2500. Abraham journeyed thence toward the land of the south. That this signifies the Lord’s progression in the goods and truths of faith, is evident from the signification of “journeying,” as being to progress (see n. 1457); and from the signification of the “land of the south,” as being the good and truth of faith (see n. 1458). It has already been stated concerning Abraham, in the twelfth chapter, that he “journeyed, going and journeying toward the south,” when he went into Egypt (verses 9-10); by which was signified in the internal sense that the Lord when a child progressed into goods and truths in respect to the memory-knowledge of knowledges (n. 1456, 1459); ¹ and here it is said that he journeyed “toward the land of the south,” by which there is signified a further and more interior progression, which is into goods and truths in respect to the doctrine of faith; on which account it is here said the “land” of the south, because “land” in its proper sense signifies the church, for the sake of which is doctrine (n. 566, 662, 1066, 2117, 2118).

[2] As regards the Lord’s instruction in general, the nature of it is very clear in the internal sense of this chapter; namely, that it was by continual revelations, and thus by Divine perceptions and thoughts from Himself, that is, from His Divine; which perceptions and thoughts He implanted in Divine intelligence and wisdom, and this even to the perfect union of His Human with His Divine. This way of growing wise is not possible with any man; for it flowed in from the Divine itself, which was His inmost, being of the Father, of whom He was conceived; thus from the Divine Love itself, which the Lord alone had, and which consisted in His desire to save the universal human race.

[3] It is an arcanum which is as yet known to scarcely anyone, that within love itself there are wisdom and intelligence; these being such as is the love. That wisdom and intelligence are within love comes from the fact that all influx takes place into the love, or what is the same, into the good, thus into man’s very life. This is the source of the wisdom and intelligence of the angels, which is ineffable. It is also the source of the wisdom and intelligence of men who are in love to the Lord and in charity toward the neighbor; who, although they have no perception of it in themselves while they are living in the body, nevertheless come into it after death, for the reason that it is within this very love and charity (see n. 2494). But as regards the Lord’s love, it was infinitely above the love in which the angels are, for it was the Divine love itself; and therefore He had in Himself a supereminence of all wisdom and intelligence; into which however because He was born a man, and was to progress as a man according to Divine order, He introduced Himself by successive steps, in order that He might thus unite His Human to the Divine, and make it Divine; and this by His own power.

Imibhalo yaphansi:

565. That by “man” is here signified the race of mankind existing at that time, and indeed a race which was evil or corrupt, appears from the following passages: “My spirit shall not reprove man forever, for that he is flesh” (verse 3). “The evil of man was multiplied on the earth, and the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil” (verse 5). “I will destroy man whom I have created” (verse 7); and in the following chapter (Genesis 7:21-22), “All flesh died that crept upon the earth, and every man, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of lives.” Of man it has already been said that the Lord alone is Man, and that from Him every celestial man, or celestial church, is called “man.”

Hence all of other churches are called men; and so is everyone, no matter of what faith, to distinguish him from the brutes. But still a man is not a man, and distinct from the brutes, except by virtue of remains, which are of the Lord. From these also a man is called man, and inasmuch as he is so called by reason of remains, which belong to the Lord, it is from Him that he has the name of man be he ever so wicked, for a man is by no means man, but the vilest of brutes, unless he has remains.