Joshua Chapter 1: Bůh přikázal Joshua

Kniha Joshua je o vstupu, dobytí a urovnání. Izraelité mají jít a žít v zemi, kterou jim Bůh slíbil, a kde bydleli před mnoha staletími.

Kapitola 1 Joshua odstartuje tento příběh. Joshua se ujal vedení Děti Izraele a je pověřen, aby vedl lidi přes řeku Jordán a převzal zemi. Vnitřní význam tohoto příběhu není politický, ale protože je v Bibli, je to osobní nebo duchovní. Kanaánská země je náš vlastní osobní život (viz Vysvětlená Apokalypsa 569[5]), která má kromě některých vysokých ideálů a dobrých úmyslů, které reprezentuje izraelský lid, také velmi lidský v tom, že se zaměřuje na sebe, je kritická, chamtivá, soudná (jmenujete ji!) - a tyto rysy jsou znázorněny v knize Jozue několik kmenů Kanaánů, kteří se tam usadili, zatímco Izrael byl v Egyptě. Jejich kmenová jména mají významy jako „nízko ležící“ a „obyvatelé bláta“. Jejich dobytí symbolizuje naši potřebu - s Boží pomocí - překonat tyto lidské životy s nízkým životem a místo toho být vedeni Božími pravdami (Nebeská tajemství 4816).

Joshua je pověřen Bohem, aby vedl lidi (Nebeská tajemství 8595). Mojžíš zemřel a nyní vede Joshua. Při uvedení do provozu Bůh popisuje několik věcí, s nimiž se musíme osobně vztahovat. Nejprve je nám řečeno, že musíme překročit řeku Jordán, abychom se dostali do země. Řeka je velmi určitá hranice a to nám říká, že existuje ostrý rozdíl mezi naším starým životem a naším novým životem, bez odstínů šedé.

Dále je Joshua řečeno, že každé místo, na kterém chodí vaše noha, bude vaše. To ukazuje na naši potřebu používat Boží pravdy prakticky tím, že žijeme a děláme je spíše než intelektuálně jen o nich přemýšlíme, protože naše „noha“ je nejnižší bod našeho těla, který se přímo dotýká země (viz viz Nebe a Peklo 97). Důvodem, po kterém chodíme, je samotný život.

Poté jsou hranice země Kanaánu popsány namem a ty nám dávají představy o naší potřebě být vyzváni (divočina), dobře myslet (Libanon), dělat dobro (Hittites) a mnohem více (Velké moře). . Pak Bůh říká, že pokud se rozhodneme žít Boží pravdy, nic nám nebude stát v cestě.

Poté přicházejí slavná slova „Buďte silní a velmi odvážní“ (Nebeská tajemství 6343). V kapitole 1 přicházejí několikrát, aby nás povzbudili a drželi v síle Boží moci. Je nám také řečeno, aby se neotáčeli na pravou nebo levou stranu, což znamená, že musíme poslouchat Boha a dělat to, co je správné, aniž bychom se odchýlili. Po skvělém startu můžeme tak snadno zpomalit a odvrátit se.

Kniha zákona se neodkloní od našich úst, ale musíme ji meditovat ve dne i v noci a udržovat ji v ústech, v mysli, v srdci a v našich činech a v našich úmyslech.

Joshua pak dává vůdcům vůdce, aby připravili lidi k odchodu. To pro nás znamená, že naše poznání, že musíme následovat Boha a dobýt svůj život, musí stékat z naší mysli do každé části nás v nejmenším detailu tohoto a tohoto a dokonce i toho. A vždy být připraven.

Poslední část kapitoly 1 je o některých izraelských kmenech - Reubenitech, Gaditech a polovině Manasseh. Dříve se tyto kmeny rozhodly, že se raději usadí na východní straně řeky Jordán, kde jsou dobré pastviny. Mojžíš jim řekl: „Ano“, ale nyní Joshua říká, že předtím, než to udělají, musí všichni muži jít se všemi do Kanaánu a bojovat a teprve poté se vrátit přes Jordán, aby byli se svými manželkami a dětmi a hejny.

To nám říká, že v našich životech je místo pro vnější potěšení a majetek, ale pouze tehdy, když jsme vlastnili a žili Boží věci jako první (Nebeská tajemství 870).

66. Verse 14. And His head and hairs white, signifies the Divine in firsts and in ultimates. This is evident from the signification of "head," when it refers to the Lord, of whom these things are said, as being the Divine in firsts (of which presently); and from the signification of "hairs," as being the Divine in ultimates (of which also presently); and from the signification of "white," as being what is pure. (That "white" [album] and "bright white" [candidum] mean what is pure, see Arcana Coelestia 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319.) "Head," in reference to the Lord, is the Divine in firsts, because the head is the highest part of man, and in it are his firsts, which are called the beginnings, from which are derived all things that have place in the body; for in the head are the understanding and the will, from which, as from their firsts or beginnings, flow the remaining things that relate to man's outer life, such as speech and all actions. But "hairs," in reference to the Lord, mean the Divine in ultimates, because hairs are ultimate things, for they grow out of the outmost parts of man, and first things terminate in them; when, therefore, "head" and "hairs" are mentioned firsts and ultimates are meant.

[2] Anyone who knows that in spiritual things also "head" signifies first things and "hairs" ultimates, and that first things and ultimates signify all things (as shown in n. 41), can know many arcana of the internal sense where "head" and "hairs" are mentioned; as that:

A Nazarite should not shave the hair of his head, for this, as it is said, was the Nazariteship of God upon his head, and when the days were accomplished, he was to shave it off and consecrate it (Numbers 6:1-21);

also that:

The strength of Samson was in his locks, and when they were shaven off he became weak, and when they grew again he came into his strength (Judges 16:13-31 tothe end);

also that:

Forty-two children were torn in pieces by bears because they mocked Elisha, calling him bald-head (2 Kings 2:23-24);

as also that:

Elijah was clothed with a garment of hair (2 Kings 1:8);

And John the Baptist with camel's hair (Mark 1:6);

furthermore, what "head," "hairs," "beard," and "baldness" signify wherever they are mentioned in the Word.

[3] That a Nazarite should not shave his hair, because this, as is said, was the Nazariteship of God upon his head; and that when the days were accomplished he should shave it off and consecrate it, was for the reason that the Nazarite represented the Lord in firsts and in ultimates, and His Divine in ultimates was His Human, which He made Divine even to the flesh and bones, which are ultimates. That He made it Divine even to the flesh and bones is evident from the fact that He left nothing in the sepulcher, and that:

He said to the disciples that He had flesh and bones, which a spirit hath not (Luke 24:39-40).

And when the Divine Itself is Divine even in ultimates, then it governs all things from firsts by means of ultimates (as can be seen from what was shown above, n. 41; especially from what was cited from the Arcana Coelestia, namely, that interior things flow in successively into exterior things, even into what is extreme or outmost, and there have existence and subsistence, n. 634, 6239, 6465, 9215, 9216; that they not only flow in successively, but also form what is simultaneous in the ultimate, in what order see n. 5897, 6451, 8603, 10099; that therefore all interior things are held together in connection from the first by means of the ultimate, n. 9828, and in the work on Heaven and Hell 297; that from this the ultimate is more holy than the interiors, n. 9824; and therefore in ultimates there is strength and power, n. 9836). These then are the reasons why the Nazariteship was instituted. The Nazarite was finally to consecrate his hair by putting it into the fire of the altar, because it represented the Divine holiness, and the "fire of the altar" signified that holiness (n. 934, 6314, 6832).

[4] From this it can be seen, moreover, why the strength of Samson was in his hair (Judges 16:13-31 to the end), for it is said that:

He was a Nazarite from his mother's womb (Judges 13:7; 16:17).

Moreover, for the same reason:

It was not lawful for the high priest and his sons, nor for the Levites, to shave the head and make themselves bald (Leviticus 10:6; 21:5, 10; Ezekiel 44:20).

Likewise:

With the Israelitish people to cut off the beard (which had a like signification) was disgraceful (2 Samuel 10:4, 5).

The forty-two children were torn in pieces by the bears because they mocked Elisha, calling him bald-head, for the reason that Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord in respect to the Word, which is Divine truth, the sanctity and strength of which are in ultimates from firsts, as was said just above. Because "baldness" thus signified the deprivation of these, this took place. "Bears," moreover, signify truth in ultimates. (That Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord in respect to the Word, see Arcana Coelestia 2762, 5247.) From this it is clear also why Elijah had a hairy garment and John one of camel's hair; for John the Baptist, like Elijah, represented the Lord in respect to the Word; for this reason also he was called Elijah (See Arcana Coelestia 7643, 9372).

[5] When these things are understood, it can be known what is signified in the Word by "head," "hairs," "beard," and "baldness," as in Isaiah:

In that time shall the Lord shave by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hairs of the feet, He shall also consume the beard (Isaiah 7:20).

In the same prophet:

On all heads baldness, every beard cut off (Isaiah 15:2).

In Jeremiah:

Truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. Cut off thine hair and cast it away (Jeremiah 7:28-29).

In Ezekiel:

Take a razor and pass it over the head and beard (Ezekiel 5:1).

Shame shall be upon every face, and baldness upon all heads (Ezekiel 7:18).

Every head was made bald (Ezekiel 29:18).

In Amos:

I will bring up baldness upon every head (Amos 8:10).

In David:

God shall bruise the head of His enemies, the hairy scalp of him that goeth on in his guilt (Psalms 68:21).

In these passages and in others, by "cutting off the hair of the head," "shaving the beard," and inducing baldness, is signified to deprive of all truth and good; since he that is deprived of ultimates is also deprived of things prior, for prior things have existence and subsistence in ultimates, as was said above. Moreover, in the world of spirits there are seen some that are bald, and I have been told that they are such as have abused the Word, and have applied the sense of the letter, which is Divine truth in ultimates, to wicked purposes, and therefore have been deprived of all truth. These are most malignant. Many of them are of the Babylonish body. Angels, on the contrary, appear with becoming hair.