ACV9 S36 7623-7650

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7623 Exodus 10 THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY There are two things which proceed from the Lord and from this in their origin are Divine: the one is Good, and the other is Truth. These consequently are the two things which reign in heaven, nay, which make heaven. In the church these two things are called charity and faith. 7624 When Good and Truth proceed from the Lord they are completely united, and so united as to be not two, but one. Consequently they are one in heaven; and because they are one in heaven, heaven is an image of the Lord. It would be the same with the church if charity and faith therein were a one. 7625 An idea of the good which is of charity and of the truth which is of faith may be formed from the sun and its light; when the light which proceeds from the sun is conjoined with heat, as is the case in spring and summer, then all things of the earth sprout forth and live; but when there is no heat in the light, as in winter time, then all things of the earth become torpid and die. Moreover, in the Word the Lord is compared to the "sun;" and truth conjoined with good, which proceeds from Him, is compared to "light;" and also in the Word the truth of faith is called "light," and the good of love is called "fire." Moreover, love is the fire of life, and faith is the light of life. 7626 From all this an idea can also be formed about the man of the church, as to what he is when with him faith is conjoined with charity, namely, that he is like a garden and a paradise; and what he is when with him faith is not conjoined with charity, namely, that he is like a desert and a land covered with snow. 7627 From the mere light of his natural man everyone can see that Truth and Good are in agreement, and also that they can be conjoined together; and that truth and evil are in disagreement, and that they cannot be conjoined together; and in like manner faith and charity. Experience itself testifies the same; that he who is in evil as to life is either in falsity as to faith, or is in no faith, or is quite opposed to faith. And (what is a secret) he who is in evil as to life is in the falsity of his evil, although he believes that he is in truth. That he so believes is because he is in persuasive faith, of which in what follows. EXODUS 10 1 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Come unto Pharaoh; because I have made heavy his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may put these My signs in the midst of him. 2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and My signs which I have set in them, and that ye may know that I am Jehovah. 3 And Moses and Aaron came unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, How long dost thou refuse to be humbled before Me? let My people go, that they may serve Me. 4 For if thou refuse to let My people go, behold tomorrow I will bring the locust into thy border. 5 And it shall cover the surface of the land, and one shall not be able to see the land; and it shall devour the residue of that which is escaped that is left to you from the hail; and it shall devour every tree that sprouteth forth to you out of the field. 6 And thy houses shall be filled, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which thy fathers saw not, nor thy father's fathers, since the day that they were upon the ground even unto this day. And he looked back, and went out from before Pharaoh. 7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this be a snare to us? Send the men away, and let them serve Jehovah their God; knowest thou not yet that Egypt is perishing? 8 And Moses and Aaron were brought back unto Pharaoh; and he said unto them, Go ye, serve Jehovah your God; who and who are going? 9 And Moses said, We will go with our boys, and with our old men; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flock and with our herd, will we go; because we have a feast of Jehovah. 10 And he said unto them, So shall Jehovah be with you, when I let you go, and your babe; see ye that evil is before your faces. 11 Not so; go I pray, ye that are young men, and serve Jehovah; because this ye seek. And he drove them out from the faces of Pharaoh. 12 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch forth thy hand over the land of Egypt for the locust, and it shall come up upon the land of Egypt, and shall devour all the herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. 13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and Jehovah brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locust. 14 And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the border of Egypt, very grievous; before it there was no such locust as this, and after it there shall not be such. 15 And it covered the surface of the whole land, and the land was darkened; and it devoured all the herb of the land, and all the fruit of the tree which the hail had left; and there was not left any green thing in the tree and in the herb of the field, in the whole land of Egypt. 16 And Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron; and he said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you. 17 And now forgive I pray my sin only this once, and supplicate ye to Jehovah your God that He remove from upon me this death only. 18 And he went out from before Pharaoh, and supplicated unto Jehovah. 19 And Jehovah turned an exceeding strong sea wind, and took up the locust, and cast it into the sea Suph; there was not left one locust in all the border of Egypt. 20 And Jehovah made firm Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go. 21 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, and there shall be thick darkness upon the land of Egypt, and one shall grope in thick darkness. 22 And Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven; and there was a most dense thick darkness in the whole land of Egypt three days. 23 They saw not a man his brother, and there rose not up anyone from what was under him for three days; and all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. 24 And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve Jehovah; only your flock and your herd shall stay; your babe also shall go with you. 25 And Moses said, Thou shalt also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings, that we may perform it unto Jehovah our God. 26 And our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof we must take to serve Jehovah our God; and we know not with what we must serve Jehovah until we come thither. 27 And Jehovah made firm Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. 28 And Pharaoh said to him, Go away from before me, take heed to thyself that thou see my faces no more; for in the day thou seest my faces thou shalt die. 29 And Moses said, Thou hast rightly spoken; I will see thy faces again no more. 7628 THE CONTENTS.In this chapter in the internal sense there is further continued the subject of the vastation of those who infest those who are of the spiritual church. The ninth and tenth states or degrees of vastation, which are described by the "locust" and by the "thick darkness," whereby is signified falsity from evil devastating all things of the church with them, are now treated of. 7629 THE INTERNAL SENSE.Verses 1-6. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Come unto Pharaoh, because I have made heavy his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may put these My signs in the midst of him; and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and My signs which I have set in them, and that ye may know that I am Jehovah. And Moses and Aaron came unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, How long dost thou refuse to be humbled before Me? let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if thou refuse to let My people go, behold tomorrow I bring the locust into thy border; and it shall cover the surface of the land, that one shall not be able to see the land; and it shall devour the residue of that which is escaped that is left to you from the hail; and it shall devour every tree that sprouteth forth to you out of the field; and thy houses shall be filled, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians, which thy fathers saw not, nor thy fathers' fathers, since the day that they were upon the ground even unto this day. And he looked back, and went out from before Pharaoh. "And Jehovah said unto Moses" signifies a command; "Come unto Pharaoh" signifies the presence of truth from the Divine with those who infest; "because I have made heavy his heart, and the heart of his servants," signifies that they all in general were determined; "that I may put these my signs in the midst of them," signifies that the evil may know that they are in evil, and that the good may be enlightened as to the state of those within the church who live evilly; "and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt," signifies that they who are in truth and good may know what befalls those who are of the church and infest the upright; "and My signs which I have set in them," signifies that they may be enlightened with respect to the state of those who are of the church and live evilly; "and that ye may know that I am Jehovah," signifies that thus it may be known to them that the Lord is the only God; "and Moses and Aaron came unto Pharaoh," signifies the presence of truth Divine; "and said unto him," signifies discernment; "Thus saith Jehovah the God of the Hebrews," signifies a command from the Lord, who is the God of the church; "How long dost thou refuse to be humbled before Me?" signifies disobedience; "let My people go,...