6394. 'And will be one serving for tribute' means so that he may earn merit. This is clear from the meaning of 'being one serving for tribute' as being subject to and serving. And since those who wish to earn merit through works are spoken of as bony asses lying down between burdens and as those who bend their shoulder to bear a burden, 'one serving for tribute' too means those who wish to earn merit through works; for they are lowest-ranking servants, see above in 6389. The fact that 'one serving for tribute' means being subject to and serving is clear in Moses,

When you draw near a city to fight against it you shall proclaim peace to them. ¹ But it shall be, if it responds to you in favour of peace and opens up to you - it shall be, that all the people who are found in it will become tribute to you and serve you. Deuteronomy 20:10-11.

In Jeremiah,

How lonely dwells the city [that was] great with people! She has become like a widow, [she who was] great among the nations; she who had dominion over provinces has become a payer of tribute. Lamentations 1:1.

In these places it is self-evident that 'becoming a tribute' and 'becoming a payer of tribute' mean serving. In Matthew,

Jesus said, How does it seem to you, Simon? The kings of the earth, from whom do they receive tribute or tax, from their own sons or from strangers? Peter said to Him, From strangers. Jesus said to him, Then the sons are free; but so that we may not offend them, set off for the sea and cast a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. Open its mouth and you will find a stater; ² take it and give it for Me and for you. Matthew 17:25-27.

Here also 'giving tribute moneys or taxation' means those who serve, and therefore it says that strangers were to give it but the sons would be free; for strangers were servants, 1097. Peter's taking a fish from the sea and his finding in its mouth a stater which he was to give represented the fact that the lowest part of the natural, which is a servant, would accomplish it; for that part of the natural is meant by 'fish'.

Fotnoter:

3670. 'And He will give you the blessing of Abraham' means the joining of the Divine itself to the good and truth of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'blessing' as a joining together, dealt with above in 3660, 3667, and from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord's Divine itself, which is called the Father, dealt with in 2011, 3251, 3439. And as these words are addressed to Jacob, who is to represent the Divine Good and Truth of the Lord's Divine Natural, it is a joining together of the Divine itself to the good and truth of the Natural - this joining together being meant in the internal sense by 'He will give you the blessing of Abraham'. In the sense of the letter it is possession of the land of Canaan that is meant by 'the blessing of Abraham', and also by the words that follow, 'to inherit the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham'. This also is what these words are taken to mean by all who believe that the historical descriptions of the Word do not embody anything more heavenly and deeper than that. This is especially so with the Jewish nation, which also claims from that sense to hold a superior position to all other nations and peoples. Their forefathers understood those words in the same way, especially Jacob, who had that kind of disposition, as becomes clear from what has been stated just above in 3667. That is to say, he did not know Jehovah and was unwilling to acknowledge Him unless He conferred bodily and worldly benefits on him. The fact that neither Abraham, nor Isaac, nor Jacob were meant, but that Jacob represented the Lord's Natural which He was to make Divine is abundantly evident from the explanations given. The same applies to the character of any person who represents, whether evil or good; for the evil are no less able to represent, and have represented, the Lord's Divine, see 665, 1097, 1361.

[2] The same may be seen from the representatives which also exist at the present day. For all kings, no matter who they are or what they are like, represent the Lord through the kingly office itself residing with them; and in like manner all priests, no matter who they are or what they are like, do so through their priestly office. The kingly office itself and the priestly office itself are sacred, no matter who serves in them. Consequently the Word taught by someone evil is no less sacred; nor is the Sacrament of Baptism, or the Holy Supper, or similar ministrations any less so. From this it may also be seen that no king can possibly claim as his own the sacredness that goes with his kingly office, nor any priest the sacredness that goes with his priestly office. Insofar as he does claim it or attribute it to himself he brands himself with the sign of a spiritual thief, or the mark of spiritual theft. And insofar as he commits what is evil, that is, acts contrary to what is right and fair, and contrary to what is good and true, a king throws off his representation of the sacred kingly office, and a priest his representation of the sacred priestly office, and then represents the reverse of this. This explains why so many laws were laid down in the Jewish representative Church concerning the sacredness which was to be attached in particular to priests when ministering. More on this matter will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated later on.