the Lord. In the same author,

You set Him to be blessings for ever. Psalms 21:6.

This also refers to the Lord. In Jeremiah,

In Him the nations will be blessed, and in Him will they glory. Jeremiah 4:2.

From these places it is now clear that 'a blessing' means the Lord, and when He is called a Blessing that it means that from Him come all celestial and spiritual things which alone are goods. And because they alone are goods they alone are truths as well. To the extent therefore that celestial and spiritual forms of good are present in natural, worldly, and bodily forms, the latter are good and are blessed.