3440. 'And I will bless you, and will cause your seed to multiply' means the increase of good and truth from there. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing you' as an increase of good, dealt with in 3406, and from the meaning of 'your seed multiplying' as an increase of truth, dealt with in 43, 55, 913, 983, 2846, 2847 - 'seed' meaning truth, in reference to which 'multiplying' is used, see 1025, 1447, 1610, 2848, 3038, 3373, 3380. One reason why even from the literal sense of the Word an increase of good and truth takes place with man is that within that sense also every single thing is Divine, as stated just above in 3439. And another reason is that in many places in the literal sense the internal sense is openly revealed, for example in the Old Testament, in the Prophets, where the Lord's future coming to be the salvation of the human race is stated; where it is stated that to love God and to love the neighbour constitute all the Law and all the Prophets; or where it is stated that hatred is murder, for anyone who harbours hatred is committing murder moment by moment, insofar as his hatred is willful and is the delight of his life. These are examples of where the internal sense can be seen within the literal sense; and there are many others besides these.

3381. 'Because Abraham hearkened to My voice' means the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with the Human Essence by means of temptations. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord even as to the Divine Human, dealt with in 2833, 2836, 3251, and from the meaning of 'hearkening to My voice' when it has reference to the Lord, as uniting the Divine Essence to the Human Essence by means of temptations, for it is in connection with temptations that in the Word obedience is attributed to the Lord. The mention of Abraham's hearkening here is a reference to what was said about him in Chapter 22, When God tempted him He told him to take his son and offer him as a burnt offering, verses 1-2. And when he hearkened to His voice it is said,

Now I know that you fear God and have not withheld your only son from Me. By Myself I have sworn, says Jehovah, that because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will certainly bless you, and I will certainly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens. Genesis 22:12, 16-17.

'Not withholding your only son from Me', which was 'hearkening to His voice', means the union of the Human and the Divine effected by means of the final degree of temptation, see 2827, 2844.

[2] That these considerations are meant by hearkening to the voice of Jehovah, or the Father, is also evident from the Lord's words uttered in Gethsemane, in Matthew,

My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless not as I will but as You will. Again, for the second time, My Father, if this cup cannot pass from Me unless I drink it, Your will he done. Matthew 26:39, 42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42.

But because Jehovah or the Father was within Him, that is, He was in the Father and Father in Him - John 14:10-11 - 'hearkening to Jehovah's voice' is used to mean that the Lord through temptations united the Divine to the Human by His own power, as is also clear from the Lord's own words in John,

As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down My life, ¹ for the sheep. For this reason the Father loves Me, that I lay down My life, ¹ so that I may receive it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself; I have power to lay it down and I have power to receive it again; this commandment I have received from My Father. John 10:15, 17-18.

Through temptations the Lord united His Divine Essence to His Human Essence by His own power, see 1663, 1668, 1690, 1691 (end), 1725, 1729, 1733, 1737, 1787, 1789, 1812, 1820, 2776, 3318 (end).

Footnotes: