Arcana Coelestia #1096
1096. Blessed be Jehovah the God of Shem. That this signifies every good for those who worship the Lord from internals, is evident from the signification of “blessed.” Blessing involves every good: celestial, spiritual, and natural; and all these are signified by “blessing” in the internal sense. In the external sense, by “blessing” is signified every worldly, corporeal, and earthly good; but these, if they be a blessing, must necessarily be so from internal blessing; for this alone is blessing, because it is eternal, and is conjoined with every felicity, and is the very being of blessings. For what really is, unless it is eternal? Every other being ceases to be. It was customary among the ancients to say, “Blessed be Jehovah;” by which they meant that from Him is every blessing, that is, every good; and the same was also a formula of thanksgiving because the Lord blesses, and has blessed; as in David (Psalms 28:6; 31:21; 41:13; 66:20; 68:19, 35; 72:18-19; 89:52; 119:12; 124:6; 135:21; 144:1; and many other places).
[2] “Blessed be Jehovah” is said here because Shem, or the internal church, is the subject that is being treated of, which church is said to be internal, from charity. In charity the Lord is present, who is here called “Jehovah God.” But He is not so called in the external church, for although the Lord is present in it, He is not present as He is in the man of the internal church. For the man of the external church still believes that he does the goods of charity from himself, and therefore when the subject treated of is the man of the external church, the Lord is called “God” as in the following verse concerning Japheth: “God shall enlarge Japheth.” That every good is the portion of those who worship the Lord from internals, is evident also from the order of things; for the order is this: from the Lord is everything celestial, from the celestial is everything spiritual, from the spiritual is everything natural. This is the order of the coming forth of all things, and therefore it is the order of influx.
[3] The celestial is love to the Lord and toward the neighbor. Where there is no love, the connection is broken, and the Lord is not present, who flows in solely through the celestial, that is, through love. When there is no celestial, there cannot possibly be any spiritual, because everything spiritual is through the celestial from the Lord. The spiritual is faith, and therefore there is no faith except through charity, or love, from the Lord. It is similar with the natural. According to this same order do all goods flow in; from which it follows that those have every good who worship the Lord from internals, that is, from charity; whereas those who do not worship Him from charity have no good, save such as counterfeits what is good, but in itself is evil, such as the delight of hatreds and adulteries, which regarded in itself is nothing but an excrementitious delight, into which also it is turned in the other life.
Psalms 68
1
Let God arise! Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee before him.
2
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3
But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.
4
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name! Rejoice before him!
5
A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
6
God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.
7
God, when you went forth before your people, when you marched through the wilderness... Selah.
8
The earth trembled. The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai-- at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9
You, God, sent a plentiful rain. You confirmed your inheritance, when it was weary.
10
Your congregation lived therein. You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.
11
The Lord announced the word. The ones who proclaim it are a great company.
12
"Kings of armies flee! They flee!" She who waits at home divides the spoil,
13
while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of a dove sheathed with silver, her feathers with shining gold.
14
When the Almighty scattered kings in her, it snowed on Zalmon.
15
The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains. The mountains of Bashan are rugged.
16
Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign? Yes, Yahweh will dwell there forever.
17
The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.
18
You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among men, yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah God might dwell there.
19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. Selah.
20
God is to us a God of deliverance. To Yahweh, the Lord, belongs escape from death.
21
But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.
22
The Lord said, "I will bring you again from Bashan, I will bring you again from the depths of the sea;
23
That you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies."
24
They have seen your processions, God, even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25
The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, in the midst of the ladies playing with tambourines,
26
"Bless God in the congregations, even the Lord in the assembly of Israel!"
27
There is little Benjamin, their ruler, the princes of Judah, their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
28
Your God has commanded your strength. Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.
29
Because of your temple at Jerusalem, kings shall bring presents to you.
30
Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples. Being humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations that delight in war.
31
Princes shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.
32
Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord! Selah.
33
To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.
34
Ascribe strength to God! His excellency is over Israel, his strength is in the skies.
35
You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God! For the Chief Musician. To the tune of "Lilies." By David.
