Spiritual Meaning of Abraham My Servant

Spiritual Meaning of

Abraham My Servant

from AC 3441. For the sake of Abraham My servant. That this signifies from the Lord's Divine Human, is evident from the representation of Abraham, as being the Lord's Divine, and also the Divine Human (AC 2833, 2836, 3251); and from the signification of My servant, when predicated of the Lord, as being the Divine Human; not that the Divine Human is a servant, because this also is Jehovah (AC 1736, 2156, 2329, 2921, 3023, 3035), but because the Lord by this serves the human race; for by this man is saved, inasmuch as unless the Lord had united the Human to the Divine, so that man might be enabled with his mind to look upon and adore the Human of the Lord and thus have access to the Divine, He could not possibly have been saved. The conjunction of man with the Divine Itself which is called the Father is through the Divine Human which is called the Son; thus through the Lord, by whom the spiritual man understands the Human, but the celestial man the Divine Itself. Hence it is evident why the Divine Human is called a servant, namely, because it serves the Divine, in order that man may have access thereto, and because it serves mankind for their salvation.

[2] This then is what is signified by Abraham My servant, as also in David:--

Remember His marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders and the judgments of His mouth, O ye seed of Abraham His servant, ye sons of Jacob, His chosen ones. He sent Moses His servant, Aaron whom He hath chosen. He remembered the word of His holiness with Abraham His servant (Ps. 105:5, 6, 26, 42);

where by Abraham His servant is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human. In like manner also the Lord as to the Divine Human is meant in the supreme sense by Israel His servant, by Jacob His servant, and by David His servant; by Israel His servant, in Isaiah:--

Thou Israel My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend; thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the wings thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art My servant, I have chosen thee (Isa. 41:8, 9);

where Israel My servant in the supreme sense is the Lord in respect to the internal things of the spiritual church and Jacob, as to the external things of this church. Again:--

He said unto me, Thou art My servant Israel, in whom I will be glorified. It is a light thing that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved of Israel; and I have given thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth (Isa. 49:3, 6);

where Israel, in whom I will be glorified, manifestly represents the Lord's Divine Human. That He is called servant from serving, is manifest, for it is said, that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved of Israel."

[3] That the Lord as to His Divine Human is meant also by Jacob My servant, is evident in the following passage from Isaiah:--

I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, for Jacob My servants sake, and Israel My chosen (Isa. 45:3, 4);

where by Jacob My servant, and Israel My chosen is meant the Lord, Jacob My servant having respect to the external things of the church, and Israel My chosen" to the internal things of the church.

[4] The same is also signified by David My servant in Ezekiel:--

I will gather the sons of Israel from every side. My servant David shall be king over them; there shall be to them all one shepherd. They shall dwell upon the land which I have given unto Jacob My servant, and they shall dwell therein, they and their sons and their sons' sons even forever; and David My servant shall be their prince forever (Ezek. 37:21, 24, 25).

David My servant plainly denotes the Lord's Divine Human (AC 1888), and this from Divine truth, which is signified by king, and here by David (AC 1728, 2015, 3009). That truth itself also is relatively a servant, may be seen above (AC 3409); and because it is so, the Lord Himself calls Himself one that serveth or ministereth, in Mark:--

Whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever would be first among you shall be servant of all. For the Son also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister (Mark 10:43-45; Matt. 20:26-28).

And in Luke:--

Which is the greater, he that reclineth at meat, or he that ministereth? Is not he that reclineth at meat? But I am in the midst of you as he that ministereth (Luke 22:27).

from AC 3400

Back to Words index, Back to People words index

Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.