2497. The text describes what the Lord's state was when he first started to inform himself about the doctrines concerning charity and faith. Kadesh and Shur symbolize the state itself; Abimelech, king of Gerar, symbolizes teachings on faith (verses 1, 2). At first the Lord considered inquiring of his rational mind (verse 2) but in the end did not (verses 3, 4, 8, 9). The reasons he thought this way (verses 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13). The doctrine concerning charity and faith is spiritual and comes from a heavenly origin (verse 7). That is what he was taught; and all logic and all factual knowledge then served him, the way a veil or garment would (verses 14, 15, 16). This completed and perfected his theology (verse 17). It would have gone differently if he had relied on logic (verse 18).