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Mysteries of Genesis
Chapter 7
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[Mysteries of Genesis]
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Chapter VII
The Fruits of Faith
Genesis 19, 20, 21, and 22
IN THE PRECEDING chapter we read that when Jehovah appeared
to Abraham the patriarch was sitting in the door of his
tent. There is a remarkable parallel here, for Jehovah
appeared to Lot as he sat in the gate of Sodom.
Gen. 19:1-11. And the two angels came to Sodom at even; and
Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot saw them, and rose up
to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face to the
earth; and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn aside, I
pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night,
and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on
your way. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the
street all night. And he urged them greatly; and they
turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made
them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did
eat. But before they lay down, the men of the city, even
the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and
old, all the people from every quarter; and they called
unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men that came in
to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may
know them. And Lot went out unto them to the door, and shut
the door after him. And he said, I pray you, my brethren,
do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters that
have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto
you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto
these men do nothing, forasmuch as
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they are come under the shadow of my roof. And they said,
Stand back. And they said, This one fellow came in to
sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal
worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon
the man, even Lot, and drew near to break the door. But the
men put forth their hand, and brought Lot into the house to
them, and shut to the door. And they smote the men that
were at the door of the house with blindness, both small
and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
As Abraham represents the positive side of faith and Lot
the negative side, it can also be said that Abraham
represents the spiritual consciousness and that Lot is the
natural consciousness, which however is turned toward the
light. Jehovah appeared to Abraham as three. Spiritual
consciousness understands the trinity of being that is
spirit, soul, and body. Lot saw Jehovah as two angels,
which shows that the natural mind leaves Spirit out of
consideration.
When Abraham invited the three into his tent they accepted
his hospitality without comment. But when Lot asked the two
to spend the night under his roof, wash their feet, and
partake of his food, they refused. It took persistent
urging on the part of Lot to persuade them to abide with
him.
When the unfolding nature (Lot) begins to entertain higher
spiritual thoughts (angels), all the evil and degenerate
thoughts (men of Sodom) come at once and "compass the
house." They demand that the higher thoughts be put out, or
that they be admitted (into mind) to throw them out. When
the demand is refused they become violent. Man's way is to
compromise with evil thoughts by giving to them
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his love and emotion, even if he does not allow them free
expression in his mind. Lot offered his daughters to the
men of Sodom. When carnal thoughts become strong and
numerous enough (compass the house) they assert complete
mastery over the individual and tell him: "Stand back . . .
This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a
judge."
The angels (high spiritual thoughts) whom Lot induced to
enter his house, came to his rescue. They struck the men of
Sodom (carnal thoughts) with blindness so that they were
thrown into confusion and their destructive efforts
rendered futile, at least for the time being: blind
passions that stop at nothing to gain their ends must be
annihilated.
Gen. 19:12-23. And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here
any besides? son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters,
and whomsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of the
place: for we will destroy this place, because the cry of
them is waxed great before Jehovah; and Jehovah hath sent
us to destroy it. And Lot went out, and spake unto his
sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, Up, get
you out of this place; for Jehovah will destroy the city.
But he seemed unto his sons-in-law as one that mocked. And
when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot,
saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters that
are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the
city. But he lingered; and the men laid hold upon his hand,
and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two
daughters, Jehovah being merciful unto him: and they
brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it
came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that
he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither
stay thou in all the Plain; escape to the mountain, lest
thou be consumed.
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And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my lord: behold now,
thy servant hath found favor in thy sight, and thou hast
magnified thy lovingkindness, which thou hast showed unto
me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain,
lest evil overtake me, and I die: behold now, this city is
near to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape
thither (is it not a little one?), and my soul shall live.
And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning
this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of
which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I
cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the
name of the city was called Zoar. The sun was risen upon
the earth when Lot came unto Zoar.
Jehovah's promise to Abraham was that He would save the
righteous. Here Jehovah's angels invited Lot to take with
him those of his household (thought people) who were ready
to advance spiritually. Only Lot, his wife, and his two
virgin daughters were prepared to take the step. However
after the Lord had delivered them outside the walls of the
city Lot (negative faith) was afraid to attempt flight to
the mountain (high state of consciousness). He knew he was
not fully prepared for such a step. The angels consented to
let him escape to the little city of Zoar, the name of
which means "reduced," "made small," "lessened." Thus Lot
was given opportunity to open his mind to the light to such
a degree that seeming negation was minimized in
consciousness, and he was blessed with a new understanding
of Truth. ("The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot came
unto Zoar.")
Gen. 19:24-26. Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon
Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven; and
he overthrew those
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cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the
cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife
looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of
salt.
Eventually all error must be wiped out of consciousness. In
our efforts to overcome the sins of the flesh we pass
through strange experiences, and wonderful revelations come
to those of us who conform to divine law. The destruction
of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire represents a mighty purifying
process that makes man ready for a great realization of
divine life.
Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt. Salt is a
preservative, corresponding to memory. When we remember the
pleasures of the senses and long for their return, we
preserve the sense desire. This desire will manifest itself
sometime, somewhere, unless the memory is dissolved through
renunciation.
Gen. 19:27-29. And Abraham got up early in the morning to
the place where he had stood before Jehovah: and he looked
toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the
Plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the land went up
as the smoke of a furnace.
And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the
Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the
midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in
which Lot dwelt.
The above Scripture means that after a degree of cleansing
or destruction of sense we mentally review our experiences
and recognize that nothing is really destroyed but rather
transmuted (Abraham beheld the result). Through faith we
take stock of the progress we have made and find that we
are getting a consciousness of radiant substance (smoke)
and of a
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higher life (heat). Nothing is lost. When sense
consciousness is raised to a higher plane all that belongs
to it is saved with it. This is represented by Jehovah's
saving Lot's life.
Gen. 19:30-38. And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in
the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared
to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two
daughters. And the first-born said unto the younger, Our
father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come
in unto us after the manner of all the earth: come, let us
make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that
we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their
father drink wine that night: and the first-born went in,
and lay with her father; and he knew not when she lay down,
nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the morrow, that
the first-born said unto the younger, Behold, I lay
yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this
night also, and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may
preserve seed of our father. And they made their father
drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay
with him; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she
arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by
their father. And the first-born bare a son and called his
name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this
day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his
name Ben-ammi: the same is the father of the children of
Ammon unto this day.
When the soul reaches a certain stage of unfoldment the
natural progressive quality of faith shows a tendency
toward spiritual growth. Lot here represents natural faith
in a state of evolution, yet his living in a cave in the
mountain denotes that this faith is still in the clutches
of materiality. The feminine forces of
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faith (daughters of Lot) reflect the parent desire for
continued perpetuation of their line. There was no other
masculine principle on the plane of consciousness on which
these feminine forces were functioning ("there is not a man
in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the
earth"). Through stimulating life (wine) the seed idea was
implanted by the father principle (Lot) in receptive soil
and brought forth fruit.
Moab, son of Lot's eldest daughter, represents the thought
that perpetuates body consciousness. It is found in the
idea of organized substance ("flowing from the father") but
it is impregnated with the lusts of the flesh. Referring to
the Moabites, Jeremiah says, "Cursed be he that doeth the
work of Jehovah negligently." So Moab represents one phase
of the lusts of carnal mind for expression through the
flesh. While Moab pertains to the body and the most
external conditions of life, there is something good in
him, or at least a possibility of good.
Ben-ammi, the name of the son of Lot's youngest daughter
and father of the Ammonites, means "son of my people," "son
of my kindred," "son of my tribe," which points to
segregation and personal selfishness. This thought is the
source of the clan, then the nation. When this egotism is
exalted the nation looks on itself as being superior to all
other nations and proceeds to compel them to acknowledge
this superiority by force of arms. The Ammonites waged
constant war against the Israelites but were eventually
defeated.
Gen. 20:1. And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the
land of the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and
he sojourned in Gerar.
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The name Shur means "going round about," "wall,"
"fortification," "ox." Shur represents the never-ceasing
progress, unfoldment, and development of man. In his
evolution man has apparently always moved in cycles; but
each time he comes again to his starting place he seems to
be a little in advance of his former state. When he begins
to awaken spiritually his progress is more rapid. There is
also a thought of strength and might ("wall," "ox").
The name Kadesh means "pure," "bright," "holy," "sacred."
Kadesh represents the inherently pure, sinless, perfect,
ideal state in the depths of the consciousness of every
individual.
Abraham "dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in
Gerar." Gerar symbolizes subjective substance and life.
Abraham had on one hand Kadesh --the inherently pure,
sinless, ideal state--and on the other hand Shut (unceasing
progress) while he had his existence in Gerar (substance
and life). Thus does faith (typified by Abraham) develop in
the spiritually awakening individual.
Gen. 20:2-13. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my
sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said
to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, because of the
woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife. Now
Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt
thou slay even a righteous nation? Said he not himself unto
me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is
my brother: in the integrity of my heart and the innocency
of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in the
dream, Yea, I know that in the integrity of thy heart thou
hast
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done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against
me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now
therefore restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and
he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou
restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die,
thou, and all that are thine.
And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his
servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the
men were sore afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham, and
said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and wherein
have I sinned against thee, that thou hast brought on me
and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me
that ought not to be done. And Abimelech said unto Abraham,
What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? And
Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is
not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's
sake. And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of
my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she
became my wife: and it came to pass, when God caused me to
wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This
is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me: at every
place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
If spiritual faith through the affectional side of one's
nature (Sarah) makes union with the controlling
unregenerate will in the subconscious (Abimelech) there is
a reversal of the progressive law and bodily ills (the
plagues of Egypt) are brought forth, as we noted with
reference to a previous experience of Abraham. (See
interpretation of Gen. 12:10-20.) However in an instance
like this, when faith, lacking understanding, would have
repeated the error, the soul has progressed until the
subconsciousness has come under the guidance of Spirit, and
the plagues that came as a result
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of a former mistake are not repeated on this occasion.
Abimelech (unregenerate will) was quickened to the point
where he could receive instruction through dreams. Spirit
revealed to Abimelech the true relationship between Abraham
and Sarah, and thus he was saved from making an unlawful
union.
When Abimelech (will) faced Abraham (pioneering faith) with
the fact, Abraham admitted that he had lost sight of the
possibilities of the divine omnipresence and was not aware
that the all-knowing Spirit could penetrate into every
consciousness. "Because I thought, Surely the fear of God
is not in this place." Abraham and Sarah were of the same
blood and therefore he said truly, "She is my sister."
Gen. 20:14-18. And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and
men-servants and women-servants, and gave them unto
Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech
said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it
pleaseth thee. And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given
thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, it is for
thee a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee; and
in respect of all thou art righted. And Abraham prayed unto
God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his
maid-servants; and they bare children. For Jehovah had fast
closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because
of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
This is a situation where there is apt to be contention
between the soul and the body consciousness unless
adjustment is made. Pioneering faith (Abraham) in union
with the spiritual soul (Sarah) issues in a high
realization of both soul and body. It is only the highest
emanation of body consciousness that is ready for
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transmutation, consequently there needs to be an equalizing
and adjusting power to establish peace and safety in the
body consciousness in order to avoid some form of plague.
To teach this truth Abimelech (the ruling power that
controls the substance side of man's being), his wife, and
maidservants are represented as being unproductive for a
season, but as being healed through faith (Abraham
interceded with God).
Gen. 21:1-7. And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and
Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken. And Sarah
conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the
set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called
the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare
to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when
he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. And
Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was
born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh;
every one that heareth will laugh with me. And she said,
Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give
children suck? for I have borne him a son in his old age.
Isaac was born after Abraham and Sarah were both past the
age of bringing forth. So we when born of the Spirit
through faith are born not "of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God." The natural man has no
power to bring forth the "new man" in Christ Jesus. The
natural man brings forth Hagar's son, who is not the chosen
heir. The new man is a "new creature," begotten not of the
flesh but of the divine word. This begetting represents the
forming of a new state of consciousness, the consciousness
referred to by
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Paul when he expressed the hope to the Galatians that
"Christ be formed" in them.
As one gains a certain inner satisfaction from doing a good
deed, so in repeatedly following the promptings of Spirit
one accumulates a fund of satisfaction that finally breaks
forth in laughter. Isaac was not born until Abraham and
Sarah had reached old age--had accumulated a "faith
consciousness." Note the different kinds of laughter in
this allegory. Abraham laughed questioningly, hopefully,
when it was announced that Sarah would bear a son. Sarah
laughed incredulously when the promise was announced to
her. Both Abraham and Sarah, with their friends, laughed
joyfully and thankfully when Isaac was born.
Religion is not the dolorous thing that many have pictured
it, much to its loss and to ours as well. On the contrary
religion should make man joyful. God is not to be served in
the spirit of bondage to a taskmaster but in the spirit of
happiness. In Deuteronomy we read: "Because thou servedst
not Jehovah thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of
heart, by reason of the abundance of all things; therefore
shalt thou serve thine enemies . . . in hunger, and in
thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things." If
one's prayers are not answered or one fails to demonstrate
the reason may perhaps be found here.
Those who persistently exercise faith in God find there is
generated in their mind a condition that gradually grows
into a conviction of the permanent presence of divine
substance within, and this gives rise to the most exquisite
joy. Inward ecstasy is what gives the countenance of peace
to the saint and of illumination and purity to the sister
of mercy. It is experienced by
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all who pass into the second degree of faith (Isaac, son of
Abraham).
Gen. 21:8-21. And the child grew, and was weaned: and
Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was
weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom
she had borne unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said
unto Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son: for the
son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even
with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's
sight on account of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let
it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and
because of thy handmaid; in all that Sarah saith unto thee,
hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a
nation, because he is thy seed. And Abraham rose up early
in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and
gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and gave
her the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and
wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. And the water in
the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of
the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him
a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me
not look upon the death of the child. And she sat over
against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. And God
heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to
Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee,
Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad
where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy
hand; for I will make him a great nation. And God opened
her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and
filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And
God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the
wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer. And he
dwelt in the wilderness
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of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of
Egypt.
When Isaac was weaned (symbolizing his readiness to take a
forward step in soul responsibility) Ishmael, Hagar's son,
mocked him. Such mockery is the experience of everyone in
the new birth. The thoughts that are the fruit of the mind
of flesh rise up within him and mock the new man. Here the
overcomer has a definite work to do. The animal soul
(Hagar, the bondmaid) and the natural desires (her son)
must be cast out. As Abraham grieved when Hagar was
banished, so we sometimes grieve at giving up the fruits of
material thinking brought forth by the natural man.
In the development of spiritual faculties, of which faith
(Abraham) is one, there is an ascending movement of the
consciousness that is felt and understood by the individual
having the experience but that is difficult to explain to
one who has not yet entered upon that plane of development.
The faculty of faith grows stronger with each trial, and
when it is obedient to the Lord as its divine guide, it
finds an added pleasure in the exercise of both mind and
body at every upward step. Each function of man's organism
is spiritual at its foundation, and when he exercises it as
intended by Divine Mind his every breath and every
heartbeat is a song of joy. Even the most earthly functions
may be spiritualized and become sources of unending
pleasure, while when they are under the control of the
animal mind of man they become demoralizers of the body.
Under divine guidance the retrogression produced by mere
animalism may be harmonized and purified through the
descent of the fires of Spirit. This is what happened to
Sodom and Gomorrah, which represent
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the desires and activities pertaining to generation.
When we have faith in God and the ways of Spirit, we are
willing to give up all our material pleasures if such be
the instruction of the inner guide. This giving up is
symbolized by the sacrifices so often referred to in the
history of the Children of Israel. The body and its vital
forces are in perpetual action, which is progressive under
the divine law. When the law is disregarded there is a
waning of the higher forces that brings a sense of
discomfort. It is frequently through pain that we are
brought to see the error of our ways. Then we should hasten
to find the law of being that will give real satisfaction
without inharmony.
The action of Abraham is an example of this practice. After
giving up animal gratification and purifying the mind of
sense thoughts (banishing Hagar and Ishmael), he
experienced a greater pleasure from a more interior or
spiritual action of the same function. Isaac was the
fulfillment of Abraham's greatest desire. But the use of
the natural functions must also be raised to a higher
plane. On each of the ascending stages in bodily
transmutation there is a residuum of the last preceding
stage remaining in consciousness. This too must be purified
so that the whole man may be a fit temple for the Holy
Spirit.
The seemingly inhuman treatment of Hagar and Ishmael by
Abraham and Sarah is symbolical of the activity of forces
at work in the soul of man. The natural soul (Hagar),
lacking real understanding of the newly awakened spiritual
soul (Sarah), looks on it with a jealous and antagonistic
eye. The product of the thoughts of the natural man at work
in the flesh (Ishmael) reflects the natural soul's attitude
and
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scoffs at the possibility of joy brought about through mere
pleasure in spiritual life. Such an attitude brings about a
separation between the spiritual state of consciousness and
the natural state that depletes the supply on the natural
plane.
The wilderness of Beer-sheba represents in individual
consciousness the multitude of undisciplined and
uncultivated thoughts. Even in this state of mind a person
can hear the voice of God. God spoke to Hagar, which opened
her eyes to the truth that the well of living water was
close by and that she and her son would be amply sustained
and prospered.
This tells us that even the outermost part of man (the
body) is to be saved and to be given the chance to unfold
and become efficient in all its activities.
Ishmael became an archer, which indicates that he was an
expert at hitting the mark. Later he left Beer-sheba and
"dwelt in the wilderness of Paran." The name Paran means
"region of caverns," "region of searching," "place of much
digging." Paran represents the multitude of seemingly
confused and undisciplined thoughts of the subconscious
mind; also a place or period of much earnest searching
after Truth. That "his mother took him a wife out of the
land of Egypt" means that Ishmael (fruits of the flesh)
through Hagar (the natural soul) unites with the feminine
force of materiality.
Gen. 21:22-34. And it came to pass at that time, that
Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spake unto
Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:
now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not
deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's
son: but according
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to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do
unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. And
Abraham said, I will swear. And Abraham reproved Abimelech
because of the well of water, which Abimelech's servants
had violently taken away. And Abimelech said, I know not
who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me,
neither yet heard I of it, but today. And Abraham took
sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and they two
made a covenant. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the
flock by themselves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What
mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by
themselves? And he said, These seven ewe lambs shalt thou
take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I
have digged this well. Wherefore he called that place
Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them. So they
made a covenant at Beer-sheba: and Abimelech rose up, and
Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned into the
land of the Philistines. And Abraham planted a tamarisk
tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of
Jehovah, the Everlasting God. And Abraham sojourned in the
land of the Philistines many days.
The name Phicol means "spokesman for all,"
"all-commanding," "every tongue." Phicol was the captain of
the host of Abimelech and represents the seeming
all-sufficiency of sense consciousness in man at a certain
stage of his evolution. He was a Philistine, a Philistine
denoting sense consciousness.
The name Beer-sheba means "well of the oath," "well of
fulfillment," "well of the seven." Abraham represents the
first activity of the faith faculty in man's consciousness.
Abimelech represents the will, which though unregenerate at
this stage of man's unfoldment, recognizes faith and its
attainments (Abraham
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and his possessions). Abimelech fears that he and his
kingdom will be overrun by Abraham and his everincreasing
family and household. On the other hand, Abimelech's
servants take by force the well that Abraham had dug. This
latter means that the life forces, which have been
discovered and laid hold of by faith's activity, have been
utilized and corrupted by the fleshly man instead of being
retained for the use of the mental and spiritual. The
covenant between Abraham and Abimelech denotes the
establishing of a right relation in consciousness between
the spiritual and so-called material. Beer-sheba represents
the establishing of this agreement ("well of the oath")
between the inner and the outer, wherein faith and its
adherents (higher thoughts) are given ample room in the
organism and are allowed to retain possession of the well
(reservoir of life) that they have been instrumental in
bringing to light. On the other hand, the higher thoughts
of faith realize that they must not harm or destroy the
outer man (Abimelech and his kingdom).
To swear by the seven is to covenant that the thing
promised will be fulfilled, the number seven representing
fulfillment of the natural law.
Gen. 22:1-18. And it came to pass after these things, that
God did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he
said, Here am I. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only
son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the
land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering
upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And
Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and
took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and
he clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and
went unto the
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place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham
lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham
said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass, and I
and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and come
again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the
burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took
in his hand the fire and the knife; and they went both of
them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and
said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he
said, Behold, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb
for a burnt-offering? And Abraham said, God will provide
himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son: so they went
both of them together.
And they came to the place which God had told them of; and
Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order,
and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon
the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took
the knife to slay his son. And the angel of Jehovah called
unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he
said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the
lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that
thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes,
and looked, and, behold, behind him a ram caught in the
thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram,
and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his
son. And Abraham called the name of that place
Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of
Jehovah it shall be provided. And the angel of Jehovah
called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said,
By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, because thou hast
done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only
son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying
I will multiply
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thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which
is upon the sea-shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate
of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of
the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
The story of the near sacrifice of Isaac illustrates the
truth that we must be willing to give up the pleasures of
sense without question if we are to have the consciousness
of the greater satisfactions of Spirit. Being willing and
obedient in submitting our sensations to the law of Spirit,
we then find that we do not at all sacrifice the real inner
joy but only its coarser expression in physical generation
(which is represented by the ram).
It seemed to Abraham that the law of Spiritual growth
demanded the slaying of Isaac, the whole consciousness of
joy. At various stages of unfoldment there are trials as
well as triumphs, and those who have but a transient faith
in the wisdom and power of Spirit are apt to give up and
turn back before the process is complete. (Abraham did not
turn back.) Moriah, the name of the land where Abraham was
sent to make his sacrifice, signifies the "bitterness of
Jehovah." So we find that the changes that take place in
consciousness sometimes are bitter experiences, and it
takes a strong faith to believe that good will come out of
them. Yet it always does come when there is steadfast
obedience to God and faith in His goodness. The successful
meeting of such trials gives great power to the body and
brings a sure reward. Abraham became the father of a
multitude as numerous "as the stars of the heavens, and as
the sand which is upon the sea-shore."
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The child was not sacrificed although Abraham took every
step in preparation. After he had successfully passed this
test, the angel of the Lord repeated the promise of the
covenant: "By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah . . . and
in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
because thou hast obeyed my voice."
In the regeneration man must be willing to sacrifice his
greatest pleasure in life (Isaac). But when he has given up
willingly, made the spiritual surrender, he finds that it
is not the joy of life that he sacrifices but only the
sensuous aspect of joy.
Faith in God (Abraham) and obedience to the divine law
brings forth a serene peace and joy. Christians well know
that the development of faith and obedience does cause one
to become inwardly happy and outwardly serene. Jesus had
this inward happiness, and He tried to pass it on to His
disciples: "These things have I spoken unto you, that my
joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."
The name Jehovah-jireh means "Jehovah will see," "Jehovah
will behold," "Jehovah will provide." It signifies "I am
the provider." If we expect to demonstrate prosperity from
without, we find it a slow process; but if we know that the
I AM is the provider, we have the key to the inexhaustible
resource.
Gen. 22:19. So Abraham returned unto his young men, and
they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham
dwelt at Beer-sheba.
The two young men represent masculine forces that have been
trained for service under the supervision of pioneering
faith.
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Beer-sheba represents the establishing of a right
relationship in consciousness between the spiritual and the
seemingly material. Faith (Abraham) and the young masculine
thoughts dwell in the state of consciousness represented by
Beer-sheba, and it is in the light of this fact that the
following incidents are to be understood.
Gen. 22:20-24. And it came to pass after these things, that
it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she also hath
borne children unto thy brother Nahor: Uz his first-born,
and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, and
Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight did Milcah bear to
Nahor, Abraham's brother. And his concubine, whose name was
Reumah, she also bare Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and
Maacah.
Milcah represents the soul in its function of expressing
dominion, wisdom, and good judgment. The soul of man on its
feminine side is intuitional and often perceives or senses
things that, while they are not perceived by the outer or
more active and positive part of the individual
consciousness, should be heeded by it.
Nahor symbolizes a piercing and breaking up of the
individual sense consciousness hitherto unpenetrated by
Truth so that a new line of thought may be brought forth.
Nahor and Milcah united to produce eight children (states
of consciousness), whose names are interpreted here.
(For Uz see interpretation of Gen. 10.)
The name Buz means "despicable," "contempt," "despised."
Buz represents a scornful, scoffing state of thought, which
is despicable in the light of Truth.
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The name Kemuel means "God stands," "God's righteousness."
Kemuel symbolizes the righteousness and judgment of God in
the process of becoming ascendant in individual
consciousness, of growing and taking a firmer hold; also of
bringing about a closer union of the true, higher,
spiritual thoughts of the mind in order to establish the
adjustment that is needed for the further progress of the
individual.
The name Chesed means "an astrologer," "a magus," "wisdom."
Chesed represents a certain type of wisdom, a wisdom that
is psychical in its nature rather than spiritual.
The name Hazo means "vision," "revelation," "agreement."
The arousing of a higher desire in man (Nahor) through the
activity of faith (Abraham) causing the piercing of the
darkness of material belief and opens the way for a new and
clearer insight into Truth. This new insight is symbolized
by Hazo.
The name Pildash means "flame of fire." Pildash represents
zeal, ardor, the result of a quickening that has taken
place in consciousness.
The name Jidlaph means "dropping," "distilling," "tearful."
Jidlaph represents a very negative type of thought in man.
The name Bethuel means "dweller in God," "abode of God."
Bethuel represents unity with God; a conscious abiding in
Him.
Rebekah (the name of Bethuel's daughter) means "tying
firmly," "snare," "beauty that ensnares." Rebekah
represents the soul's natural delight in beauty.
Reumah (the name of Nahor's concubine means "lofty,"
"sublime," "pearl." Reumah symbolizes the soul or feminine
principle in man elevated to a place
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of appreciation, of high esteem, in consciousness.
By Reumah, Nahor had four children, whose names are given
here.
The name Tebah means "slaughter," "slaying," "life guard."
Tebah represents an active thought of or strong belief in
self-defense ("life guard") that is very destructive
("slaughter," i. e., of animals or persons).
The name Gaham means "flaming," "burning," "charring."
Gaham symbolizes the heat of sense consciousness brought to
a climax, a focus, and burning itself out. This is caused
by the higher desires (Nahor and Reumah) that have been
aroused by the awakening of faith (Abraham) in the
individual. Thus a reaction sets in, the whole
consciousness revolts against sense beliefs, and a measure
of purification is accomplished.
The name Tahash means "burrowing," "diving," "ram." Tahash
symbolizes an increase of life activity in the organism but
an activity more of the animal than the spiritual kind.
The name Maacah means "squeezed," "compressed." Maacah
represents an oppressively aggressive character. He is of
the outer sense man.
(For Aram see interpretation of Gen. 10:27-32.)
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