The Bible

 

Postanak 19

Study

   

1 Ona dva anđela stignu navečer u Sodomu dok je Lot sjedio na vratima Sodome. Kad ih Lot ugleda, ustade i pođe im u susret. Nakloni se licem do zemlje,

2 a onda im reče: "Molim, gospodo, svrnite u kuću svoga sluge da noć provedete i noge operete; a onda možete na put rano." A oni rekoše: "Ne, noć ćemo provesti na trgu."

3 Ali ih on uporno navraćaše, i oni se uvratiše k njemu i uđoše u njegovu kuću. On ih ugosti, ispeče pogaču te blagovaše.

4 Još ne bijahu legli na počinak, kad građani Sodome, mladi i stari, sav narod do posljednjeg čovjeka, opkole kuću.

5 Zovnu Lota pa mu reknu: "Gdje su ljudi što su noćas došli k tebi? Izvedi nam ih da ih se namilujemo?"

6 Lot iziđe k njima na ulaz, a za sobom zatvori vrata.

7 "Braćo moja," reče on, "molim vas, ne činite toga zla!

8 Imam, evo, dvije kćeri s kojima još čovjek nije imao dodira: njih ću vam izvesti pa činite s njima što želite; samo ovim ljudima nemojte ništa učiniti jer su došli pod sjenu moga krova."

9 "Odstupi odatle!" - rekoše. - "Došao kao dotepenac, a za suca se već postavlja. Sad ćemo mi s tobom gore nego s njima." I nasrnuše na jadnika Lota i navališe na vrata da ih razbiju.

10 Ali ona dvojica pruže ruke van, povukoše Lota k sebi u kuću i zatvore vrata;

11 a ljude pred vratima, mlade i stare, zabliješte tako da nisu mogli naći vrata.

12 Onda ona dvojica upitaju Lota: "Koga još ovdje imaš: sinove i kćeri, sve koje imaš u gradu iz mjesta izvedi!

13 Jer mi ćemo zatrti ovo mjesto: vika je na njih pred Jahvom postala tolika te nas Jahve posla da ga uništimo."

14 Iziđe Lot da to kaže svojima budućim zetovima koji namjeravahu uzeti njegove kćeri te reče: "Na noge! Odlazite iz ovog mjesta jer će Jahve uništiti grad!" Ali je u očima svojih budućih zetova ispao kao da zbija šalu.

15 Kako zora puče, anđeli navale na Lota govoreći: "Na noge! Uzmi svoju ženu i svoje dvije kćeri koje su ovdje da ne budeš zatrt kaznom grada!"

16 Ali on oklijevaše. Zato ga oni uzeše za ruku, a tako i njegovu ženu i njegove dvije kćeri i - po smilovanju Jahvinu nad njim - odvedoše ih i ostaviše izvan grada.

17 Kad ih izvedoše u polje, jedan progovori: "Bježi da život spasiš! Ne obaziri se niti se igdje u ravnici zaustavljaj! Bježi u brdo da ne budeš zatrt!"

18 Ali Lot odvrati: "Nemoj, gospodine!

19 Nego ako je tvoj sluga našao milost u tvojim očima - a toliko milosrđe već si mi iskazao spasivši mi život - ja ne mogu pobjeći u brdo a da me nesreća ne snađe i ne poginem.

20 Eno onamo grada; dosta je blizu da u nj pobjegnem, a mjesto je tako malo. Daj da onamo bježim - mjesto je zbilja maleno - daj da život spasim!"

21 Odgovori mu: "Uslišat ću ti i tu molbu i neću zatrti grada o kojemu govoriš.

22 Brzo! Bježi onamo, jer ne mogu ništa činiti dok ti onamo ne stigneš." Zato se onaj grad zove Soar.

23 Kako je sunce na zemlju izlazilo i Lot ulazio u Soar,

24 Jahve zapljušti s neba na Sodomu i Gomoru sumpornim ognjem

25 i uništi one gradove i svu onu ravnicu, sve žitelje gradske i sve raslinstvo na zemlji.

26 A Lotova se žena obazre i pretvori se u stup soli.

27 Sutradan u rano jutro Abraham se požuri na mjesto gdje je stajao pred Jahvom,

28 upravi pogled prema Sodomi i Gomori i svoj ravnici u daljini: i vidje kako se diže dim nad zemljom kao dim kakve klačine.

29 Tako se Bog, dok je zatirao gradove u ravnici u kojima je Lot boravio, sjetio Abrahama i uklonio Lota ispred propasti.

30 Lot se bojao boraviti u Soaru, pa sa svoje dvije kćeri ode gore iz Soara i nastani se u brdu. On i njegove dvije kćeri živjeli su u pećini.

31 Starija reče mlađoj: "Otac nam ostarje, a muža na zemlji nema da bude s nama, kako je običaj po svem svijetu.

32 Hajdemo oca opiti vinom, pa s njime leći: tako ćemo s ocem sačuvati potomstvo."

33 One noći opiju oca vinom, i starija ode te legne sa svojim ocem, a on nije znao kad je legla ni kad je ustala.

34 Sutradan starija reče mlađoj: "Sinoć sam, eto, ležala ja s našim ocem; napojimo ga vinom i noćas, pa idi ti i s njim lezi: tako ćemo ocu sačuvati potomstvo."

35 Opiju oca vinom i one noći te mlađa ode i s njim legne, a on nije znao kad je legla ni kad je ustala.

36 Tako obje Lotove kćeri zanesu s ocem.

37 Starija rodi sina i nadjenu mu ime Moab. On je praotac današnjih Moabaca.

38 I mlađa rodi sina i nadjene mu ime Ben-Ami. On je praotac današnjih Amonaca.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #1153

Study this Passage

  
/ 1232  
  

1153. And fine flour and wheat.- That these signify worship from truths and goods that are from a spiritual origin, profaned, is evident from the signification of fine flour, which denotes truth from a spiritual origin, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of wheat, which denotes good from a spiritual origin (concerning which see above, n. 374, 375). The reason why these things also signify worship is, that the meat offering, which, together with the sacrifices, was offered up upon the altar, was composed of them, similarly the wine and oil; for the meat offerings were prepared with oil, and the drink offerings with wine. On account of the gathering in of these things, festivals also were instituted in which they rejoiced on account of their produce. Fine flour signifies truth from spiritual good, because it is prepared from wheat, which signifies spiritual good, as truth is derived from good.

[2] Since this truth of the church was signified by fine flour, therefore the quantity to be used in the cakes that were called the meat offerings and were offered with the sacrifices upon the altar, was prescribed (concerning which see Exodus 29:5-7, 13; Numbers 18, 28, 29). Similarly the quantity of fine flour in the cakes of proposition, or shew-bread, was prescribed (Leviticus 23:17; chap. 24:5), for it was commanded, that "the meat offering which was to be offered upon the altar should be prepared from fine flour, and oil and frankincense poured thereon" (Leviticus 2:1). On account of this signification of fine flour, when Abraham spoke with the three angels, he said to Sarah his wife, "Hasten and knead three measures of fine flour, and make cakes" (Genesis 18:6).

[3] Fine flour also signifies the truth of good from a spiritual origin in Ezekiel:

"Fine flour, honey, and oil hast thou eaten, whence thou art become exceeding beautiful, and hast prospered unto a kingdom. My bread which I gave thee, fine flour, honey, and oil, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast set before" idols "for an odour of rest" (16:13, 19).

This treats of Jerusalem, by which the church as to doctrine is signified; and in that chapter its quality at its beginning is described, and what it became afterwards. Fine flour and oil signify truth and good from a spiritual origin, while honey signifies good from a natural origin. By becoming exceedingly beautiful is signified to become intelligent and wise; by prospering unto a kingdom is signified even to become a church, a kingdom signifying a church. By setting those things before idols for an odour of rest, is signified the idolatrous worship into which the true worship of the church was afterwards converted.

[4] By the meal of barley, however, truth from a natural origin is signified, for barley signifies natural good just as wheat signifies spiritual good.

Thus in Isaiah,

"Take thee a mill-stone and grind flour, make thyself bare" (47:2).

This refers to Babel. By taking a millstone and grinding flour is signified to falsify the truths of the Word, and by making herself bare or naked is signified to adulterate the goods of the Word.

In Hosea,

"They sow the wind, and they reap the whirlwind; he hath no standing corn, the blade shall yield no meal, and if it do yield, strangers shall devour it" (8:7).

Here also meal (farina) signifies truth from a natural origin.

[5] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed.- The fifth law of the Divine Providence is, That man should not know from feeling and perception in himself how good and truth from the Lord enter by influx, and how evil and falsity enter by influx from hell; nor see how the Divine Providence operates in favour of good against evil; for in such case man would not act as of himself from freedom according to reason. It is sufficient for him to know and acknowledge these things from the Word, and from the doctrine of the church. This is meant by the Lord's words in John:

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (3:8);

and also by these words in Mark:

"The kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed upon the earth, and should sleep and rise night and day; but the seed springeth up and groweth he knoweth not how; for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, at length the full corn in the ear; and when the fruit is brought forth, he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come" (4:26-29).

The reason why man does not perceive the operation of the Divine Providence in himself is, that such perception would take away his freedom, and consequently the power of thinking as if from himself, and with it also all the enjoyment of life, so that a man would be like, an automaton, in which there is no power of reciprocation as means by which conjunction is effected; and he would also be a slave, and not a free man.

[6] The reason why Divine Providence moves so secretly, that scarcely any vestige of it appears, although it operates in the most minute things of man's thought and will that regard his eternal state, is, that the Lord continually desires to impress His love on him, and His wisdom by means of it, and thus to create him into His image. The Lord, therefore, acts upon man's love, and from it upon his understanding, and not from his understanding upon his love. Love together with its affections, which are manifold and innumerable, is not perceived by man except by a most general feeling, and consequently in so small a degree as scarcely to amount to anything; and yet man is to be led from one affection of his loves into another, according to the connection in which they are from order, so that he may be reformed and saved, which is incomprehensible, not only to men, but also to the angels.

[7] If man knew any thing of these secret operations (arcana) he could not be withdrawn from leading himself, even though it were continually from heaven into hell, notwithstanding that he is constantly led by the Lord from hell towards heaven; for from himself he constantly acts in opposition to order, but the Lord constantly acts according to it. For, in consequence of the nature derived from his parents, man is in the love of himself, and in the love of the world, and consequently from a feeling of delight he perceives the whole of these loves as good; and still those loves as ends must be removed. This is effected by the Lord by an infinity of ways which appear like labyrinths, even before the angels of the third heaven.

[8] From these considerations it is evident, that it would be of no advantage to a man to know any thing of this from feeling and perception, but that on the contrary it would be hurtful to him, and would destroy him for ever. It is sufficient for him to be acquainted with truths, and by means of them with the nature of good and evil, and to acknowledge the Lord and His Divine government in every thing; then so far as he knows truths, and by means of them sees what good and evil are, and does truths as if from himself, so far the Lord, by love, introduces him into wisdom and the love of wisdom, conjoining wisdom with love, and making them one because they are one in Himself. The ways by which the Lord leads man may be compared with the vessels through which his blood flows and circulates; and also with the fibres and their foldings within and without the viscera of the body, especially in the brain, through which the animal spirit (spiritus animalis) flows and imparts life.

[9] Man is not aware how all these things enter by influx and flow through him; and yet he lives, provided he knows and does what is conducive to his well being. But the ways by which the Lord leads him are much more complicated and intricate, both those by which He leads man through the societies of hell, and away from them, and those by which He leads man through the societies of heaven, and interiorly into them. This, therefore, is what is meant by the words: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou knowest not whence it cometh and whither it goeth" (John 3), also, by the seed springing up and growing, a man knowing not how (Mark 4:27). Of what importance is it for a man to know how the seed grows, provided he knows how to plough the earth, to harrow it, to sow the seed, and when he reaps the harvest, to bless God?

  
/ 1232  
  

Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

Genesis 18:6

Study

       

6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."