The Bible

 

Jeremija 41

Study

   

1 A sedmog meseca dođe Ismailo, sin Netanije sina Elisaminog, carskog roda, i knezovi carevi, deset ljudi s njim, ka Godoliji sinu Ahikamovom u Mispu, i jedoše onde u Mispi s njim.

2 Potom usta Ismailo, sin Netanijin i deset ljudi što behu s njim, i ubiše mačem Godoliju, sina Ahikama sina Safanovog; tako pogubiše onog koga beše postavio car vavilonski nad zemljom.

3 I sve Judejce koji behu s njim, s Godolijom, u Mispi, i Haldejce koji se zatekoše onde, vojnike, pobi Ismailo.

4 A sutradan, pošto ubi Godoliju, dok još niko ne dozna,

5 Dođoše ljudi iz Sihema, iz Siloma i iz Samarije, osamdeset ljudi, obrijane brade i razdrtih haljina i isparani po telu, i imahu u rukama dar i kad, da prinesu u dom Gospodnji.

6 Tada Ismailo, sin Netanijin, iziđe im iz Mispe na susret i iđaše plačući, i sretavši se s njima reče im: Hodite ka Godoliji, sinu Ahikamovom.

7 A kad dođoše usred grada, pokla ih Ismailo, sin Netanijin, s ljudima koji behu s njim i baci ih u jamu.

8 A među njima se nađe deset ljudi koji rekoše Ismailu: Nemoj nas pogubiti, jer imamo sakriveno blago u polju, pšenice i ječma i ulja i meda. I ostavi ih, i ne pobi ih s braćom njihovom.

9 A jama u koju pobaca Ismailo sva telesa ljudi koje pobi uz Godoliju beše ona koju načini car Asa bojeći se Vase cara Izrailjevog; i Ismailo sin Netanijin napuni je pobijenih ljudi.

10 I zarobi Ismailo sav ostatak naroda što beše u Mispi, kćeri careve i sav narod što beše ostao u Mispi, nad kojim beše postavio Nevuzardan zapovednik stražarski Godoliju, sina Ahikamovog; i zarobivši ih Ismailo, sin Netanijin, pođe da pređe k sinovima Amonovim.

11 Ali Joanan, sin Karijin, i sve vojvode što behu s njim čuše sve zlo što učini Ismailo sin Netanijin.

12 Tada uzeše sve svoje ljude i pođoše da udare na Ismaila, sina Netanijinog, kog nađoše kod velike vode u Gavaonu.

13 I sav narod što beše s Ismailom kad vide Joanana sina Karijinog i sve vojvode što behu s njim, obradova se,

14 I sav narod što Ismailo zarobi iz Mispe obrnu se i otide k Joananu, sinu Karijinom.

15 A Ismailo sin Netanijin pobeže s osam ljudi od Joanana, i otide k sinovima Amonovim.

16 I tako Joanan, sin Karijin i sve vojvode što behu s njim uzeše sav ostatak naroda što povratiše od Ismaila, sina Netanijinog, koji ubivši Godoliju, sina Ahikamovog, beše ih odveo iz Mispe, vojnike i žene i decu i dvorane, i odvedoše ih iz Gavaona;

17 I otišavši stadoše u gostionici Himamovoj kod Vitlejema; da bi otišli i prešli u Misir,

18 Radi Haldejaca, jer ih se bojahu, što Ismailo, sin Netanijin, ubi Godoliju, sina Ahikamovog, kog beše postavio car vavilonski nad zemljom.

   

Commentary

 

Bethlehem

  
Joseph and Mary arrive in Bethlehem, by William Brassey Hole

There is a strong relationship between Ephrath and Bethlehem in the Bible; they might be two different names for the same town, or it’s possible Ephrath describes a district which includes Bethlehem.

Whatever the case, they play key roles in the Bible. Bethlehem is well-known as the birthplace of Jesus, of course, but was also the birthplace of David and of Benjamin, and Benjamin’s mother Rachel was buried there. The reason for this is that Ephrath and Bethlehem (and Benjamin, incidentally) represent a key element of our spiritual wiring, an element that makes it possible for us to have a spiritual life.

At the deepest levels, our identity, our humanity, is a matter of love – what we love makes us who and what we are. But that love is locked away inside us; it’s not something we can share with others directly. To share it, we have to give it a form – and giving it a form means we are actually turning it into ideas, into truth. As truth it can be shared, and if we’re lucky the people receiving it will be able to run the process in reverse, feeling and internalizing the love contained in that truth.

This process, however, involves two sort of “quantum leaps.” Love is an internal thing, and truth is an external thing (or as Swedenborg puts it, love is celestial in nature and truth is spiritual in nature), and internal things and external things are separate, on two different planes of existence. To express love as truth takes a special process, and to receive love from truth does as well. That’s where Bethlehem comes in.

Bethlehem (and Ephrath and Benjamin) represent what Swedenborg calls “the spiritual of the celestial.” This is where the celestial element – love – can push toward taking a form, can become as “truth-like” as possible. It is matched by something called “the celestial of the spiritual,” where the spiritual element – truth – can become as “love-like” as possible. Through these intermediaries love can jump the gap, kind of like nerve impulses crossing synapses, or like magnetic fields drawing two magnets together. It is the only way we can get love into useful forms, and only way we can share it.

This explains why Joseph could not reveal himself to his brothers in Egypt until Benjamin was with them – Joseph represents the celestial of the spiritual, and needed to be paired with the spiritual of the celestial to communicate. It also explains why the Lord had to be born in Bethlehem: He came in human form so that His perfect, infinite, divine love could be put in form as truth and shared with us. That had to be done by putting an internal, celestial thing – His love – into an external, spiritual form – His truth. That could only happen through the spiritual of the celestial, which is Bethlehem.