9373. Come up unto Jehovah. That this signifies conjunction with the Lord, is evident from the signification of “coming up,” as being to be raised toward interior things (see n. 3084, 4539, 4969, 5406, 5817, 6007), consequently also to be conjoined (n. 8760). That it denotes conjunction with the Lord, is because by “Jehovah” in the Word is meant the the Lord, (n. 1343, 1736, 1793, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6280, 6303, 6905, 8274, 8864, 9315). A secret which also lies hidden in the internal sense of these words, is that the sons of Jacob, over whom Moses was the head, were not called and chosen; but they themselves insisted that Divine worship should be instituted among them (according to wh at has been said in n. 4290, 4293); and therefore it is here said, “and He said unto Moses, Come up unto Jehovah,” as if not Jehovah, but another, had said that he should come up. For the same reason in what follows it is said that “the people should not go up” (verse 2); and that “Jehovah sent not His hand unto the sons of Israel who were set apart” (verse 11); and that “the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the sons of Israel” (verse 17); and lastly that Moses, being called the seventh day, “entered into the midst of the cloud.” For by “the cloud” is meant the Word in the letter (n. 5922, 6343, 6752, 6832, 8106, 8443, 8781); and with the sons of Jacob the Word was separated from its internal sense, because they were in external worship without internal, as can be clearly seen from the fact that now, as before, they said, “all the words which Jehovah hath spoken we will do” (verse 3); and yet scarcely forty days afterward they worshiped a golden calf instead of Jehovah; which shows that this was hidden in their hearts while they were saying with their lips that they would serve Jehovah alone. But nevertheless those who are meant by “the called and the chosen” are those who are in internal worship, and who from internal worship are in external; that is, those who are in love to and faith in the Lord, and from this in love toward the neighbor.

'Massah and Meribah,' as in Exodus 17:7, signify the qualities of a state of temptation.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 8587, 8588)

2496. GENESIS 20

1. And Abraham journeyed thence toward the land of the south, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and he sojourned in Gerar.

2. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister; and Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

3. And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold thou wilt die because of the woman whom thou hast taken, for she is married to a husband.

4. And Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, Lord, wilt Thou slay also a righteous nation?

5. Said he not himself unto me, She is my sister? And she herself also said, He is my brother: in the uprightness of my heart and in the blamelessness of my hands have I done this.

6. And God said unto him in the dream, Yea, I know that in the uprightness of thy heart thou hast done this; and I also withheld thee from sinning against Me; therefore I did not suffer thee to touch her.

7. And now restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not, know thou that dying thou shalt die, thou and all that are thine.

8. And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and spoke all these words in their ears; and the men feared greatly.

9. And Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? And wherein have I sinned against thee that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? Thou hast done unto me deeds that ought not to be done.

10. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou that thou hast done this word?

11. And Abraham said, Because I said, Surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me on account of the word of my wife.

12. And moreover truly she is my sister, being the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.

13. And it came to pass when God caused me to depart from my father’s house that I said unto her, This is thy goodness which thou shalt do unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

14. And Abimelech took flock and herd, and menservants and maidservants, and gave unto Abraham; and restored to him Sarah his wife.

15. And Abimelech said, Behold my land is before thee; dwell in that which is good in thine eyes.

16. And unto Sarah he said, Behold I have given a thousand of silver to thy brother; behold it is unto thee a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee, and with all; and she was vindicated.

17. And Abraham prayed unto God, and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they brought forth.

18. For closing Jehovah had therefore closed every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of the word of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

THE CONTENTS.

In the twelfth chapter above, Abraham’s sojourning in Egypt has been treated of; by which was signified the Lord’s instruction in memory-knowledges while still a boy. In this chapter the subject treated of is Abraham’s sojourn in Gerar, where Abimelech was; by which the Lord’s instruction is in like manner signified, but in the doctrinal things of charity and faith. The subject that is especially treated of here is the doctrine of charity and faith in respect to its origin; namely, that it is spiritual from a celestial origin, but is not from the rational.