Bible

 

2 Mosebok 23

Studie

   

1 Du skal ikke utbrede falskt rykte; du skal ikke gjøre felles sak med en ugudelig, så du blir et urettferdig vidne;

2 du skal ikke følge mengden i det som ondt er, og du skal ikke vidne således i en rettssak at du bøier dig efter mengden og forvender retten;

3 heller ikke om det gjelder en ringe mann, skal du pynte på hans sak.

4 Når du treffer din fiendes okse eller hans asen som har gått sig vill, da skal du føre dem tilbake til ham.

5 Når du ser din fiendes asen ligge under sin byrde, da vokt dig for å gå fra ham; du skal hjelpe ham med å løse byrden av.

6 Du skal ikke i nogen sak bøie retten for den fattige som bor hos dig.

7 Du skal holde dig langt borte fra en falsk sak og ikke hjelpe til at den uskyldige og rettferdige mister livet; for jeg dømmer ikke en skyldig å være uskyldig.

8 Du skal ikke ta imot gave; for gaven gjør seende blinde og forvender de rettferdiges sak.

9 En fremmed skal du ikke undertrykke; I vet jo hvorledes den fremmede er til mote; I var selv fremmede i Egyptens land.

10 Seks år skal du så ditt land til og høste dets grøde;

11 men i det syvende år skal du la det hvile og ligge, så de fattige blandt ditt folk kan ete derav, og hvad de levner, kan markens dyr ete. Det samme skal du gjøre med din vingård og dine oljetrær.

12 Seks dager skal du gjøre din gjerning; men på den syvende dag skal du hvile, så din okse og ditt asen kan ha ro, og din trælkvinnes sønn og den fremmede får hvile sig ut.

13 I alt det jeg har sagt til eder, skal I ta eder i vare. Andre guders navn skal I ikke nevne; slikt skal ikke høres av din munn.

14 Tre ganger om året skal du holde høitid for mig.

15 De usyrede brøds høitid skal du holde: Syv dager skal du ete usyret brød, således som jeg har befalt dig, på den fastsatte tid i abib måned, for i den drog du ut av Egypten; og ingen skal vise sig for mitt åsyn tomhendt.

16 Likeså kornhøstens høitid, når førstegrøden faller av ditt arbeid, av det som du sår på marken, og frukthøstens høitid ved årets utgang, når du samler inn frukten av ditt arbeid på marken.

17 Tre ganger om året skal alle menn blandt eder møte frem for Herrens, Israels Guds åsyn.

18 Du skal ikke ofre blodet av mitt slaktoffer sammen med syret brød, og det fete av mitt høitidsoffer skal ikke bli liggende natten over til om morgenen.

19 Det første av din jords førstegrøde skal du bære til Herrens, din Guds hus. Du skal ikke koke et kje i dets mors melk.

20 Se, jeg sender en engel foran dig for å vokte dig på veien og for å føre dig til det sted jeg har utsett for dig.

21 Ta dig i vare for ham og hør på hans røst, vær ikke gjenstridig mot ham! Han skal ikke bære over med eders overtredelser, for mitt navn er i ham.

22 Men dersom du lyder hans røst og gjør alt det jeg sier, da vil jeg være en fiende av dine fiender og en motstander av dine motstandere.

23 For min engel skal gå foran dig og føre dig frem til det land hvor amorittene og hetittene og ferisittene og kana'anittene, hevittene og jebusittene bor, og jeg vil tilintetgjøre dem.

24 Du skal ikke tilbede deres guder eller tjene dem; du skal ikke gjøre som de gjør; men du skal rive deres avgudsbilleder ned og slå deres stenstøtter i stykker.

25 I skal tjene Herren eders Gud, og han skal velsigne ditt brød og ditt vann. Og jeg vil holde sykdom borte fra dig;

26 det skal ikke være nogen kvinne i ditt land som føder i utide eller er ufruktbar; dine dagers tall vil jeg gjøre fullt.

27 edsel for mig vil jeg sende foran dig og forvirre alle de folk du kommer til, og jeg vil la alle dine fiender flykte for dig.

28 Og jeg vil sende hvepser foran dig, og de skal jage hevittene, kana'anittene og hetittene bort fra dig.

29 Jeg vil ikke jage dem bort fra dig på ett år, forat ikke landet skal bli øde og de ville dyr bli for mange for dig;

30 litt efter litt vil jeg jage dem bort fra dig, inntil du blir så stort et folk at du kan ta landet i eie.

31 Jeg vil la ditt lands grenser gå fra det øde Hav til filistrenes Hav* og fra ørkenen til elven**; for jeg vil gi landets innbyggere i eders hånd, og du skal jage dem bort fra dig. / {* Middelhavet.} {** Eufrat.}

32 Du skal ikke gjøre nogen pakt med dem eller med deres guder.

33 De skal ikke bo i ditt land, forat de ikke skal forføre dig til å synde mot mig; for du vilde da tjene deres guder, og det vilde bli en snare for dig.

   

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Apocalypse Explained # 787

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 1232  
  

787. And the whole earth wondered after the beast. That this signifies acceptance by the more learned in the church, and a remote reception by those who are less learned, is evident from the signification of wondering after the beast, when said of that discordance with the Word which is apparently removed by conjunctions concerning works with faith that have been devised, as denoting acceptance by the more learned, and reception by the less learned, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of earth, as denoting the church (concerning which see above, n. 29, 304, 417, 697, 741, 742, 752).

[2] The reason why the whole earth wondering after the beast signifies acceptance and reception is, that wondering exercises an attraction, and those whom it attracts follow it. In the Word mention is sometimes made of going and walking after God; also after other gods, after a leader, and after many; and this signifies to follow and acknowledge in heart; also to be and to live with them, and to be in fellowship with them, as in the following passages. In 1 Kings:

"David hath kept my precepts, and walked after me with all his heart, to do what is right in mine eyes" (14:8).

In 1 Samuel:

"The sons of Jesse went after Saul to the war" (17:13).

In Moses:

"Thou shalt not go after a multitude to evils; thou shalt not speak in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to pervert" (Exodus 23:2).

In Jeremiah:

Thou shalt not go "after other gods whom thou hast not known" (7:9).

Again:

"They went after other gods to serve them" (11:10; Deuteronomy 8:19).

Again:

"The man who goeth after Baal-peor, Jehovah thy God will destroy from the midst of thee" (Deuteronomy 4:3).

It is therefore evident that to go after any one signifies to follow him, to obey him, to act from him, and to live from him. To walk also signifies to live. From these things it is evident, that by wondering after the beast is signified acceptance and reception, from a persuasion that discordance with the Word is apparently removed.

[3] The reason why acceptance by the learned, and remote reception by the less learned is signified is, because the learned devised the conjunction of faith with its life, which produce good works; but the less learned, not being able to search inwardly into these discordances, received them, every one according to his apprehension. Hence the dogma that faith alone is the essential means of salvation has been received in the whole world or the Christian Church.

[4] It shall also be explained, in a few words, how the chief point of that religion, that salvation consists in faith alone, and not in good works, has been to all appearance removed, and is thence accepted by the learned. For the latter have devised degrees of the progression of faith to good works; these they call degrees of justification. The first degree they make to consist in hearing from masters and preachers; the second degree, information derived from the Word proving this. The third degree they make to be acknowledgment. Now, because nothing of the church can be acknowledged in heart, unless temptation precedes, therefore they adjoin temptation to this degree; and if the doubts, which are then presented, are dissipated from the Word, or by the preacher, and victory is obtained by this means, they say that the man has confidence, which is said to be a certainty of the truth of the thing, and also confidence that he is saved by the Lord's merit. But because the doubts which occur in temptations arise chiefly from not understanding the Word, where deeds, works, doing, and working, are so often mentioned, they say that the understanding is to be kept in obedience to faith. Hence follows the fourth degree, which is the endeavour to do good; and in this they come to a conclusion, saying that when man arrives at this degree he is justified, and that then all the actions of his life are accepted by God, the evils of his life not being seen by Him, because they are pardoned.

This conjunction of faith with good works has been devised by the learned, and also accepted by them, but it rarely extends to the common people. In the first place, because it is beyond the comprehension of some of them; and, secondly, because they are for the most part engaged in their business and employment, these diverting the mind from understanding the inner mysteries of this doctrine.

[5] The conjunction of faith with good works, and thereby an apparent agreement with the Word, is received in a different manner by those who are less learned. These know nothing about the degrees of justification, but believe that faith alone is the only means of salvation. And when they see from the Word, and hear from the preacher, that goods must be done, and that man is to be judged according to his works, they think that faith produces good works, for they suppose that to know those things which the preacher teaches, and thence to think that it is so, constitutes faith. And because this goes before, they believe that faith produces good works, which they call the fruits of faith, not knowing that such faith is a faith of the memory only, which, strictly considered, is historical faith, because derived from another, thus of that other with them, and that such faith can never produce any good fruit.

Into this error the majority of the Christian world has fallen in consequence of faith alone having been received as the chief, in fact, as the only means of salvation. But how faith and charity, or believing and doing, make one, shall be explained in what follows.

  
/ 1232  
  

Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.