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Genesis 18

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1 At napakita ang Panginoon sa kaniya sa mga punong encina ni Mamre, habang siya'y nakaupo sa pintuan ng tolda, ng kainitan ng araw.

2 At itiningin ang kaniyang mga mata at nagmalas, at, narito't tatlong lalake ay nakatayo sa tabi niya: at pagkakita niya sa kanila, ay tinakbo niya upang sila'y salubungin mula sa pintuan ng tolda, at yumukod siya sa lupa.

3 At nagsabi, Panginoon ko, kung ngayo'y nakasumpong ako ng biyaya sa iyong paningin, ay ipinamamanhik ko sa iyo, na huwag mong lagpasan ang iyong lingkod.

4 Itulot mong dalhan kayo rito ng kaunting tubig, at maghugas kayo ng inyong mga paa, at mangagpahinga kayo sa lilim ng kahoy.

5 At magdadala ako ng isang subong tinapay at inyong palakasin ang inyong puso; at pagkatapos ay magsisipagtuloy kayo: yamang kayo'y naparito sa inyong lingkod, At nagsipagsabi, Mangyari ang ayon sa iyong sinabi.

6 At si Abraham ay nagmadaling napasa tolda ni Sara, at sinabi, Maghanda ka agad ng tatlong takal ng mainam na harina, iyong tapayin at gawin mong mga munting tinapay.

7 At tumakbo si Abraham sa bakahan at nagdala ng isang bata at mabuting guya, at ibinigay sa alipin; at siya'y nagmadali, upang lutuin.

8 At siya'y kumuha ng mantekilla, at ng gatas, at ng guyang niluto niya, at inihain sa harapan nila; at siya'y tumayo sa siping nila sa lilim ng punong kahoy; at sila'y nagsikain.

9 At sinabi nila sa kaniya, Saan naroon si Sara na iyong asawa? At sinabi niya Narito, nasa tolda.

10 At sinabi niya, Walang salang di ako babalik sa iyo sa ganitong panahon ng taong darating; at narito't si Sara na iyong asawa ay magkakaanak ng isang lalake. At narinig ni Sara sa pintuan ng tolda, na nasa likod niya.

11 Si Abraham at si Sara nga'y matatanda na, at lipas na sa panahon; at tinigilan na si Sara ng kaugalian ng mga babae.

12 At nagtawa si Sara sa kaniyang sarili, na sinasabi, Pagkatapos na ako'y tumanda ay magtatamo ako ng kaligayahan, at matanda na rin pati ng panginoon ko?

13 At sinabi ng Panginoon kay Abraham, Bakit tumawa si Sara, na sinasabi, Tunay kayang ako'y manganganak, na matanda na ako?

14 May anomang bagay kayang napakahirap sa Panginoon? Sa tadhanang panahon ay babalik ako sa iyo, sa taong darating, at si Sara ay magkakaanak ng isang lalake.

15 Nang magkagayo'y nagkaila si Sara, na sinasabi, Hindi ako tumawa, sapagka't siya'y natakot. Nguni't sinabi niya, Hindi gayon; kundi ikaw ay tumawa.

16 At nangagtindig doon ang mga lalake, at nangagsitingin sa dakong Sodoma; at sinamahan sila ni Abraham, upang ihatid sila sa daan.

17 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Ililihim ko ba kay Abraham ang aking gagawin;

18 Dangang si Abraham ay tunay na magiging isang bansang malaki at matibay, at pagpapalain sa kaniya ang lahat ng bansa sa lupa?

19 Sapagka't siya'y aking kinilala, upang siya'y magutos sa kaniyang mga anak at sa kaniyang sangbahayan pagkamatay niya, na maingatan nila ang daan ng Panginoon, na gumawa ng kabanalan, at kahatulan; upang padatnin ng Panginoon, kay Abraham ang kaniyang ipinangako tungkol sa kaniya.

20 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Sapagka't ang sigaw ng Sodoma at Gomorra ay malakas, at sapagka't ang kasalanan nila ay napakalubha;

21 Ay bababa ako ngayon at titingnan ko kung ginawa nga ang ayon sa sigaw na dumarating hanggang sa akin; at kung hindi ay aking malalaman.

22 At ang mga lalake ay nagsilayo roon at nagsitungo sa Sodoma datapuwa't si Abraham ay nakatayo pa sa harapan ng Panginoon.

23 At lumapit si Abraham, at nagsabi, Ang mga banal ba ay iyong lilipuling kasama ng mga masama?

24 Kung sakaling may limang pung banal sa loob ng bayan: lilipulin mo ba, at di mo patatawarin ang dakong yaon, alangalang sa limang pung banal na nasa loob niyaon?

25 Malayo nawa sa iyo ang paggawa ng ganito, na ang banal ay iyong pataying kasama ng masama, anopa't ang banal ay mapara sa masama; malayo nawa ito sa iyo: di ba gagawa ng matuwid ang Hukom ng buong lupa?

26 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Kung makasumpong ako sa Sodoma ng limang pung banal sa loob ng bayan, patatawarin ko ang buong dakong yaon, alangalang sa kanila.

27 At sumagot si Abraham, at nagsabi, Narito, ngayo'y nangahas akong magsalita sa Panginoon, akong alabok at abo lamang:

28 Kung sakaling magkukulang ng lima sa limang pung banal: lilipulin mo ba, dahil sa limang kulang, ang buong bayan? At sinabi niya, Hindi ko lilipulin kung makasumpong ako roon ng apat na pu't lima.

29 At siya'y muling nagsalita pa sa kaniya, at nagsabi, Marahil ay may masusumpungang apat na pu. At sinabi niya, Hindi ko gagawin, alangalang sa apat na pu.

30 At sinabi niya, Oh huwag magalit ang Panginoon, at ako'y magsasalita: kung sakaling may masusumpungan doong tatlong pu. At sinabi niya, Hindi ko gagawin kung makakasumpong ako roon ng tatlong pu.

31 At kaniyang sinabi, Narito ngayon, ako'y nangahas na magsalita sa Panginoon: kung sakaling may masusumpungan doong dalawang pu. At sinabi niya, Hindi ko lilipulin, alangalang sa dalawang pu.

32 At sinabi niya, Oh huwag magalit ang Panginoon at magsasalita na lamang akong minsan: kung sakaling may masusumpungan doong sangpu: at sinabi niya, Hindi ko lilipulin, alangalang sa sangpu.

33 At ang Panginoon ay nagpatuloy, pagkatapos na makipagusap kay Abraham: at si Abraham ay nagbalik sa kaniyang dako.

   

Aus Swedenborgs Werken

 

Apocalypse Explained #1153

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1153. And fine flour and wheat.- That these signify worship from truths and goods that are from a spiritual origin, profaned, is evident from the signification of fine flour, which denotes truth from a spiritual origin, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of wheat, which denotes good from a spiritual origin (concerning which see above, n. 374, 375). The reason why these things also signify worship is, that the meat offering, which, together with the sacrifices, was offered up upon the altar, was composed of them, similarly the wine and oil; for the meat offerings were prepared with oil, and the drink offerings with wine. On account of the gathering in of these things, festivals also were instituted in which they rejoiced on account of their produce. Fine flour signifies truth from spiritual good, because it is prepared from wheat, which signifies spiritual good, as truth is derived from good.

[2] Since this truth of the church was signified by fine flour, therefore the quantity to be used in the cakes that were called the meat offerings and were offered with the sacrifices upon the altar, was prescribed (concerning which see Exodus 29:5-7, 13; Numbers 18, 28, 29). Similarly the quantity of fine flour in the cakes of proposition, or shew-bread, was prescribed (Leviticus 23:17; chap. 24:5), for it was commanded, that "the meat offering which was to be offered upon the altar should be prepared from fine flour, and oil and frankincense poured thereon" (Leviticus 2:1). On account of this signification of fine flour, when Abraham spoke with the three angels, he said to Sarah his wife, "Hasten and knead three measures of fine flour, and make cakes" (Genesis 18:6).

[3] Fine flour also signifies the truth of good from a spiritual origin in Ezekiel:

"Fine flour, honey, and oil hast thou eaten, whence thou art become exceeding beautiful, and hast prospered unto a kingdom. My bread which I gave thee, fine flour, honey, and oil, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast set before" idols "for an odour of rest" (16:13, 19).

This treats of Jerusalem, by which the church as to doctrine is signified; and in that chapter its quality at its beginning is described, and what it became afterwards. Fine flour and oil signify truth and good from a spiritual origin, while honey signifies good from a natural origin. By becoming exceedingly beautiful is signified to become intelligent and wise; by prospering unto a kingdom is signified even to become a church, a kingdom signifying a church. By setting those things before idols for an odour of rest, is signified the idolatrous worship into which the true worship of the church was afterwards converted.

[4] By the meal of barley, however, truth from a natural origin is signified, for barley signifies natural good just as wheat signifies spiritual good.

Thus in Isaiah,

"Take thee a mill-stone and grind flour, make thyself bare" (47:2).

This refers to Babel. By taking a millstone and grinding flour is signified to falsify the truths of the Word, and by making herself bare or naked is signified to adulterate the goods of the Word.

In Hosea,

"They sow the wind, and they reap the whirlwind; he hath no standing corn, the blade shall yield no meal, and if it do yield, strangers shall devour it" (8:7).

Here also meal (farina) signifies truth from a natural origin.

[5] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed.- The fifth law of the Divine Providence is, That man should not know from feeling and perception in himself how good and truth from the Lord enter by influx, and how evil and falsity enter by influx from hell; nor see how the Divine Providence operates in favour of good against evil; for in such case man would not act as of himself from freedom according to reason. It is sufficient for him to know and acknowledge these things from the Word, and from the doctrine of the church. This is meant by the Lord's words in John:

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (3:8);

and also by these words in Mark:

"The kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed upon the earth, and should sleep and rise night and day; but the seed springeth up and groweth he knoweth not how; for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, at length the full corn in the ear; and when the fruit is brought forth, he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come" (4:26-29).

The reason why man does not perceive the operation of the Divine Providence in himself is, that such perception would take away his freedom, and consequently the power of thinking as if from himself, and with it also all the enjoyment of life, so that a man would be like, an automaton, in which there is no power of reciprocation as means by which conjunction is effected; and he would also be a slave, and not a free man.

[6] The reason why Divine Providence moves so secretly, that scarcely any vestige of it appears, although it operates in the most minute things of man's thought and will that regard his eternal state, is, that the Lord continually desires to impress His love on him, and His wisdom by means of it, and thus to create him into His image. The Lord, therefore, acts upon man's love, and from it upon his understanding, and not from his understanding upon his love. Love together with its affections, which are manifold and innumerable, is not perceived by man except by a most general feeling, and consequently in so small a degree as scarcely to amount to anything; and yet man is to be led from one affection of his loves into another, according to the connection in which they are from order, so that he may be reformed and saved, which is incomprehensible, not only to men, but also to the angels.

[7] If man knew any thing of these secret operations (arcana) he could not be withdrawn from leading himself, even though it were continually from heaven into hell, notwithstanding that he is constantly led by the Lord from hell towards heaven; for from himself he constantly acts in opposition to order, but the Lord constantly acts according to it. For, in consequence of the nature derived from his parents, man is in the love of himself, and in the love of the world, and consequently from a feeling of delight he perceives the whole of these loves as good; and still those loves as ends must be removed. This is effected by the Lord by an infinity of ways which appear like labyrinths, even before the angels of the third heaven.

[8] From these considerations it is evident, that it would be of no advantage to a man to know any thing of this from feeling and perception, but that on the contrary it would be hurtful to him, and would destroy him for ever. It is sufficient for him to be acquainted with truths, and by means of them with the nature of good and evil, and to acknowledge the Lord and His Divine government in every thing; then so far as he knows truths, and by means of them sees what good and evil are, and does truths as if from himself, so far the Lord, by love, introduces him into wisdom and the love of wisdom, conjoining wisdom with love, and making them one because they are one in Himself. The ways by which the Lord leads man may be compared with the vessels through which his blood flows and circulates; and also with the fibres and their foldings within and without the viscera of the body, especially in the brain, through which the animal spirit (spiritus animalis) flows and imparts life.

[9] Man is not aware how all these things enter by influx and flow through him; and yet he lives, provided he knows and does what is conducive to his well being. But the ways by which the Lord leads him are much more complicated and intricate, both those by which He leads man through the societies of hell, and away from them, and those by which He leads man through the societies of heaven, and interiorly into them. This, therefore, is what is meant by the words: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou knowest not whence it cometh and whither it goeth" (John 3), also, by the seed springing up and growing, a man knowing not how (Mark 4:27). Of what importance is it for a man to know how the seed grows, provided he knows how to plough the earth, to harrow it, to sow the seed, and when he reaps the harvest, to bless God?

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.