8002. A lodger and a hired servant shall not eat of it. That this signifies that they who do what is good from mere natural disposition, and those who do it for the sake of their own advantage, are not to be with them, is evident from the signification of “a lodger,” as being those who do what is good from mere natural disposition (of which below); from the signification of “a hireling,” as being those who do what is good for the sake of their own advantage (of which also below); and from the signification of “not to eat of it,” as being not to be with them (of which just above, n. 8001). That a “lodger” denotes what is good from mere natural disposition, is because lodgers were those who came from other peoples, and were inhabitants, and dwelt with the Israelites and the Jews in one house; and “to dwell together” signifies to be together in good. But because, as before said, they were from peoples out of the church, the good which is signified is not the good of the church, but is a good not of the church. This good is called “natural good,” because it is hereditary from birth. Moreover, some have such good in consequence of ill health and feebleness. This good is meant by the good which they do who are signified by “lodgers.”

[2] This good is utterly different from the good of the church, for by means of the good of the church conscience is formed in man, which is the plane into which the angels flow, and through which there is fellowship with them; whereas by natural good no plane for the angels can be formed. They who are in this good do good in the dark from blind instinct; not in the light of truth by virtue of influx from heaven; and therefore in the other life they are carried away, like chaff by the wind, by everyone, as much by an evil man as by a good one, and more by an evil one who knows how to join to reasonings something of affection and persuasion; nor can they then be withdrawn by the angels, for the angels operate through the truths and goods of faith, and flow into the plane which has been formed within the man from the truths and goods of faith. From all this it is evident that those who do what is good from mere natural disposition cannot be consociated with the angels (concerning them and their lot in the other life, see n. 3470, 3471, 3518, 4988, 4992, 5032, 6208, 7197).

[3] That “lodgers” are those who do not stay in their own land or in their own house, but in a foreign land, is evident in Moses:

The land shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is Mine; but ye are sojourners and lodgers with Me (Leviticus 25:23).

Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, be not silent at my tear; for I am a sojourner with Thee, a lodger, as all my fathers were (Psalms 39:12).

Abraham said unto the sons of Heth, I am a sojourner and a lodger with you; give me a possession of a sepulcher (Genesis 23:3-4).

By a “sojourner” equally as by a “lodger,” is signified a comer and inhabitant from another land, but by a “sojourner” are signified those who were being instructed in the truths of the church and who received them; and by “lodgers” were signified those not instructed in the truths of the church, because they were not willing to receive them.

[4] As regards “hirelings,” they were such as labored for hire, being servants, but not bought; that these were called “hirelings” see Leviticus 19:13; 25:4-6; Deuteronomy 24:14-15. As “hirelings” were those who labored for hire, by them in the internal sense are meant those who do what is good for the sake of their own advantage in the world; and in a sense still more interior, those who do what is good for the sake of reward in the other life; thus who desire to merit by works.

[5] They who do what is good merely for the sake of their own advantage in the world, cannot possibly be consociated with angels, because the end regarded by them is the world, that is, wealth and eminence; and not heaven, that is, the blessedness and happiness of souls. The end is what determines the actions, and gives them their quality. Concerning those who do what is good merely for the sake of their own advantage, the Lord thus speaks in John:

I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd layeth down His life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and deserteth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf seizeth them, and scattereth the sheep. But the hireling fleeth because he is a hireling (John 10:11-13).

Egypt is a very beautiful heifer; destruction out of the north is come. Her hirelings are like calves of the fatting stall; for they also have turned back, they have fled away together, they did not stand, because the day of their destruction is come upon them (Jeremiah 46:20-21).

[6] That lodgers and hirelings were not to be consociated in respect to holy things with those who were of the church, is evident from this in Moses:

There shall no alien eat of the holy thing: a lodger of the priest, and a hireling, shall not eat of the holy thing (Leviticus 22:10).

And that from the sons of lodgers were to be bought servants who should serve forever, in the same:

Of the nations that are round about you ye shall buy manservant and maidservant; and also of the sons of the lodgers that do sojourn with you, of these shall ye buy, and of their family that is with you, although they have brought forth in your land; and that they may be your possession, and that ye may hand them over for an inheritance to your sons after you, to inherit for a possession; ye shall rule over them forever (Leviticus 25:44-46).

By the “sons of the lodgers” are signified memory-knowledges which are from mere natural light; that spiritual truths shall rule over these is signified by “servants being bought of the sons of the lodgers for a perpetual possession.”

[7] But they who do what is good for the sake of reward in the other life, who also are signified by “hirelings,” differ from those just now spoken of, in that they have as the end life and happiness in heaven. But as this end determines and converts their Divine worship from the Lord to themselves, and they consequently desire well to themselves alone, and to others only so far as these desire well to them, and accordingly the love of self is in every detail, and not the love of the neighbor, therefore they have no genuine charity. Neither can these be consociated with the angels, for the angels are utterly averse to both the name and the idea of reward or recompense. That benefits must be imparted without the end of reward, the Lord teaches in Luke:

Love your enemies, and impart benefits, and lend, hoping for nothing again; then shall your reward be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High (Luke 6:32-35; 14:12-14).

(Concerning meritorious goods and their quality, see n. 1110, 1111, 1774, 1835, 1877, 2027, 2273, 2340, 2373, 2400, 3816, 4007, 4174, 4943, 6388-6390, 6392, 6393, 6478)

[8] That it is so often said by the Lord that they who do what is good shall “have their reward in heaven” (as in Matthew 5:11-12; 6:1-2, 16; 10:41-42; 20:1-16; Mark 9:41; Luke 6:23, 35; 14:14; John 4:36) is because before he is regenerated a man cannot but think of reward; but it is otherwise when he has been regenerated; he is then indignant if anyone thinks that he benefits his neighbor for the sake of reward, for he feels delight and blessedness in imparting benefits, and not in recompense. (That in the internal sense “reward” denotes the delight of the affection of charity, see n. 3816, 3956, 6388, 6478)

3518. Go now to the flock. That this signifies to natural domestic good not conjoined with the Divine rational, is evident from the signification of “flock,” as being good (n. 343, 415, 1565), here, natural good, because it is said to Jacob, and indeed domestic good, because it was at home, whereas the field whence Esau (by whom is signified the good of the natural, n. 3500, 3508) took his hunting, was good not domestic. Elsewhere in the Word “flock” is predicated of the good of the rational; but in this case “herd” is predicated of the good of the natural (n. 2566). Natural domestic good is that good which a man derives from his parents, or into which he is born, quite distinct from the good of the natural which flows in from the Lord (the nature and quality of natural good may be seen above, n. 3470, 3471); and therefore for the sake of distinction the one good is called the Good of the Natural, and the other Natural Good. Moreover every man receives domestic good from his father and from his mother, which goods are in themselves distinct; that which he receives from the father being interior, and that from the mother exterior. In the Lord these goods were most distinct, for the good which He had from the Father was Divine, but that which He had from the mother was contaminated with hereditary evil; that good in the natural which the Lord had from the Father was His own, because it was His very life, and is that which is represented by Esau; whereas the natural good which the Lord derived from the mother, being contaminated with hereditary evil, was in itself evil, and this is what is meant by “domestic good.” Although of such a character, this good was yet of service for the reformation of the natural; but when it had answered this purpose it was rejected.

[2] The case is similar with every man who is being regenerated: the good which he receives from the Lord as from a new father is interior, but the good which he derives from his parents is exterior; the former good, which he receives from the Lord, is called spiritual; but the latter, which he derives from his parents, is called natural good. The good that a man derives from his parents is serviceable first of all for his reformation, for by means of it are introduced as by what is pleasurable and delightful, first, memory-knowledges, and afterwards the knowledges of truth; but when it has served as a means for this use it is separated from these; and then spiritual good comes forth and manifests itself. This must be evident from much experience, as from the single instance that when a child is first instructed he is affected with the desire of knowing, not at first for any end that is manifest to himself, but from a certain pleasure and delight that is born with him and is also derived from other sources; but afterwards, as he grows up, he is affected with the desire of knowing for the sake of some end, as that he may excel others, or his rivals; and next for some end in the world; but when he is to be regenerated, he is affected from the delight and pleasantness of truth; and when he is being regenerated, which takes place in adult age, from the love of truth, and afterwards from the love of good; and then the ends which had preceded, together with their delights, are separated little by little, and to them succeeds interior good from the Lord, which manifests itself in his affection. From this it is evident that the former delights, which had appeared in the outward form as good, had served as means. Such successions of means are continual.

[3] The case herein may be compared to that of a tree, which in its first age, or at the beginning of spring, adorns its branches with leaves, and afterwards as its age or the spring advances, decorates them with flowers; and next in summer puts forth the first germs of fruits, which afterwards become fruit; and lastly puts seeds therein, which contain in them new trees of a like kind, and indeed whole orchards in potency; and if the seeds are sown, in act. Such analogues are there in nature, which also are representative; for universal nature is a theater representative of the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, thus of His kingdom on earth, that is, in the church, and hence of His kingdom in every regenerate man. From this it is plain how natural or domestic good, although a merely outward delight and indeed a worldly one, may serve as a means for producing the good of the natural, which may conjoin itself with the good of the rational, and thus become regenerate or spiritual good, that is, good which is from the Lord. These are the things which are represented and signified by “Esau and Jacob” in this chapter.