The Bible

 

2 Mose 24

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1 Und zu Mose sprach er: Steig herauf zum HERRN, du und Aaron, Nadab und Abihu, und die siebenzig Ältesten Israels, und betet an von ferne.

2 Aber Mose alleine nahe sich zum HERRN, und laß jene sich nicht herzunahen; und das Volk komme auch nicht mit ihm herauf.

3 Mose kam und erzählete dem Volk alle Worte des HERRN und alle Rechte. Da antwortete alles Volk mit einer Stimme und sprachen: Alle Worte, die der HERR gesagt hat, wollen wir tun.

4 Da schrieb Mose alle Worte des HERRN und machte sich des Morgens frühe auf und bauete einen Altar unten am Berge mit zwölf Säulen nach den zwölf Stämmen Israels.

5 Und sandte hin Jünglinge aus den Kindern Israel, daß sie Brandopfer darauf opferten und Dankopfer dem HERRN von Farren.

6 Und Mose nahm die Hälfte des Bluts und tat's in ein Becken; die andere Hälfte sprengete er auf den Altar.

7 Und nahm das Buch des Bundes und las es vor den Ohren des Volks. Und da sie sprachen: Alles, was der HERR gesagt hat, wollen wir tun und gehorchen,

8 da nahm Mose das Blut und sprengete das Volk damit und sprach: Sehet, das ist Blut des Bundes, den der HERR mit euch machte über allen diesen Worten.

9 Da stiegen Mose und Aaron, Nadab und Abihu und die siebenzig Ältesten Israels hinauf

10 und sahen den Gott Israels. Unter seinen Füßen war es wie ein schöner Saphir und wie die Gestalt des Himmels, wenn es klar ist.

11 Und er ließ seine Hand nicht über dieselben Obersten in Israel. Und da sie Gott geschaute hatten, aßen und tranken sie.

12 Und der HERR sprach zu Mose: Komm herauf zu mir auf den Berg und bleibe daselbst, daß ich dir gebe steinerne Tafeln und Gesetze und Gebote, die ich geschrieben habe, die du sie lehren sollst.

13 Da machte sich Mose auf und sein Diener Josua und stieg auf den Berg Gottes.

14 Und sprach zu den Ältesten: Bleibet hie, bis wir wieder zu euch kommen. Siehe, Aaron und Hur sind bei euch; hat jemand eine Sache, der komme vor dieselben.

15 Da nun Mose auf den Berg kam, bedeckte eine Wolke den Berg.

16 Und die HERRLIchkeit des HERRN wohnete auf dem Berge Sinai und deckte ihn mit der Wolke sechs Tage; und rief Mose am siebenten Tage aus der Wolke.

17 Und das Ansehen der HERRLIchkeit des HERRN war wie ein verzehrend Feuer auf der Spitze des Berges vor den Kindern Israel.

18 Und Mose ging mitten in die Wolke und stieg auf den Berg; und blieb auf dem Berge vierzig Tage und vierzig Nächte.

   

Commentary

 

Bloods

  

Bloods signify evil in Ezekiel 16:9.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 3147 [1-10])

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4766

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4766. 'And I, where do I go?' means, Where now is the Church? This is clear from the representation of 'Reuben' as the Church's faith in general, dealt with in 4731, 4734, 4761. And because Reuben says of himself, 'And I, where do I go?' the meaning is, Where now is the Church's faith? or what amounts to the same, Where now is the Church? For the Church does not exist where no heavenly Joseph - that is, no Lord as regards Divine Truth - does so. In particular it has no existence where the Divine Truth that the Lord's Human is Divine and the Truth that charity, and therefore the works of charity, is the essential element of the Church have no existence, as may be seen from what has been shown in this chapter about these two Truths.

[2] If there is no acceptance of this Divine Truth, that the Lord's Human is Divine, then of necessity it follows that a triad and not a single entity should be worshipped, and only half the Lord, that is, His Divine but not His Human (for is there anyone who worships that which is not Divine?) Is the Church anything when a triad is worshipped, each of the three separately from another, or what amounts to the same, when equal homage is paid to each of them? For although the three are called one, thought still keeps them separate and makes them three, the declaration 'a single entity' being no more than a saying spoken with the lips. Let anyone ask himself, when he says that he acknowledges and believes in one God, whether or not he has thoughts of three. Or when he says that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and that these are distinct and separate both in their persons and as to their functions, whether he can think that there is one God, except in the way that three who are distinct from one another make one through unanimity and also through deference insofar as one goes forth from another. When therefore three gods are worshipped, where then is the Church?

[3] But if the Lord alone is worshipped, in whom the perfect Triad dwells, and in whom is the Father and the Father in Him, as He Himself says in the following places -

Even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father. John 10:38.

He who has seen Me has seen the Father. Do you not believe, Philip, that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me. John 14:9-11.

He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. John 12:45.

All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine. John 17:10.

- then it is a Christian Church, as it is when it keeps to the following spoken by the Lord,

The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There Is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:29-31.

'The Lord our God' is the Lord, see Matthew 4:7, 10; 22:43-44; Luke 1:16-17; John 20:28, 'Jehovah' in the Old Testament being called 'the Lord' in the New, see 2921.

[4] If this Divine Truth too goes unaccepted both in doctrine and in life - the Truth that love towards the neighbour, that is, charity, and therefore the works of charity, is the essential element of the Church - then of necessity it follows that thinking what is true exists in the Church but not thinking what is good. That being so, the thought of one who belongs to the Church may consist of elements that contradict and stand opposed to each other; that is to say, thinking what is evil and thinking what is true may be present simultaneously. In thinking what is evil he lives with the devil and in thinking what is true he does so with the Lord. But truth and evil cannot possibly be in accord,

No one can serve two masters, either he will hate the one and love the other . . . Luke 16:13.

When faith separated from charity advocates this, and endorses it in life, then no matter how much it talks about the fruits of faith, where indeed is the Church?

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