3441. For the sake of Abraham my servant. That this signifies from the Lord’s Divine Human is evident from the representation of Abraham, as being the Lord’s Divine, and also the Divine Human (n. 2833, 2836, 3251); and from the signification of “my servant,” when predicated of the Lord, as being the Divine Human; not that the Divine Human is a servant, because this also is Jehovah (n. 1736, 2156, 2329, 2921, 3023, 3035), but because the Lord by this serves the human race; for by this man is saved, inasmuch as unless the Lord had united the Human to the Divine, so that man might be enabled with his mind to look upon and adore the Human of the Lord and thus have access to the Divine, he could not possibly have been saved. The conjunction of man with the Divine itself which is called the “Father” is through the Divine Human which is called the “Son”; thus through the Lord, by whom the spiritual man understands the Human, but the celestial man the Divine Itself. Hence it is evident why the Divine Human is called a “servant,” namely, because it serves the Divine, in order that man may have access thereto, and because it serves mankind for their salvation.

[2] This then is what is signified by “Abraham my servant” as also in David:

Remember his marvelous works that He hath done, his wonders and the judgments of His mouth, O ye seed of Abraham His servant, ye sons of Jacob, His chosen ones. He sent Moses His servant, Aaron whom He hath chosen. He remembered the word of His holiness with Abraham His servant (Psalms 105:5-6, 26, (Psalms 105:26)42); where by “Abraham his servant” is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human. In like manner also the Lord as to the Divine Human is meant in the supreme sense by “Israel his servant,” by “Jacob his servant,” and by “David his servant”; by Israel his servant, in Isaiah:

Thou Israel my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend; thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the wings thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art My servant, I have chosen thee (Isaiah 41:8-9); where “Israel my servant” in the supreme sense is the Lord in respect to the internal things of the spiritual church; and “Jacob” as to the external things of this church. Again:

He said unto me, Thou art My servant Israel, in whom I will be glorified. It is a light thing that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved of Israel; and I have given thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth (Isaiah 49:3, 6); where “Israel, in whom I will be glorified,” manifestly represents the Lord’s Divine Human. That he is called “servant” from serving is manifest, for it is said, “that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved of Israel.”

[3] That the Lord as to his Divine Human is meant also by “Jacob my servant” is evident in the following passage from Isaiah:

I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, for Jacob My servant’s sake, and Israel My chosen (Isaiah 45:3-4); where by “Jacob My servant, and Israel My chosen” is meant the Lord, “Jacob My servant” having respect to the external things of the church, and “Israel My chosen” to the internal things of the church.

[4] The same is also signified by “David my servant” in Ezekiel:

I will gather the sons of Israel from every side. My servant David shall be king over them; there shall be to them all one shepherd. They shall dwell upon the land which I have given unto Jacob My servant, and they shall dwell therein, they and their sons and their sons’ sons even forever; and David My servant shall be their prince forever (Ezekiel 37:21, 24-25).

“David My servant” plainly denotes the Lord’s Divine Human (n. 1888), and this from Divine truth, which is signified by “king,” and here by “David” (n. 1728, 2015, 3009). That truth itself also is relatively a servant, may be seen above (n. 3409); and because it is so, the Lord Himself calls Himself one that serveth” or “ministereth,” in Mark:

Whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever would be first among you shall be servant of all. For the Son of man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister (Mark 10:43-45; Matthew 20:26-28).

And in Luke:

Which is the greater, he that reclineth at meat, or he that ministereth? Is not he that reclineth at meat? But I am in the midst of you as he that ministereth (Luke 22:27).

2329. He said, Behold I pray my lords. That this signified an interior acknowledgment and confession of the Lord’s Divine Human and Holy proceeding, is evident from the acknowledgment and humiliation spoken of just before; here confession immediately follows, for this is meant by Lot’s saying, “Behold I pray my lords.” Interior confession is of the heart and comes forth in humiliation, and at the same time in the affection of good; but exterior confession is of the lips, and may possibly come forth in a feigned humiliation and a feigned affection of good, which is none at all, being such as exists with those who confess the Lord for the sake of their own honor, or rather their own worship, and their own gain. That which these confess with the lips, they deny in the heart.

[2] Its being said in the plural, “my lords,” is for the same reason that in the preceding chapter it is said “three men;” for just as the “three” there signify the Divine Itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding, so here the “two” signify the Lord’s Divine Human and Holy proceeding, as was said above. That these are one is known to everyone within the church; and because they are one, they are also named in the singular in what follows, as in verse 17, “It came to pass when they had led them forth abroad, that He said, Escape for thy life;” verse 19, “Behold I pray thy servant hath found grace in thine eyes, and thou hast made thy mercy great which thou hast done with me;” verse 21, “And he said unto him, Behold I have accepted thy face as to this word also, that I will not overthrow the city;” and verse 22, “For I cannot do anything until thou be come thither.”

[3] That the Divine Itself, the Divine Human, and the Holy proceeding are Jehovah, is evident from the foregoing chapter, where the three men are called “Jehovah,” as in verse 13, “Jehovah said unto Abraham;” verse 14,” Shall anything be too wonderful for Jehovah;” verse 22, “Abraham, he stood yet before Jehovah;” verse 33, “Jehovah went His way when He made an end of speaking with Abraham.” Consequently the Divine Human and Holy proceeding are Jehovah, as also He is named in this chapter, verse 24, “And Jehovah caused it to rain upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven;” the internal sense of which words will be seen in what follows. (That the Lord is Jehovah Himself, who is so often named in the histories and prophecies of the Old Testament, may be seen above, n. 1736)

[4] They who are truly men of the church, that is, who are in love to the Lord and in charity toward the neighbor, are acquainted with and acknowledge a Trine; but still they humble themselves before the Lord and adore Him alone, for the reason that they know that there is no access to the Divine Itself which is called the “Father” except through the Son; and that all the Holy which is of the Holy Spirit proceeds from Him. When they are in this idea they adore no other than Him through whom and from whom all things are, thus One;

[5] nor do they spread out their ideas among Three, as many within the church are wont to do, as can be seen from many in the other life, even the learned, who in the life of the body had supposed that they possessed the arcana of faith more than others. When these were explored in the other life as to what idea they had concerning the one God-whether of Three Uncreates, Three Infinities, Three Eternals, Three Almighties, Three Lords, it was plainly perceived that they had the idea of Three (for there is a communication of ideas there), when yet it is part of the creed, being stated in plain words, that there are not Three Uncreates, not Three Infinities, not Three Eternals, not Three Almighties, not Three Lords, but One; as also is the truth. The result was that they confessed that with the mouth they had indeed said that there is one God, yet still had thought, and some had believed, that there are three, whom in idea they could separate, but not join together, the reason of which is that all arcana whatever, even the deepest, are attended with an idea; for without an idea nothing can be thought of, nor indeed can anything be kept in the memory.

[6] Hence in the other life it is manifest as in clear day what thought, and thence what belief, each person has formed for himself concerning the One God. Indeed the Jews in the other life, when they hear that the Lord is Jehovah and that there is but One God, can say nothing. But when they perceive that the ideas of Christians are divided among Three, they say that they themselves worship One God, but Christians Three; and this the more since none can join together the Three thus separated in idea, except those who are in the faith of charity; for the Lord applies the minds of these to Himself.