4572. 'I am God Shaddai' means a state of temptation is past, and now there is Divine comfort. This is clear from the meaning of 'God Shaddai' as temptation and subsequent comfort, for the ancients had called Jehovah or the Lord 'God Shaddai' whenever they referred to Him in connection with temptations and the comfort that followed these, see 1992, 3667. Therefore 'God Shaddai' means a state of temptation that is past, and now there is Divine comfort. The reason why it is past is that previously, in particular when he wrestled with the angel, Chapter 32:25-end, and when he met Esau, Chapter 33, 'Jacob' represented temptations; and the reason why now there is comfort is that the joining of good and truth within the natural is effected by means of those temptations. The actual joining together brings that comfort since such a joining together is the end in view of the temptations. Indeed whoever attains that end receives comfort, as much as he has suffered severely in the means to that end.

[2] In general it should be recognized that every joining together of good and truth is effected by means of temptations. The reason for this is that evils and falsities offer resistance and so to speak engage in rebellion, and by every means try to prevent the joining of good to truth, and of truth to good. This conflict takes place between the spirits present within man, that is to say, between the spirits governed by evils and falsities and the spirits governed by goods and truths. Man experiences that conflict as temptation within himself. When therefore the spirits governed by evils and falsities are conquered by the spirits governed by goods and truths, the former are compelled to depart and the latter receive joy from the Lord by way of heaven. This joy is also felt by the person concerned as comfort; he feels it within himself. Yet the joy and comfort do not come because a victory has been won but because good and truth have been joined together. Joy is present within every joining together of good and truth, for that joining together is the heavenly marriage, in which the Divine is present.

3139. Verses 31-33 And he said, Come, O blessed of Jehovah; why do you stand outside? And I have swept the house, and there is a place for the camels. And the man came to the house. And he ungirded the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. And [food] was set before him to eat, and he said, I am not eating until I have spoken my words. And he said, Speak on!

'He said, Come, O blessed of Jehovah' means an invitation to the Divine within Himself. 'Why do you stand outside?' means at some distance away. 'And I have swept the house' means all things had been prepared and filled with forms of good. 'And there is a place for the camels' means a state for all the things which were to serve Him. 'And the man came to the house' means influx into the good there. 'And he ungirded the camels' means freedom for the things that were to be subservient. 'And gave straw and fodder to the camels' means instruction in truths and goods. 'And water to wash his feet' means purification there. 'And the feet of the men who were with him' means purification of all things that were His in the natural man. 'And [food] was set before him to eat' means that [the affection for] good in the natural man wished to make Divine things its own. 'And he said, I am not eating' means refusal. 'Until I have spoken my words' means until it had received instruction. 'And he said, Speak on!' means desire for it.