3906. 'And Rachel was jealous of her sister' means indignation that it was not being acknowledged as external truth was. This is clear from 'being jealous' as an expression of indignation - indignation because she was not bearing as Leah was; from the representation of 'Rachel' as interior truth, dealt with immediately above in 3905; and from the meaning of 'a sister', who in this case is Leah, as external truth - for 'Leah' means external truth, see 3793, 3819. The experience of those who are being regenerated is as follows: They come to know what internal truth is, but at first they do not acknowledge it with the kind of faith that results in their living according to it. For internal truths are joined to spiritual affection, and this cannot flow in until external truths are ready to correspond to internal truths.

[2] Take for example the internal truth that all good comes from the Lord and that no good exists which springs from man's proprium. This truth can be known when regeneration begins, but it cannot as yet be acknowledged in action as well as in faith since the acknowledgement of it in faith and action involves a discernment in the mind that that truth is indeed a truth and a desire in the heart for it to be a truth; and this is the situation whenever good is put into action. That acknowledgement also involves the discernment that good springing from the proprium inevitably entails self-regard, thus putting self before others, and as a consequence contempt for others and above all thoughts of merit for the good that one does. These faults are present in external truth before internal truth has been joined to it, and the two cannot be joined together until self-regard starts to wane and a regard for the neighbour begins to be felt. From this one may see what is meant by indignation that internal truth was not yet being acknowledged as external truth was.