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Genesis 18

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1 Ukázal se pak jemu Hospodin v rovině Mamre; a on seděl u dveří stanu, když veliké horko na den bylo.

2 A když pozdvihl očí svých, viděl, a aj, tři muži stáli naproti němu. Kteréžto jakž uzřel, běžel jim vstříc ode dveří stanu, a sklonil se až k zemi.

3 A řekl: Pane můj, jestliže jsem nyní nalezl milost před očima tvýma, prosím, nepomíjej služebníka svého.

4 Přineseno bude trochu vody, a umyjete nohy své, a odpočinete pod stromem.

5 Zatím přinesu kus chleba, a posilníte srdce svého; potom půjdete, poněvadž mimo služebníka svého jdete. I řekli: Tak učiň, jakž jsi mluvil.

6 Tedy pospíšil Abraham do stanu k Sáře, a řekl: Spěšně tři míry mouky bělné zadělej, a napec podpopelných chlebů.

7 Abraham pak běžel k stádu; a vzav tele mladé a dobré, dal služebníku, kterýžto pospíšil připraviti je.

8 Potom vzav másla a mléka, i tele, kteréž připravil, položil před ně; sám pak stál při nich pod stromem, i jedli.

9 Řekli pak jemu: Kde jest Sára manželka tvá? Kterýžto odpověděl: Teď v stanu.

10 A řekl: Jistotně se navrátím k tobě vedlé času života, a aj, syna míti bude Sára manželka tvá. Ale Sára poslouchala u dveří stanu, kteréž byly za ním.

11 Abraham pak i Sára byli staří a sešlého věku, a přestal byl Sáře běh ženský.

12 I smála se Sára sama v sobě, řkuci: Teprv když jsem se sstarala, v rozkoše se vydám? A ještě i pán můj se sstaral.

13 Tedy řekl Hospodin Abrahamovi: Proč jest se smála Sára, řkuci: Zdaliž opravdu ještě roditi budu, a já se sstarala?

14 Zdaliž co skrytého bude před Hospodinem? K času určitému navrátím se k tobě vedlé času života, a Sára bude míti syna.

15 Zapřela pak Sára a řekla: Nesmála jsem se; nebo se bála. I řekl Hospodin: Neníť tak, ale smála jsi se.

16 Tedy vstavše odtud muži ti, obrátili se k Sodomě; Abraham pak šel s nimi, aby je provodil.

17 A řekl Hospodin: Zdali já zatajím před Abrahamem, což dělati budu?

18 Poněvadž Abraham jistotně bude v národ veliký a silný, a požehnáni budou v něm všickni národové země.

19 Nebo znám jej; protož přikáže synům svým a domu svému po sobě, aby ostříhali cesty Hospodinovy, a činili spravedlnost a soud, aťby naplnil Hospodin Abrahamovi, což mu zaslíbil.

20 I řekl Hospodin: Proto že rozmnožen jest křik Sodomských a Gomorských, a hřích jejich že obtížen jest náramně:

21 Sstoupím již a pohledím, jestliže podle křiku jejich, kterýž přišel ke mně, činili, důjde na ně setření; a pakli toho není, zvím.

22 A obrátivše se odtud muži, šli do Sodomy; Abraham pak ještě stál před Hospodinem.

23 V tom přistoupiv Abraham, řekl: Zdali také zahladíš spravedlivého s bezbožným?

24 Bude-li padesáte spravedlivých v tom městě, zdali předce zahubíš, a neodpustíš místu pro padesáte spravedlivých, kteříž jsou v něm?

25 Odstup to od tebe, abys takovou věc učiniti měl, abys usmrtil spravedlivého s bezbožným; takť by byl spravedlivý jako bezbožný. Odstup to od tebe; zdaliž soudce vší země neučiní soudu?

26 I řekl Hospodin: Jestliže naleznu v Sodomě, v městě tom, padesáte spravedlivých, odpustím všemu tomu místu pro ně.

27 A odpovídaje Abraham, řekl: Aj, nyní chtěl bych mluviti ku Pánu svému, ačkoli jsem prach a popel.

28 Co pak, nedostane-li se ku padesáti spravedlivým pěti, zdali zkazíš pro těch pět všecko město? I řekl: Nezahladím, jestliže najdu tam čtyřidceti pět.

29 Opět mluvil Abraham a řekl: Snad nalezeno bude tam čtyřidceti? A odpověděl: Neučiním pro těch čtyřidceti.

30 I řekl Abraham: Prosím, nechť se nehněvá Pán můj, že mluviti budu: Snad se jich nalezne tam třidceti? Odpověděl: Neučiním, jestliže naleznu tam třidceti.

31 A opět řekl: Aj, nyní počal jsem mluviti ku Pánu svému: Snad se nalezne tam dvadceti? Odpověděl: Nezahladím i pro těch dvadceti.

32 Řekl ještě: Prosím, ať se nehněvá Pán můj, jestliže jednou ještě mluviti budu: Snad se jich najde tam deset? Odpověděl: Nezahladím i pro těch deset.

33 I odšel Hospodin, když dokonal řeč k Abrahamovi; Abraham pak navrátil se k místu svému.

   

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Arcana Coelestia #2180

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2180. And took a son of an ox tender and good. That this signifies the celestial natural which the rational associated to itself, in order that it might conjoin itself with the perception from the Divine, is evident from the signification in the Word of a “bullock” or “son of an ox,” as being natural good. And as the Lord’s rational is treated of, it is called “tender” from the celestial-spiritual, or the truth of good; and “good” from the celestial itself, or good itself. In the genuine rational there is the affection of truth and the affection of good; but its chief thing [primarium] is the affection of truth (as before shown, n. 2072). Hence it is first called “tender,” and yet is called both “tender and good,” according to the usual practice in the Word, to indicate the marriage of good and truth (spoken of above, n. 2173).

[2] That a “bullock,” or “son of an ox,” signifies the celestial natural, or what is the same, natural good, is especially evident from the sacrifices, which were the principal representatives of worship in the Hebrew Church, and afterwards in the Jewish. Their sacrifices were made either from the herd or from the flock, thus from animals of various kinds that were clean, such as oxen, bullocks, he-goats, sheep, rams, she-goats, kids, and lambs; besides turtledoves and young pigeons, all of which animals signified internal things of worship, that is, things celestial and spiritual (n. 2165, 2177); the animals taken from the herd signifying celestial natural things, and those from the flock celestial rational things; and as both the natural and the rational things are more and more interior, and are various, therefore so many kinds and species of those animals were made use of in the sacrifices; as is also evident from its being prescribed what animals should be offered-in the burnt-offerings; in the sacrifices of various kinds, as in those that were daily, those of the Sabbaths and festivals, those that were voluntary, those for thanksgiving and vows, those expiatory of guilt and sin, those of purifying and cleansing, and those of inauguration-and also from their being expressly named, and how many of them should be used in each kind of sacrifice; which would never have been done unless each had signified some special thing. This is very evident from those passages where the sacrifices are treated of (as Exodus 29; Leviticus 1, 3, 4, 9, 16, 23; Numbers 7, 8, 15, 29). But this is not the place to set forth what each one signified. The case is similar in the Prophets where these animals are named, and from them it is evident that “bullocks” signified celestial natural things.

[3] That no other than heavenly things were signified, is also evident from the cherubs seen by Ezekiel, and from the animals before the throne seen by John. Concerning the cherubs the Prophet says:

The likeness of their faces was the face of a man, and they four had the face of a lion on the right side, and they four had the face of an ox on the left side, and they four had the face of an eagle (Ezekiel 1:10).

Concerning the four animals before the throne John says:

Around the throne were four animals; the first animal was like a lion, the second animal like a young bullock, the third animal had a face like a man, the fourth animal was like a flying eagle; saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come (Revelation 4:6-8).

Everyone can see that holy things were represented by the cherubs and by these animals, and also by the oxen and young bullocks in the sacrifices. In like manner in the prophecy of Moses concerning Joseph:

Let it come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the head of him that was a Nazirite from his brethren. The firstling of his ox, honor is his; and his horns are the horns of the unicorn, with them he shall push the peoples together, to the ends of the earth (Deuteronomy 33:16-17).

None can understand these things unless it is known what an ox, a unicorn, horns, and other things signify in the internal sense.

[4] As regards sacrifices in general, they were indeed enjoined through Moses on the people of Israel, but the Most Ancient Church, that existed before the flood, knew nothing whatever about sacrifices; nor did it even come into their minds to worship the Lord by slaughtering animals. The Ancient Church, that existed after the flood, was likewise unacquainted with sacrifices. This church was indeed in representatives, but not in sacrifices. In fact sacrifices were first instituted in the following church, which was called the Hebrew Church, and from this spread to the nations, and from the same source they came to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and thus to the descendants of Jacob. That the nations were in a worship of sacrifices, was shown above (n. 1343); and that so were Jacob’s posterity before they went out of Egypt, thus before sacrifices were commanded by Moses upon Mount Sinai, is evident from what is said in Exodus 5:3; 10:25, 27; 18:12; 24:4-5; and especially from their idolatrous worship before the golden calf.

[5] Thus described in Moses:

Aaron built an altar before the calf, and Aaron made proclamation and said, Tomorrow is the feast of Jehovah. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings and brought peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat, and to drink, and rose up to play (Exodus 32:5-6).

This was done while Moses was upon Mount Sinai, and thus before the command concerning the altar and the sacrifices came to them. The command came on this account-that the worship of sacrifices had become idolatrous with them, as it had with the gentiles, and from this worship they could not be withdrawn, because they regarded it as the chief holy thing. For what has once been implanted from infancy as holy, especially if by fathers, and thus inrooted, the Lord never breaks, but bends, unless it is contrary to order itself. This is the reason why it was directed that sacrifices should be instituted in the way described in the books of Moses.

[6] That sacrifices were by no means acceptable to Jehovah, thus were merely permitted and tolerated for the reason just stated, is very evident in the Prophets, as we read in Jeremiah:

Thus saith Jehovah Zebaoth the God of Israel, Add your burnt-offerings to your sacrifices, and eat flesh. I spoke not unto your fathers, and I commanded them not in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offering and sacrifice; but this word I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God (Jeremiah 7:21-23).

In David:

O Jehovah, sacrifice and offering Thou hast not willed, burnt-offering and sin-offering Thou hast not required. I have desired to do Thy will, O my God (Psalms 40:6, 8).

In the same:

Thou delightest not in sacrifice, that I should give it; burnt-offering Thou dost not accept. The sacrifices of God are a broken 1 spirit (Psalms 51:16-17).

In the same:

I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds; sacrifice to God confession (Psalms 50:9, 13-14; 107:21-22; 116:17; Deuteronomy 23:19).

In Hosea:

I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings (Hos. 6:6).

Samuel said to Saul:

Hath Jehovah pleasure in burnt-offerings and sacrifices? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, to hearken than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).

In Micah:

Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself to the high God? Shall I come before Him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to humble thyself in walking with thy God (Micah 6:6-8).

[7] From all this it is now evident that sacrifices were not commanded, but permitted; also that nothing else was regarded in the sacrifices than what is internal; and that it was the internal, not the external, that was acceptable. On this account also, the Lord abrogated them, as was likewise foretold by Daniel in these words:

In the midst of the week shall He cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease (Daniel 9:27),

where the Lord’s advent is treated of. (See what is said concerning sacrifices in volume 1, n. 922-923, 1128, 1823.) As regards the “son of an ox” which Abraham “made” or prepared for the three men, the case is the same as with that animal in the sacrifices. That it had a like signification is evident also from his telling Sarah to take three measures of fine flour. Concerning the fine flour to a bullock, we read in Moses:

When ye be come into the land; when thou shalt make a son of an ox a burnt-offering or a sacrifice, in pronouncing publicly a vow, or peace-offerings unto Jehovah, thou shalt offer upon the son of an ox a meat offering of three tenths of fine flour, mingled with oil (Numbers 15:8-9), where it is in like manner “three,” here “three tenths,” and above, “three measures;” but to a ram there were to be only two tenths, and to a lamb one tenth (Numbers 15:4-6).

Footnotes:

1. Contritus; but infractus n. 9818.

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