Die Bibel

 

Genesis 24:42

Lernen

       

42 I came this day to the spring, and said, 'Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go--

Aus Swedenborgs Werken

 

Arcana Coelestia #3017

studieren Sie diesen Abschnitt

  
/ 10837  
  

3017. 'And Jehovah blessed Abraham in all things' means when all things had been re-arranged by the Lord into Divine order, or what amounts to the same, when the Lord had re-arranged all things into Divine order. This is clear from the consideration that 'Jehovah' is the Lord as regards the Divine Itself, 1343, 1736, 1815, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2921, in which case 'Abraham' represents the Lord as regards the Divine Human, 2833, 2836. Consequently when it is said that 'Jehovah blessed Abraham in all things' the meaning in the internal sense is that the Lord from the Divine Itself re-arranged all things in His Human into Divine order, for when 'blessing' is spoken of in regard to the Lord's Human it means those things. 'Being blessed', when it has reference to man, means being enriched with spiritual and celestial good, 981, 1096, 1420, 1422; and he is so enriched when the things residing with him are re-arranged by the Lord into a spiritual and celestial order, and so into the image and likeness of Divine order, 2475. The regeneration of man is nothing else.

[2] But what is described by the statement that all things were re-arranged into Divine order by the Lord within the Divine Human is evident from what follows in the present chapter. It describes how His Divine Rational, represented by Isaac, which had been conceived from the Divine Good, represented by Abraham, and born from the Divine Truth, represented by Sarah, was now re-arranged into that Divine order, to the end that Divine Truths from the Human itself could be joined to it. These are the arcana which this chapter contains in the internal sense and which angels possess from the Lord in full light, for in the light of heaven they are plain to see as if in broad daylight. But in the light of the world in which man dwells hardly anything is visible except dimly and in some small measure with a regenerate person, since he also dwells in some light belonging to heaven.

  
/ 10837  
  

Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

Aus Swedenborgs Werken

 

Arcana Coelestia #1096

studieren Sie diesen Abschnitt

  
/ 10837  
  

1096. That 'blessed be Jehovah, [God] of Shem' means every good imparted to those who worship the Lord from things that are internal becomes clear from the meaning of 'blessed'. Blessing entails every good - celestial and spiritual, and natural as well. All these are meant in the internal sense by blessing, while in the external sense it means all worldly, bodily, and earthly good. But if the latter are to be a blessing, it is vital that they derive from internal blessing, for this alone is real blessing since it is eternal and is joined with all happiness. It is the Essential Being (Esse) of all blessings. For what has Being apart from that which is eternal? Everything else that has being is non-eternal. In early times it was customary to say 'Blessed be Jehovah', by which people meant that every blessing, that is, all good, flows from Him. It was also a way of expressing thanks for the Lord's blessing or having blessed them, as in David, Psalms 28:6; 71:21; 41:13; 66:20; 68:19, 35; 72:18-19; 89:52; 119:12; 124:6; 135:21; 144:1, and in other places besides these.

[2] The expression 'blessed be Jehovah God' is used because Shem, or the internal Church, is the subject. That Church is called an internal Church by virtue of charity. It is in charity that the Lord is present, Who is therefore called 'Jehovah God' here. But He is not called this in the external Church, for although the Lord is present there, that presence is not the same as with the member of the internal Church. The member of the external Church still believes that he himself is the source of the good deeds of charity which he performs. Consequently when the subject is the member of the external Church the Lord is called God, as He is in the next verse in reference to Japheth - 'God enlarge Japheth'. That every good imparted to those who worship the Lord from things that are internal is meant becomes clear also from the order of things. The order is this: From the Lord comes everything celestial, from the celestial comes everything spiritual, from the spiritual comes everything natural. Such is the order by which all things are brought into being, and therefore is the order belonging to influx.

[3] That which is celestial is love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour. Where there is no love, the chain is broken and the Lord not present For He flows in solely by way of that which is celestial, that is, by way of love. When that which is celestial does not exist, that which is spiritual cannot either, for everything spiritual comes from the Lord by way of the celestial. That which is spiritual is faith. Consequently faith does not exist unless it comes from the Lord by way of charity or love. And the same applies to the natural. It is according to this same order that all goods flow in. From this it follows that every good is imparted to those who worship the Lord from things that are internal, that is, from charity. But to those who do not do so from charity no good is imparted, but only an imitation of good which is in itself evil, as the delight accompanying hatred and adultery, which regarded in itself is an absolutely foul delight, into which it is also converted in the next life.

  
/ 10837  
  

Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.