Verse 4. Have been devoted to the merely natural life, and are now subdued by the Lord and rendered useful to the man of the church; and that the external man is delighted with such things and possesses such things.

1426. That 'Abram' represents the Lord as regards His Human Essence is clear from all that has been said concerning Abram. Later on He represents Him both as regards the Human Essence and as regards the Divine Essence, though by then he is called Abraham. The things stated in verse 1 and down to the present verse represent and mean a first awareness that He was taking to Himself celestial and thus Divine things. Advances of His Human Essence closer to His Divine Essence begin here.