8370. 'And they encamped there beside the waters' means that after temptation the truths of faith were arranged into order by the good of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'encamping' as an arrangement of truth and good into order, dealt with in 8103 (end), 8130, 8131, 8155; and from the meaning of 'the waters' as the truths of faith, dealt with in 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668. The reason why 'they encamped there beside the waters' means that the truths of faith were arranged into order by means of the good of love is that 'camp' means truths and forms of good, 8193, 8196, and 'encamping' an arrangement of them, while 'beside the waters' means in keeping with truths that come from God. The expression 'the good of love' is used because every arrangement of truths into order is effected through the good of love; for truths arrange themselves under good and accord with it, making with good one body so to speak in the image of the person in whom they exist. The expression 'in the image of the person in whom they exist' is used because the image of a person's spirit - which, being his internal man, is the person's true self - is fashioned altogether according to the ordering and arrangement of truths by good residing with him. This is why when angels come to be present the sphere of the good of love ripples out from them and impinges on the affections of those who are present; and the truths of faith shine from their faces. In the spiritual world these kinds of things are apparent and clearly perceived. The arranging into order is said to take place after temptation because although forms of good and truths are instilled into a person through temptations they are not arranged into order until the temptations have finished. For a state of temptation is one of turmoil, whereas the state after temptation is peaceful; and when there is peace the arranging into order takes place. Therefore temptations are also followed by a feeling of pleasure as a result of enlightenment from truth and by a feeling of delight as a result of an affection for good, dealt with just above in 8367.

3417. 'And camped in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there' means that He did so for lower rational concepts, that is, He abandoned interior appearances for exterior. This is clear from the meaning of 'camping' as arranging into order, from the meaning of 'the Valley of Gerar' as lower rational concepts or exterior appearances of truth - for 'a valley' means lower things, or what amounts to the same, exterior things, 1723, while 'Gerar' means matters of faith and so of truth, 1209, 2504, 3365, 3384, 3385; and from the meaning of 'dwelling' as having one's being and life, dealt with in 3384. From this it is evident that 'he camped in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there' means that the Lord arranged truths so that they would also be suitable for the mental grasp and the disposition of those who are not concerned so much with life as they are with matters of doctrine concerning faith, as may be seen from the Word, in which likewise truths are suited to people's ability to grasp them.

[2] For example, people who are concerned with matters of doctrine and not so much with life do not know anything other than this, that the heavenly kingdom is like kingdoms on earth, in that people are made great there when they govern others. The delight that comes from this is the only delight they know of; and this they prefer to all other delight. For this reason the Lord has also spoken in the Word according to that appearance, as in Matthew,

He who does and teaches so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19.

And in David,

I said, You are gods, and sons of the Most High, all of you. Psalms 82:6; John 10:34-35.

And because at first the disciples themselves did not have any other conception of the heavenly kingdom than that of greatness and position over others, like that on earth - as is clear in Matthew 18:1; Mark 9:34; Luke 9:46, and also the idea of their sitting on the right hand and on the left of a king, Matthew 20:20-21, 24; Mark 10:37 - the Lord therefore replied according to their mental grasp and also inclination of mind when an argument arose among them about which one of them was to be greatest,

You will eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke 22:24, 30; Matthew 19:28.

For at that time they did not know that the delight of heaven is not the delight that goes with being great and having position over others, but the delight that goes with being humble and with the affection for serving others; and so it does not consist in wishing to be the greatest but to be the least, as the Lord teaches in Luke,

Whoever presents himself as least among you all will be great. Luke 9:48.

[3] Thus people who have a knowledge of cognitions but are devoid of the life of charity cannot know of the existence of any other delight than that which results from having position over others. And since that delight alone occupies their minds and constitutes the whole of their life, therefore they do not have any knowledge at all of the heavenly delight which results from humility and from the affection for serving others. That is, they do not know the delight that accompanies love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, and the consequent bliss and happiness. The reason why the Lord adapted what He had to say to their imperfect outlook was so that they could be aroused and led on to good, to learn it, to teach it, and to do it. And yet He does teach what greatness and position actually are in heaven, as in Matthew 19:30; 20:16, 25-28; Mark 10:31, 42-45; Luke 9:48; 13:30; 22:25-28. These and other ideas like them belong to the lower degree of appearances of truth, for in relation to others those in heaven are made great, and are given positions, power, and authority over others, in that one single angel is more powerful than ten thousands of spirits in hell, yet not so from himself but from the Lord. And he has that power from the Lord in the measure that he believes he can achieve nothing from himself and is accordingly the least. And he is able to have such a belief in the measure that humility and an affection for serving others exist in him, that is, insofar as the good that is essentially love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour is present in him.