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Postanak 17

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1 A kad Avramu bi devedeset i devet godina, javi mu se Gospod i reče mu: Ja sam Bog Svemogući, po mojoj volji živi, i budi pošten.

2 I učiniću zavet između sebe i tebe, i vrlo ću te umnožiti.

3 A Avram pade ničice. I Gospod mu još govori i reče:

4 Od mene evo zavet moj s tobom da ćeš biti otac mnogim narodima.

5 Zato se više nećeš zvati Avram nego će ti ime biti Avraam, jer sam te učinio ocem mnogih naroda;

6 Daću ti porodicu vrlo veliku, i načiniću od tebe narode mnoge, i carevi će izaći od tebe.

7 A postavljam zavet svoj između sebe i tebe i semena tvog nakon tebe od kolena do kolena, da je zavet večan, da sam Bog tebi i semenu tvom nakon tebe;

8 I daću tebi i semenu tvom nakon tebe zemlju u kojoj si došljak, svu zemlju hanansku u državu večnu, i biću im Bog.

9 I reče Bog Avramu: Ti pak drži zavet moj, ti i seme tvoje nakon tebe od kolena do kolena.

10 A ovo je zavet moj između mene i vas i semena tvog nakon tebe koji ćete držati: da se obrezuju između vas sve muškinje.

11 A obrezivaćete okrajak tela svog, da bude znak zaveta između mene i vas.

12 Svako muško dete kad mu bude osam dana da se obrezuje od kolena do kolena, rodilo se u kući ili bilo kupljeno za novce od kojih god stranaca, koje ne bude od semena tvog.

13 Da se obrezuje koje se rodi u kući tvojoj i koje se kupi za novce tvoje; tako će biti zavet moj na telu vašem zavet večan.

14 A neobrezano muško, kome se ne obreže okrajak tela njegovog, da se istrebi iz naroda svog, jer pokvari zavet moj.

15 I još reče Bog Avramu: A Saru ženu svoju ne zovi je više Sara nego neka joj bude ime Saara.

16 I ja ću je blagosloviti, i daću ti sina od nje; blagosloviću je, i biće mati mnogim narodima, i carevi narodima izaći će od nje.

17 Tada pade Avram ničice i nasmeja se govoreći u srcu svom: Eda će se čoveku od sto godina roditi sin? I Sari? Eda će žena od devedeset godina roditi?

18 I Avram reče Bogu: Neka živ bude Ismailo pred Tobom!

19 I reče Bog: Zaista Sara žena tvoja rodiće ti sina, i nadećeš mu ime Isak; i postaviću zavet svoj s njim da bude zavet večan semenu njegovom nakon njega.

20 A i za Ismaila uslišio sam te; evo blagoslovio sam ga, i daću mu porodicu veliku, i umnožiću ga veoma; i rodiće dvanaest knezova, i načiniću od njega velik narod.

21 A zavet svoj učiniću s Isakom kad ti ga rodi Sara, do godine u ovo doba.

22 I Bog izgovorivši otide od Avrama gore.

23 I Avram uze Ismaila sina svog i sve koji se rodiše u domu njegovom i koje god beše kupio za svoje novce, sve muškinje od domaćih svojih; i obreza okrajak tela njihovog u isti dan, kao što mu kaza Bog.

24 A beše Avramu devedeset i devet godina kad obreza okrajak tela svog.

25 A Ismailu sinu njegovom beše trinaest godina kad mu se obreza okrajak tela njegovog.

26 U jedan dan obreza se Avram i sin mu Ismailo,

27 I svi domašnji njegovi, rođeni u kući i kupljeni za novce od stranaca, biše obrezani s njim.

   

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Befall, to

  

(Genesis 42:29.) The things which befall are the things which were of providence, or which were provided, because everything which befalls, or happens, in other words what is called fortuitous, and is ascribed to chance, or to fortune, is of providence. (Arcana Coelestia 5508)

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Arcana Coelestia # 5508

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5508. 'And they pointed out to him all that was happening to them means reflection by the good of that truth on what was provided up to then. This is clear from the meaning of 'pointing out' as thought and reflection, dealt with in 2861, for what is pointed out to someone is thought based on reflection; and from the meaning of 'all that was happening to them' as what was providential or provided, dealt with below. The reason why it is the good of truth that reflects is that the one to whom 'they pointed out' was Jacob their father, who represents the good of truth, 5506. The reflection did not originate in the truths represented by 'the sons of Jacob', as the sense of the letter implies, for the reason that all reflection and thought based on it which take place in what is lower or more external begin in what is higher or more internal, though they appear to begin in what is lower or more external. And because the good of truth, which 'Jacob' represents, is more internal, reflection by the good of truth is therefore meant.

[2] The reason 'what is happening' means what is providential or has been provided is that every happening or contingency which is otherwise described as fortuitous and attributed to chance or luck is something providential. Divine Providence does its work out of sight and in ways beyond comprehension, for the reason that a person may be able in freedom to attribute that work either to providence or else to chance. For if providence performed its acts in seen and comprehensible ways the dangerous condition would then exist in which a person would first believe, because of what he has seen and comprehended, that those acts were providential, but after that would move away into a contrary belief. In that case truth and falsity would then be joined together in his interior man and the truth would be rendered profane - a condition that holds eternal damnation within it. The retention therefore of a person such as this in a state of disbelief is preferable to his having faith at one point and then departing from it.

[3] This condition is meant in Isaiah,

Say to this people, Hearing, hear - but do not understand; and seeing, see - but do not comprehend. Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and plaster over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart understands, and they turn again and are healed. Isaiah 6:9-10; John 12:40.

This also explains why miracles do not take place at the present day. For as with everything else that is seen and comprehensible, miracles would compel a person to believe; and anything that compels takes freedom away. But the whole of a person's reformation and regeneration takes place while he is in freedom; nothing implanted in him if he is not in freedom remains fixed in him. Things are implanted in freedom if an affection for goodness and truth are present in the person, 1937, 1947, 2744, 2870-2893, 3145, 3146, 3158, 4401.

[4] The reason why great miracles occurred among the descendants of Jacob was that they were compelled by those miracles to fulfill in their outward form the religious laws they were given; for no more than this was required of those limited to representatives of the Church. With those people things of an external nature were separated from internal ones, which was why they could not undergo any interior reformation. They completely rejected things of an internal nature and were therefore unable to render truths profane, 3398, 3399, 3479, 4680. Such people could be subjected to compulsion without any danger of their profaning what was holy.

[5] People of today ought to believe what they do not see, as is also clear from the Lord's words to Thomas, in John,

Because you have seen Me, Thomas, you have believed; blessed are those who do not see and yet believe. John 20:29.

The truth that contingencies which are otherwise attributed to chance or luck are due to Divine Providence is indeed accepted by the Church; yet there is no real belief in it. Who does not say that God has saved him, who does not give thanks to God when, seemingly by good fortune, he gets out of some great danger? Also, when he is promoted to important positions or comes into wealth, does he not also call this a blessing received from God? Thus the member of the Church accepts that all contingencies are attributable to providence, even though he does not really believe this. But more on these matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be presented elsewhere.

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