. Unto the place of the altar. That this signifies the holy things of worship, is evident from the signification of an "altar," being the principal representative of worship (n. 921).
. Which he had made in the beginning. That this signifies which He had when a child, is evident from what was said in (Gen. 12:8). It is here said, "in the beginning," and in the preceding verse, "at the first," because that was before the Lord had been imbued with knowledges. All the state before a man is instructed, is "the first (initium);" and when he begins to be instructed, it is "the beginning (principium)."
. And there Abram called on the name of Jehovah. That this signifies the internal worship in that state, is evident from the signification of "calling on the name of Jehovah" (n. 440, 1455). Here too, because of the similarity of the states, mention is made of an "altar," and it is said that he "called on the name of Jehovah," as was the case in the preceding chapter, (Gen. 12:8); but there is this difference, that as compared with the former, the state here described is a lucid one. When knowledges are implanted in the state described above, they make it lucid; and when truth and good are conjoined with the former celestial state by means of knowledges, its activity is then described as in the words now before us; for worship itself is nothing but a certain activity coming forth from the celestial which is within. The celestial itself cannot possibly exist without activity. Worship is its first activity; for it puts itself forth in this way, because it perceives joy in it. All the good of love and of charity is essential activity itself.
GENESIS 13:4previous
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