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创世记第18章

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1 耶和华在幔利橡树那里向亚伯拉罕显现出来。那时正热,亚伯拉罕在帐棚口,

2 举目观,见有个人在对面站着。他一见,就从帐棚口跑去迎接他们,俯伏在

3 :我,我若在你眼前蒙恩,求你不要离开仆人往前去。

4 容我拿点来,你们,在歇息歇息。

5 我再拿一点饼来,你们可以加添力,然往前去。你们既到仆人这里来,理当如此。他们:就照你的行罢。

6 亚伯拉罕急忙进帐棚见撒拉,:你速速拿细亚细面调和作饼。

7 亚伯拉罕又跑到牛群里,牵了一只又嫩又犊来,交仆人,仆人急忙预备了。

8 亚伯拉罕又取了奶油和奶,并预备好的牛犊来,摆在他们面前,自己在站在旁边,他们就吃了

9 他们问亚伯拉罕:你妻子撒拉在那里?他:在帐棚里。

10 三人中有一位:到明年这时候,我必要回到你这里;你的妻子撒拉必生一个儿子。撒拉在那人边的帐棚口也见了这话。

11 亚伯拉罕和撒拉年纪老迈,撒拉的月经已断绝了。

12 撒拉心里暗笑,:我既已衰败,我也老迈,岂能有这喜事呢?

13 耶和华亚伯拉罕:撒拉为甚麽暗笑,:我既已年老,果真能生养麽?

14 耶和华岂有难成的事麽?到了日期,明年这时候,我必回到你这里,撒拉必生一个儿子

15 撒拉就害怕,不承认,:我没有笑。那位:不然,你实在笑了。

16 三人就从那里起行,向所多玛观看,亚伯拉罕也与他们同行,要送他们一程。

17 耶和华:我所要作的事岂可瞒着亚伯拉罕呢?

18 亚伯拉罕必要成为强的国;上的万国都必因他得福。

19 我眷顾他,为要叫他吩咐他的众子和他的眷属遵守我的道,秉公行,使我所应许亚伯拉罕的话都成就了。

20 耶和华所多玛和蛾摩拉的恶甚重,声闻於我。

21 我现在要去,察他们所行的,果然尽像那达到我耳中的声音一样麽?若是不然,我也必知道

22 二人转身离开那里,向所多玛去;但亚伯拉罕仍旧站在耶和华面前。

23 亚伯拉罕前来,:无论善恶,你都要剿灭麽?

24 假若那城里有五十人,你还剿灭那地方麽?不为城里这五十人饶恕其中的人麽?

25 人与恶人同杀,将人与恶人一样看待,这断不是你所行的。审判全的主岂不行公麽?

26 耶和华:我若在所多玛城里见有五十人,我就为他们的缘故饶恕那地方的众人。

27 亚伯拉罕:我虽然是灰尘,还敢对主说话

28 假若这五十人短了五个,你就因为短了五个毁灭全城麽?他:我在那里若见有四十五个,也不毁灭那城。

29 亚伯拉罕又对他:假若在那里见有四十个怎麽样呢?他:为这四十个的缘故,我也不作这事。

30 亚伯拉罕:求主不要动怒,容我,假若在那里见有三十个怎麽样呢?他:我在那里若见有三十个,我也不作这事。

31 亚伯拉罕:我还敢对主说话,假若在那里见有二十个怎麽样呢?他:为这二十个的缘故,我也不毁灭那城。

32 亚伯拉罕:求主不要动怒,我再这一次,假若在那里见有个呢?他:为这个的缘故,我也不毁灭那城。

33 耶和华亚伯拉罕说完了话就走了;亚伯拉罕也回到自己的地方去了。

   

来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Arcana Coelestia#2258

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2258. 'Will not the Judge of the whole earth execute judgement?' means that Divine Good cannot effect this in the manner of truth separated from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the Judge of the whole earth', and also from the meaning of 'judgement'. 'The Judge of the whole earth' means in the internal sense good itself from which truth goes forth. This was also represented in the representative Church by the priests being at the same time judges. As priests they represented Divine Good, and as judges Divine Truth. But 'the Judge of the whole earth' means both, and this from the meaning of 'the earth', dealt with in various places in Volume One. But to confirm these matters at this point from the representatives of that Church would take too long. 'Judgement' however means truth, as shown above in 2235. From the meaning of these words, and at the same time from the train of thought in the internal sense, it becomes clear that 'will not the Judge of the whole earth execute judgement?' means that Divine Good cannot effect this in the manner of truth separated from good.

[2] To understand these matters it should be recognized that there are two things which constitute the order of the whole of heaven and are from there present in the universe, namely good and truth. Good is the essential constituent of order, and all aspects of it are forms of mercy. Truth is the secondary constituent of order, and all its aspects are truths. Divine Good adjudges all people to heaven, but Divine Truth condemns them all to hell. Consequently if the Lord's mercy, which is the very nature of Good, were not eternal, all men - however many these may be - would be condemned. This is what is meant here by the statement that Divine Good cannot effect this thing in the manner of truth separated from good. See also what is stated on these matters in Volume One, in 1728. But the reason the evil are condemned to hell is not that Divine Good is separated from Divine Truth, but that man separates himself from Divine Good; for the Lord in no way sends anyone down to hell, but man sends himself down, as stated frequently already. Also, seeing that the Divine Good is joined to Divine Truth, it should be recognized that unless the evil were separated from the good, the evil would do harm to the good and would be constantly endeavouring to destroy order. Thus the prevention of the good from suffering harm is an act of mercy. It is the same in earthly kingdoms. If evils went unpunished a whole kingdom would be steeped in evils, and this being so it would perish. For that reason kings and judges are showing greater mercy when they punish evils and remove from society those who commit them than when they show undue leniency towards the same.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.