Arcana Coelestia #3995
3995. 'And the spotted and speckled among the she-goats' means that after this all the good of truth that has falsity and evil mingled within it will be 'Jacob's'. This is clear from the meaning of 'spotted' as falsity, and from the meaning of 'speckled' as evil, dealt with just above in 3993, and from the meaning of 'she-goats' as the good of truth, or the charity of faith, dealt with in 3519. The fact that all of this will be 'Jacob's' is also meant by the statement which follows, 'And that will be my wages'.
[2] What is meant by the good of truth, or the charity of faith, will be discussed briefly. While a person is being regenerated it seems as though the truth of faith takes precedence and as though the good of charity is secondary; but once he has been regenerated it is quite plain that the good of charity takes precedence, and that the truth of faith is secondary. For what is seen before regeneration is the appearance but what is seen after it is the reality of the situation, see 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3616, 3701. For while a person is being regenerated he does what is good from the truth he has learned, it being from truth that he learns what good is. Yet it is the good present inwardly that performs what is good because good is flowing in from the Lord by an internal route, that is, by way of the soul, while truth flows in by an external route, that is, by way of the senses, which is that of the body. Truth which enters by the external route is adopted by the good present inwardly and is joined to it, an activity which continues until that person has been regenerated. Then a reversal takes place and truth is done from good. This shows what is meant by the good of truth and by the truth of good. It also explains why so many at the present day speak of the good deeds of charity as the fruits of faith, for these are what those deeds are seen to be when regeneration first begins. These people base such a conclusion on the appearance and know nothing else, for those who are being regenerated are few and none can have a knowledge of this matter except one who has been regenerated, that is, who has an affection for good, which is charity. It is from an affection for good, or charity, that it can be seen clearly, and also perceived, by him. People however who are not regenerate do not even know what the affection for good is, that is, what charity is, but reason about it as something foreign or extraneous to themselves. As a consequence they call charity the fruit of faith, when in fact faith is a product of charity. However, it does not matter very much whether simple people know which is prior and which is posterior, provided they are leading charitable lives, for charity is the life of faith.
[3] By the expression 'member of the flock' here is meant not only lambs but also sheep, kids, she-goats, rams, and he-goats, though only lambs and she-goats are actually mentioned. These alone are mentioned because 'lambs' means innocence, and 'she-goats' the charity of faith, these being the subject at this point in the internal sense. This too is why in the original language 'spotted' is expressed by a word which also means lambs, as in Isaiah 40:10-11, while 'speckled' is expressed by a word which also means a sheep breeder, as in 2 Kings 3:4; Amos 1:1.
Numbers 29
1
"'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing of trumpets to you.
2
You shall offer a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish;
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and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three tenth parts for the bull, two tenth parts for the ram,
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and one tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs;
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and one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you;
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besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and the meal offering of it, and the continual burnt offering and the meal offering of it, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
7
"'On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; and you shall afflict your souls: you shall do no kind of work;
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but you shall offer a burnt offering to Yahweh for a pleasant aroma: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; they shall be to you without blemish;
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and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three tenth parts for the bull, two tenth parts for the one ram,
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a tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs:
11
one male goat for a sin offering; besides the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meal offering of it, and their drink offerings.
12
"'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no servile work, and you shall keep a feast to Yahweh seven days:
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and you shall offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh; thirteen young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish;
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and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three tenth parts for every bull of the thirteen bulls, two tenth parts for each ram of the two rams,
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and a tenth part for every lamb of the fourteen lambs;
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and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, the meal offering of it, and the drink offering of it.
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"'On the second day [you shall offer] twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish;
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and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance;
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and one male goat for a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, and the meal offering of it, and their drink offerings.
20
"'On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish;
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and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance;
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and one male goat for a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, and the meal offering of it, and the drink offering of it.
23
"'On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish;
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their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance;
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and one male goat for a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, the meal offering of it, and the drink offering of it.
26
"'On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish;
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and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance;
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and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and the meal offering of it, and the drink offering of it.
29
"'On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish;
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and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance;
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and one male goat for a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, the meal offering of it, and the drink offerings of it.
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"'On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish;
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and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance;
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and one male goat for a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, the meal offering of it, and the drink offering of it.
35
"'On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly: you shall do no servile work;
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but you shall offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish;
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their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the ordinance:
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and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and the meal offering of it, and the drink offering of it.
39
"'You shall offer these to Yahweh in your set feasts, besides your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meal offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.'"
40
Moses told the children of Israel according to all that Yahweh commanded Moses.
