4366. 'And Esau said, I have much, my brother; let what is yours be yours' means a tacit acceptance, in order that in this way He might instill the affection for good that develops out of truth. This becomes clear from this refusal to accept what was offered, in that it really implies a willingness to take it; for Esau went on to accept it. One sometimes refuses an offer when in fact accepting it, to the end that affection may be instilled. That affection is also increased by such a refusal and so advances from the thought of what is good to the desire for it. Man is led by the Lord in the spiritual life by means of things that are virtually the same as those by which one leads others in everyday life. In everyday life it is quite normal to refuse an offer so that the one who makes it may do so with affection, thus not simply because he has thought of making it but also because he desires to do so. Should the offer not be accepted the ultimate intention would perish, and therefore that intention incites the one making the offer to think more intently about it and so to make it his heart's desire.

[2] The reason why this procedure is not apparent in the spiritual life as it is in everyday life is that the people with whom good is being joined to truths, that is, who are being regenerated, are few; and what is more, the few who are being regenerated neither reflect on nor are able to reflect on such matters as they do not know what spiritual good is because they do not know what charity is and what the neighbour is in the genuine sense. And because they do not know these things they cannot have any interior conception about truth which is the truth of faith. In addition to this they set the spiritual life and everyday life so far apart from each other that they do not dare to infer from everyday life any notion about the spiritual life. They are totally unaware of the fact that these correspond to each other and that the spiritual life is represented within everyday life; indeed some do not even allow any comparison to be made. But the fact of the matter is that no notion of the spiritual life can be had except from the things which belong to everyday life. Once everyday life is taken away therefore spiritual life falls to nothing, until at length belief in the existence of it remains no longer. This is made perfectly clear by the fact that people no longer have any belief in the idea that spirits and angels mix with one another as men mix, or that they converse with one another, reason with one another just as men reason, though in a far more perfect way, about what is honourable and decent, about what is just and fair, and about what is good and true. Even less belief exists in the idea that spirits and angels can see, hear, and find out about one another, combine into communities and live together, besides many other things.

4606. 'And Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun' means the essential characteristics of these, that is to say, of external Divine Goods and Truths. This is clear from the representation of each of these sons - from the representation of 'Simeon' in the highest sense as providence, in the internal sense faith within the will, and in the external sense obedience, dealt with in 3869-3872; of 'Levi' in the highest sense as love and mercy, in the internal sense charity or spiritual love, and in the external sense a joining together, dealt with in 3875, 3877; of 'Judah' in the highest sense as the Divinity of the Lord's Love, in the internal sense the Lord's celestial kingdom, and in the more exterior sense doctrine from the Word which the celestial Church has, dealt with in 3881; of 'Issachar' in the highest sense as Divine Good wedded to Truth, and Truth wedded to Good, in the internal sense heavenly conjugial love, and in the external sense mutual love, dealt with in 3956, 3957; and from the representation of 'Zebulun' in the highest sense as the Lord's Divine itself and His Divine Human, in the internal sense the heavenly marriage, and in the external sense conjugial love, dealt with in 3960, 3961. These are the essential characteristics within the Lord's external Divine Goods and Truths; but no one is able to explain how each one is present within them except him who dwells in heavenly light. For in that light they reveal themselves like the replies seen in the Urim and Thummim as flashes of light and fire, from which answers given by the Lord were perceived. For the Urim and Thummim contained twelve precious stones in conformity with the twelve tribes of Israel.