The Bible

 

2 Mose 24

Study

   

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 #7097

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

7097. 'I do not know Jehovah' means that they have no interest in the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'not knowing' as having no interest in, for a person who has no interest in something says that he knows nothing about it; and 'Jehovah' is used to mean the Lord, see above in 7091. The implications of this, of Pharaoh's saying that he does not know Jehovah, are as follows: The Egyptians had known Jehovah since ancient times, the reason being that the Ancient Church had existed in Egypt also, as may be plainly recognized from the fact that they were in possession of the representatives and meaningful signs of that Church. Egyptian hieroglyphics are nothing else, for these served to denote spiritual realities; and people knew that they did in actual fact correspond to those realities. But because they began to use such representatives and signs in their sacred worship, to treat them as objects of worship and also at length to turn them into magic, and in so doing to become linked to the devil's crew in hell, they completely destroyed the Ancient Church among themselves. This is why in the Word 'the Egyptians' means facts known to the Church that have been perverted, and also falsities that are opposed to the truths of the Church.

[2] Once the worship of God had become perverted in this way in Egypt, then they were no longer allowed to worship Jehovah either, or at length even to know that Jehovah had been the God of the Ancient Church; and the reason why this happened was to prevent them from profaning the name of Jehovah. The fact that the name of Jehovah was also known at that time, before it was revealed once again to Abraham's descendants through Moses on Mount Horeb, is plainly evident from Balaam, who was from Syria. He not only knew Jehovah but also worshipped Him and offered sacrifice to Him, Numbers 22-24. From all this one may now see why Pharaoh said, 'Who is Jehovah whose voice I am to hear, [telling me] to send the people away? I do not know Jehovah.'

[3] But since 'Pharaoh' represents those in hell who are steeped in falsities and molest those belonging to the spiritual Church, what is involved in all this needs to be stated. Those in hell who molest members of the spiritual Church consist for the most part of the kind of people who have said that faith alone saves and yet have led a life contrary to faith. And since the life they have led, thus the evil which they have contemplated, planned, and carried out, remains after death of the body, therefore to defend the evils assimilated into their life they either employ the things which they have said were matters of faith or else reject them altogether. But to prevent them from misusing the truths of faith, these are taken away from them. And when those truths have been taken they seize on falsities, which are completely contrary to the truths of faith, and then use the falsities to molest those guided by truths. Doing this is then for them the delight of life. Quite a number of them, to acquire power, also learn magic. This is done by those who used various tricks which they devised in the world to deceive their neighbour, and being successful then attributed everything to their own prudence.

[4] Those who have become like this acknowledge the Father as the Creator of all things, but they do not acknowledge the Lord. Regarding the Lord they use similar words to Pharaoh's here regarding Jehovah, 'Who is Jehovah? I do not know Jehovah'. Indeed just as the whole sphere pervading heaven is full of an acknowledgement of and love for the Lord, so the whole sphere pervading the hells is full of a denial of the Lord and of hatred towards Him. Nor can they bear to hear His name mentioned. Those in hell are by nature such that admonitions and threats do not make them leave off, so great is the delight of their life to molest the upright and draw them away from their acknowledgement of the Lord and faith in Him. That delight is intensified by the admonitions they receive to leave off, for they lead them to imagine that those whom they molest will shortly be done for. These are the ones whom 'Pharaoh' and 'the Egyptians' are used to mean specifically.

  
/ 10837  
  

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