624. It is clear that a state which is not a state of the Church is the subject here from the fact that in this verse and those that follow in chapter the name God is used, whereas in previous verses it was Jehovah. When the Church does not exist the name God is used, but when it does exist, it is Jehovah; for example in Genesis 1, when the Church did not exist, He was called God, but in the next chapter when it did, He was called Jehovah God. 'Jehovah' is the holiest of names, and belongs to the Church alone. Not so 'God', for no nation was without gods. Consequently the same holiness was not attached to the name God. Nobody was allowed to utter the name Jehovah except him who had knowledge of the true faith; but anyone was allowed to utter the name God.

5891. Verses 6-8 For this [is the situation] - there have been two years of famine in the midst of the land, and there are still five years, in which there will be no ploughing and harvest. And God sent me before you to establish for you a remnant on the earth, and for the bestowal of life on you for a great escape. And now, you did not send me here, but God; add He has established me as father to Pharaoh, and as Lord for all his house; and I have dominion in all the land of Egypt.

'For this' means that this is the situation 'There have been two years of famine in the midst of the land' means a state when there is a lack of good in the natural mind. 'And there are still five years' means the duration of that state until remnants shine forth. 'In which there will be no ploughing and harvest' means that in the meanwhile no good will be seen nor any truth derived from good. 'And God sent me before you' means as ordained by Divine Providence. 'To establish for you a remnant on the earth' means the middle and inmost part of the Church. 'And for the bestowal of life on you' means the spiritual life from there that is bestowed on the truths in the natural. 'For a great escape' means deliverance from damnation. 'And now, you did not send me here' means that they had not handed him over to factual knowledge in the natural. 'But God' means that the Divine had done so. 'And He has established me as father to Pharaoh' means that now the natural was dependent on him 'And as lord for all his house' means that everything in the natural was dependent on him. 'And I have dominion in all the land of Egypt' means that he sets in order the factual knowledge there.