~ The Grain Offering ~

"'If you bring a grain offering baked in an oven,
it is to consist of fine flour:
cakes made without yeast and mixed with oil,
or wafers made without yeast and spread with oil.
If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle,
it is to be made of fine flour mixed with oil,
and without yeast.
Crumble it and pour oil on it;
it is a grain offering.
If your grain offering is cooked in a pan,
it is to be made of fine flour and oil.
Bring the grain offering made of these things
to the Lord;
present it to the priest,
who shall take it to the altar.
He shall take out the memorial portion
from the grain offering
and burn it on the altar as an offering made by fire,
an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
The rest of the grain offering
belongs to Aaron and his sons;
it is a most holy part of the offerings
made to the Lord by fire.'"

(Leviticus 2:4-10)
 

AC 8179 - Temptations and Prayer; AC 8195, 8197 - The Pillar that Protected the Israelites from the Egyptian Army

AC 8179

Those who are in temptations
are wont to slack their hands
and betake themselves solely to prayers,
which they then ardently pour forth,
not knowing that prayers will not avail,
but that they must fight against the falsities and evils
which are being injected by the hells.
This fight is performed by means of the truths of faith,
which help because they confirm
goods and truths against falsities and evils.
Moreover in the combats of temptations,
the man ought to fight as of himself,
but yet acknowledge and believe that it is of the Lord.
If man does not fight as of himself,
the good and truth
which flow in through heaven from the Lord
are not appropriated to him;
but when he fights as of himself,
and still believes that it is of the Lord,
then they are appropriated to him.
From this he has an own [proprium] that is new,
which is called the heavenly own,
and which is a new will. 

AC 8195

And the pillar of cloud set out from before them,
and stood behind them.
(Exodus 14:19)

That this signifies the presence of the Lord
protecting the things of the will,
as it had previously protected those of the understanding,
is evident from the signification of "the pillar of cloud,"
as being the presence of the Lord,
it being an angelic choir in which the Lord was;
and from the signification of "from before them,"
as being the understanding,
and of "behind them," as being the will;
that protection is meant is evident.

AC 8197

. . . the pillar brought darkness upon the Egyptians,
and gave light to the sons of Israel,
the case is as follows.
The presence of the Lord,
here signified by "the pillar,"
is heavenly light itself, from which heaven has its light,
and this light is a thousand times brighter
than the noonday light of the world.
But the same light becomes thick darkness with the evil:
even if they are in the light itself,
and it becomes thicker darkness
in proportion as the falsity from evil is denser with them.
The reason is
that the truth Divine proceeding from the Lord
appears before the eyes of the angels as light,
but to those who are in falsities from evil
it cannot appear as light,
but as thick darkness,
for falsity is opposite to truth and extinguishes truth.
So it is that the pillar,
which was the presence of the Lord,
brought cloud and darkness on the Egyptians,
because by "the Egyptians"
are signified those who are in falsities from evil,
and that it lighted up the night with the sons of Israel,
because by "the sons of Israel"
are signified those who are in truth from good.
That the Lord appears to everyone
according to his quality.

~ The Tabernacle Is Set Up, and the Cloud Leads ~

Then the Lord said to Moses:
"Set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting,
on the first day of the month."

. . . Then Moses set up
the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar
and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.
And so Moses finished the work.

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting,
and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting
because the cloud had settled upon it,
and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

In all the travels of the Israelites,
whenever the cloud lifted from the tabernacle,
they would set out;
but if the cloud did not lift,
they did not set out -- until the day it lifted.
So the cloud of the Lord
was over the tabernacle by day,
and fire was in the cloud by night,
in the sight of all the house of Israel
during all their travels.

(Exodus 40: 1-2, 34-38)

AC 8158 - Moses Calms the People; AC 8159 - The Hells vs. the Divine; AC 8164 - The Nature of Temptations

AC 8158 - short explanation of Exodus 14:13-14

. . . "and Moses said unto the people,"
signifies elevation from a state of despair
by means of truth Divine;
"Fear ye not,"
signifies that they must not despair;
"stand still and see the salvation of Jehovah,"
signifies salvation from the Lord alone
and not at all from them;
"which He will do for you today,"
signifies which is to eternity;
"for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today,
ye shall see them again no more forever,"
signifies that the falsities which are once removed
will be removed to eternity;
"Jehovah shall wage war for you,"
signifies that the Lord alone sustains
the combats of temptations
"and ye shall keep silence,"
signifies that from their own strength
they will effect nothing at all.

AC 8159 [3]

. . . to every falsity the hells inject,
there is an answer from the Divine.

AC 8164

Inasmuch as at this day
few undergo spiritual temptations,
and consequently it is not known
how the case is with temptations,
I may say something further on the subject.
There are spiritual temptations,
and there are natural temptations.
Spiritual temptations belong to the internal man,
but natural ones to the external man.
Spiritual temptations sometimes arise
without natural temptations,
sometimes with them.
Natural temptations exist
when a man suffers as to the body,
as to honors, as to wealth,
in a word, as to the natural life,
as is the case in diseases, misfortunes,
 persecutions, punishments, and the like.
The anxieties which then arise,
are what are meant by "natural temptations."
But these temptations effect nothing whatever
toward man's spiritual life,
neither can they be called temptations, but griefs;
for they arise from the wounding of the natural life,
which is that of the love of self and of the world.
The wicked are sometimes in these griefs,
and they grieve and are tormented
in proportion to the extent
of their love of self and of the world,
and the life they have from this source. 

But spiritual temptations belong to the internal man,
and assault his spiritual life.
In this case the anxieties
are not on account of any loss of natural life,
but on account of the loss of faith and charity,
and consequently of salvation.
These temptations are frequently induced
by means of natural temptations,
for if when a man is in these --
that is, in disease, grief,
the loss of wealth or honor, and the like --
he begins to think about the Lord's aid,
His providence,
the state of the evil in that they glory and exult
when the good suffer
and undergo various griefs and various losses,
then spiritual temptation
is conjoined with natural temptation.
Such was the last temptation of the Lord
in Gethsemane, and when He suffered the cross,
which was the most frightful of all.
From all this it is evident what natural temptation is,
and what spiritual.
There is also a third kind,
namely, melancholy anxiety,
the cause of which is for the most part
to be found in an infirm state of the body
or of the lower mind.
In this anxiety
there may be something of spiritual temptation,
or there may be nothing of it.

~ Making the Ark ~

Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood --
two and a half cubits long,
a cubit and a half wide,
and a cubit and a half high.
He overlaid it with pure gold,
both inside and out,
and made a gold molding around it.
He cast four gold rings for it
and fastened them to its four feet,
with two rings on one side
and two rings on the other.
Then he made poles of acacia wood
and overlaid them with gold.
And he inserted the poles into the rings
on the sides of the ark to carry it.

He made the atonement cover of pure gold --
two and a half cubits long
and a cubit and a half wide.
Then he made two cherubim out of hammered gold
at the ends of the cover.
He made one cherub on one end
and the second cherub on the other;
at the two ends
he made them of one piece with the cover.
The cherubim had their wings spread upward,
overshadowing the cover with them.
The cherubim faced each other,
looking toward the cover.

(Exodus 37:1-9)
 

AC 8125 - Exodus 24, Crossing the Sea of Suph; AC 8131 - Temptations

AC 8125
 
In this chapter (Exodus 24), in the internal sense,
the subject treated of is the first temptation
of those who are of the spiritual church,
and the conducting of them through the midst of hell,
and their protection then by the Lord;
and also the immersion of those
who were in faith separate from charity in hell,
where are falsities from evils.
They who are of the spiritual church
are represented by the sons of Israel;
those who are in faith separate from charity
by the Egyptians.
The first temptation is described
by the murmuring of the sons of Israel
when they saw the army of Pharaoh.
Hell is signified by the "sea Suph"
through which the sons of Israel
were conducted in safety,
and in which the Egyptians were immersed.
Falsities from evils are signified
by the waters which covered the latter.

AC 8131

Temptations with man are spiritual combats
between evil and good spirits,
which combats are from those things
and concerning those things
which the man has done and thought,
and which are in his memory.
The evil spirits accuse and attack;
but the good excuse and defend.
These combats appear as if in the man,
for the things which flow in
from the spiritual world with a man
are not presented as being from that world,
but in himself.
It is the same with spirits
when they undergo temptations.
Therefore when people are about to undergo temptations,
the interior things in them,
that is, the truths and goods,
are arranged by the Lord into such a state
that by immediate influx from Himself
and mediate influx through heaven,
the falsities and evils which are from the hells
may be resisted,
and thereby he who is in temptation may be protected.
When a man is being tempted he is also near hell,
especially near that hell
which is signified by "the sea Suph,"
for in this hell are those
who have been in the memory-knowledge
of truth but in a life of evil,
and thereby in falsities derived from evil.
From the hells, through spirits,
those things flow in
which bring anxiety upon man in temptations.
From all this it can be seen what is meant
by the influx of temptation from hell,
which is signified by
their "encamping over against it by the sea Suph."

~ Another Trip up Mount Sinai ~

The Lord said to Moses,
"Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones,
and I will write on them
the words that were on the first tablets,
which you broke.
Be ready in the morning,
and then come up on Mount Sinai.
Present yourself to Me there on top of the mountain.
No one is to come with you
or be seen anywhere on the mountain;
not even the flocks and herds
may graze in front of the mountain."

So Moses chiseled out two stone tablet like the first ones
and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning,
as the Lord had commanded him;
and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.
Then the Lord came down in the cloud
and stood there with him
and proclaimed His name, the Lord.
And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming,
"The Lord, the Lord,
the compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
maintaining love to thousands,
and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin."

. . . Then the Lord said to Moses,
"Write down these words,
for in accordance with these word
I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."
Moses was there with the Lord
forty days and forty nights
without eating bread or drinking water.
And he wrote on the tablets
the words of the covenant -- the Ten Commandments.

(Exodus 34:1-7.5;27-28)

AC 8106 - "A Cloud"; AC 8111-8112 - Gentleness and Sweetness

AC 8106 [3]

The literal sense of the Word is called a "cloud,"
because the internal sense, which is called "glory,"
cannot be comprehended by man,
except one who is regenerated,
and is also enlightened.
If the internal sense of the Word,
or truth Divine in its glory,
were to appear before a man 
who is not regenerated,
it would be like thick darkness,
in which he would see nothing at all,
and by which he would also be blinded,
that is, would believe nothing.
From all this it can be seen
what is signified by a "cloud by day,"
namely, obscurity of truth;
and when the Word is treated of, the literal sense. 

AC 8111-8112

In the other life goodness manifests itself
by gentleness and sweetness.
These qualities could be very clearly distinguished
from the gentleness and sweetness
of the good spirits of our earth.

When any slight disagreement arises among them,
there appears to them as it were
a slender ray of white light,
such as usually is that of lightning;
or a little band in which are sparkling stars.
These are signs of disagreement;
but the disagreement among them is quickly repaired.
When the stars sparkle and at the same time wander,
the sign is not good;
but when the sparkling stars are fixed,
the sign is good.
 
 

~ Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai the First Time ~

When the Lord had finished speaking to Moses
on Mount Sinai,
He gave to him the two tablets of the Testimony,
the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.

Moses turned and went down the mountain
with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands.
They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.
The tablets were the work of God;
the writing was the writing of God,
engraved on the tablets.

When Moses approached the camp
and saw the calf and the dancing,
his anger burned
and he threw the tablets out of his hands,
breaking them to pieces
at the foot of the mountain.
And he took the calf they had made
and burned it in the fire;
then he ground it to powder,
scattered it on the water
and made the Israelites drink it.

And the Lord struck the people with a plague
because of what they did with the calf
Aaron had made.

(Exodus 31:18; 32:15-16, 19-20, 35)

AC 8074, 8078 - Faith; AC 8093 - "Leading" and "Way"

AC 8074

. . . the faith of charity
which is of regeneration
is the Lord's . . ..

AC 8078 [2-4]
. . . faith merely natural
must not be ascribed to the Lord,
but the truth of innocence which is therein.

Faith merely natural is faith
which is insinuated by an external
and not by an internal way,
such as sensuous faith,
which consists in believing a thing to be so
because the eye has seen,
and the hand has touched.
This is the faith concerning which
the Lord said to Thomas,
"Because thou hast seen, Thomas,
thou hast believed;
blessed are they who do not see, and believe."
(John 20:29);
and also is like the faith of miracles,
which consists in believing a thing to be so
merely from the miracles . . . ;
as also the faith of authority,
which consists in believing a thing to be so
because another, in whom one has faith, has said it. 

But spiritual faith is that which is insinuated
by an internal and at the same time by an external way;
the insinuation by the internal way
causes it to be believed,
and then that which is insinuated by the external way
causes it to be confirmed.
The spiritual of faith is the affection of charity,
and from this
the affection of truth for the sake of good use
and for the sake of life;
these make faith to be spiritual.
The insinuation of faith by the internal way
is effected by the reading of the Word,
and by enlightenment then from the Lord,
which is granted
according to the quality of the affection,
that is, according to the end sought
in knowing the truth. 

AC 8093

. . . by "leading," when by God,
is signified providence,
and by "way" is signified truth . . ..

~ The Breastpiece ~

"Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions --
the work of a skilled craftsman.
Make it like the ephod:
of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn,
and of finely twisted linen.
It is to be square --
a span long and a span wide --
and folded double.
then mount four rows of precious stones on it.
In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz and a beryl;
in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald;
in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst;
in the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper.
Mount them in gold filigree settings.
There are to be twelve stones,
one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,
each engraved like a seal
with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

. . . "Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place,
he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart
on the breastpiece of decision
as a continuing memorial before the Lord.
Also put the Urim and the Thummin in the breastpiece,
so they may be over Aaron's heart
whenever he enters the presence of the Lord.
Thus Aaron will always bear the means
of making decisions for the Israelites
over his heart before the Lord."

(Exodus 28:15-21, 29-30)

AC 8035-8036 - What Genuine Charity and Faith Are; AC 8056 - A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey

AC 8035 - 8036

Those who are in
the genuine affection of charity and faith
believe that from themselves
they do not desire anything good,
and that from themselves
they do not understand anything true;
but that the will of good
and the understanding of truth
are from the Lord.

This then is charity,
and this is faith.
Those who are in these have within them
the kingdom of the Lord and heaven,
and within them is the church;
and these are they
who have been regenerated by the Lord,
and from Him
have received a new will and a new understanding.

AC 8056

A land flowing with milk and honey.
(Exodus 13:5)

That this signifies where are gladness and joy,
is evident from the signification of
"a land flowing with milk and honey,"
as being what is pleasant and what is delightful,
thus gladness and joy.
It is said "gladness and joy,"
because in the Word "gladness" is predicated of truth,
and "joy" of good;
in like manner "what is pleasant"
and "what is delightful;"
moreover "milk" is predicated of the truth of good,
and "honey" of the good of truth.
 

~ The Ephod ~

"Make the ephod of God,
and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn,
and finely twisted linen --
the work of a skilled craftsman.
It is to have two shoulder pieces
attached to two of its corners,
so it can be fastened.
Its skillfully woven waistband is to be like it --
of one piece with the ephod
and made with gold,
and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn,
and with finely twisted linen.

Take two onyx stones and engrave on them
the names of the sons of Israel
in the order of their birth --
six names on one stone
and the remaining six on the other.
Engrave the names of the sons of Israel 
on the two stones
the way a gem cutter engraves a seal.
Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings
and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod
as memorial stones for the sons of Israel.
Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders
as a memorial before the Lord.
Make gold filigree settings
and two braided chains of pure gold,
like a rope,
and attach the chains to the settings.

(Exodus 28:6-14)
 

AC 8002 - "Lodgers"; AC 8020 - When We Read His Word

AC 8002 [1-2]

That a "lodger" denotes what is good
from mere natural disposition,
is because lodgers were those
who came from other peoples, and were inhabitants,
and dwelt with the Israelites and the Jews in one house;
and "to dwell together" signifies to be together in good.
But because, as before said,
they were from peoples out of the church,
the good which is signified
is not the good of the church,
but is a good not of the church.
This good is called "natural good,"
because it is hereditary from birth.
Moreover, some have such good
in consequence of ill health and feebleness.
This good is meant by the good
which they do who are signified by "lodgers."

This good is utterly different from the good of the church,
for by means of the good of the church
conscience is formed in a person,
which is the plane into which the angels flow,
and through which there is fellowship with them;
whereas by natural good
no plane for the angels can be formed.
Those who are in this good
do good in the dark from blind instinct;
not in the light of truth by virtue of influx from heaven;
and therefore in the other life they are carried away,
like chaff by the wind . . ..

AC 8020

If there were not something spiritual
in the whole and in each detail,
the angels who are with a person
when he reads the Word
would comprehend but little,
indeed scarcely anything,
from the Word;
for the angels comprehend spiritually
all things that have been described in the Word
in a natural manner.

~ The Tabernacle ~

"Set up the tabernacle
according to the plan shown you on the mountain.

"Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn
and finely twisted linen,
with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman.
Hang it with gold hooks
on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold
and standing on four silver bases.
Hang the curtain from the clasps
and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain.
The curtain will separate
the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.
Put the atonement cover
on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place.
Place the table outside the curtain
on the north side of the tabernacle
and put the lampstand opposite it on the south side.

"For the entrance to the tent
make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn
and finely twisted linen --
the work of an embroiderer.
Make gold hooks for this curtain
and five posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold.
And cast five bronze bases for them.

(Exodus 26:31-37)
 

AC 7990 - Spiritual Captivity; AC 7996 - Feasts

AC 7990

Those are said to be in spiritual captivity
who as to their interiors
are kept by the Lord in good and truth,
but as to their exteriors
are kept by hell in evil and falsity,
from which there is a combat
of the external man with the internal.
In this state those are kept who are being infested;
and then the Lord by influx through the interiors
fights for them against
the afflux of evil and falsity from the hells.
They are then kept as it were captive,
for through influx from the Lord
they desire to be in good and truth,
but through the afflux from the hells
they seem to themselves not to be able.
This combat takes place to the end
that the external man
may be reduced to obedience to the internal,
and thus natural things
be made subordinate to spiritual things.

AC 7996

The supper of the passover represented
the consociations of the good in heaven;
and in the statutes which follow,
it is declared who could be consociated
and who could not.
In general, feasts, both dinners and suppers,
in ancient times were made within the church
 in order that they might be consociated
and conjoined as to love,
and that they might instruct one another
in those things which are of love and faith,
thus in the things of heaven.
Such at that time
were the delights attending their banquets,
and such was the end for the sake of which
were their dinners and suppers.
Thus the mind and the body also were nourished
unanimously and correspondently;
and from this they had health and long life,
and from it they had intelligence and wisdom;
and also from this
they had communication with heaven,
and some had open communication with angels.
But as in course of time
all internal things vanish away
and pass into external ones,
so also did the purposes of the feasts and banquets,
which at this day
are not for the sake of any spiritual conjunction,
but for the sake of worldly conjunctions,
namely, for the sake of gain,
for the sake of the pursuit of honors,
and for the sake of pleasures,
which there is nourishment of the body,
but none of the mind.

~ Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and Seventy Elders ~

Then He said to Moses,
"Come up to the Lord,
you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu,
and seventy of the elders of Israel.
You are to worship at a distance,
but Moses alone is to approach the Lord;
the others must not come near.
And the people may not come up with him."

When Moses went and told the people
all the Lord's words and laws,
they responded with one voice,
"Everything the Lord has said we will do."
Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.

He got up early the next morning
and built an altar at the foot of the mountain
and set up twelve stone pillars
representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
Then he sent young Israelite men,
and they offered burnt offerings
and sacrificed young bulls
as fellowship offerings to the Lord.
Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls,
and the other half he sprinkled on the altar.
Then he took the Book of the Covenant
and read it to the people.
They responded,
"We will do everything the Lord has said;
we will obey."

Moses then took the blood,
sprinkled it on the people and said,
"This is the blood of the covenant
that the Lord has made with you
in accordance with all these words."

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu,
and the seventy elders of Israel
went up and saw the God of Israel.
Under His feet was something like a pavement
made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself.
but God did not raise His hand
against these leaders of the Israelites;
they saw God, and they ate and drank.

The Lord said to Moses,
"Come up to me on the mountain and stay here,
and I will give you the tablets of stone,
with the laws and commands I have written
for their instruction."

Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide,
and Moses went up on the mountain of God.
He said to the elders,
"Wait here for us until we come back to you.
Aaron and Hur are with you,
and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them."

When Moses went up on the mountain,
the cloud covered it,
and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai.
For six days the cloud covered the mountain,
and on the seventh day
the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.
To the Israelites
the glory of the Lord
looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.
Then Moses entered the cloud
as he went on up the mountain.
And he stayed on the mountain
forty days and forty nights.

(Exodus 24)

AC 7964 - The Evil and the Good; AC 7977 - How Those in the Spiritual Church Acquire Good

AC 7964

. . . those who are in mere falsity from evil
are so averse to those who are in truth from good
that they cannot endure even their presence.

AC 7977

. . . with those who are of the spiritual church
all good is acquired by means of truth,
because without the truth which is of faith
they do not know what spiritual truth is,
nor what spiritual good is.
They are indeed capable of knowing civil truth,
also moral truth,
and their goods,
because they are concordant with things
which are in the world,
from which they also have a perception
of these truths and goods.
But spiritual truth and its good
are not concordant with those things
which are in the world,
and in many cases
are even quite at variance with them,
and therefore those of the spiritual church
have to be instructed about them.
These things have been said to show
that with those who are of the spiritual church
all good must be acquired by means of truth.

~ Sacrifices ~

"Whoever sacrifices to any god
other than the Lord
must be destroyed."

(Exodus 22:20)

AC 7909 - What Is Leavened Must Not Be Eaten; AC 7927 - The Lintel and the Two Posts

AC 7909

The frequent prohibition
against eating what is leavened
-- as at verses 15 to 19 --
involves that the utmost caution
is to be used against falsity.
This utmost caution against falsity
is to be used in order that man may be in good.
Falsity does not agree with good,
but destroys good;
for falsity is of evil, and truth is of good.
If falsity is appropriated, that is, firmly believed,
there is no reception of the good of innocence,
consequently no liberation from damnation.
It is one thing to appropriate falsity to oneself,
and another to adjoin it.
They who adjoin falsity, if they are in good,
reject it when the truth appears to them;
but they who appropriate falsity to themselves,
retain it and resist the truth itself when it appears.
This then is the reason why it is so often said
that what is leavened must not be eaten.

AC 7927

And he will see the blood upon the lintel,
and on the two posts.
(Exodus 12:23)

That this signifies a noticing of the holy truth
which is of the good of innocence in the natural,
is evident from the signification of "to see,"
as being to understand and perceive;
from the signification of "the blood,"
as being holy truth of the good of innocence;
and from the signification of
"the lintel and the two posts,"
as being the goods and truths of the natural.

~ Jethro, Moses' Father-in-law ~

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian
and father-in-law of Moses,
heard of everything God had done
for Moses and for His people Israel,
and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things
the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them 
from the hand of the Egyptians.
He said, "Praise be to the Lord, who rescued you
from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh,
and who rescued the people
from the hand of the Egyptians.
Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods,
for He did this to those
who had treated Israel arrogantly."
Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law,
brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God,
and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel
to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law
in the presence of God.

(Exodus 18: 1, 9-12)

AC 7873 - "Gods"; AC 7902 - Eating of the Paschal Lamb and Unleavened Things

AC 7873

In the Word "gods" are often mentioned.
When the angels are so called, truths are signified;
hence in the opposite sense by "the gods of the nations,"
are signified falsities.
That truths are called "gods"
is because truth proceeds from the Divine Itself,
and in itself is Divine;
consequently they who receive it are called "gods"
-- not that they are gods,
but that the truth which is with them is Divine.
Hence it is that in the original tongue
God is called "Elohim," in the plural.
The Divine Itself is the Divine good,
but that which proceeds from it is the Divine truth,
which fills the universal heaven.
As then "god" denotes truth,
therefore in the opposite sense it denotes falsity.

AC 7902

Innocence consists in acknowledging
that in oneself there is nothing but evil,
and that all good is from the Lord;
and also in believing that man does not know or perceive
anything from himself, but from the Lord,
thus also the truth which is of faith.
When man is in this state,
then falsity can be removed from him,
and truth can be instilled by the Lord.
This state is what is signified by the unleavened things,
and also by the eating of the paschal lamb.
 

~ Uplifted Hands ~

The Amalekites came and attacked
the Israelites at Rephidim.
Moses said to Joshua,
"Choose some of our men
and go out to fight the Amalekites.
Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill
with the staff of God in my hands.

So Joshua fought the Amalekites
as Moses had ordered,
and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.
As long as Moses held up his hands,
the Israelites were winning,
but whenever he lowered his hands,
the Amalekites were winning.
When Moses hands grew tired,
they took a stone and put it under him
and he sat on it.
Aaron and Hur held his hands up --
one on one side, one on the other --
so that his hands remained steady til sunset.
So Joshua over came the Amalekite army
with the sword.

Then the Lord said to Moses,
"Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered
and make sure that Joshua hears it,
because I will completely blot out
the memory of Amalek from under heaven.

Moses built an altar and called
The Lord is my Banner.
He said, "For hands were lifted up
to the throne of the Lord.
The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites
from generation to generation."

(Exodus 17:8-16)

AC 7850 - The Nature of the Spiritual Correspondent; AC 7857 - Going Forward, Not Back

AC 7850

. . . a spiritual or significative correspondent
is conjoined with that to which it corresponds
as is a man's sight with his eye;
his hearing with his ear;
his thought, which is spiritual,
with the form of his interiors,
and through this form with the little organs of speech;
or as the will, which also is spiritual,
is conjoined with the muscular fibers
by which action is produced.
Such is the case with every
spiritual correspondent or significative
relatively to its natural,
with which there is correspondence.

AC 7857

All spiritual good proceeds either from faith
(that is, through faith),
or from love.
When man is being regenerated,
the good with him proceeds from the truth of faith;
for he then acts in accordance with truth;
not from the affection of truth,
but from obedience,
because it has been so commanded.
Afterward, however, when he has been regenerated,
he does what is good from affection,
thus from love.
These two states with man
are precisely distinguished in the Word,
for the reason that
man cannot be at the same time in both states.
He who is in the first state cannot enter into the other
until he has been regenerated;
and he who is in the second state
must not betake himself to the former.
If anyone so betakes himself,
he loses the affection of doing what is good from love,
and relapses into the state of faith,
which had been of service to him
to introduce him to good,
and he also relapses beyond this state.
This is meant in the internal sense
by the Lord's words about the Last Judgment:

Then let him that is upon the house
not go down to take anything out of his house;
and let him that is in the field
not return backward to take his garments.
(Matthew 24:17-18);

and also by Lot's wife,
in that she looked back behind her  . . ..

~ Who Is Like the Lord? ~

"Who among the gods is like You, O Lord?
Who is like You --
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?

"In Your unfailing love
You will lead the people You have redeemed.
In Your strength
You will guide them to Your holy dwelling."

(Exodus 15:11, 13)

AC 7836 - "Truths of Good"; AC7844 - "Evening'

AC 7836

. . . when those who are of the spiritual church
are being regenerated,
they are introduced to the good of charity
by means of the truth of faith;
but when they have been introduced to
the good which is of charity,
the truths which are afterward born
are thereafter called the "truths of good."

AC 7844 [3]

In the Word throughout mention is made of "evening"
and by it is signified the last time of the church,
and also its first time;
the last with those among whom the church is ceasing,
and the first with those among whom it is beginning.
For this reason by "evening"
is primarily signified the coming of the Lord;
for then was the end of the former church
and the beginning of a new church,
the first state of which is also called "evening"
because the man of the church
begins from obscure light,
and advances to clear light,
which to him is "morning."

~ "His Mighty Hand" ~

"In the days to come,
when your son asks you,
'What does this mean?'
say to him,
'With a mighty hand
the Lord brought us out of Egypt,
out of the land of slavery.
When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go,
the Lord killed every firstborn in Egypt,
both man and animal.
This is why I sacrifice to the Lord
the first male offspring of every womb
and redeem each of my firstborn sons.'
And it will be like a sign on your hand
and a symbol on your forehead
that the Lord brought us out of Egypt
with His mighty hand."

(Exodus 13:14-16)

AC 7795 - Succession of States

AC 7795

. . . the signification of the "wonders" and "signs"
 that were done in Egypt,
as being vastations
and consequent confirmations that they were evil;
for these "wonders" signified so many degrees
of the vastation of those
who within the church
had been in the memory-knowledge
of such things as are of faith,
and yet had lived evilly;
and because these are they
who infest the upright in the other life,
it is their state now which is here signified.
. . . The reason why there are so many degrees
 is in order that the evil may be confirmed in the fact
that they are in evil;
and also that the good may be enlightened
concerning the state of those within the church
who have lived evilly.
Except for these reasons,
the evil might be condemned and let down into hell
without so many successive changes of states. 

That before the evil are condemned
and let down into hell
they undergo so many states
is altogether unknown in the world.
It is believed that man is at once
either condemned or saved,
and that this is effected without any process;
but the case is otherwise.
Justice reigns there,
and no one is condemned until he himself knows,
and is inwardly convinced,
that he is in evil,
and that it is utterly impossible for him to be in heaven.
His own evils are also laid open to him,
according to the words of the Lord in Luke:

There is nothing covered up,
that shall not be revealed;
or hidden, that shall not be known.
Wherefore whatsoever you have said in the darkness
shall be heard in the light;
and that which you have spoken in the ear
in the bed chambers
shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
(Luke 12:2-3; Matt. 10:26-27; Mark 4:22);

and what is more,
he is also warned to desist from evil;
but when he cannot do this
because of the dominion of evil,
the power is then taken away from him
of doing evil by falsifications of truth
and pretenses of good,
which is effected successively
from one degree to another,
and finally condemnation follows
and the letting down into hell.
This takes place
when he comes into the evil of his life.

The evil of the life is evil of the will
and of the thought from there derived;
thus it is the man's inward quality
and what would be his quality outwardly
if he were not hindered by the laws,
and likewise by fears
of the loss of gain, of honor, of reputation, and of life.
This is the life which follows every man after death,
but not the outward life,
except that which proceeds from the inward life;
for in outward things a man pretends what is contrary;
and therefore when a man after death
is being vastated in respect to outward things,
it then plainly appears what had been his quality
both in will and in thought.
To this state every evil person
is reduced by means of degrees of vastation,
for all vastation in the other life advances
from outward to inward things.
From all this it can be seen
what is the nature of the justice in the other life,
and what the nature of the process
before an evil person is condemned.

AC 7773 - Subordinations in Heaven and Hell

AC 7773

. . . in hell as in heaven, there is a form of government,
that is, there is rule, and there is subordination,
without which society would have no coherence.
But the subordinations in heaven
are wholly different from the subordinations in hell.
In heaven all are like equals,
for one loves another as brother loves brother;
nevertheless one sets another before himself
in proportion as he excels in intelligence and wisdom.
The very love of good and truth causes everyone,
as it were of himself,
to subordinate himself to those who are superior to him
in the wisdom of good and the intelligence of truth.
But the subordinations in hell
are those of despotic authority,
and consequently of severity;
for he who commands
rages fiercely against those
who do not favor all his commands;
for everyone regards another as his enemy,
although outwardly as a friend,
for the sake of banding together
against the violence of others.
This banding together is like that of robbers.
They who are subordinate continually aspire to rule,
and also frequently break forth in revolt,
and then the conditions there are lamentable,
for then there are severities and cruelties
and this takes place by alternations.
From all this it can be seen how the case is
with subordinations in the other life.

AC 7763 - Exodus 11; AC 7770 - Applications

AC 7763

The subject treated of in this chapter
in the internal sense
is the damnation of faith separate from charity,
which is signified by the firstborn of Egypt
that were given up to death at midnight;
and also the memory-knowledges of truth and good
that were to be transferred to those
who are of the spiritual church,
which knowledges are signified by
the vessels of silver and of gold
that the sons of Israel were to ask from the Egyptians.

AC 7770 [3]
. . . with the evil
the knowledges of good and truth
are applied to evil uses,
and with the good
the knowledges of good and truth
are applied to good uses;
the knowledges are the same,
but the application to uses
effects their quality with each person. 

~ The Plague on the Firstborn ~

Now the Lord had said to Moses.
"I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt.
After that, he will let you go from here,
and when he does,
he will drive you out completely.
Tell the people that men and women alike
are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold."
(The Lord made the Egyptians
favorably disposed toward the people,
and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt
by Pharaoh's officials and by the people.)

So Moses said,
"This is what the Lord says:
'About midnight I will go throughout Egypt.Every firstborn son in Egypt will die,from the first born son of Pharaoh,
who sits on the throne,
to the first born son of the slave girl,
who is at her hand mill,
and all the firstborn of the cattle as well.
there will be loud wailing throughout Egypt --
worse than there has ever been or ever will be again.
But among the Israelites not a dog will bark
at any man or animal.'
Then you will know that the Lord
makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
all these officials of yours will come to me,
bowing down before Me and saying,"Go, you and all the people who follow you!"
after that I will leave."
Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.

Then Lord had said to Moses,
"Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you --
so that My wonders may be multiplied in Egypt."
Moses and Aaron performedall these wonders before Pharaoh,
but the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart,
and he would not let the Israelites
go out of his country.

(Exodus 11)

AC 7750 - Love to the Lord and Love to the Neighbor

AC 7750 [2-3]

If man were in his own love,
which is love to God and toward the neighbor,
this being man's proper love
by which he is distinguished from the beasts,
he would then be not only in all requisite knowledge,
but also in all intelligence and wisdom;
neither would he have occasion to learn them,
for they would flow in from heaven into these loves,
that is, through heaven from the Divine.
But as man is not in these,
but in contrary loves, namely,
in the love of self and the love of the world,
therefore he must needs be born
into all ignorance and lack of skill;
yet by Divine means
he is brought to something of intelligence and wisdom,
but still not actually into anything
unless he removes the loves of self and of the world,
and thus opens the way
for love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor.

That love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor
have within them all intelligence and wisdom,
can be seen from those
who in the world
have been in these loves,
for when in the other life they come into heaven,
they there know and are wise in such things
as before they had never known;
indeed, they think and speak thereas do the rest of the angels
such things as the ear has never heard,
nor the mind known, which are unutterable.
The reason is that these loves have in them
the capacity to receive such things.

~ Moses Says Good-bye to Jethro ~

Then Moses went back to his Jethro his father-in-law
and said to him,
"Let me go back to my own people in Egypt
to see if any of them are still alive."

Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well."

(Genesis 4:18)

AC 7693 - To Look Upward

AC 7693

To look upward, or to heaven,
is not to think about the things that belong to heaven,
but it is to have these things as the end,
that is, to love them more than all other things;
for a man's interiors turn to where his love turns,
and consequently so does his thought.

~ Moses Flees Egypt ~

. . . Moses fled from Pharaoh
and went to live in Midian,
where he sat down by a well.
Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters,
and they came to draw water
and fill the troughs to water their father's flock.
Some shepherds came along and drove them away,
but Moses got up and came to their rescue
and watered their flock.

When the girls returned to Reuel their father,
he asked them,"Why have you returned so early today?"

They answered,
"An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds.
He even drew water for us
and watered the flock."

"And where is he?" he asked his daughters.
"Why did you leave him?
Invite him to have something to eat."

Moses agreed to stay with the man,
who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.

(Exodus 2:15.5-21)

AC 7678 - "the hand of Moses"; AC 7679 - the "east"

AC 7678

The Divine power which is described
by "the hand of Moses"
is the power of truth Divine;
indeed, such power has the Divine truth
which proceed from the Divine good,
that through it have been created
all things in the universe.
"The Word" signifies this truth in John:

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and God was the Word,
all things were made by Him.
(John 1:1, 3);

and from this it is that miracles were done by Moses,
for Moses represents Divine truth.
It is believed by most people
that the Word, or Divine truth,
is only speech from Jehovah,
and a command that it be so done, and nothing further;
but it is the very Essential,
from which and by which are all things.
That being [Esse] which proceeds from Him,
and consequently the coming forth [existere] of all things,
is what is meant by "Divine truth."
This can be illustrated from the angels;
from whom there proceeds
a sphere of charity and faith that is sensibly perceived,
and that also produces wonderful effects;
from which some idea can be formed of the Divine truth
that proceeds from the Divine good of the Lord.

AC 7679

. . . by the "east" is signified the good of love and of charity,
because in the supreme sense the Lord is signified.
And in its origin, being Divine,
the good of love and of charity is most gentle,
consequently it is so in its advance into heaven;
but when it sinks down to the hells,
it becomes harsh and severe,
because it is turned into this by those who are there.

~ After Joseph Dies ~

Now Joseph and all his brothers
and all that generation died,
but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly
and became exceedingly numerous,
so that the land was filled with them.

Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph,
came to power in Egypt.
"Look," he said to his people,
"the Israelites have become much too numerous for us.
Come, we must deal shrewdly with them
or they will become even more numerous
and, if war breaks out,
will join our enemies,
fight against us and leave the country."

So they put slave masters over them
to oppress them with forced labor,
and they built Pithom and Rameses
as store cities for Pharoah.
But the more they were opressed,
the more they multiplied and spread;
so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites
and worked them ruthlessly.
They made their lives bitter
with hard labor in brick and mortar
and with all kinds of work in the fields;
in all their hard labor
the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.

(Exodus 1; 5-14)

AC 7640 - Two Things in Humiliation; AC 7643 - "Locust" and "Caterpillar"

AC 7640

. . . there are two things in humiliation,
namely, the acknowledgment of self,
that it is nothing but evil,
and that relatively to the Divine 

it is as nothing;
and the acknowledgment of the Divine,
that it is nothing but good, and is infinite.
These two things are not possible with the evil,
because they are in the love of self.
. . . As humiliation is not possible with the evil,
therefore in the internal sense by "to be humbled"
is signified obedience,
and thus by "refusing to be humbled"
is signified no obedience.

AC 7643 [4]
In the Word, where the vastation of the evil is treated of,mention is sometimes made of the "locust"
and of the "caterpillar,"
and by the "locust" in the internal sense
is there meant the falsity which vastates the extremes.
For as before shown,
the natural with man is interior and exterior;
the falsity which is in the extremes of the natural,
being meant by the "locust,"
and the evil therein by the "caterpillar." 

~ Jacob Dies ~

When Jacob had finished
giving instructions to his sons,he drew his feet up into the bed,
breathed his last
and was gathered to his people.

(Genesis 49:33)

AC 7620, 7622 - A Beautiful Flame

AC 7620

I saw a certain most beautiful flame;
it was of various colors, crimson,
and also from white reddening,
and the colors likewise
sparkled beautifully from the flame.
I saw also a certain hand,
which did not hold this flame,
but to which it adhered,
at first on the back part,
afterward on the palm or hollow of the hand,
and thence it played around the hand.
This continued for some time.
Then the hand together with the flame
were removed to a distance,
and where they rested, there was light;
in this light the hand withdrew,
and then the flame was changed into a bird,
which at first had like colors with the flame,
the colors in like manner sparkling.

AC 7622

They perceived that such a sight
must signify something heavenly.
They knew that a flame
signifies celestial love and its affections;
that a hand, to which the flame adhered,
signifies life and its power;
that changes of color signify varieties of life
in respect to wisdom and intelligence;
that a bird signifies the same, but with this difference,
that a flame signifies celestial love
and what is of this love,
whereas a bird signifies spiritual love
and what is of this love;
celestial love is love to the Lord,
and spiritual love is mutual love
and charity toward the neighbor . . ..

~ The Israelites Settle in Goshen ~

Now the Israelites settled in Egypt
in the region of Goshen.
They acquired property there
and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.

Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years,
and the years of his life
were a hundred and forty-seven.
When the time drew near for Israel to die,
he called for his son Joseph and said to him,
"If I have found favor in your eyes,
put your hand under my theigh
and promise that you will show me
kindness and faithfulness.
Do not bury me in Egypt
and bury me where they are buried."

"I will do as you say," he said.
Then Joseph swore to him,
and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

(Genesis 47:27-31)

AC Various - Significations

AC 7568

Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven.
(Exodus 9:33)

That this signifies attention,
and the approach of heaven,
is evident from the signification of
"stretching forth the hand,"
as being to cause to pay attention,
for by the stretching forth of the hand,
something has the attention directed to it and is shown;
and from the signification of "heaven,"
as being the angelic heaven;
and as when anyone
has his attention directed to heaven,
and it is shown to him,
he also directs his sight and thought to there,
from this there is also signified approach,
for all approach in the spiritual world
is effected by the determination of the thought.

AC 7569

. . . the signification of "hail,"is being falsity from evils destroying,namely, every good and truth of the church;
and from the signification of
"the land of Egypt,"
as being the natural mind.

AC 7571

That "herb" signifies truth
is because the "land" signifies the church, also a "field;"
and consequently all the produce from it
signifies either the truth that is of faith,
or the good that is of charity,
for these are of the church.

~ Jacob and His Family Move to Egypt ~

So Israel set out with all that was his,
and when he reached Beersheba,
he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said,
"Jacob!  Jacob!"

"Here I am," he replied.

"I am God, the God of your father," He said.
"Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,
for I will make you into a great nation there.
I will go down to Egypt with you,
and I will surely bring you back again.
And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes."

(Genesis 46:1-4)

AC 7550 - Not for His Sake, But for the Human Race

AC 7550

. . . the most essential of worship
is the acknowledgment that the Lord is the only God,and that His Human is Divine,
and that from this proceeds all faith and love,therefore by the "name of Jehovah being told"
is signified that the Lordis to be acknowledged as the only God,
and from the signification of "the earth,"as being the church.
That Jehovah or the Lord
in this and in many other passageswills that His might and power may appear,
and His name be told,and elsewhere
that He be humbly worshiped and adored,seems as if He desires to show forth His glory,
and as if He loves adoration for the sake of Himself.But quite different is the real case.
It is not for the sake of Himself,but for the sake of the human race;
not from self-glory,but from love;
for He wills to be conjoined with the human race,and to give them eternal life and happiness.
This cannot be doneunless the man is in humble worship;and there can be no humble worship
unless the man acknowledges and believesthat he himself is dust and ashes,
that is, nothing but evil,and that Jehovah or the Lord
is the Greatest and the Holiest,and that he dare not from himself approach Him.
When a person is in such humble worship,then the Lord can flow in with the life of His love,
and give heaven and eternal happiness.This is the reason why Jehovah or the Lord
so greatly extols His own power and glory in the Word.

~ Ten of Jacob's Sons Are Sent to Egypt ~

When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt,
he said to his sons,
"Why do you just keep looking at each other?"
He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt.Go down there and buy some for us,
so that we live and not die."

Then ten of Joseph's brothers
went down to buy grain from Egypt.
But Jacob did not send Benjamin,
Joseph's brother,
with the others,
because he was afraid that harm might come to him.
So Israel's sons were among those
who went to buy grain,
for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

(Genesis 42:1-5)

AC 7523 - Man and Beast; AC 7533 - Hardening Hearts

AC 7523

And it shall be upon man and upon beast.
(Exodus 9:9)

 . . . but when "man and beast" are mentioned,
then by "man" is signified
interior affection or cupidity,
and by "beast" exterior.
The interior good and also the interior evil
which are signified by "man"
are those which are of the intention or end,
for the intention or end is the inmost of man;
but the exterior good and also the exterior evil
which are signified by "beast"
are those which are of the thought,
and of the consequent action
when nothing stands in the way.
That what is exterior is signified by "beast"
is because in respect to his external or natural man,
a man is nothing else than a beast,
for he takes delight in the like cupidities and pleasures,
as also in the like appetites and senses.
And the reason why
that which is interior is signified by "man"
is that man is man in respect to the internal or spiritual man,
taking delight there in the affections of good and truth,
such as belong to the angels in heaven,
and also because through this
he rules his natural or animal man, which is a beast. 

AC 7533

. . .  it is the evil with man which makes him firm
or determined against the Divine;
and evil comes from man,
and flows in from hell,
but not from heaven.
Nothing but good flows in through heaven from the Lord;
evil cannot come forth from good,
still less from the veriest Good;
evil comes forth from its own origin,
namely, from things contrary
to love to God and to love to the neighbor;
such origins exist in man,and not at all in God. From this it is evident that when it is said in the Word
that "God leads into evil,"
this is said according to the appearance.

~ Pharaoh Gives Joseph a Big Job ~

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh,
"The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same.
God has revealed to Pharaoh
what He is about to do.

". . .The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh
in two forms is that the matter
has been firmly decided by God,and God will do it soon."

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph,
"Since God has made all this known to you,
there is no one so discerning and wise as you.
You shall be in charge of my palace,
and all my people are to submit to your orders.Only with respect to the throne
will I be greater than you."

(Genesis 41:25, 32, 39-40)

AC 7488, 7506 - Loves and Life

AC 7488

From all that has been said
about the loves of self and of the world,
it is evident that all evils spring from them,
and because all evils spring from them,
so do all falsities;
and on the other hand,
from love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor
spring all goods,
and because all goods spring from them,
so do all truths.

AC 7506 [3]

, , , when the good of life
which is from charity
flows into the intellectual
which is the receptacle of truth,
it forms beautiful ideas
with respect to the goods and truths of faith;
whereas when the evil of life
which is contrary to charity
flows into the intellectual,
it makes ugly ideas
in respect to the goods and truths of faith,
and such as are not acknowledged in heaven.

~ Joseph's Beginning Service in Egypt ~

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt.
Potiphar, an Eygptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials,
the captain of the guard,
bought him from the Ishmaelites
who had taken him there.

The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered,
and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
When his master saw that the Lord was with him
and that the Lord gave him success
in everything he did,
Joseph found favor in his eyes
and became his attendant.
Potiphar put him in charge of his household,
and he entrusted to his care
everything he owned.
. . . with Joseph in charge,he did not concern himself with anything
except the food he ate.

. . . When his master heard the story his wife told him,
saying, "This is how your slave treated me,"
he burned with anger.
Joseph's master took him and put him in prison,
the place where the king's prisoners were confined.

But while Joseph was there in the prison,
the Lord was with him;
He showed him kindness and granted him favor
in the eyes of the prison warden.
So the warden put Joseph in charge
of all those held in the prison,
and he was made responsible
for all that was done there.
The warden paid no attention to anything
under Joseph's care,
because the Lord was with Joseph
and gave him success in whatever he did.

(Genesis 39:1-4,6.5; 19-23)

AC 7456 - Stoning and Hanging Upon Wood

AC 7456 [2]

As regards the signification of "stoning,"
be it known that there were two death penalties
among the Israelites and Jews,
which whom the representative of a church
had been instituted,
of which the one was stoning,
and the other was hanging upon wood.
Stoning was for any one
who desired to destroy the truths of worship
that had been commanded,
and hanging was for any one
who desired to destroy the good of life.
That those were stoned
who desired to destroy the truths of worship,
was because a "stone" signified truth,
and in the opposite sense falsity;
and that those were hanged upon wood
who desired to destroy the good of life,
was because "wood signified good,
and in the opposite sense the evil of cupidities.

~ Esau ~

This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom).

Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan:
Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite,
and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah
and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite --
also Basemath daughter of Ishmael
and sister of Nebaioth.

Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau,
Basemath bore Reuel;
and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah.
These were the sons of Esau,
who were born to him in Canaan.

Esau took his wives and sons and daughters
and all the members of his household,
as well as his livestock
and all his other animals
and all the goods he had acquired in Canaan,
and moved to a land some distance
from his brother Jacob.
Their possessions were too great
for them to remain together;
the land where they were staying
could not support them both
because of their livestock.
So Esau (that is, Edom)
settled in the hill country of Seir.

(Genesis 36:1-8)

AC 7437 - Thinking

AC 7437 [3]

. . . those who are in evils
cannot do otherwise than think
from evils to falsities.
It is the same also with those
who are in a state of good,
in that they cannot do otherwise
than think from good to truths;
for good and truth are conjoined,
and also evil and falsity . . ..

~ God Tells Jacob Up to Bethel ~

Then God said to Jacob,
"Go up to Bethel and settle there,
and build an altar there to God,
who appeared to you
when you were fleeing from your brother Esau."

So Jacob said to his household
and to all who were with him,
"Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you,
and purify yourselves and change your clothes.Then come, let us go up to Bethel,
where I will build an altar to God,
who answered me in the day of my distress
and who has been with me
wherever I have gone."So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had
and the rings in their ears,
and Jacob buried them
under the oak at Shechem.
Then they set out,
and the terror of God
fell upon all the towns all around them
so that no on pursued them.

(Genesis 35:2-5)

AC 7384 - Frogs

AC 7384

Frogs also correspond to reasonings from falsities,
for each and all things in the natural world
have a correspondence with those
which are in the spiritual world;
and this because the natural comes forth
through the spiritual.
Therefore universal nature is a theater
representative of the spiritual world.

~ Jacob Called the Place Mananaim ~

Jacob also went on his way,

and the angels of God met him.

When Jacob saw them, he said,
"This is the camp of God!"
So he named that place Mananaim.

(Genesis 32:1)

AC 7367, 7369 - Love of Self; AC 7378 - Exodus 8 - More on the Vastation of Falsities

AC 7367, 7369

The love of self reigns with a person,

that is, he is in the love of self,

when in what he thinks and does,
he does not regard his neighbor,
thus not the public,
still less the Lord,
but only himself and those who belong to him . . ..
 

In so far as a person is in the love of self,
so far he removes himself from the love of the neighbor;
consequently in so far as a person is in the love of self,

so far he removes himself from heaven,
for in heaven there is the love of the neighbor.
from this it also follows
that in so far a a person is in the love of self,
so far he is in hell,
for in hell there is the love of self.

AC 7378

In this chapter, in the internal sense,
the subject is continued of the vastation
of those who are in falsities,
and who infest the upright in the other life.
The first two degrees of vastation were described
in the preceding chapter,
also the third degree in part,
which was that they reasoned only from falsities.
Reasonings from mere falsities
are signified by "the frogs;"
which subject is continued in this chapter;
and then the fourth and fifth degrees of the vastation
of those who are in falsities
and infest the upright in the other life are treated of.
The fourth degree is
that they were in evils
which destroyed every good with them,
also whatever they had from natural good;
these are signified by the lice from the dust of the land.
The fifth degree is
that they were in falsities from these evils,
whereby every truth would be destroyed;
these are signified by the noisome fly.

~ Jacob Leaves Laban ~

Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying,
"Jacob has taken everything our father owned
and has gained all this wealth
from what belonged to our father."
And Jacob noticed that Laban's attitude toward him
was not what it had been.

Then the Lord said to Jacob,
"Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives,
and I will be with you."

Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels,
and he drove all his livestock ahead of him,
along with all the goods
he had accumulated in Paddan Aram,
to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

(Genesis 31:1-3, 28-18)

AC 7342 - Does the Understanding Rule?

AC 7342

It is believed by some
that the understanding rules,
but the understanding does not rule
unless the will inclines;
the the understanding favors the will,

because regarded in itself
the understanding is nothing else.
This affection is what rules man,
for the affection of love is his life.
If a man's affection is that of self and the world,
then his whole life is nothing else,
nor can he withstand it,
for this would be to withstand his very life.
Principles of truth effect nothing;
if the affection of these loves has dominion,
it draws truth over to its side and falsifies it,
and if truth does not fully favor,
it rejections it.

~ Jacob Waters the Sheep ~

Jacob asked the shepherds,
"My brothers, where are you from?"

"We're from Haran," they replied.

He said to them,
"Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?"

"Yes, we know him," they answered.

Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?"

"Yes, he is," they said,
"And here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."

"Look," he said, "the sun is still high;
it is not time for the flocks to be gathered.
Water the sheep and take them back to pasture."

"We can't," they replied,
"until all the flocks are gathered
and the stone has been rolled away
from the mouth of the well.

Then we will water the sheep."

While he was still talking with them,
Rachel came with her father's sheep,for she was a shepherdess.
When Jacob saw Rachel
daughter of Laban, his mother's brother,and Laban's sheep,
he went over and rolled the stone away
from the mouth of the well
and watered his uncle's sheep.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.
He told Rachel that he was a relative of her father
and a son of Rebekah.
So she ran and told her father.

(Genesis 29:4-13)

AC 7318, 7319 - Falsifications

AC 7318 [2]

. . . there is not a single truth
which cannot be falsified,
and the falsification confirmed
by reasonings from fallacies.

AC 7319

Profaned truth is falsity conjoined with truth;
and falsified truth is falsity
not conjoined but adjoined to truth,
and ruling over truth.

~ Jacob Leaves for Paddan Aram ~

Then Rebekah said to Isaac,
"I'm disgusted with living because of these Hittite women.
If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land,
from Hittite women like these,
my life will not be worth living."

So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him
and commanded him:
"Do not marry a Canaanite woman.
Go at once to Paddan Aram,
to the house of our mother's father Bethuel.
Take a wife for yourself there,
from among the daughters of Laban,
your mother's brother.
May God Almighty bless you
and make you fruitful
and increase your numbers
until you become a community of peoples.
May he give you and your descendants
the blessing given to Abraham,
so that you may take possession of the land
where you now live as an alien,
the land God gave to Abraham."
Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way,
and he went to Paddan Aram,
to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean,
the brother of Rebekah,
who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

(Genesis 27:46; 28:1-5)

AC 7230 - Hatred; AC 7296 - An Abuse of Order; AC 7298 - Persuasion

AC 7230

. . . in so far as any one is in hatred,
so far he is in the delight of destroying . . ..

AC 7296

There is abuse of order and of correspondences
when things of order are not applied to good ends,
but to evil ones,
as to that of exercising command over others,
and to that of destroying;
for the end of order is salvation,
thus to do good to all.
From this then it is evident what is meant by
the abuse of order which is signified by "sorcerers."

AC 7298 [2]

. . . it is according to the laws of order
that no one
ought to be persuaded about truth in a moment,
that is to say,
that truth should be so confirmed in a moment
as to leave no doubt whatever about it;
because the truth which is so impressed
becomes persuasive truth,
and is devoid of any extension,
and also of any yielding quality.
Such truth is represented in the other life as hard,
and as such that it does not admit good into it
so as to become applicable.
Hence it is that in the other life
as soon as any truth is presented before good spirits
by a manifest experience,
there is soon afterward presented something opposite
which causes doubt.
In this way it is given them to think about it,
and to consider whether it be so,
and to collect reasons,
and thus to bring that truth into their minds rationally.
By this there is effected
an extension in the spiritual sight
in respect to that truth,
even to its opposites;
and from there it sees and perceives
in the understanding
all the quality of the truth,
and so can admit influx from heaven
according to the states of the objects,
for truths receive various forms
according to the circumstances.
This is the reason why the magicians
were allowed to do as Aaron did;
for thereby doubt was excited
among the sons of Israel about the miracle,
whether it was Divine;
and thus an opportunity was given them
of thinking and considering whether it was Divine,
and of finally confirming themselves that it was so.

~ Rebekah Has Twins ~

This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac.

Abraham became the father of Isaac,
and Isaac was forty years old
when he married Rebekah
daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram
and sister of Laban the Aramean.

Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife,
because she was barren.
The Lord answered his prayer,
and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
The babies jostled each other within her,
and she said, "Why is this happening to me?"
So she went to inquire of the Lord.

The Lord said to her,

"Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger."

When the time came for her to give birth,
there were twin boys in her womb.
The first to come out was red,
and his whole body was like a hairy garment;
so they named him Esau.
After this, his brother came out,
and his hand grasping Esau's heel;
so he was named Jacob.
Isaac was sixty years old
when Rebekah gave birth to them.

(Genesis 25:19-26)

AC 7233 - The Enlightened Intellectual; AC 7264-7265 - Vastation as Revealed in Exodus 7

AC 7233 [3]

For the enlightened intellectual discriminates
between apparent truths and real truths,
especially between falsities and truths,
although it does not judge
about real truths in themselves.
But the intellectual cannot be enlightened
unless it is believed
that love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor
are the principal and essential things of the church.
He who proceeds from the acknowledgment of these,
provided he himself is in them,
sees innumerable truths;
indeed, he sees very many secrets disclosed to him,
and this from interior acknowledgment,
according to the degree
of the enlightenment from the Lord.

AC 7264 - 7265

The subject treated of in the internal sense
in what follows is
the vastation, and at last the damnation,
of those who are in falsities and evils.
The process of their devastation
is described by the eleven plagues
brought on the Egyptians and their land.

In this chapter
the subject treated of in the internal sense
is the first three degrees of vastation.
The first,
which is that mere fallacies began to reign with them,
whence came falsities,
is described by the serpent
into which the rod of Aaron was turned.
The second,
which is that truths themselves
became falsities with them,
and that falsities became truths,
is described by the blood
into which the waters were turned.
The third degree,
which is that from falsities
they reasoned against
the truths and goods of the church,
is described by the frogs out of the river.
 

~ Abraham's Servant Prays ~

Then he prayed,
"O Lord, God of my master Abraham,
give me success today,
and show kindness to my master Abraham.
See, I am standing beside this spring,
and the daughters of the townspeople
are coming out to draw water.
May it be that when I say to a girl,
'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,'
and she says,
'Drink, and I'll water your camels too' --
let her be the one
You have chosen for your servant Isaac.
By this I will know
that You have shown kindness to my master."

Before he had finished praying,
Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder.
She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah,
who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor.
The girl was beautiful, a virgin;
no man had ever lain with her.
She went down to the spring,
filled her jar and came up again.

The servant hurried to meet her and said,
"Please give me a little water from your jar."
"Drink, my lord," she said,
and quickly lowered the jar to her hands
and gave him a drink.

After she had given him a drink, she said,
"I'll draw water for your camels too,
until they have finished drinking."

(Genesis 24:12-19)