The Bible

 

Oseas 14

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1 CONVIÉRTETE, oh Israel, á Jehová tu Dios: porque por tu pecado has caído.

2 Tomad con vosotros palabras, y convertíos á Jehová, y decidle: Quita toda iniquidad, y acepta el bien, y daremos becerros de nuestros labios.

3 No nos librará Assur; no subiremos sobre caballos, ni nunca más diremos á la obra de nuestras manos: Dioses nuestros: porque en ti el huérfano alcanzará misericordia.

4 Yo medicinaré su rebelión, amarélos de voluntad: porque mi furor se apartó de ellos.

5 Yo seré á Israel como rocío; él florecerá como lirio, y extenderá sus raíces como el Líbano.

6 Extenderse han sus ramos, y será su gloria como la de la oliva, y olerá como el Líbano.

7 Volverán, y se sentarán bajo de su sombra: serán vivificados como trigo, y florecerán como la vid: su olor, como de vino del Líbano.

8 Ephraim dirá: ¿Qué más tendré ya con los ídolos? Yo lo oiré, y miraré; yo seré á él como la haya verde: de mí será hallado tu fruto.

9 ¿Quién es sabio para que entienda esto, y prudente para que los sepa? Porque los caminos del Jehová son derechos, y los justos andarán por ellos: mas los rebeldes en ellos caerán.

   

Commentary

 

Ephraim

  
Jacob blessing the sons of Joseph, by Januarius Zick

Ephraim was the second son born to Joseph in Egypt and was, along with his older brother Manasseh, elevated by Jacob to the same status as Joseph’s brothers. Thus when the tribes of Israel are named, Ephraim and Manasseh are named as patriarchs along with their uncles – Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin -- but Joseph is not. According to Swedenborg, Ephraim represents the intellectual aspect of the church, the part that explores and understands what is true – especially the true ideas that can be drawn from the Bible. Manasseh, meanwhile, represents the affectional aspect of the church, the part that feels and loves and cares. This plays into the best-known story of Ephraim’s life. When Jacob was old and nearing death, Joseph brought his two sons to be blessed. He presented Manasseh to Jacob’s right hand as the elder, and Ephraim to Jacob’s left hand. But Jacob crossed his hands and gave Ephraim the primary blessing. According to Swedenborg, Manasseh was the elder son because ultimately, what we love makes us who we are; our loves form our lives. So our loves are the most central, leading aspect of our human existence, with our intellect playing a secondary role. But as we develop, we need to reverse those. We can use our intellect to understand what is good and right and force ourselves to do it, even when our desires are for what’s selfish. If we stick to that out of a determination to follow the Lord and be good people, the Lord will eventually remove the selfishness from our hearts so we can truly love what is good. By having Jacob bless Ephraim above Manasseh, the Lord is telling us that we have to put our intellect first to pursue our spiritual journey.