IBhayibheli

 

2 Mose 23

Funda

   

1 Du sollst falscher Anklage nicht glauben, daß du einem Gottlosen Beistand tust und ein falscher Zeuge seiest.

2 Du sollst nicht folgen der Menge zum Bösen und nicht antworten vor Gericht, daß du der Menge nach vom Rechten weichest.

3 Du sollst den Geringen nicht schmücken in seiner Sache.

4 Wenn du deines Feindes Ochsen oder Esel begegnest, daß er irret, so sollst du ihm denselben wieder zuführen.

5 Wenn du des, der dich hasset, Esel siehest unter seiner Last liegen, hüte dich und laß ihn nicht, sondern versäume gerne das Deine, um seinetwillen

6 Du sollst das Recht deines Armen nicht beugen in seiner Sache.

7 Sei ferne von falschen Sachen. Den Unschuldigen und Gerechten sollst du nicht erwürgen; denn ich lasse den Gottlosen nicht recht haben.

8 Du sollst nicht Geschenke nehmen; denn Geschenke machen die Sehenden blind und verkehren die Sachen der Gerechten.

9 Die Fremdlinge sollt ihr nicht unter, drücken; denn ihr wisset um der Fremdlinge Herz, dieweil ihr auch seid Fremdlinge in Ägyptenland gewesen.

10 Sechs Jahre sollst du dein Land besäen und seine Früchte einsammeln.

11 Im siebenten Jahr sollst du es ruhen und liegen lassen, daß die Armen unter deinem Volk davon essen; und was über bleibet, laß das Wild auf dem Felde essen. Also sollst du auch tun mit deinem Weinberge und Ölberge.

12 Sechs Tage sollst du deine Arbeit tun, aber des siebenten Tages sollst du feiern, auf daß dein Ochse und Esel ruhen und deiner Magd Sohn und Fremdling sich erquicken.

13 Alles, was ich euch gesagt habe, das haltet. Und anderer Götter Namen sollt ihr nicht gedenken, und aus eurem Munde sollen sie nicht gehöret werden.

14 Dreimal sollt ihr mir Fest halten im Jahr.

15 Nämlich das Fest der ungesäuerten Brote sollst du halten, daß du sieben Tage ungesäuert Brot essest (wie ich dir geboten habe) um die Zeit des Monden Abib; denn in demselbigen bist du aus Ägypten gezogen. Erscheinet aber nicht leer vor mir!

16 Und das Fest der ersten Ernte der Früchte, die du auf dem Felde gesäet hast. Und das Fest der Einsammlung im Ausgang des Jahrs, wenn du deine Arbeit eingesammelt hast vom Felde.

17 Dreimal im Jahr sollen erscheinen vor dem HERRN, dem HERRSCher, alle deine Mannsbilde.

18 Du sollst das Blut meines Opfers nicht neben dem Sauerteig opfern, und das Fette von meinem Fest soll nicht bleiben bis auf morgen.

19 Das Erstling von der ersten Frucht auf deinem Felde sollst du bringen in das Haus des HERRN, deines Gottes. Und sollst das Böcklein nicht kochen, dieweil es an seiner Mutter Milch ist.

20 Siehe, ich sende einen Engel vor dir her, der dich behüte auf dem Wege und bringe dich an den Ort, den ich bereitet habe.

21 Darum hüte dich vor seinem Angesicht und gehorche seiner Stimme und erbittere ihn nicht; denn er wird euer Übertreten nicht vergeben, und mein Name ist in ihm.

22 Wirst du aber seine Stimme hören und tun alles, was ich dir sagen werde, so will ich deiner Feinde Feind und deiner Widerwärtigen Widerwärtiger sein.

23 Wenn nun mein Engel vor dir hergehet und dich bringet an die Amoriter, Hethiter, Pheresiter, Kanaaniter, Heviter und Jebusiter, und ich sie vertilge,

24 so sollst du ihre Götter nicht anbeten noch ihnen dienen und nicht tun, wie sie tun, sondern du sollst ihre Götzen umreißen und zerbrechen.

25 Aber dem HERRN, eurem Gott, sollt ihr dienen, so wird er dein Brot und dein Wasser segnen, und ich will alle Krankheit von dir wenden.

26 Und soll nichts Unträchtiges noch Unfruchtbares sein in deinem Lande, und will dich lassen alt werden.

27 Ich will mein Schrecken vor dir hersenden und alles Volk verzagt machen, dahin du kommst; und will dir geben alle deine Feinde in die Flucht.

28 Ich will Hornissen vor dir hersenden, die vor dir her ausjagen die Heviter, Kanaaniter und Hethiter.

29 Ich will sie nicht auf ein Jahr ausstoßen vor dir, auf daß nicht das Land wüste werde, und sich wilde Tiere wider dich mehren.

30 Einzeln nacheinander will ich sie vor dir her ausstoßen, bis daß du wachsest und das Land besitzest.

31 Und will deine Grenze setzen das Schilfmeer und das Philistermeer und die Wüste bis an das Wasser. Denn ich will dir in deine Hand geben die Einwohner des Landes, daß du sie sollst ausstoßen vor dir her.

32 Du sollst mit ihnen oder mit ihren Göttern keinen Bund machen,

33 sondern laß sie nicht wohnen in deinem Lande, daß sie dich nicht verführen wider mich. Denn wo du ihren Göttern dienest, wird dir's zum Ärgernis geraten.

   

Okususelwe Emisebenzini kaSwedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #9320

Funda lesi Sigaba

  
Yiya esigabeni / 10837  
  

9320. 'For you shall utterly destroy them' means that evils must be completely removed. This is clear from the meaning of 'destroying' - when it has reference to evils and falsities, meant by the nations of the land of Canaan and their gods - as removing. The reason why 'destroying' means removing is that those governed by goodness and truth never destroy those ruled by evil and falsity, but merely move them away. This they do because good, not evil, governs their actions, and good comes from the Lord, who never destroys anyone. Those ruled by evil however and consequently by falsity try to destroy, and so far as they can they do destroy those governed by good. This they do because evil rules their actions. But since, when they try to do so, they make their attack on good which comes from the Lord, thus on what is of God, they destroy themselves, that is, they hurl themselves into damnation and into hell. Such is the law of order. And why it is such, see 4299, 7643, 7679, 7710, 7926, 7989, 8137, 8146, 8265, 8945, 8946.

[2] The reason why the Israelites and Jews were to destroy the nations of the land of Canaan was that they themselves represented spiritual and heavenly realities, while the nations represented hellish and devilish things, which can never exist together with those realities since they are opposites. The reason why they were allowed to destroy the nations was that no Church existed among them, only a representative of the Church, so that the Lord was not present among them either except through things of a representative nature, 4307. For they were interested in outward forms but not their inner substances, that is, in the worship that represented goodness and truth but not goodness and truth themselves. People like this are allowed to destroy, kill, and consign to slaughter and complete destruction. But people who are interested in outward forms and at the same time in their inner substance are not allowed to do those things, since their actions must be governed by good, and good comes from the Lord.

[3] The fact that the Jews and Israelites were such is declared explicitly by Moses,

Do not say in your heart, when Jehovah your God has thrust out the nations before you, Because of my righteousness Jehovah has brought me in to possess this land. It is not because of your righteousness and because of the uprightness of your heart; for you are a stiff-necked people. Deuteronomy 9:4-6.

And elsewhere,

They are a nation from whom counsel has perished, nor is there intelligence in them. From the vine of Sodom comes their vine, and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison, they have clusters of bitterness. The poison of snakes (draco) is their wine, and the cruel poison of asps. Is not this hidden away with Me, sealed up in My treasuries? Deuteronomy 32:28, 32-34.

'The vine' in the internal sense means the Church, 1069, 5113, 6375, 6376, 9277; 'grapes' and 'clusters' mean the internal forms and the external forms of that Church's good, 1071, 5117, 6378; and 'wine' means that Church's internal truth, 1071, 1798, 6377. From this one may see what is meant by the assertions that their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah, that their grapes are grapes of poison and clusters of bitterness, and that their wine is the poison of snakes and the cruel poison of asps. The fact that all this was known to Jehovah, that is, to the Lord, is meant by the remarks about its being hidden away with Him and sealed up in His treasuries.

[4] In John,

Jesus said to the Jews, You are from your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth. John 8:44.

This is why they are called a wicked and adulterous generation, Matthew 12:39, as well as a brood of vipers, Matthew 3:7; 12:34; 23:33; Luke 3:7. That they were like this is also described by the Lord in His parables in Matthew 21:33-45; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 14:16-24; 20:9ff.

Regarding that nation, that it was the worst nation; that in their worship they were interested in outward forms but not their inner substance; that no Church existed among them, only a representative of the Church; but that nevertheless they were able to represent the internal realities of the Church, see 3398, 3479, 3480, 3732 (end), 3881 (end), 4208, 4281, 4288-4290, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316, 4317, 4429, 4433, 4444, 4500, 4503, 4680, 4815, 4818, 4820, 4825, 4832, 4837, 4844, 4847, 4865, 4868, 4874, 4899, 4903, 4911-4913, 5057, 5998, 6304, 6832, 6877, 7048, 7051, 7248, 7401, 7439, 8301, 8588, 8788, 8806, 8814, 8819, 8871, 8882, 9284.

  
Yiya esigabeni / 10837  
  

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

Okususelwe Emisebenzini kaSwedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #7439

Funda lesi Sigaba

  
Yiya esigabeni / 10837  
  

7439. 'Send My people away and let them serve Me' means that they should leave those who belong to the spiritual Church, in order that these may worship their God in freedom. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending away' as leaving; from the representation of the children of Israel, to whom 'My people' refers here, as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7075, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223; and from the meaning of 'serving Jehovah' as worshipping. That they should worship in freedom is evident from what follows in verses 21-23, and also from the consideration that all worship which is truly worship must take place in freedom.

[2] The children of Israel are called Jehovah's people not because they were any better than other nations but because they represented Jehovah's people, that is, those who belonged to the Lord's spiritual kingdom. The fact that they were no better than other nations is evident from their life in the wilderness, where they did not believe at all in Jehovah. Instead they believed in their hearts in the gods of the Egyptians, as is clear from the golden calf which they made for themselves and which they called their gods who had led them out of the land of Egypt, Exodus 32:8. The same fact is also evident from their life subsequently in the land of Canaan, dealt with in the historical sections of the Word; and the things said about them in the prophetical parts and finally by the Lord make it evident too.

[3] This also explains why few of them are in heaven; for the destiny they have met in the next life has been determined by the way they lived. Refuse to believe therefore that they have been chosen for heaven ahead of others. Those who believe that these people have been chosen for heaven ahead of others do not believe that each one's life remains with him. Nor do they believe that a person has to be made ready for heaven throughout his entire life in the world, and that although this is accomplished by the Lord's mercy, people are not admitted into heaven by mercy alone regardless of the life they have led in the world. The kind of notion they have of heaven and the Lord's mercy is the result of teachings about faith alone and salvation by it without good works; for such people are unconcerned about life. Hence they also believe that evils can be purged away like dirt with water, and so believe that a person can be brought in an instant into leading a life of goodness and consequently be admitted into heaven. Such people do not know that if the evil were deprived of their life of evil they would have no life whatever, and also that if those who lead an evil life were admitted into heaven it would feel like hell to them, and the further they went into heaven the worse would that feeling become.

[4] All this now makes it clear that the Israelites and Jews had not by any means been chosen; they were simply accepted in order that they might represent the things of heaven. And this they had to do in the land of Canaan because the Lord's Church had existed there since most ancient times and all places there had consequently become representative of heavenly and Divine realities. Then also the Word could be written, in which the names would serve to mean such things as belong to the Lord and His kingdom.

  
Yiya esigabeni / 10837  
  

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