ACV9 S22 7178-7213

CLICK TO PRINT READING 7178. Exodus 6 THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY No one can know what good is, as understood in the spiritual sense, unless he knows what love toward the neighbor and love to God are; and no one can know what evil is, unless he knows what the love of self and the love of the world are. Nor can anyone know from inward acknowledgment what the truth is which is of faith, unless he knows what good is, and unless he is in good; nor can anyone know what falsity is, unless he knows what evil is. Consequently no one can examine himself unless he knows what good from its two loves is, and what truth from good is; and unless he knows what evil from its two loves is, and what falsity from evil is. 7179. There are two faculties in man, one is called the understanding, and the other the will; the will has been given man for the sake of the good which is of love, and the understanding for the sake of the truth which is of faith; for the good which is of love has relation to the will, and the truth which is of faith has relation to the understanding; the one faculty communicates in a wonderful way with the other. They join themselves together in those who are in good and thence in truth; and they also join themselves together in those who are in evil and thence in falsity; with both classes these two faculties make one mind. But it is otherwise with those who are in truth as to faith, and in evil as to life; and also with those who are in falsity as to faith, and in apparent good as to life. 7180. Man is not allowed to divide his mind, and to sunder these two faculties from each other; that is, to understand and speak truth, and to will and do evil; for then one faculty would look upward or toward heaven, and the other downward or toward hell, and thus the man would hang between the two. But let him know that the will carries him away, and the understanding favors. From all this it is evident how the case is with faith and with love, and how with the state of man if they are separated. 7181. Nothing is more necessary to man than to know whether heaven be in him, or hell; for in one or the other he must live to eternity. In order that he may know this, it is necessary that he should know what good is, and what evil, for good makes heaven, and evil makes hell; the doctrine of charity teaches about both. 7182. Love to God is said, and by this is meant love to the Lord, for there is no other God; the Father is in Him (John 14:9-11), and the Holy of the Spirit is from Him (John 16:13-15). EXODUS 6 1. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh; for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. 2. And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him, I am Jehovah. 3. And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, in God Shaddai; and by my name Jehovah I was not known to them. 4. And I also set up My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, wherein they sojourned. 5. And moreover I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, in that the Egyptians make them to serve; and I have remembered My covenant. 6. Wherefore say to the sons of Israel, I am Jehovah, and I will lead you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will liberate you from their service; and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments. 7. And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you for God, and ye shall know that I am Jehovah your God, who leadeth you out from under the burdens of Egypt. 8. And I will bring you unto the land where I lifted up my hand to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it you for a heritage: I am Jehovah. 9. And Moses spoke thus unto the sons of Israel; and they heard not Moses for distress of spirit, and for hard service. 10. And Jehovah spoke unto Moses, saying, 11. Come, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and let him send the sons of Israel out of his land. 12. And Moses spoke before Jehovah, saying, Behold the sons of Israel have not heard me; and how shall Pharaoh hear me, and I am uncircumcised in lips? 13. And Jehovah spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a command unto the sons of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to lead forth the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt. 14. These are the heads of their fathers' houses: the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben. 15. And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman; these are the families of Simeon. 16. And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their births; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty and seven years. 17. The sons of Gershon; Libni and Shimei, according to their families. 18. And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were a hundred and thirty and three years. 19. And the sons of Merari; Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Levi according to their births. 20. And Amram took Jochebed his father's sister for a woman; and she bare him Aaron and Moses; and the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty and seven years. 21. And the sons of Izhar; Korah and Nepheg, and Zichri. 22. And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael and Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23. And Aaron took him Elisheba, the daughter of Aminadab, the sister of Nahshon, for a woman; and she bare him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 24. And the sons of Korah; Assir and Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites. 25. And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel for a woman; and she bare him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families. 26. This is the Aaron and Moses to whom Jehovah said, Lead forth the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies. 27. These are those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to lead forth the sons of Israel from Egypt. This is the Moses and Aaron. 28. And it was in the day that Jehovah spoke unto Moses in the land of Egypt, 29. And Jehovah spoke unto Moses, saying, I am Jehovah; speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak unto thee. 30. And Moses said before Jehovah, Behold I am uncircumcised in lips, and how shall Pharaoh hear me? 7183. THE CONTENTS. The subject treated of in the preceding chapter was that those who are of the Lord's spiritual kingdom were infested by falsities, and at last because of these infestations were near despair. Now they are encouraged with hope, and with the promise that they are certainly to be liberated; this is the subject treated of in the internal sense in the present chapter; and this is signified by the words which Jehovah spoke unto Moses. 7184. Afterward is described the Lord's spiritual kingdom as to faith and as to charity, and next as to doctrine, also as to the reception of the law Divine. Reuben and Simeon and their families represent the things of faith; Levi and his families those of charity; Aaron and his families the things of doctrine; and Moses those of the law Divine. 7185. THE INTERNAL SENSE. Verse 1. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh; for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. "And Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies instruction about the law Divine; "Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh," signifies manifest perception as to what shall befall those who infest; "for by a strong hand shall he let them go," signifies that with all force and power they shall flee from them; "and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land," signifies that with all force and power they shall make them flee from their neighborhood. 7186. And Jehovah said unto Moses. That this signifies instruction about the law Divine, is evident from the signification of "Jehovah said," as being instruction from the Divine (of which below); and from the representation of Moses, as being the law Divine (see n. 6723, 6752, 7014). That "Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies instruction about the law Divine, is because at the end of the preceding chapter it was believed from the law Divine, that it would come to pass that those who are of the spiritual church would be immediately liberated from infestations; when yet it is according to order that the evil who infest should be removed by degrees, and that they who are of the spiritual church should be liberated by degrees; for such is the Divine order; and therefore such is the law Divine; for all law Divine is of order, insomuch that whether we say the law Divine, or the law of Divine order, it is the same. [2] Concerning this law they who are of the spiritual church are now instructed, and that it is from this law that they are certain to be liberated when the time and state according to order arrives. That Moses (by whom is here represented the law Divine, such as it is with those of the spiritual church when they are in a state of infestations) believed from the law Divine that it would come to pass that they would be immediately liberated from infestations, is plain from what he said at the close of the preceding chapter, namely, "Wherefore hast Thou done evil unto this people? Why is this that Thou hast sent me? And liberating Thou hast not liberated Thy people;" by which words is signified that they were too much infested by falsities, when yet the law proceeding from the Divine seems to say otherwise, and that in this way they have not been released from a state of infestations (n. 7165, 7166, 7169). [3] That those who are of the spiritual church, and who are in the lower earth, would be gradually liberated from infestations,...