5997. 'And he came to Beersheba' means charity and faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'Beersheba' as the doctrine of charity and faith, dealt with in 2858, 2859, 3466; but here charity and faith themselves are meant, not doctrine concerning them, since reference is being made to spiritual good, represented by 'Israel'. Spiritual good is something more than doctrine about it, for such doctrine owes its existence to that good. Therefore when anyone arrives at spiritual good he no longer has any need of teachings received from others because he has attained the end he sought to reach. He is no longer concerned with the means, and those teachings are nothing other than the means by which he arrives at good, his end in view. This now explains why 'Beersheba' means charity and faith.

923. 'And he offered burnt offerings on the altar' means all worship stemming from those goods and truths. This is evident from what has been stated up to now. Burnt offerings were the chief features of the worship of the representative Church, as at a later time were sacrifices. These will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on. That burnt offerings taken as a whole mean representative worship is also clear from the Prophets, as in David,

Jehovah will send your help from the Sanctuary, and give you support from Zion. He will remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt offering as fat. Psalms 20:2-3.

And in Isaiah,

Whoever keeps the sabbath from profaning it, I will bring them to My holy mountain. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar. Isaiah 56:6-7.

Here 'burnt offerings and sacrifices' stands for all worship, 'burnt offerings' for worship stemming from love, 'sacrifices' for worship stemming from faith derived from love. As is common in the Prophets, internal things are here being described by those that are external.