8409. As “flesh” signifies one’s own in both senses, in the supreme sense the Lord’s Divine own, which is His Divine Human, thus the good of His love toward the universal human race; therefore “flesh” in the sense which has reference to man denotes one’s own made alive by the Lord’s own, that is, it denotes the Lord’s own with man, thus the good of love to Him. (On the signification of “flesh” in this sense, see n. 3813, 7850.) But in the opposite sense, “flesh” denotes man’s own, thus the evil of the love of self, and from this the cupidities or concupiscences of this love (n. 999, 3813). (That man’s own is nothing but evil, see n. 210, 215, 694, 874-876, 987, 1023, 1044, 1047, 3812, 5660, 5786) That “flesh” denotes man’s own, thus evil of every kind, is further evident from the following passages in Isaiah:

I will feed thine oppressors with their flesh, and they shall be drunken with their blood, as with new wine (49:26);

“to feed with flesh” denotes to be gorged with their own evil.

[2] In Jeremiah:

Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, but his heart departeth from Jehovah (17:5);

“to make flesh his arm” denotes to trust in his own power; and therefore in Isaiah 9:20, “to eat the flesh of his arm” denotes to trust in himself. Again in Isaiah:

Egypt is a man, and not God; and his horses flesh, and not spirit (31:3);

“the horses of Egypt” denote memory-knowledges from a perverted understanding (n. 6125); “flesh” denotes what is dead; “spirit,” what is alive; therefore the sons of Egypt are said to be “great in flesh” (Ezekiel 16:26). What is “dead” is so called from evil, for spiritual death is from evil; and what is alive is so called from good, for spiritual life is from good.

[3] Hence it is that “flesh” and “spirit” in the Word are opposed to each other, as in John:

That which is born from the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit (John 3:6).

It is the spirit that maketh alive, the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life (John 6:63).

Jehovah said, My Spirit shall not reprove man forever, for that he is flesh (Genesis 6:3);

here “flesh” denotes man’s own. In like manner in Matthew:

Jesus said, Blessed art thou, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it, but My Father who is in the heavens (Matthew 16:17).

As many as received, to them gave He power to be sons of God, to them that believe on His name; who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (1:12-13);

“the will of the flesh” denotes one’s own of the will; “the will of man,” one’s own of the understanding; “sons of God” denote the regenerate, and they who are being regenerated are all made alive from the Lord’s own, which is “the flesh and body of the Lord,” and is the Divine good itself.

[4] As “flesh” in the opposite sense denotes man’s own, thus evil, it also denotes concupiscence, for the life of the flesh, which is the body’s own life, is nothing but the pleasure of the senses, the delight of the appetites, and concupiscence. That “flesh” denotes concupiscence, is evident from these words in Moses:

The rabble that was in the midst of the people lusted a lust, whence the sons of Israel wept again, and said, Who shall feed us with flesh? our soul is now dry, our eyes have nothing to turn to but the manna: and Jehovah said unto Moses, Say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves for the morrow, that ye may eat flesh, for ye have wept in the ears of Jehovah, saying, who shall feed us with flesh? for it was better with us in Egypt; Jehovah will give you flesh to eat, for a month of days, even until it come out from your nose, and it shall be a loathing to you. The flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was swallowed, when the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the people, and Jehovah smote the people with a very great plague, whence he called the name of that place “the graves of lust,” because there they buried the people that lusted (Numbers 11:4, 6, 16, 18, 20, 33-34).

From all this it is now evident what is signified by “sitting by the flesh-pot in the land of Egypt,” namely, a life according to what they like and as they had desired, thus a life of their own.

5660. And other silver have we brought down in our hand to buy food. That this signifies that there is a disposition to procure good by means of truth from another source, is evident from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (of which just above, n. 5657); and as by “silver” is signified truth, by the “other silver” is signified other truth, consequently truth from another source (as there is no genuine truth but that which is from the Lord, who bestows it gratuitously, so truth itself is from no other source); and from the signification of “bringing down,” as being a disposition for procuring, namely, the good of truth which is signified by the corn they were to buy. The historical sense of the letter implies that the other silver also came to Joseph to buy food from him, and therefore did not come from any other source. But the internal sense does not abide in the historical sense of the letter, for which it does not care, but abides in the subject that is being treated of; and the subject is, that if they were to be subjected as servants because some truths in the exterior natural had been bestowed gratuitously, they would procure good by means of truth from some other source. Such also is the series in the internal sense, for it is presently said, “We know not who put our silver in our bags,” by which is signified that they would not believe, because they did not know what was the source of the truth in the exterior natural.

[2] Something similar takes place in the other life with spirits who are being initiated into good by means of truths, and especially into this one-that all good and truth flow in from the Lord. When they perceive that everything they think and will flows into them, thus that they have no power to think and to will from themselves, they resist as much as they can, believing that if this were so they would have no life of their own, and thereby that all delight would perish, for they vest this in what is their own. Besides, if they cannot do good or believe truth of themselves, they suppose they should let go their hands, doing and thinking nothing from themselves, and should wait for influx.

They are permitted to think so, even to the extent of almost coming to the conclusion that they do not desire to receive good and truth from this source, but from some other by which there would not be such a loss of what is their own; and sometimes it is given them to inquire where they may find it. Yet afterward when they find it nowhere, those who are being regenerated come back, and in freedom choose to be led by the Lord in their willing and thinking. They are then informed that they will receive an own that is heavenly, such as angels have, and with this own, also blessedness and happiness to eternity.

[3] As regards the own that is heavenly, this comes forth from the new will that is given by the Lord, and differs from the man’s own in the fact that they who have it no longer regard themselves in each and all things they do, and in each and all things they learn or teach; but they then have regard to the neighbor, the public, the church, the Lord’s kingdom, and thereby to the Lord Himself. It is the ends of life that are changed. The ends that look to lower things, that is, to self and the world, are removed, and ends that look to higher things are substituted in their place. The ends of life are nothing else than the man’s life itself, for they are his very will and loves, because what a man loves he wills and has for his end. He who is gifted with an own that is heavenly is also in quietude and in peace; for he trusts in the Lord, and believes that nothing of evil will reach him, and knows that concupiscences will not infest him. And besides, they who are in the heavenly own are in freedom itself; for to be led by the Lord is freedom, because they are led in good, by good, to good. From this it is evident that they are in blessedness and happiness, for there is nothing that disturbs them, nothing of the love of self, consequently nothing of enmity, hatred, and revenge; nor is there anything of the love of the world, consequently nothing of fraud, of fear, of unrest.