Bible

 

Jezekilj 18

Studie

   

1 Opet mi dođe reč Gospodnja govoreći:

2 Šta hoćete vi koji govorite priču o zemlji Izrailjevoj govoreći: Oci jedoše kiselo grožđe, a sinovima trnu zubi?

3 Tako ja bio živ, govori Gospod Gospod, nećete više govoriti te priče u Izrailju.

4 Gle, sve su duše moje, kako duša očeva tako i duša sinovljeva moja je, koja duša zgreši ona će poginuti.

5 Jer ako je ko pravedan i čini sud i pravdu,

6 Na gorama ne jede i očiju svojih ne podiže ka gadnim bogovima doma Izrailjevog, i ne skvrni žene bližnjeg svog i ne ide k ženi odvojenoj radi nečistote,

7 I nikome ne čini nasilja, zalog dužniku svom vraća, ništa ne otima, hleb svoj daje gladnome i gologa odeva,

8 Ne daje na dobit i ne uzima pridavka, od nepravde usteže ruku svoju, i pravo sudi između jednog čoveka i drugog,

9 Po uredbama mojim hodi, i drži zakone moje tvoreći istinu; taj je pravedan, doista će živeti, govori Gospod Gospod.

10 Ako rodi sina lupeža, koji bi krv prolivao ili bi činio takvo šta,

11 A ne bi činio sve ono, nego bi jeo na gorama, i ženu bližnjeg svog skvrnio,

12 Siromahu i ubogome nasilje činio, otimao šta, zalog ne bi vraćao, i ka gadnim bogovima podizao bi oči svoje čineći gad,

13 Davao bi na dobit, i uzimao pridavak; hoće li taj živeti? Neće živeti; učinio je sve te gadove, doista će poginuti, krv će njegova na njemu biti.

14 Ali gle, ako rodi sina koji bi video sve grehe oca svog što čini, i uzeo bi na um, te ne bi činio onako,

15 Ne bi jeo na gorama, niti bi očiju svojih podizao ka gadnim bogovima doma Izrailjevog, žene bližnjeg svog ne bi skvrnio,

16 I nikome ne bi činio nasilja, zalog ne bi uzimao i ne bi ništa otimao, davao bi hleb svoj gladnome i golog bi odevao,

17 Od siromaha bi ustezao ruku svoju, ne bi uzimao dobiti ni pridavka, zakone bi moje izvršio i po uredbama mojim hodio; taj neće poginuti za bezakonje oca svog, doista će živeti.

18 A otac njegov, što je činio nasilje, otimao od brata svog i činio šta nije dobro u narodu svom, gle, on će poginuti za svoje bezakonje.

19 Ali govorite: Zašto da ne nosi sin bezakonje očevo? Jer sin čini sud i pravdu, sve uredbe moje drži i izvršuje; doista će živeti.

20 Koja duša zgreši ona će umreti, sin neće nositi bezakonje očevo niti će otac nositi bezakonje sinovljevo; na pravedniku će biti pravda njegova, a na bezbožniku će biti bezbožnost njegova.

21 Ako li bi se bezbožnik obratio od svih greha svojih koje učini, i držao bi sve uredbe moje i tvorio sud i pravdu, doista će živeti, neće poginuti.

22 Bezakonja njegova što ih je god učinio neće mu se više spominjati, u pravdi svojoj koju čini živeće.

23 Eda li je meni milo da pogine bezbožnik? Govori Gospod, a ne da se odvrati od puteva svojih i bude živ?

24 Ali kad bi se pravednik odvratio od pravde svoje i činio nepravdu, i radio po svim gadovima koje čini bezbožnik, hoće li on živeti? Pravedna dela njegova, šta je god činio, neće se spomenuti; za bezakonje svoje koje učini za greh svoj kojim zgreši poginuće.

25 Još govorite: Nije prav put Gospodnji. Čujte, dome Izrailjev, moj li put nije prav? Nisu li vaši putevi nepravi?

26 Kad se pravednik odvrati od pravde svoje i čini zlo i umre za to, umreće za zlo svoje koje učini.

27 A kad se bezbožnik odvrati od bezbožnosti svoje koju je činio, i čini sud i pravdu, on će sačuvati u životu dušu svoju.

28 Jer uzevši na um vrati se od svih bezakonja svojih koja učini; doista će živeti, i neće poginuti.

29 Ali dom Izrailjev veli: Put Gospodnji nije prav. Moji li putevi nisu pravi? Dome Izrailjev, nisu li vaši putevi nepravi?

30 Zato, dome Izrailjev, sudiću vam svakome po putevima njegovim, govori Gospod; obratite se i prođite se svih greha svojih, i neće vam bezakonje biti na spoticanje.

31 Odbacite od sebe sva bezakonja koja činiste, i načiniste sebi novo srce i nov duh; i zašto da mrete? Dome Izrailjev.

32 Jer mi nije mila smrt onog koji mre, govori Gospod Gospod; obratite se dakle i budite živi.

   

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 9210

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

9210. 'You shall not be like a money-lender' means that it must be done in a spirit of charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a money-lender' as someone who does good for the sake of gain; for a money-lender entrusts money to another for the sake of interest and gives help to another for the sake of reward. And since real charity does not have gain or reward as the end in view, but the neighbour's good, 'you shall not be like a money-lender' means that the thing must be done in a spirit of charity. Anyone who does not know what Christian charity is may think that it consists not only in giving to the needy and poor but also in doing good to his fellow citizen, country, or Church for any reason whatever, that is, with no matter what end in view. But he should recognize that the end is what gives all of a person's deeds their true character. If the end or intention is to do good for the sake of reputation, in order to acquire important positions or else monetary gain, the good that he does is not good because it is done for the sake of self and thus also originates in self. But if the end is to do good for his fellow citizen's, country's, or Church's sake, thus for his neighbour's sake, the good he does is good since it is done for the sake of good itself, which in general is the real neighbour, 5025, 6706, 6711, 6712, 8123, and so is also done for the Lord's sake since such good does not have its origin in the person but in the Lord, and what originates in the Lord is the Lord's. This is the good that is meant by the Lord in Matthew,

Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matthew 25:40.

[2] As it is with good, so it is also with truth. Those who do the truth for its own sake do it also for the Lord's sake since it comes from Him. Doing truth for its own sake is doing good; for truth becomes good when it passes from the understanding into the will, and from the will goes out into actions. Doing good in this manner is Christian charity. People who do good in the spirit of Christian charity may sometimes look for reputation earned as a result of doing it, so as to obtain an important position or else monetary gain. But their attitude is altogether different from that of anyone for whom these things are his end in view. For they regard what is good and right as the essential, one and only thing that matters, and accordingly rank it in highest position. As for monetary gain in comparison with this, or an important position, or reputation for the sake of them, they regard as non-essential, and accordingly rank it in lowest position. When the eyes of people such as these are fixed on what is right and good they are like soldiers fighting in battle for their country. During it they give no thought at all to their life, nor thus to their status or their assets in the world, which compared with what they are doing are of no importance to them. But those who rank self and the world at the top are the kind of people who do not even see what is right and good, because their eyes are fixed on themselves and on gain.

[3] All this shows what doing good for a selfish or a worldly reason is, what doing good for the Lord's or for the neighbour's sake is, and what is the difference between them. The difference is as great as that between two opposites, thus as great as that between heaven and hell. Furthermore those who do good for their neighbour's or for the Lord's sake are in heaven; but those who do it for a selfish or a worldly reason are in hell. For those who do good for their neighbour and the Lord's sake love the Lord above all things and their neighbour as themselves - commandments which are 'the first of all the commandments', Mark 12:28-31. But those who do everything for selfish and worldly reasons love themselves above all things, thus more than God; and they not only despise their neighbour but also hate him if he does not make common cause with them and align himself with them. This is the meaning of the Lord's teaching in Matthew,

No one can serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will cling to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24.

There are people who do serve both; but they are called 'lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, who are spewed out', Revelation 3:15-16. All this now shows what money-lenders who took interest represented, namely those who do good for the sake of gain.

[4] It makes plain the origin of this prohibition, that they were not to be like a money-lender, charging a brother interest, as again declared elsewhere in Moses,

You shall not charge your brother interest on silver, interest on food, interest on anything on which it is charged. A foreigner you shall charge interest, but your brother you shall not charge interest; so that Jehovah your God may bless you in everything to which you set your hand 1 in the land which you are entering to possess it. Deuteronomy 23:19-20; Leviticus 25:36-38.

'Charging a brother interest on silver' means lending truths, that is, giving instruction in them, for the sake of gain, 'charging interest on food' hiring out forms of the good of truth for the sake of gain; for 'silver' means truth, 1551, 2954, 5658, 6914, 6917, and 'food' the good of truth, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5576, 5410, 5426, 5487, 5582, 5588, 5655, 5915, 8562. The reason why those who do not charge it are blessed by Jehovah in everything to which they set their hand in the land is that their affection is for goodness and truth, so that the happiness which angels in heaven possess is theirs; for that affection, or the good of that love, holds heaven within it for a person, 6478, 9174. The reason why foreigners could be charged interest was that those who do not acknowledge anything of goodness or truth and are unreceptive of them are meant by 'foreigners', 7996, that is, they are those who do good solely for the sake of gain. These must serve a person, for in comparison they are servants or slaves, 1097. In David,

He walks blameless and does righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. He does not lend his silver at interest, and does not take a bribe 2 against the innocent. He who does this will never be moved. Psalms 15:2, 5.

'Lending his silver at interest' means teaching for the sake solely of gain, thus doing good for the sake of reward. Something similar occurs in Ezekiel,

A righteous man who executes judgement and righteousness does not lend at interest and does not take increase. Ezekiel 18:5, 8.

In the same prophet,

He who withdraws his hand from the needy, does not take interest or increase, executes My judgements, [and] walks in My statutes will surely live. Ezekiel 18:17.

In the same prophet,

In you they have taken bribes 2 to shed blood; you have taken interest and increase, and seized gain of your companions by violence. Ezekiel 22:12.

These things are said about 'the city of blood', by which falsity destroying truth and good is meant, 9127. 'Taking interest and increase' means doing good for the sake of gain and reward, thus not in a spirit of charity. In true charity there is no thought of earning a reward, see 2371, 2373, 2400, 4007, 4174, 4943, 6388-6390, 6392, 6478.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, in every sending out of your hand

2. literally, a gift

  
/ 10837  
  

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