The Bible

 

Postanak 28

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1 Stoga Izak pozove Jakova, blagoslovi ga te mu naloži: "Nemoj uzimati ženu od kanaanskih djevojaka.

2 Odmah se zaputi u Padan Aram, u dom Betuela, oca svoje majke, pa odande sebi uzmi ženu, od kćeri Labana, brata svoje majke.

3 A Bog Svemožni, El-Šadaj, neka te blagoslovi i neka te učini rodnim i brojnim, tako da postaneš mnoštvo naroda.

4 Neka protegne na te blagoslov Abrahamov, na te i na tvoje potomstvo, tako da zaposjedneš zemlju u kojoj boraviš kao pridošlica, a koju je Bog predao Abrahamu!"

5 Tako Izak otpremi Jakova, i on ode u Padan Aram Labanu, sinu Aramejca Betuela, bratu Rebeke, majke Jakova i Ezava.

6 Kad je Ezav vidio kako je Izak blagoslovio Jakova kad ga je otpremao u Padan Aram da odande sebi uzme ženu, naređujući mu kad ga je blagoslivljao: "Ne smiješ uzeti ženu od kanaanskih djevojaka",

7 i da je Jakov poslušao svoga oca i svoju majku te otišao u Padan Aram,

8 Ezav shvati koliko su djevojke kanaanske mrske njegovu ocu Izaku.

9 Stoga ode k Jišmaelu te se, uza žene koje već imaše, oženi Mahalatom, kćerju Jišmaela, sina Abrahamova, a sestrom Nebajotovom.

10 Jakov ostavi Beer Šebu i zaputi se u Haran.

11 Stigne u neko mjesto i tu prenoći, jer sunce bijaše već zašlo. Uzme jedan kamen s onog mjesta, stavi ga pod glavu i na tom mjestu legne.

12 I usne san: ljestve stoje na zemlji, a vrhom do neba dopiru, i anđeli Božji po njima se penju i silaze.

13 Uza nj je Jahve te mu govori: "Ja sam Jahve, Bog tvoga praoca Abrahama i Bog Izakov. Zemlju na kojoj ležiš dat ću tebi i tvome potomstvu.

14 Tvojih će potomaka biti kao i praha na zemlji; raširit ćete se na zapad, istok, sjever i jug; tobom će se i tvojim potomstvom blagoslivljati svi narodi zemlje.

15 Dobro znaj: ja sam s tobom; čuvat ću te kamo god pođeš te ću te dovesti natrag u ovu zemlju; i neću te ostaviti dok ne izvršim što sam ti obećao."

16 Jakov se probudi od sna te reče: "Zaista se Jahve nalazi na ovome mjestu, ali ja nisam znao!"

17 Potresen, uzviknu: "Kako je strašno ovo mjesto! Zaista, ovo je kuća Božja, ovo su vrata nebeska!"

18 Rano ujutro Jakov uzme onaj kamen što ga bijaše stavio pod glavu, uspravi ga kao stup i po vrhu mu izlije ulja.

19 Ono mjesto on nazva Betel, dok je ime tome gradu prije bilo Luz.

20 Tada učini zavjet: "Ako Bog ostane sa mnom i uščuva me na ovom putu kojim idem, dade mi kruha da jedem i odijela da se oblačim,

21 te se zdravo vratim kući svoga oca, Jahve će biti moj Bog.

22 A ovaj kamen koji sam uspravio kao stup bit će kuća Božja. A od svega što mi budeš davao za te ću odlagati desetinu."

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3736

Study this Passage

  
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3736. 'And I come back in peace to my father's house' means even to the point of perfect union. This becomes clear from the fact that 'father's house', used in reference to the Lord, is the Divine itself which was the Lord's from actual conception. 'Coming back to that house' is resuming to Divine Good itself, which is called 'the Father' - Divine Good being 'the Father', see 3704. 'Coming back to that house' clearly means being united. The same was meant by the Lord when He said that He had come forth from the Father and had come into the world, and that He would be going again to the Father. That is to say, His coming forth from the Father means that the Divine itself had taken on the Human; His coming into the world means that He was as a human being; and His going again to the Father means that He would unite the Human Essence to the Divine Essence. This was the meaning of the following words spoken by the Lord in John,

What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? John 6:62.

In the same gospel,

Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had come forth from God and was going to God. My children, yet a little while I am with you. Where I am going you cannot come. John 13:3, 33.

In the same gospel,

Now I am going away to Him who sent Me; but none of you asks Me, Where are you going away? It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I did not go away the Paraclete would not come to you; but if I go away I will send Him to you. A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me [because I am going away to the Father. Some of His disciples said to one another, What is this that He says to us, A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me,] and, Because I am going away to the Father? John 16:5, 7, 10, 16-17.

In the same gospel,

I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father. John 16:28.

'Going away to the Father' in these places means uniting the Human Essence to the Divine Essence.

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