Bibliorum

 

3 Mosebok 10

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1 Men Arons sønner Nadab og Abihu tok hver sitt ildkar og la ild i dem og la røkelse på ilden og bar fremmed ild inn for Herrens åsyn, som han ikke hadde befalt dem.

2 Da gikk det ild ut fra Herrens åsyn og fortærte dem, og de døde for Herrens åsyn.

3 Da sa Moses til Aron: Dette var det Herren talte om da han sa: På dem som står mig nær, vil jeg åpenbare min hellighet, og for alt folkets åsyn vil jeg forherlige mig. Og Aron tidde.

4 Men Moses kalte på Misael og Elsafan, sønner av Arons farbror Ussiel, og sa til dem: Tred frem og bær eders brødre bort fra helligdommen og utenfor leiren!

5 Og de trådte frem og bar dem i deres kjortler utenfor leiren, som Moses hadde sagt.

6 Da sa Moses til Aron og hans sønner Eleasar og Itamar: I skal ikke rake eders hoder og ikke sønderrive eders klær, forat I ikke skal , og forat han* ikke skal vredes på hele menigheten; men eders brødre, hele Israels hus, skal gråte over denne brand som Herren har optendt. / {* Herren.}

7 Og I skal ikke gå bort fra inngangen til sammenkomstens telt, forat I ikke skal ; for Herrens salvings-olje er på eder. Og de gjorde som Moses sa.

8 Og Herren talte til Aron og sa:

9 Vin eller sterk drikk skal hverken du eller dine sønner drikke når I går inn i sammenkomstens telt, forat I ikke skal - det skal være en evig lov for eder, fra slekt til slekt -

10 så I kan gjøre forskjell mellem hellig og vanhellig, mellem urent og rent,

11 og lære Israels barn alle de lover som Herren har kunngjort dem ved Moses.

12 sa Moses til Aron og hans sønner Eleasar og Itamar, som ennu var i live: Ta det matoffer som er tilovers av Herrens ildoffer, og et det usyret ved siden av alteret; for det er høihellig.

13 I skal ete det på et hellig sted, for det er din og dine sønners fastsatte del av Herrens ildoffer; således er det mig befalt.

14 Og svinge-brystet og løfte-låret skal I ete på et rent sted, du og dine sønner og dine døtre med dig; for det er gitt dig og dine barn som eders fastsatte del av Israels barns takkoffer.

15 Løfte-låret og svinge-brystet skal de bære frem sammen med ildofferfettstykkene og svinge dem for Herrens åsyn; og det skal være din og dine barns fastsatte del til evig tid, således som Herren har befalt.

16 Da nu Moses spurte efter syndoffer-bukken, viste det sig at den var opbrent; da blev han vred på Eleasar og Itamar, Arons sønner som ennu var i live, og han sa:

17 Hvorfor har I ikke ett syndofferet på det hellige sted? Det er jo høihellig, og han har gitt eder det forat I skal bortta menighetens syndeskyld og gjøre soning for dem for Herrens åsyn.

18 Blodet blev jo ikke båret inn i helligdommen; derfor skulde I ha ett kjøttet på det hellige sted, således som jeg har befalt.

19 Da sa Aron til Moses: De har jo idag ofret sitt syndoffer og sitt brennoffer for Herrens åsyn, og enda er slik en ulykke* hendt mig. Om jeg nu hadde ett syndoffer idag, skulde da det ha vært godt i Herrens øine? / {* 3MO 10, 1-5.}

20 Da Moses hørte dette, syntes han det var rett.

   

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #10243

Studere hoc loco

  
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10243. 'They shall wash with water' means purification effected by means of the truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'washing' as purification from evils and falsities, dealt with above in 10237; and from the meaning of 'water' as the truths of faith, also dealt with above, in 10238. Anyone who does not know what 'washing' means, nor what 'feet' and 'hands' mean, cannot possibly know what is implied by the following words in John,

Jesus poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the linen towel with which He was girded. And He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, Do you wash my feet? Jesus answered, What I am doing you do not know as yet; but you will know afterwards. Peter said to Him, You shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me. Peter said to Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and head. Jesus said to Him, He who has been washed has no need except to wash his feet, but the whole person is clean. Already you are clean. John 13:5-10.

Is there anyone who can know what the real meaning is when the Lord said, 'What I am doing you do not know as yet, but you will know afterwards', also 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me', as well as 'He who has been washed has no need except to wash his feet', and 'the whole person is clean'?

[2] These words refer to purification from evils and falsities, but no one can know of this except from the internal sense. From this sense it is evident that 'washing' is used to mean purification from evils and falsities; 'water in a basin' to mean the truth of faith within the natural; 'the linen towel' which the Lord was girded with, and which He used for wiping, to mean Divine Truth emanating from Him; 'feet' to mean the natural level in a person; and 'washing the head, hands, and feet' to mean regeneration, as is 'he who has been washed', so that 'washing the feet' is used to mean purifying the natural level in a person. Unless this level with a person is purified and cleansed while he is living in the world he cannot ever be purified after that. For whatever a person's natural level is like when he dies it remains the same; no improvement takes place afterwards, for it is the level into which interior things, that is, spiritual ones flow, and it is their receptacle. Consequently when it has been perverted the interior things are similarly perverted on flowing in. The situation is like that with the eye or any other sensory organ or a member of the body when it has been damaged; inner abilities to perceive or to act by means of that organ or member are conditioned by the state of reception there.

[3] A person's inability therefore ever to be purified if his natural is not purified in the world is the meaning of the Lord's words, What I am doing you do not know as yet; but you will know afterwards. The fact that nothing except the natural needs to be purified in one who has been regenerated is the meaning of He who has washed has no need except to wash his feet, and of the whole person is clean. And the accomplishment of all purification by the Lord alone is the meaning of If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me. The accomplishment of it by means of the Divine Truth which emanates from the Lord is meant by His wiping with the linen towel with which He was girded.

'A linen towel' means truth from God, see 7601, so that 'the linen towel with which the Lord was girded' is Divine Truth from Himself.

'Water' means the truth of faith, 10238.

'A basin' or a laver with water in it means the natural, 10235.

'Washing the head, hands, and feet' - that is, the whole body - means regeneration, 10239, 'feet' being the natural within a person, 10241.

From all this it again becomes evident that the Lord spoke by means of correspondences, thus in accordance with the internal sense, since He spoke from heaven's point of view, where that sense exists. Consequently there is little understanding of the Lord's Word unless it is understood on that level of meaning.

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