The Bible

 

Genesis 1:13

Study

       

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Commentary

 

Good

  
To Charity, by João Zeferino da Costa

It seems rather circular to say that “good” in the Bible represents good, but in a general sense it's true! The case is this: The Lord is love itself given form and expression as wisdom itself, and that Divine Love and Divine Wisdom flow down into us, into the world and into the Bible in an unending stream with endless variety. Divine Love gives rise to our loves, our affections, our desires for good and the joy we can feel; Divine Wisdom gives rise to facts, knowledge, intelligence, understanding and human wisdom. And the more we can bring those two aspects of our lives into harmony, the more elevated we can become -- which will in turn make us happier, more useful, and ultimately more angelic.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #884

Study this Passage

  
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884. 'And behold, in its mouth an olive leaf plucked off' means a small measure of the truth of faith; 'leaf' meaning truth, 'olive' good that stems from charity, 'plucked off' the fact that the truth of faith derives from that charity, and 'in its mouth' the fact that it was made visible. This is clear from the meaning of 'olive' and is evident from the very words themselves. That a tiny quantity is meant is clear from the fact that it was a leaf and no more.

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