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Mga Hukom 7

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1 Nang magkagayo'y si Jerobaal na siyang Gedeon, at ang buong bayan na kasama niya ay bumangong maaga, at humantong sa bukal ng Harod: at ang kampamento ng Madian ay nasa dakong hilagaan nila, sa dako roon ng Moreh, sa libis.

2 At sinabi ng Panginoon kay Gedeon, Ang bayang kasama mo ay totoong marami sa akin upang aking ibigay ang mga Madianita sa kanilang kamay, baka ang Israel ay magmalaki laban sa akin, na sabihin, Aking sariling kamay ang nagligtas sa akin.

3 Kaya't ngayo'y yumaon ka, ipagpatawag mo sa mga pakinig ng bayan, na iyong sabihin, Sinomang matatakutin at mapanginig, ay bumalik at pumihit mula sa bundok ng Galaad. At bumalik sa bayan ang dalawang pu't dalawang libo; at naiwan ang sangpung libo.

4 At sinabi ng Panginoon kay Gedeon, Ang bayan ay totoong marami pa; palusungin mo sila sa tubig, at doo'y aking susubukin sila sa iyo: at mangyayari, na sinomang aking sabihin sa iyo, Ito'y sumama sa iyo, yaon sumama sa iyo; at sa sinomang sabihin ko sa iyo, Ito'y huwag sumama sa iyo, yao'y huwag sumama sa iyo.

5 Sa gayo'y kaniyang inilusong ang bayan sa tubig: at sinabi ng Panginoon kay Gedeon, Bawa't humimod sa tubig ng kaniyang dila, gaya ng paghimod ng aso, ay iyong ihihiwalay: gayon din ang bawa't yumukong lumuhod upang uminom.

6 At ang bilang ng mga humimod, na inilalagay ang kanilang kamay sa kanilang bibig, ay tatlong daang lalake: nguni't ang buong labis ng bayan ay yumukong lumuhod upang uminom ng tubig.

7 At sinabi ng Panginoon kay Gedeon, Sa pamamagitan ng tatlong daang lalake na humimod ay ililigtas ko kayo, at ibibigay ko ang mga Madianita sa iyong kamay: at pabayaan mong ang buong bayan ay yumaon bawa't isa sa kanikaniyang dako.

8 Sa gayo'y nagbaon ang bayan sa kanilang kamay ng mga pagkain at ng kanilang mga pakakak: at kaniyang sinugo ang lahat ng mga lalake sa Israel na bawa't isa ay umuwi sa kanikaniyang tolda, nguni't pinigil ang tatlong daang lalake: at ang kampamento ng Madian ay nasa ibaba niya sa libis.

9 At nangyari nang gabi ring yaon, na sinabi ng Panginoon sa kaniya, Bumangon ka, lusungin mo ang kampamento; sapagka't aking ibinigay sa iyong kamay.

10 Nguni't kung ikaw ay natatakot na lumusong, ay lumusong ka sa kampamento na kasama ni Phara na iyong lingkod.

11 At iyong maririnig kung ano ang kanilang sinasabi, at pagkatapos ang iyong mga kamay ay lalakas na lumusong sa kampamento. Nang magkagayo'y lumusong siyang kasama si Phara na kaniyang lingkod sa pinakahangganan ng mga lalaking may sakbat na nangasa kampamento.

12 At ang mga Madianita at ang mga Amalecita at ang lahat ng mga anak sa silanganan ay nalalatag sa libis na parang balang dahil sa karamihan; at ang kanilang mga kamelyo ay walang bilang, na gaya ng buhangin na nasa tabi ng dagat dahil sa karamihan.

13 At nang dumating si Gedeon, narito, may isang lalake na nagsasaysay ng isang panaginip sa kaniyang kasama, at kaniyang sinabi, Nanaginip ako ng isang panaginip; at, narito, isang munting tinapay na sebada, ay gumulong hanggang sa kampamento ng Madian, at umabot sa tolda, at tinamaan yaon ng malakas na tuloy bumagsak, at natiwarik, na ang tolda'y lumagpak.

14 At sumagot ang kaniyang kasama, at nagsabi, Ito'y hindi iba, kundi ang tabak ni Gedeon, na anak ni Joas, isang lalaking Israelita, na ibinigay ng Dios sa kaniyang kamay ang Madian at ang buong hukbo niya.

15 At nangyari, nang marinig ni Gedeon ang salaysay tungkol sa panaginip, at ang pagkapaliwanag niyaon, na siya'y sumamba; at siya'y bumalik sa kampamento ng Israel, at sinabi, Tumindig kayo; sapagka't ibinigay ng Panginoon sa inyong kamay ang hukbo ng Madian.

16 At binahagi niya ang tatlong daang lalake ng tatlong pulutong, at kaniyang nilagyan ang mga kamay nilang lahat ng mga pakakak, at mga bangang walang laman at mga sulo sa loob ng mga banga.

17 At kaniyang sinabi sa kanila, Masdan ninyo ako, at inyong parisan: at, narito, pagka ako'y dumating sa pinakahuling bahagi ng kampamento, ay mangyayari, na kung anong aking gawin ay siya ninyong gagawin.

18 Pagka ako'y hihihip ng pakakak, ako at lahat na kasama ko, ay humihip nga naman kayo ng mga pakakak, sa buong palibot ng buong kampamento, at sabihin ninyo, Ang tabak ng Panginoon at ni Gedeon.

19 Sa gayo'y si Gedeon, at ang isang daang lalake na kasama niya ay napasa pinakahuling bahagi ng kampamento sa pasimula ng pagbabantay sa hating gabi, ng halos kahahalili lamang ng bantay: at sila'y humihip ng mga pakakak, at kanilang binasag ang mga banga na nasa kanilang mga kamay.

20 At hinipan ng tatlong pulutong ang mga pakakak, at binasag ang mga banga, at itinaas ang mga sulo sa kanilang kaliwang kamay, at ang mga pakakak sa kanilang kanang kamay na kanilang hinihipan, at sila'y naghiyawan, Ang tabak ng Panginoon at ni Gedeon.

21 At sila'y nangakatayo, bawa't isa, sa kaniyang dako sa palibot ng kampamento: at ang buong hukbo ay tumakbo; at sila'y sumigaw at pinatakas nila.

22 At hinipan nila ang tatlong daang pakakak at inilagay ng Panginoon ang tabak ng bawa't isa laban sa kaniyang kasama, at laban sa buong hukbo: at tumakas ang hukbo hanggang sa Beth-sitta sa dakong Cerera, hanggang sa hangganan ni Abelmehola, sa siping ng Tabbat.

23 At ang mga lalake ng Israel ay nagpipisan, ang sa Nephtali, at ang sa Aser, at sa buong Manases, at hinabol ang Madian.

24 At nagsugo si Gedeon ng mga sugo sa buong lupaing maburol ng Ephraim, na sinasabi, Lusungin ninyo ang Madian, at agapan ninyo ang tubig, hanggang sa Beth-bara, at ang Jordan. Sa gayo'y ang lahat ng mga lalake ng Ephraim ay nagkapisan, at inagapan ang tubig hanggang sa Beth-bara, at ang Jordan.

25 At kanilang hinuli ang dalawang prinsipe sa Madian, si Oreb at si Zeeb: at kanilang pinatay si Oreb sa batuhan ni Oreb at si Zeeb ay kanilang pinatay sa pisaan ng ubas ni Zeeb, at hinabol ang Madian: at kanilang dinala ang mga ulo ni Oreb at ni Zeeb kay Gedeon sa dako roon ng Jordan.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Judges 7

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Judges 7: Gideon’s valiant three hundred men.

Gideon and all his men camped by the well of Harod, which can mean “eager”, and also “trembling.” The Lord told Gideon that his army was too large, which could lead Israel to boast that they won by their own efforts (rather than the Lord’s power). Gideon was instructed to send away anyone who was afraid; 22,000 went home, leaving 10,000.

Even still, the Lord said the army was too large, so Gideon tested the men by taking them down to the water to drink. The Lord directed Gideon to call out those who lapped water from out of their hands rather than kneeling down to drink with their mouths. Three hundred men were chosen by this method of selection.

The Lord then commanded Gideon to go down to the Midianite camp, and if he was afraid, to take his servant, Phurah. There, Gideon overheard one of the soldiers telling his companion that he’d had a dream, in which a loaf of bread came tumbling into the camp and struck one of the tents so that it collapsed. The other soldier said that this meant the Lord would give victory to Gideon.

Gideon gave each of his men a trumpet, and a pitcher containing a lit torch. They surrounded the Midianite camp, and at the command of Gideon, they blew their trumpets, broke their pitchers to show the torches, and shouted, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” This caused panic in the camp, and every Midianite drew his sword against another, and many fled. Then Gideon ordered the capture and killing of the two Midianite princes, whose heads were brought to him.

*****

We must give glory to the Lord for successes that we seem to earn, as He alone does what is good. The Lord told Gideon to reduce the size of his army, to avoid the dangers of growing too proud. Since we live our lives as if we do everything ourselves, this is a constant threat. The fact that about two-thirds of Gideon’s army were afraid and went home shows the reality of our nature (see Swedenborg’s work, True Christian Religion 442).

Lapping water from the hand reflects our need to see and examine what we take into our minds. Water stands for truth, but it can also stand for false ideas. If we drink directly from the water, we accept indiscriminately and examine nothing. Cupping and holding the water in our hands means that we can see how to apply this truth through our attitudes and actions (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 6047[2]).

Gideon’s army of only three hundred men was all it took to defeat the Midianites. The number ‘three’ stands for something which is complete or full in itself. Some spiritual examples include mind, body and soul, as well as celestial, spiritual and natural (see Swedenborg’s Apocalypse Explained 435[3] and 532[2]).

The dream Gideon overheard stands for the power of good (the bread) to break down the apparent power of what is evil and false (the tent) (Arcana Caelestia 4247[3]). The name of Gideon’s servant, Phurah, means “fruitfulness”, or “a winepress”, which is where Gideon was first called by the angel of the Lord.

The trumpet and the torch both stand for the power of truth to overcome evil and false ideas, the trumpet by its penetrating sound, and the torch by its illuminating light. There is no mention of swords for the army of Israel.

Finally, the oppression by the Midianites represents knowing what is true, but living a life governed by our own desires. This leads us increasingly further away from obeying the Lord. Of course, this must be addressed. The Midianites destroyed each other in their panic, meaning what is disorderly and against the Lord holds no validity, and eventually destroys itself (Arcana Caelestia 9320).

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Arcana Coelestia # 4966

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4966. 'The chief of the attendants' means which facts come first and foremost in explanations. This is clear from the meaning of 'the chief of the attendants' as the facts which come first and foremost in explanations, dealt with in 4790. Ones which come first and foremost in explanations are those which are pre-eminently suitable for explaining the Word, and so for coming to understand teachings drawn from the Word about love to God and charity towards the neighbour. It should be recognized that the factual knowledge of the people of old was entirely different from that existing at the present day. As stated above, the factual knowledge of the people of old had to do with the correspondences of things in the natural world with realities in the spiritual world. Knowledge which at the present day is called philosophical knowledge, such as Aristotelian systems and their like, did not exist among them. This is also evident from the books written by ancient authors, most of which consisted of descriptions of such things as were signs of, represented, and corresponded to more internal realities, as may be seen from the following evidence, and ignoring all else.

[2] They envisaged Helicon on a mountain and took it to mean heaven, and Parnassus on a hill below that, and took it to mean factual knowledge. They spoke of a flying horse, called Pegasus by them, which broke open a fountain there with its hoof; they called branches of knowledge virgins; and so on. For with the help of correspondences and representatives they knew that 'a mountain' meant heaven, 'a hill' the heaven beneath this, which is heaven as it exists among men, a horse' the power of understanding, 'its wings with which it flew' spiritual things, 'its hoof' that which was natural, 'a fountain' intelligence, while three virgins called 'the Graces' meant affections for good, and virgins who were named 'the Heliconians and 'the Parnassians' meant affections for truth. To the sun they likewise allotted horses, whose food they called ambrosia and whose drink they called nectar; for they knew that 'the sun' meant heavenly love, 'horses' powers of the understanding which sprang from that love, while 'food' meant celestial things and 'drink' spiritual ones.

[3] The Ancients are also the originators of customs that are still followed when kings are crowned. The king has to sit on a silver throne, wear a purple robe, and be anointed with oil. He has to wear a crown on his head, while holding in his hands a sceptre, a sword, and keys. He has to ride in regal splendour on a white horse shed with horseshoes made of silver; and he has to be waited on at table by the chief nobles of the kingdom. And many other customs are followed besides these. The Ancients knew that 'a king' represented Divine Truth that is rooted in Divine Good, and from this they knew what was meant by a silver throne, a purple robe, anointing oil, crown, sceptre, sword, keys, white horse, horseshoes made of silver, and what was meant by being waited on at table by the chief nobles. Who at the present day knows the meaning of any of these customs, or where the information exists to show him their meaning? People refer to them as symbols, but they know nothing at all about correspondence or representation. All this evidence shows what the factual knowledge possessed by the Ancients was like, and that this knowledge gave them a discernment of spiritual and heavenly realities, which at the present day are scarcely known to exist.

[4] The factual knowledge that has replaced that of the Ancients, and which strictly speaking is called philosophical knowledge, tends to draw the mind away from knowing such things because such knowledge can also be employed to substantiate false ideas. Furthermore, even when used to substantiate true ones it introduces darkness into the mind, because for the most part mere terms are used to substantiate them, which few people can understand and which the few who do understand them argue about. From this it may be seen how far the human race has departed from the learning of the Ancients, which led to wisdom. Gentiles received their factual knowledge from the Ancient Church, whose external worship consisted in representatives and meaningful signs and whose internal worship consisted in the realities represented and meant by these. This was the kind of factual knowledge that is meant in the genuine sense by 'Egypt'.

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