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Hesekiel 34

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1 Ja Herran sana tapahtui minulle ja sanoi:

2 Sinä, ihmisen poika, ennusta Israelin paimenia vastaan, ennusta ja sano heille, jotka paimenet ovat: näin sanoo Herra, Herra: voi Israelin paimenia, jotka itsiänsä ruokkivat! eikö paimenten pitäisi laumaa ruokkiman?

3 Mutta te syötte lihavaa, ja verhoitatte teitänne villoilla, ja teurastatte syötetyitä; mutta ette tahdo ruokkia lampaita.

4 Heikkoja ette tue, sairaita ette paranna, haavoitettuja ette sido, eksyneitä ette palauta, kadonneita ette etsi; mutta kovin ja ankarasti hallitsette heitä.

5 Ja minun lampaani ovat hajoitetut, niinkuin ne, joille ei paimenta ole, ja ovat kaikille pedoille ruaksi tulleet, ja ovat peräti hajoitetut,

6 Ja käyvät eksyksissä kaikilla vuorilla ja korkeilla kukkuloilla; ja ovat kaikkeen maahan hajoitetut, ja ei ole ketään, joka heitä kysyy eli tottelee.

7 Sentähden te paimenet, kuulkaat Herran sanaa:

8 Niin totta kuin minä elän, sanoo Herra, Herra: että te annatte minun lampaani raatelukseksi ja minun laumani kaikille pedoille ruaksi, ettei heillä ole paimenta, ja minun paimeneni ei pidä lukua minun laumastani; vaan ovat senkaltaiset paimenet, jotka itsiänsä ruokkivat, mutta minun lampaitani ei he tahdo ruokkia;

9 Sentähden, te paimenet, kuulkaat Herran sanaa:

10 Näin sanoo Herra, Herra: katso, minä tahdon paimenien kimppuun, ja tahdon minun laumani heidän käsistänsä vaatia, ja tahdon heitä lopettaa, ettei heidän pidä enään paimenena oleman eikä itsiänsä ruokkiman; minä tahdon minun lampaani heidän suustansa temmata ulos, ja ei ne pidä oleman heidän ruokansa.

11 Sillä näin sanoo Herra, Herra: katso, minä tahdon itse pitää murheen lampaistani, ja tahdon heitä etsiä.

12 Niinkuin paimen etsii lampaitansa, kuin he laumastansa eksyneet ovat, niin tahdon minä myös minun lampaitani etsiä; ja tahdon heitä kaikista paikoista pelastaa, joihin he hajoitetut ovat, siihen aikaan kuin sumu ja pimiä oli.

13 Ja tahdon heitä kaikista kansoista viedä ulos, ja kaikista maakunnista koota, ja heitä omalle maallensa viedä; ja kaita heitä Israelin vuorilla, ojain tykönä kaikissa suloisissa paikoissa,

14 Ja heitä parhaalle laitumelle viedä, ja heidän majansa pitää korkeilla Israelin vuorilla seisoman; siinä heidän pitää levollisessa varjossa makaaman, ja heillä pitää oleman lihava laidun Israelin vuorilla.

15 Minä tahdon itse minun lampaani ruokkia, ja minä tahdon heitä sioittaa, sanoo Herra, Herra.

16 Kadonneet tahdon minä etsiä ja eksyneet tallelle tuottaa, haavoitetut sitoa, heikkoja vahvistaa; lihavia ja väkeviä tahdon minä hävittää, ja kaitsen heitä toimellisesti.

17 Mutta teille, minun laumani, sanoo Herra, Herra näin: katso, minä tahdon tuomita lampaan ja lampaan välillä ja oinasten ja kauristen välillä.

18 Eikö siinä kyllä ole, että teillä niin hyvä laidun on, ja jääneet teidän laitumistanne te jaloillanne tallaatte, ja niin jalot lähteet juoda, että te jäänneet jaloillanne tallaatte?

19 Että minun lampaani pitää syömän sitä, jota te olette jaloillanne sotkuneet, ja pitää myös juoman sitä, jota te tallanneet olette jaloillanne.

20 Sentähden näin sanoo Herra, Herra heille: katso, minä tahdon tuomita lihavain ja laihain lammasten välillä,

21 Että te potkitte jaloillanne, ja puskette heikkoja sarvillanne, siihenasti kuin te heidät hajoitatte ulos.

22 Ja minä tahdon auttaa minun laumaani, ettei sitä pidä enään raatelukseksi annettaman, ja tahdon tuomita lampaan ja lampaan välillä.

23 Ja minä tahdon yhden ainokaisen paimenen herättää, joka heitä on ravitseva, palveliani Davidin: hän on heitä ravitseva ja on heidän paimenensa oleva.

24 Ja minä Herra tahdon olla heidän Jumalansa, mutta minun palveliani David on heidän seassansa päämies oleva; minä Herra olen sen puhunut.

25 Ja minä tahdon rauhan liiton heidän kanssansa tehdä, ja kaikki pahat eläimet maalta ajaa pois, että he surutoinna korvessa asuisivat ja metsissä makaisivat.

26 Ja tahdon heidät ja kaikki minun kukkulani siunata; ja annan heille sataa oikialla ajalla, joka on armon sade oleva,

27 Että puut kedolla hedelmänsä kantavat ja maa antaa kasvunsa, ja he asuvat surutoinna maassa; ja heidän pitää tietämän, että minä olen Herra, koska minä heidän ikeensä jutan katkaisen, ja heitä olen pelastanut niiden käsistä, joita heidän pitää palveleman.

28 Ja ei heidän pidä enään pakanoille raatelukseksi oleman, ja ei maan pedot pidä enään heitä syömän, mutta heidän pitää surutoinna ja pelkäämättä asuman.

29 Ja minä tahdon heille kuuluisan vesan herättää; ettei heidän pidä enään nälkää maalla kärsimän, eikä heidän pilkkansa pakanain seassa kantaman.

30 Ja heidän pitää tietämän, että minä Herra, Heidän Jumalansa, olen heidän tykönänsä, ja Israelin huone on minun kansani, sanoo Herra, Herra.

31 Ja te ihmiset pitää oleman minun laitumeni lauma; ja minä tahdon olla teidän Jumalanne, sanoo Herra, Herra.

   

SWORD version by Tero Favorin (tero at favorin dot com)

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Arcana Coelestia #1038

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1038. That 'this is the sign of the covenant' means a token of the Lord's presence in charity is clear from the meaning of 'a covenant' and of 'the sign of a covenant'. That the covenant means the Lord's presence in charity has been shown already at Chapter 6:18, and above at verse 9 of the present chapter; and that a covenant is the Lord's presence in love and charity is clear from the very nature of a covenant. The purpose of any covenant is conjunction, that is to say, its purpose is that people may live together in friendship or in love. This also is why marriage is called a covenant. The Lord's conjunction with man does not exist except in love and charity, for the Lord is love itself and mercy. He wills to save everyone and by His mighty power to draw them towards heaven, that is, towards Himself. From this anyone may know and conclude that it is impossible for anybody to be joined to the Lord except by means of that which He Himself is, that is, except by acting like Him, or becoming one with Him - that is to say, by loving the Lord in return, and loving the neighbour as oneself. In this way alone is conjunction brought about; this constitutes the very essence of a covenant. When conjunction results from this, it quite plainly follows that the Lord is present. The Lord is indeed present with each individual, but that presence is closer or more remote, all depending on how near the person is to love or distant from it.

[2] Since 'the covenant' is the conjunction of the Lord with man by means of love, or what amounts to the same, the Lord's presence with man in love and charity, the covenant itself is called in the Word 'a covenant of peace', for 'peace' means the Lord's kingdom, and the Lord's kingdom consists in mutual love, in which alone peace resides, as is said in Isaiah,

The mountains will depart and the hills be removed, but My mercy will not depart from you, and the covenant of My peace will not be removed, said Jehovah, the One who takes pity on you. Isaiah 54:10.

Here mercy, which is an attribute of love, is called 'a covenant of peace'.

In Ezekiel,

I will raise up over them one shepherd, and He will pasture them - My servant David. He will pasture them and He will be a shepherd to them. And I will make with them a covenant of peace. Ezekiel 34:23, 25.

Here 'David' is plainly used to mean the Lord, and His presence with a regenerate person is described by the words 'He will pasture them'.

[3] In the same prophet,

My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. And I will make with them a covenant of peace; it will be an eternal covenant with them. And I will bless 1 them and cause them to multiply, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst for evermore. And I will be their God and they will be My people. Ezekiel 37:14, 16-17.

Here similarly the Lord is meant by David. Love is meant by the 'sanctuary in their midst', the Lord's presence and conjunction in love by the promise that 'He will be their God, and they will be His people', which is called 'a covenant of peace' and 'an eternal covenant'.

In Malachi,

You will know that I have sent this command to you, that it may be My covenant with Levi, said Jehovah Zebaoth. My covenant was with him, [a covenant] of life 2 and peace, and I have given them to him in fear, and he will fear Me. Malachi 2:4-5.

In the highest sense 'Levi' means the Lord, and from this the person who has love and charity; and this being so 'a covenant of life' and peace with Levi' means in love and charity.

[4] In Moses, in reference to Phinehas,

Behold, I am giving to him My covenant of peace, and it will be to him and his seed after him a covenant of eternal priesthood. Numbers 25:12-13.

Here 'Phinehas' is not used to mean Phinehas but the priesthood which he represented and which means love and what belongs to love, as does the entire priesthood of that Church. Everyone knows that the priesthood did not remain with Phinehas for ever.

In the same author,

Jehovah your God is God Himself, a faithful God who keeps a covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and who keep His commandments, to the thousandth generation. Deuteronomy 7:9, 12.

Here the Lord's presence with man in love is clearly meant by 'the covenant', for it is said to be 'with those who love Him and keep His commandments'.

[5] Because the covenant is the conjunction of the Lord with man by means of love, it follows that it is also achieved by means of all the things allied to love, which are the truths of faith and are called commandments. For all the commandments, indeed the Law and the Prophets, are based on that single law that men ought to love the Lord above all things and the neighbour as themselves. This is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew 22:35-40; Mark 12:28-34. This is also why the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written are called 'the tablets of the covenant'. Since a covenant or conjunction is achieved by means of the laws or commandments of love it was also achieved by means of the social laws introduced by the Lord into the Jewish Church, which are called 'testimonies', as well as by the religious observances commanded by the Lord, which are called 'statutes'. All of these are called [laws] of the covenant because they have regard to love and charity.

As is said of King Josiah,

The king stood upon the pillar, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to establish the words of the covenant. 2 Kings 23:3.

[6] From these references it is now clear what a covenant is, and that the covenant is internal, for the conjunction of the Lord with man is achieved by means of internal things, and never by means of external things separated from internal. External things are merely images and representatives of those that are internal, as the action of a person is an image representative of his thought and will, and as a charitable act is an image representative of charity present within, in intention and mind. Thus all the religious observances of the Jewish Church were images representative of the Lord, and so of love and charity, and of all things deriving from these. It is by means of the internal things of a person therefore that the covenant or conjunction is achieved. External things are no more than signs of the covenant, which also is what they are called. That internal things are the means by which the covenant or conjunction is achieved is quite clear, as in Jeremiah,

Behold, the days are coming, says Jehovah, when I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers, for they rendered My covenant invalid. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days: I will put My law in the midst of them and will write it on their hearts. Jeremiah 31:31-33.

This refers to a new Church. It is plainly stated that the covenant itself is achieved by means of internal things, and indeed within conscience on which the Law is written, the whole of which Law, as stated, is that of love.

[7] That external things do not constitute the covenant unless internal things are joined to them and so through that union act as one and the same cause, but are merely 'signs of the covenant' by means of which, as by representative images, the Lord might be called to mind, is clear from the fact that the sabbath and circumcision are called 'signs' of the covenant. That the sabbath is so called is clear in Moses,

The children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath throughout their generations, an eternal covenant. Between Me and the children of Israel this is a sign eternally. Exodus 31:16-17.

And that circumcision is called 'a sign of the covenant' is clear in the same author,

This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you is to be circumcised. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. Genesis 17:10-11.

For the same reason also blood is called 'the blood of the covenant', Exodus 24:7-8.

[8] The chief reason why external religious ceremonies were called signs of the covenant was so that from them people might call interior things to mind, that is, the things meant by them. All the religious observances of the Jewish Church were nothing else. For this reason they were also called signs that would serve to remind the people of interior things - for example, the practice of binding the chief commandment on the hand and of wearing frontlets, as stated in Moses,

You shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. And you shall bind these words as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. Deuteronomy 6:5, 8; 11:13, 18.

Because it means power 'the hand' here means the will, for power is an attribute of the will; while 'frontlets between the eyes' means the understanding. Thus 'a sign' means calling to mind the chief commandment, or epitome of the Law, that it may be constantly in the will and constantly in the thought, that is, that the Lord and love may be present within the whole will and the whole thought. Such is the presence of the Lord and from Him of mutual love existing with angels. That constant presence and the nature of it will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. And in like manner here the statement, 'This is the sign of the covenant which I give between Me and you; I have given My bow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of the covenant', means no other sign than a token of the Lord's presence in charity, and so man's remembrance of Him. But in what way the bow in the cloud provides that token and so remembrance will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on.

Footnotes:

1. literally, give

2. literally, of lives

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

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