Arcana Coelestia #8185
8185. 'And let the children of Israel come into the middle of the sea on dry ground' means in order that those belonging to the spiritual Church may pass through in safety and without falsity flowing in. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming into (or entering) the middle' as passing through; from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those belonging to the spiritual Church, dealt with often; and from the meaning of 'on dry ground' as in safety and without falsity flowing in. Falsities arising from evil are meant by 'the waters' of that sea, 8137, 8138, and therefore 'dry ground' means without falsity. 'Dry' and 'drying up' have a similar meaning in David,
You broke in pieces the heads of Leviathan, You split open fountain and river, You dried up rivers of strength. Psalms 74:14-15.
'Drying up rivers of strength' stands for dispersing quite powerful falsities.
[2] In Zechariah,
I will gather them, for I will redeem them. I will bring them back from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria. And I will bring them to the land of Gilead and Lebanon. He will go through the sea of distress; but he will strike the waves in the sea, and dry up all the depths of the River. And the pride of Asshur will be thrown down, and the rod of Egypt will depart. And I will render them strong in Jehovah. Zechariah 10:8-end.
This refers to those who in spiritual matters trust in themselves and their own wisdom, also to the dispersing of falsities through temptations. 'The land of Egypt' stands for factual knowledge; 'Assyria' stands for reasonings based on that knowledge; 'going through the sea of distress' stands for temptations; 'striking the waves in the sea, and drying up the depths of the River' stands for dispersing falsities from there; and 'the pride of Asshur will be thrown down, and the rod of Egypt will depart' stands for trusting no longer in their own wisdom but in wisdom received from the Lord, which is meant by 'I will render them strong in Jehovah'.
[3] Likewise in Isaiah,
He who says to Jerusalem, You will be dwelt in, and to the cities of Judah, You will be built, and I will raise up her waste places. He who says to the abyss, Be dry! and I will dry up your rivers. Isaiah 44:26-27.
'Saying to the abyss, Be dry!' and 'drying up its rivers' stand for dispersing evils and falsities. But when 'waters' means truths, 'drying up' means a state that is truthless or devoid of truth, as in Isaiah,
I will pour out waters upon the thirsty land, and streams upon the dry. Isaiah 44:3.
'Waters' and 'streams' stand for truths, 'the dry land' for the place that is truthless.
[4] In Jeremiah,
O sword against the Chaldeans and against the inhabitants of Babel! O sword against its horses and against its chariots! A drought on its waters, in order that they may dry up! Jeremiah 50:35, 37-38.
'The Chaldeans' stands for those who render truths profane, and 'the inhabitants of Babel' for those who render forms of good profane, 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326. 'Sword' stands for truth fighting against falsity, or for falsity fighting against truth, and from this for vastation, 2799, 4499, 6353, 7102; 'horses' stands for the power of understanding, 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321, 6125, 6534; 'chariots' stands for doctrinal teachings, 5321, 8146, 8148; and 'a drought on its waters, in order that they may dry up' stands for truths with no life at all in them owing to falsification.
But when the expressions 'dry' or 'drying up' are used in the Word in connection with other things, such as trees, plants, harvest, or bones, those things take on a contrary meaning. Also, in relation to the sea actual land is called the dry land; and in that case 'the dry land' has reference to good, and 'the sea' to truth.
Exodus 15
1
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to Yahweh, and said, "I will sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
2
Yah is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
3
Yahweh is a man of war. Yahweh is his name.
4
He has cast Pharaoh's chariots and his army into the sea. His chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea.
5
The deeps cover them. They went down into the depths like a stone.
6
Your right hand, Yahweh, is glorious in power. Your right hand, Yahweh, dashes the enemy in pieces.
7
In the greatness of your excellency, you overthrow those who rise up against you. You send forth your wrath. It consumes them as stubble.
8
With the blast of your nostrils, the waters were piled up. The floods stood upright as a heap. The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.
9
The enemy said, 'I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide the spoil. My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'
10
You blew with your wind. The sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11
Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12
You stretched out your right hand. The earth swallowed them.
13
"You, in your loving kindness, have led the people that you have redeemed. You have guided them in your strength to your holy habitation.
14
The peoples have heard. They tremble. Pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia.
15
Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed. Trembling takes hold of the mighty men of Moab. All the inhabitants of Canaan are melted away.
16
Terror and dread falls on them. By the greatness of your arm they are as still as a stone-- until your people pass over, Yahweh, until the people pass over who you have purchased.
17
You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, the place, Yahweh, which you have made for yourself to dwell in; the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands have established.
18
Yahweh shall reign forever and ever."
19
For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and Yahweh brought back the waters of the sea on them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.
20
Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances.
21
Miriam answered them, "Sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea."
22
Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
23
When they came to Marah, they couldn't drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah.
24
The people murmured against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"
25
Then he cried to Yahweh. Yahweh showed him a tree, and he threw it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there he tested them;
26
and he said, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am Yahweh who heals you."
27
They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water, and seventy palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
