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民数记 9

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1 以色列人出埃及以後,第二年正耶和华在西乃的旷野吩咐摩西

2 以色列人应当在所定的日期守逾越节

3 就是本十四黄昏的时候,你们要在所定的日期守这节,要按这节的律例典章而守。

4 於是摩西吩咐以色列人逾越节

5 他们就在西乃的旷野,正十四黄昏的时候,守逾越节。凡耶和华所吩咐摩西的以色列人都照样行了。

6 有几个人因死尸而不洁净,不能在那日守逾越节。当日他们到摩西亚伦面前,

7 :我们虽因死尸而不洁净,为何被阻止、不得同以色列人在所定的日期献耶和华的供物呢?

8 摩西对他们:你们暂且等候,我可以去耶和华指着你们是怎样吩咐的。

9 耶和华摩西

10 你晓谕以色列人:你们和你们後中,若有因死尸而不洁净,或在远方行路,还要向耶和华逾越节

11 他们要在二十四黄昏的时候,守逾越节。要用无酵饼与苦菜,和逾越节的羊羔同

12 一点不可留到早晨;羊羔的骨头一根也不可折断。他们要照逾越节的一切律例而守。

13 那洁净而不行路的若推辞不守逾越节,那要从民中剪除;因为他在所定的日期不献耶和华的供物,应该担当他的罪。

14 若有外人寄居在你们中间,愿意向耶和华逾越节,他要照逾越节的律例典章行,不管是寄居的是本人,同归例。

15 立起帐幕的那日,有彩遮盖帐幕,就是法柜的帐幕;从晚上早晨彩在其上,形状如

16 常是这样,彩遮盖帐幕,夜间形状如

17 彩几时从帐幕收上去,以色列人就几时起行;彩在那里停住,以色列人就在那里安营。

18 以色列人耶和华的吩咐起行,也遵耶和华的吩咐安营。彩在帐幕上停住几时,他们就住营几时。

19 彩在帐幕上停留许多日子,以色列人就守耶和华所吩咐的不起行。

20 有时彩在帐幕上几,他们就照耶和华的吩咐住营,也照耶和华的吩咐起行。

21 有时从晚上早晨,有这彩在帐幕上;早晨彩收上去,他们就起行。有时昼夜彩停在帐幕上,收上去的时候,他们就起行。

22 彩停留在帐幕上,无论是两,是一,是一年,以色列人就住营不起行;但彩收上去,他们就起行。

23 他们遵耶和华的吩咐安营,也遵耶和华的吩咐起行。他们守耶和华所吩咐的,都是凭耶和华吩咐摩西的

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10093

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10093. 'That which has been waved, and that which has been heaved up' means what has been acknowledged and what has been perceived. This is clear from the meaning of the words 'that which has been waved', when they refer to the breast, as that which has been endowed with life through acknowledgement, dealt with above in 10091; and from the meaning of 'that which has been heaved up' as the Divine Celestial, which is the Lord's alone, perceived in heaven and in the Church, dealt with below. The implications of all this must be stated briefly. There are two kingdoms which comprise the heavens, the celestial and the spiritual. Divine Truth is acknowledged in the spiritual kingdom but perceived in the celestial kingdom. The reason why this should be so is that Divine Truth in the spiritual kingdom is received in the understanding part of the mind but in the celestial kingdom in the will part. What is received in the understanding part is termed 'acknowledged', and what is received in the will part is spoken of as 'perceived'. Furthermore those in the spiritual kingdom can do no more than acknowledge Divine Truth, whereas those in the celestial kingdom are able to perceive it. See what has been shown abundantly regarding those two kingdoms in the places referred to in 9277, 9596, 9684.

[2] As regards 'the heave offering', that which was Jehovah's or the Lord's and was given to Aaron on account of his representation is called 'the heave offering'. And since Aaron represented the Lord in respect of Divine Good, 9806, that part of sacrifices which was heaved up and given to Aaron represented that which is Divine and the Lord's, and is also called 'the anointing', in Moses,

The breast of the wave offering and the flank of the heave offering I have received from among the children of Israel from their eucharistic sacrifices, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons by a statute forever 1 from among the children of Israel. This is the anointing of Aaron and the anointing of his sons from the fire offerings to Jehovah, on the day he presented them 2 , to serve Jehovah in the priestly office. Leviticus 7:34-35.

The expression 'the anointing' is used because 'anointing' means consecrating to serve as a representative sign of the Lord in respect of Divine Good, see 9954, 10019. And in another place in the same author,

Jehovah spoke to Aaron, Behold, I have given you charge of My heave offerings; as regards all the holy things of the children of Israel, I have given them to you for the anointing, and to your sons. Yours shall the heave offering of [their] gift be, as regards every wave offering of the children of Israel, all the best 3 of pure oil, and all the best 3 of the new wine and the grain, of the firstfruits; and as regards all the firstfruits which they will give to Jehovah, they shall be yours. As regards every devoted thing, everything opening the womb of all flesh which they will bring to Jehovah, [it shall be yours.] From the firstborn of cow, sheep, and she-goat, the flesh shall be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering and just as the right flank are. Every heave offering of the holy things [I have given you]. You shall have no portion or inheritance in the land, because Jehovah is your portion and inheritance. Also, every heave offering from the tithes and the gifts which have been made to the Levites. Numbers 18:8-29.

From all this it is evident what the term 'heave offering' denotes, namely all the things that were Jehovah's, that is, the Lord's.

[3] And since the Levites represented the Divine Truths in heaven and in the Church which serve Divine Good, they were also given to Aaron instead of all the firstborn, which were Jehovah's, that is, the Lord's. They are spoken of in Moses as follows,

I have taken the Levites from the midst of the children of Israel, instead of every firstborn, that which opens the womb, from the children of Israel, that the Levites may be Mine; for every firstborn is Mine. And since the Levites have been given to Me, I have given them as gifts to Aaron and his sons. Numbers 3:12-13; 8:16-19.

Heave offerings are spoken of as gifts presented to Jehovah, that is, to the Lord, from among the children of Israel; but it should be understood that they are Jehovah's not by virtue of their being a gift but because He is the real owner; for nothing holy or Divine with a person belongs to the person, only to the Lord present with him. All that is good and true, as is well known in the Church, thus all that is holy and Divine, comes from the Lord God, and none at all from the person; and from this it is evident that when the gift is said to come from the person, this is due to appearances. This also is why the next verse states,

For it is a heave offering, and it shall be a heave offering from among the children of Israel, it is a heave offering to Jehovah.

This means that the heave offering from the children of Israel belongs to Jehovah, thus that the gift from them is a gift from the Lord. From this it is evident what a heave offering is.

Footnotes:

1. literally, a statute of eternity

2. literally, he (i.e. Moses) caused them to draw near

3. literally, fat

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