8352. Saying, What shall we drink? That this signifies that they could not endure truths because they were undelightful by reason of no affection of them, is evident from the signification of “drinking,” as being to be instructed in truths and to receive them, and also to be affected with them, and consequently to appropriate them to oneself (see n. 3069, 3168, 3772, 4017, 4018); here, not to endure them, for the reason that they were undelightful on account of there being no affection of good, which is signified by “the waters being bitter,” according to what has been unfolded above (n. 8349). This temptation consists in the fact that they complain and grieve because the truths which had previously been delightful to them, and which thus had made their spiritual life or life of heaven, now seem undelightful to them, insomuch that they can scarcely endure them.

[2] The merely natural man would not believe that such a thing could cause any grief, for he thinks, “What is it to me whether truths are delightful or not? If they are undelightful let them be rejected.” But the spiritual man has very different sentiments. It is the delight of his life to be instructed in truths, and to be enlightened in such things as belong to his soul, thus to his spiritual life; and therefore when these fail, his spiritual life labors and suffers, and grief and anxiety ensue. The reason is that the affection of good is continually flowing in through the internal man from the Lord, and calling forth the accordant things in the external man which had previously caused the delight of the affection of truth; and when these things are assaulted by the evils of the love of self and of the world, which the man had also previously perceived as delightful, there arises a conflict of delights or of affections, from which springs anxiety, and from this grief and complaint.

[3] It shall be briefly told how the case is with the temptation that arises through a failing of truth. The nourishment of the spiritual life is good and truth, as the nourishment of the natural life is food and drink. If good fails, it is as if food fails; and if truth fails, it is as if drink fails. The consequent grief is circumstanced like the grief from hunger and thirst. This comparison is from correspondence, for food corresponds to good, and drink to truth; and as there is a correspondence, food and drink also nourish the body better and more suitably when a man at dinner or at breakfast is at the same time in the delight of conversation with others about such things as he loves, than when he sits at table alone without company. When a man is in this state, the vessels in him that receive the food are constricted; but when he is in the first mentioned state, they are open. Such things are effected by the correspondence of spiritual food and natural food. It is said “the delight of conversation with others about such things as he loves,” because everything of this kind has relation to good and truth; for there is nothing in the world which has not relation to both. What a man loves, has relation to the good with him; and what instructs him about good, and thus conjoins itself with it, has relation to the truth.

3928. And she called his name Naphtali. That this signifies its quality, namely, the quality of the temptation in which there is victory, and also the quality of the resistance by the natural man, is evident from the signification of “name,” and of “calling a name,” as being quality (see n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3421). The quality itself is that which is signified by “Naphtali,” for he was named “Naphtali” from “wrestling.” Hence also by Naphtali is represented this second general truth of the church, for temptation is the means of the conjunction of the internal man with the external, because they are at variance with each other, but are reduced to agreement and correspondence by means of temptations. The external man is indeed such that of itself it lusts for nothing else than corporeal and worldly things, these being the delights of its life. But the internal man, when it is opened toward heaven and desires the things of heaven, such as it is with those who can be regenerated, then finds heavenly delight in these things, and while the man is in temptations there is a combat between these two kinds of delight. This the man does not then know, because he does not know what heavenly delight is, and what infernal delight is; and still less that they are so entirely opposed to each other. But the celestial angels cannot possibly be with man in his corporeal and worldly delight until this delight has been reduced to subservience, so that the corporeal and worldly delight is no longer sought as the end; but for the sake of the use of serving the heavenly delight (as s hown above, n. 3913). When this has been effected, the angels can be with the man in both; but in this case his delight becomes bliss, and finally happiness in the other life.

[2] He who believes that before regeneration the delight of his natural man is not infernal, and that it is not possessed by diabolical spirits, is much mistaken, and does not know how the case is with man, namely, that before regeneration he is possessed as to his natural man by genii and infernal spirits, however much he may appear to himself to be like any other man; and even though he may be with others in what is holy, and may reason about the truths and goods of faith, and may indeed believe himself to be confirmed in them; yet if he does not perceive in himself anything of the affection of what is just and equitable in his employment, and of truth and good in company and in life, let him know that his delight is that of the infernals, for there is no other love in it than that of self and the world; and when this love makes his delight, there is in it no charity and no faith. After this delight has become dominant, it is deadened and dissipated by no other means than the affirmation and acknowledgment of the holy of faith and of the good of life, which is the first means, signified by “Dan,” as shown above; and then by means of temptation, which is the second means, and is signified by Naphtali; for this means follows the other, for they who do not affirm and acknowledge the good and truth of faith and charity cannot come into any combat of temptation, because there is nothing within which offers resistance to the evil and falsity to which natural delight persuades.

[3] In other places in the Word where “Naphtali” is mentioned, there is signified man’s state after temptations; as in the prophecy of Jacob, then Israel:

Naphtali is a hind let loose, giving sayings of elegance (Genesis 49:21); where a “hind let loose” denotes the affection of natural truth in the free state which exists after temptations; which state is also the quality that is in the temptations signified by “Naphtali;” for in temptations the struggle is concerning freedom. In like manner in the prophecy of Moses:

To Naphtali he said, Naphtali is satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of Jehovah, he shall possess the west and the south (Deuteronomy 33:23);

for the representations of the sons of Jacob and of the tribes are in accordance with the order in which they are named (n. 3862). And in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak:

Zebulun a people that hath devoted his soul to die, and Naphtali upon the high places of the field (Judg. 5:18); where also in the internal sense the combats of temptations are treated of; and the man is among those who fear nothing of evil because they are in truths and goods; which is to be “upon the high places of the field.”