The Bible

 

maastamuutto 30

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1 "Tee myös alttari suitsutuksen polttamista varten; tee se akasiapuusta.

2 Olkoon se kyynärän pituinen ja kyynärän levyinen, siis neliskulmainen, ja kahta kyynärää korkea; sen sarvet olkoot samaa kappaletta kuin sekin.

3 Ja päällystä se puhtaalla kullalla, sekä sen levy että sivut ympärinsä ja sen sarvet; ja tee kultareunus sen ympäri.

4 Ja tee siihen kaksi kultarengasta; pane ne reunuksen alle, kummallekin sivulle, molempiin sivukappaleihin. Ne olkoot niiden korentojen pitiminä, joilla alttari on kannettava.

5 Ja tee korennotkin akasiapuusta ja päällystä ne kullalla.

6 Ja aseta se lain arkin edessä olevan esiripun eteen, niin että se tulee armoistuimen kohdalle, joka on lain arkin päällä ja jossa minä sinulle ilmestyn.

7 Ja Aaron polttakoon sen päällä hyvänhajuista suitsutusta; joka aamu, kun hän laittaa lamput kuntoon, hän polttakoon sitä.

8 Samoin myös, kun Aaron iltahämärässä nostaa lamput paikoilleen, hän polttakoon sitä. Tämä olkoon teillä jokapäiväinen suitsutusuhri Herran edessä sukupolvesta sukupolveen.

9 Älkää uhratko sen päällä vierasta suitsutusta älkääkä polttouhria tai ruokauhria; älkää myöskään vuodattako juomauhria sen päällä.

10 Ja Aaron toimittakoon kerran vuodessa sen sarvien sovituksen; sovitukseksi uhratun syntiuhrin verellä hän toimittakoon kerran vuodessa sen sovituksen, sukupolvesta sukupolveen. Se on korkeasti-pyhä Herralle."

11 Ja Herra puhui Moosekselle sanoen:

12 "Kun sinä lasket israelilaisten lukumäärän-niiden, joiden on oltava katselmuksessa-niin jokainen heistä suorittakoon, heistä katselmusta pidettäessä, hengestään sovitusmaksun Herralle, ettei mikään rangaistus heitä kohtaisi, heistä katselmusta pidettäessä.

13 Jokainen katselmuksessa oleva antakoon puoli sekeliä, pyhäkkösekelin painon mukaan, kaksikymmentä geeraa laskettuna sekeliin; puoli sekeliä olkoon anti Herralle.

14 Kaikki katselmuksessa olevat, kaksikymmenvuotiaat ja sitä vanhemmat, antakoot tämän annin Herralle.

15 Rikas älköön antako enemmän älköönkä köyhä vähemmän kuin puoli sekeliä, antina Herralle, maksaaksenne sovituksen hengestänne.

16 Ja ota sovitusrahat israelilaisilta ja käytä ne palvelukseen ilmestysmajassa, että israelilaiset johdatettaisiin muistoon Herran edessä teidän henkenne sovitukseksi."

17 Ja Herra puhui Moosekselle sanoen:

18 "Tee myös vaskiallas vaskijalustoineen peseytymistä varten ja aseta se ilmestysmajan ja alttarin välille ja kaada siihen vettä;

19 ja Aaron ja hänen poikansa peskööt siinä kätensä ja jalkansa.

20 Kun he menevät ilmestysmajaan, peseytykööt vedessä, etteivät kuolisi; samoin myös, kun he lähestyvät alttaria ja käyvät toimittamaan virkaansa polttamalla uhrin Herralle.

21 He peskööt kätensä ja jalkansa, etteivät kuolisi. Ja tämä olkoon heille ikuinen säädös, hänelle itselleen ja hänen jälkeläisillensä, sukupolvesta sukupolveen."

22 Ja Herra puhui Moosekselle sanoen:

23 "Ota itsellesi hajuaineita parasta lajia: sulavaa mirhaa viisisataa sekeliä, hyvänhajuista kanelia puolet siitä eli kaksisataa viisikymmentä sekeliä ja hyvänhajuista kalmoruokoa samoin kaksisataa viisikymmentä sekeliä,

24 sitten vielä kassiaa viisisataa sekeliä, pyhäkkösekelin painon mukaan, ja hiin-mitta öljypuun öljyä.

25 Ja tee siitä pyhä voiteluöljy, höystetty voide, jollaista voiteensekoittaja valmistaa; se olkoon pyhä voiteluöljy.

26 Voitele sillä ilmestysmaja, lain arkki

27 ja pöytä kaikkine kaluineen, seitsenhaarainen lamppu kaluineen, niin myös suitsutusalttari,

28 polttouhrialttari kaikkine kaluineen ynnä allas jalustoineen.

29 Ja pyhitä ne, niin että ne tulevat korkeasti-pyhiksi. Jokainen, joka niihin koskee, tulee pyhäksi.

30 Voitele myös Aaron ja hänen poikansa ja pyhitä heidät pappeina palvelemaan minua.

31 Puhu myös israelilaisille ja sano: Tämä olkoon teillä minun pyhä voiteluöljyni sukupolvesta sukupolveen.

32 Kenenkään muun ihmisen ruumiille älköön sitä vuodatettako, älkääkä sen sekoitusta jäljitelkö. Pyhä se on, ja pyhänä se pitäkää.

33 Jokainen, joka valmistaa sellaisen voiteen, ja jokainen, joka sivelee sitä syrjäiseen, hävitettäköön kansastansa."

34 Ja Herra sanoi Moosekselle vielä: "Ota itsellesi hyvänhajuisia aineita, hajupihkaa, simpukankuorta, tuoksukumia, näitä hyvänhajuisia aineita, ja puhdasta suitsuketta, yhtä paljon kutakin lajia,

35 ja tee niistä suitsutus, höystesekoitus, jollaista voiteensekoittaja valmistaa, suolansekainen, puhdas ja pyhä.

36 Ja hienonna osa siitä jauhoksi ja pane sitä lain arkin eteen ilmestysmajaan, jossa minä ilmestyn sinulle. Korkeasti-pyhänä se pitäkää.

37 Älkää valmistako itsellenne mitään muuta suitsutusta tämän sekoituksen mukaan. Pidä tämä Herralle pyhitettynä.

38 Jokainen, joka sellaista tekee nauttiaksensa sen tuoksusta, hävitettäköön kansastansa."

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10300

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10300. 'Salted' means the desire which truth has for good. This is clear from the meaning of 'salt' as desire belonging to the love which truth has for good, dealt with below, so that 'salted' means something in which that desire is present. The reason why the desire which truth has for good needs to be present is that this desire causes the two to be joined together; for to the extent that truth desires good it becomes joined to it. Truth and good joined together is what is called the heavenly marriage, which constitutes heaven itself with a person. Therefore when the desire for them to be joined together exists within the worship of God, within every single part of it, heaven - and accordingly the Lord - is present there within every single part. This is meant by the requirement for the incense to be salted. 'Salt' receives this meaning from its conjunctive properties; for it makes ingredients all combine and consequently brings out their flavour. Indeed it causes water and oil to combine, which otherwise do not combine.

[2] When it is known that 'salt' means the desire for truth and good to be joined together it may be seen what the Lord's words in Mark mean,

Everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes tasteless, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves. Mark 9:49-50.

'Everyone will be salted with fire' means that each person must have a desire that is present as a result of true love. 'Every sacrifice will be salted with salt' means that the desire present as a result of true love must exist within all worship. 'Tasteless salt' means a desire present as a result of a love other than that true love. 'Having salt in themselves' means possessing truth that has a desire for good.

Love is meant by 'fire', see 4906, 5071(end), 5215, 6314, 6832, 10055.

Worship in general is meant by 'sacrifice', 922, 6905, 8680, 8936.

Can anyone without knowledge of what 'fire' means, or what 'salt' and 'being salted' mean, know what 'being salted with fire' means, why a sacrifice had to be salted, or what the command to have salt in themselves means?

[3] Something similar occurs in Luke,

Any of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be My disciple. Salt is good; but if the salt is made tasteless, by what will it be seasoned? It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill; people will throw it outdoors. Luke 14:33-35.

'Renouncing all their possessions' means loving the Lord above all things, 'possessions' being what is a person's own. 'Tasteless salt' means desire that springs from the proprium or self, thus from self-love and love of the world. This kind of desire is meant by salt that is tasteless, fit for nothing, as also in Matthew,

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt is tasteless, by what will it be made salty? It no longer has any use, except to be thrown outdoors and trodden down by people. Matthew 5:13-14.

[4] The need for all worship to contain truth that has a desire for good is also meant by the requirement that every offering of a minchah should be salted, and that the salt of Jehovah's covenant should be on every offering, Leviticus 2:13. By 'the minchah and offering' which compose the sacrifice worship is meant, as above; and the salt is called in that verse 'the salt of Jehovah's covenant' because 'covenant' means a joining together, see 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396, 9416. Also desire is the actual ardour that flames from and so is an extension of love, and love is spiritual togetherness.

[5] Just as truth's desire for good has the capacity to link things together, so falsity's desire for evil has the capacity to separate them; and that which has the capacity to separate them also has the capacity to destroy them. For this reason 'salt' in the contrary sense means the destruction and laying waste of truth and good, as in Jeremiah,

Cursed is the man (vir) who makes flesh his arm. He will not see when good comes; but he will inhabit very hot places, a salt land which is not inhabited. Jeremiah 17:5-6.

'Making flesh his arm' means trusting in himself, in his proprium, and not in the Divine, 10283; and since the proprium consists in loving self more than God and the neighbour, self-love is what those words describe. This is why it says that he will not see when good comes, and that he will inhabit very hot places and a salt land, that is, will lead a life ruled by foul kinds of love and their desires, which have destroyed the Church's goodness and truth.

[6] In Zephaniah,

It will be like Gomorrah, a place abandoned to the nettle, and a saltpit, and a waste forever. Zephaniah 2:9.

'A place abandoned to the nettle' stands for the ardour and passion in a person's life that spring from self-love. 'A saltpit' stands for the desire falsity possesses; and because this is destructive of truth and good, the expression 'a waste forever' is used. The reason for its being said that 'it will be like Gomorrah' is that Gomorrah and Sodom mean self-love, 2220.

[7] Where it said at Genesis 19:26 that Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt because she turned her face towards those cities, the meaning was the laying waste of truth and good; for in the internal sense 'turning the face' towards something means loving it, 10189. This explains why the Lord says,

Let him not return to the things behind him. Remember Lot's wife. Luke 17:31-32.

And in Moses,

Its whole land will be brimstone and salt, and a burning, as at the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah. Deuteronomy 29:23.

Here, as also elsewhere in the Word, 'land' is used to mean the Church, see in the places referred to in 9325.

[8] So it was that cities which were not to be inhabited any longer were sown with salt after they had been destroyed, Judges 9:45.

From all this it is evident that in the genuine sense 'salt' means the desire that truth has for good, thus its conjunctive power, and in the contrary sense the desire that falsity has for evil, thus its destructive power.

[9] Anyone therefore who knows that 'salt' means truth's desire for good and the force that joins the two together is also able to know what is meant where it says that the water of Jericho was healed by Elisha, by his throwing salt into its source, 2 Kings 2:19-22. For Elisha, like Elijah, represented the Lord in respect of the Word, 2762, 8029; 'water' means the truths of the Word, 'the water of Jericho', and in like manner 'the source' of that water, meaning the truths of the Word in the literal sense; and 'salt' means the desire truth has for good, the joining together of the two, and consequent healing.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #5072

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5072. Genesis 40

1. And so it was after these words, 1 that they sinned - the cupbearer of the king of Egypt, and the baker - against their lord the king of Egypt.

2. And Pharaoh was incensed with his two courtier-ministers, with the chief of the cupbearers and with the chief of the bakers.

3. And he put them in the custody of the house of the chief of the attendants, at the prison-house, the place where Joseph was bound.

4. And the chief of the attendants set Joseph over them and he ministered to them; and they were in custody for days. 2

5. And they both dreamed a dream, each his dream in one night, each according to the interpretation of his dream, the cupbearer and the baker to the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison-house.

6. And Joseph came to them in the morning, and he saw them, and behold, they were troubled.

7. And he asked Pharaoh's courtier-ministers who were with him in the custody of his lord's house, saying, Why are your faces sad 3 today?

8. And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream and there is no interpreter for it. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, I beg you.

9. And the chief of the cupbearers told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, and behold, a vine before me.

10. And on the vine three shoots, and it was as though budding; its blossom came up, and its clusters ripened into grapes.

11. And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and put the cup onto Pharaoh's palm.

12. And Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it: The three shoots are three days.

13. In yet three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and will restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand, according to the former manner when you were his cupbearer.

14. But remember me when it is well with you, and show, I beg you, mercy to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.

15. For I have indeed been taken by theft out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have not done anything for which they should put me in the pit.

16. And the chief of the bakers saw that he had interpreted what was good, and he said to Joseph, I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets with holes in them were on my head.

17. And in the highest basket there was some of every kind of food for Pharaoh, the work of the baker, and the birds were eating them out of the basket, from upon my head.

18. And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days.

19. In yet three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you, and will hang you on wood; and the birds will eat your flesh from upon you.

20. And it happened on the third day, Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief of the cupbearers, and the head of the chief of the bakers, in the midst of his servants.

21. And he restored the chief of the cupbearers to his supervision over [Pharaoh's] drink, and he put the cup onto Pharaoh's palm.

22. And the chief of the bakers he hanged, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

23. And the chief of the cupbearers did not remember Joseph, and forgot him.

CONTENTS

The internal sense of this chapter continues to deal with the state of temptations, by means of which bodily things could be brought into a state of agreement. Rightly called bodily ones, those things are the powers of the senses, of which there are two kinds, some sensory powers being subordinate to the understanding part of the mind, others to the will part. Those subordinate to the understanding part are represented by the cupbearer of the king of Egypt, and those subordinate to the will part by the baker. The eventual retention of the former but casting away of the latter is represented by the fact that the cupbearer returned to the position he had held previously, whereas the baker was hanged. Everything else will become evident from the train of thought.

Footnotes:

1. i.e. things, see 5075

2. i.e. for a considerable length of time

3. literally, evil

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