Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 2:1-4
[2] From this it is evident that His Human was not Divine from birth, but that He made it Divine by His own power. That He did this by His own power was because He was conceived of Jehovah, and hence the inmost of His life was Jehovah Himself; for the inmost of the life of every man, which is called the "soul," is from the father; but what this inmost puts on, which is called the "body," is from the mother. That the inmost of life, which is from the father, is continually flowing and working into the external, which is from the mother, and is in the effort to make this like itself, even in the womb, can be seen from sons, in that they are born into the disposition of the father, and sometimes grandsons and great-grandsons into that of the grandfather and great grandfather. The reason of this is that the soul, which is from the father, continually wills to make the external, which is from the mother, a likeness and image of itself.
[3] This being the case with man, it can be seen that it was especially so with the Lord. His inmost was the Divine Itself, because it was Jehovah Himself, for He was His only-begotten Son; and because the inmost was the Divine Itself, was not this, more than in any man, able to make the external, which is from the mother, an image of itself, that is, like itself? thus making the Human, which was external and from the mother, Divine; and this by His own power, because the Divine, which was inmost, from which He worked into the Human, was His, as the soul of man, which is the inmost, is man’s. And as the Lord advanced according to Divine order, He made His Human, when He was in the world, Divine truth; but afterward, when He was fully glorified, He made it Divine good, thus one with Jehovah.
[4] How this was done is described in this chapter in the supreme sense, but as the things contained in the supreme sense, all of which treat of the Lord, surpass human understanding, I may in what follows set forth the things contained in this chapter in the internal sense. These treat of the beginning and successive states of truth Divine with the man of the church, that is, with the man who is being regenerated (n. 6713, 6714). The reason why these things are contained in the internal sense, is that the regeneration of man is an image of the glorification of the Lords Human (n. 3138, 3212, 3245, 3246, 3296, 3490, 4402, 5688).
. And took a daughter of Levi. That this signifies conjunction with good, is evident from the signification of "taking a daughter‘ (that is, to wife), as being conjunction; and from the representation of Levi, as being good (n. 6716). How it is to be understood that the truth whose origin is from good, is conjoined with good, shall be told. The truth which is insinuated by the Lord in the man "who is being regenerated, has its origin from good. In the first period the good does not show itself, because it is in the internal man, but the truth shows itself, because it is in the external man; and as the internal acts into the external, and not the converse (n. 6322), it is good which acts into truth, and makes this its own, for nothing else than good acknowledges and receives truth. This is apparent from the affection of truth that is present in the man who is being regenerated. The affection itself is from good, for an affection which is of love cannot come from any other source. But this truth which is received in this first period, that is, before regeneration, is not the genuine truth of good, but it is the truth of doctrine. For at this time the man does not consider whether it is truth, but acknowledges it because it is of the doctrine of the church; and so long as he does not consider whether it is truth, and from this acknowledges it, it is not his, and therefore is not appropriated to him. This is the first state "with the man who is being regenerated.[2] But "when he has been regenerated, then good shows itself, especially by his loving to live according to the truth "which lie of himself acknowledges to be truth. Then because he wills the truth "which he acknowledges, and acts according to it, it is appropriated to him; because it is not as before merely in the understanding, but is also in the will, and what is in the "will is appropriated And as the understanding then makes one "with the "will, for the understanding acknowledges and the "will performs, there is a conjunction of the two, namely, of good and truth. When this conjunction has been effected, then as from a marriage, offspring are continually born, "which are truths and goods "with their blessednesses and delights. These two states are "what are meant by the origin of truth from good, and by their conjunction
[3] But the truth which is being conjoined "with good, "which is here signified by "there went a man from the house of Levi and took a daughter of Levi," is not such truth as is received by a man in the first state, for this is the truth of the doctrine of that church in "which he has been born; but it is the very truth itself; for the subject treated of in the supreme sense is the Lord, how He became the law Divine as to the Human; and the truth of this law is what is meant. That its origin is good, is because the Divine, which was the Lord’s inmost and the esse of His life, brought it forth in His Human. Thus was conjunction effected of this truth with good; for the Divine is nothing else than good.
. And the woman conceived. That this signifies the first of the rising, namely, of the law Divine in the Lord‘s Human, is evident from the signification of "conceiving," as being the first of a rising. By the "woman" is here signified the same as just above by the "daughter of Levi," whom the man of the house of Levi took, namely, truth conjoined with good. . And bare a son. That this signifies the law Divine in its origin, is evident from the signification of "bearing," as being a coming forth (n. 2621, 2629), thus origin; and from the signification of a "son," as being truth (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 3373), here the law Divine, because by the son is meant Moses; and that Moses represented the Lord as to the law Divine, or the Word, will be shown in what follows. . And she saw him, that he was good. That this signifies a noticing that it was through heaven, is evident from the signification of "to see," as being a noticing (n. 2150, 3764, 4567, 4723, 5400); and from the signification of "good," here denoting through heaven, because it is said of the law Divine in the Lord. But that "good" here signifies through heaven, is a secret that cannot be known unless it is disclosed. When the Lord made His Human Divine, He did this from the Divine, by means of a transflux through heaven-not that heaven contributed anything from itself, but that in order that the Divine Itself might flow into the human, it flowed in through heaven. This transflux was the Divine Human before the advent of the Lord, and was Jehovah Himself in the heavens or the Lord. The Divine which flowed through heaven was the Divine truth, or the Divine law, which Moses represented; and the Divine which flows through heaven, is good. Hence it is evident whence it is, that by "she saw him," namely the son, "that he was good," is signified a noticing that it was through heaven. . And she hid him three months. That this signifies the fullness of time in which it did not appear, is evident from the signification of "being hid," as being not to appear; and from the signification of "three months," as being fullness of time and fullness of state. "Three" denotes "what is full, or an entire period from beginning to end, (n. 2788, 4495); and also a "month," like a "day" and a "year," denotes time and state, (n. 2788). Hence "for three months," denotes a new state. . And she could no longer hide him. That this signifies the time when it ought to appear, is evident from the signification of "being hid," as being not to appear (n. 6721) hence "to be hid no longer," denotes to appear. That the time is meant when it ought to appear is because by the three months in which he was hid was signified fullness of time from beginning to end (n. 6721). . And she took an ark of rush. That this signifies what is of low value round about, but nevertheless derived from truth, is evident from the signification of "an ark," as being "what is round about, or that in which anything is inclosed; and from the signification of "rush," as being what is of low value, but nevertheless derived from truth. That "rush" denotes what is of low value is evident, and that it denotes what is derived from truth is because a "rush" has this signification, as is clear in Isaiah:--Woe to the land that is overshadowed with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Cush; that sendeth envoys to the sea, even in vessels of rush upon the faces of the waters (Isa. 18:1, 2);
"the land overshadowed "with wings" denotes the church, which darkens itself by means of reasonings from memory-knowledges; "beyond the rivers of Cush" denotes to the knowledges whereby they confirm false principles (n. 1164); "to send envoys to the sea" denotes to consult memory-knowledges (n. 28); "in vessels of rush upon the faces of the waters," denotes the lowest receptacles of truth.
[2] In the opposite sense:--
The dry place shall become a pool, and the thirsty place springs of waters; there shall be grass instead of the reed and the rush (Isa. 35:7);
"grass instead of the reed and the rush," denotes that there will be true memory-knowledge instead of things in which there is no truth. That "grass" denotes true memory-knowledge is plain from the passages in the Word where it is mentioned.
[3] As it was provided that Moses should represent the Lord as to the law Divine, or the Word, specifically the historic Word, it was therefore brought about that when he was an infant he was placed in a little ark, but in one of low value, because he was in his first rising, and because his being there was only a representative; but that afterward when the law Divine itself had shone forth from Mount Sinai, it was placed in an ark which was called the "ark of the testimony." The law Divine was placed in the ark, (Exod. 40:20; 1 Kings 7:9); and also the books of Moses were placed in it, (Deut. 31:24-26).
[4] Hence the ark was most holy, because it represented the Lord’s Divine Human as to the Divine law; for from the Lord‘s Divine Human proceeds the Divine law, or the Divine truth, which is the same as the "Word’ mentioned in John:--
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word; and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father (John 1:1, 14).
And as the ark represented that most holy thing the propitiatory with the cherubs was placed over the ark; and near the veil thereof the lampstand with its lamps, and the golden table with loaves, both of which signified the Divine love. This then is the reason why Moses, when an infant, because he represented the law Divine, was placed in a little ark.
. And daubed it with bitumen and with pitch.That this signifies good mixed with evils and falsities, is evident from the signification of "bitumen," as being good mixed with evils; and from the signification of "pitch," as being good mixed with falsities. Bitumen and pitch have these significations from their being of a fiery nature, and in the Word by what is fiery is signified good, and in the opposite sense evil; but as they are sulphurous, and also black, they signify evil and falsity; as in Isaiah:--The day of the vengeance of Jehovah; the torrents thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into sulphur, and the land thereof into burning pitch (Isa. 34:8, 9);
"pitch" and "sulphur" denote falsities and evils. Hence then it is that by "she daubed it with bitumen and pitch," is signified good mixed "with evils and falsities.
[2] As regards the thing itself-that encompassing the truth Divine there was good mixed with evils and falsities, no one can understand this unless he knows how the case is with the reformation of man. When a man is being reformed, he is kept by the Lord as to his internal in good and truth, but as to his external he is let into his evils and falsities, consequently among infernal spirits who are in these evils and falsities. These hover round him, and endeavor by every method to destroy him. But the good and truth which flow in through the internal render him so safe that the infernal spirits cannot do him the least harm; for that which acts inwardly prevails immeasurably over that which acts outwardly; because "what is interior, in consequence of being purer, acts upon each and every individual particular of the exterior, and thus disposes the external to its will. But in this case there must be good and truth in the external, wherein the influx from the internal can be fixed; and in this way good can be among evils and falsities, and yet be in safety. Everyone who is being reformed is let into this state, and in this way the evils and falsities in "which he is, are removed, and goods and truths are inserted in their place.
[3] Unless this secret is known, it cannot possibly be known why around the Divine truth in a man there are goods mixed with evils and falsities, signified by the bitumen and pitch wherewith the little ark was daubed in which the infant was laid. Be it known further that good can be mixed "with evils and falsities, but that nevertheless they are not on this account conjoined, for each shuns the other, and by a law of order each separates itself from the other. For good is of heaven, and evil and falsity are of hell; therefore, as heaven and hell are separate, so also each and all things from them separate themselves.
. And she put the child therein. That this signifies that inmostly therein was the law Divine in its origin, is evident from the signification of "putting therein,"‘ as being to be inmostly there, because in the little ark; and from the representation of Moses, as being the law Divine, here the law Divine in its origin, because he was an infant. . And she laid him in the sedge at the bank of the river. That this signifies that at first it was among false memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of "sedge," as being memory-knowledges; and from the signification of the "river of Egypt," as being falsity (n. 6693). They who are being initiated into truth Divine are at first placed among falsities, (n. 6724). That "sedge" denotes memory-knowledge, is because every herb in the Word signifies some kind of memory-knowledge; the sedge that is at the bank of a river signifies memory-knowledge of low value; as also in Isaiah:--The streams shall recede, and the rivers of Egypt shall be dried up; the reed and the sedge shall wither away (Isa. 19:6);
"streams" denote things of intelligence (n. 2702, 3051); "the rivers of Egypt shall be dried up" denotes things of memory-knowledge; "the reed" and "the sedge" denote the lowest memory-knowledges, which are sensuous. "Sedge" denotes false memory-knowledges in Jonah:
The waters compassed me about even to the soul; the deep was round about me, the sedge (here seaweed) was bound about my head (Jonah 2:5);
in this prophetic utterance is described a state of temptations; "the waters which compassed even to the soul" denote falsities; that "inundations of waters" denote temptations and desolations, (n. 705, 739, 790, 5725); "the deep round about" is the evil of falsity; "the seaweed bound about the head" denotes false memory-knowledges besetting truth and good, as is the case in a state of desolation.
. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. That this signifies the truth of the church far away from it, and advertence, is evident from the signification of "sister," as being rational truth (n. 1495, 2508, 2524, 2556, 3160, 3386), thus the truth of the church, for this truth is rational truth; and from the signification of "to know what would be done to him," as being advertence. EXODUS 2:1-4 - next - text - summary - Exodus - Full Page
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