8935. 'An altar of soil you shall make for Me' means something which in a general way represents worship that springs from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'an altar' as the chief representative of the Lord and consequently of the worship of Him, dealt with in 921, 2777, 2811, 4489, 4541; and from the meaning of 'soil' or 'the ground' as good. The reason why 'the ground' stands for good is that a Church which abides in good is meant by 'the ground', 566. This is why Adam was said to be formed from the ground, at Genesis 2:7; 3:19; for one who belonged to the celestial Church, that is, the Church itself abiding in good, was meant by him, 478, 479. Since there are two entities that inspire worship of the Lord - goodness and truth - worship springing from good was represented by an altar of soil, while worship springing from truth was represented by an altar of stones. Both kinds of altars are the subject here; and those two entities that inspire worship are called faith and charity. Worship springing from truth has connection with faith, and worship springing from good has connection with charity.

[2] As regards worship inspired by faith and worship inspired by charity, or that which springs from truth and that which springs from good, the situation is that before a person has been regenerated his worship consists of truth, but after he has been regenerated it consists of good. Before a person has been regenerated he is led by means of truth to good, that is, by means of faith to charity; but when he has been regenerated he abides in good and consequently in truth, that is, in charity and consequently in faith, 8516, 8539, 8643, 8648, 8658. These two kinds of worship are what the altars of soil and of stone represent. The reason why the altar is the chief representative of worship of the Lord is that burnt offerings and sacrifices were offered on it; and it was in these that the worship of God by the Hebrew nation, and subsequently by the Israelite and Jewish nation, chiefly consisted, 923, 1343, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3519, 6405.

2805. 'Where is the animal for a burnt offering?' means, Where are those members of the human race who are to be sanctified? This is clear from the representation of sacrifices, in particular burnt offerings. Burnt offerings and sacrifices were representative of internal worship, see 922, 923; they were made from the flock and from the herd - when from the flock, lambs, sheep, she-goats, kids, rams, or he-goats were used, when from the herd, oxen, young bulls, or calves, all of which meant various kinds of celestial and spiritual things - see 922, 1823, 2180; and by means of them people were sanctified, 2776. From all this it may become clear that Isaac's question, 'Where is the animal for the burnt offering?' means, Where are those members of the human race who are to be sanctified? The same is more plainly evident from what comes next, that is to say, from the reply made by Abraham his father, 'God will see for Himself to the animal for a burnt offering', verse 8, which means that the Divine Human will provide those who are to be sanctified; from the fact that later on he saw a ram behind him caught by its horns in a thicket, and offered that as the burnt offering, verse 13, which means members of the human race who belong to the Lord's spiritual Church; as well as from the details that follow after this in verses 14-17.