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Mysteries of Genesis
Chapter 8
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[Mysteries of Genesis]
[Charles Fillmore's Works] [Unity on the Web Home Page]
Chapter VIII
The Mental Supplants the Physical
Genesis 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28
IT IS SELF-EVIDENT that both the physical and metaphysical
sides of life are capable of manifold expression. Some
metaphysicians contend that all is mind and matter is the
negative of mind or nothingness. However, contemplation of
the tremendous possibilities infolded in the earth makes us
pause when we hear that assertion. Here beneath our feet is
a crust of substance upon whose pages like a mighty book is
written a record of the earth's evolution during the aeons
and ages through which it has passed from mist to matter.
In it the geologist finds the fossils that tell him of its
physical history, and the trained psychic can hold in his
hand a piece of inanimate rock and it will tell him its
evolution from ether to matter. The souls of all forms from
mollusk up to man have left a certain memory essence upon
the substance they handled, and that essence is preserved
ready to be redeemed and raised to higher levels by the
minds that gave it form. Although the body of
"Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay
Might stop a hole to keep the wind away,"
its soul essence endures and will in the final judgment, or
justification, of man's work be merged into the perfect
body. Daniel pointed to this when he wrote, "Many of them
that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake."
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The purchase by Abraham of the cave of Machpelah as a grave
for Sarah involves this mystical soul essence. Machpelah
means infolded, winding, spiral, symbolizing a condition in
which great possibilities of expression are involved. Not
only Sarah but Abraham himself, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and
Jacob were buried there. All these were spiritually
quickened and therefore impressed their soul qualities upon
matter more definitely than the children of Heth; but all
are to undergo judgment, through numerous incarnations, at
the end of the ages, "some to everlasting life, and some to
shame and everlasting contempt." "And they that are wise
shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they
that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and
ever."
Gen. 23:1-2. And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven
and twenty years: these were the years of the life of
Sarah. And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron),
in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah,
and to weep for her.
The name Kiriath-arba means "city of Arba," "city
foursquare." Symbolically Kiriath-arba denotes the state of
consciousness that attributes to material reason the
perfection belonging to and coming from spiritual
understanding only; that attributes strength, power,
knowledge, and greatness to the outer formed world instead
of knowing that all power and reality exists in Spirit, in
the unformed ideas of the one Mind.
Sarah (symbolizing the spiritual soul in a certain degree
of unfoldment) died in Kiriath-arba. In truth however the
higher activities of the soul cannot die. It may seemingly
become entangled in thoughts on
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the natural plane and disappear for a season from the
conscious mind. However it is enjoying a period of rest in
preparation for a new and higher expression.
Gen. 23:3-20. And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and
spake unto the children of Heth, saying, I am a stranger
and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a
burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my
sight. And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying
unto him, Hear us, my lord; thou art a prince of God among
us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of
us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou
mayest bury thy dead. And Abraham rose up, and bowed
himself to the people of the land, even to the children of
Heth. And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind
that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and
entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may give
me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the
end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me
in the midst of you for a possession of a burying-place.
Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the children of
Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the
audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in
at the gate of his city, saying, Nay, my lord, hear me: the
field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it
thee; in the presence of the children of my people give I
it thee: bury thy dead. And Abraham bowed himself down
before the people of the land. And he spake unto Ephron in
the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou
wilt, I pray thee, hear me: I will give the price of the
field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. And
Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken
unto me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of
silver, what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore my
dead. And
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Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to
Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the
children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current
money with the merchant.
So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was
before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein,
and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all
the border thereof round about, were made sure unto Abraham
for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth,
before all that went in at the gate of the city. And after
this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the
field of Machpelah before Mamre (the same is Hebron), in
the land of Canaan. And the field, and the cave that is
therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a
burying-place by the children of Heth.
Abraham requested the children of Heth to "entreat for me
to Ephron the son of Zohar" that he might give him the cave
of Machpelah for a burying place for Sarah.
The name Zohar means "whiteness," "brightness," "nobility."
Zohar represents thoughts of a pure, clear, lofty,
discriminating character.
The name Ephron means "gazellelike," "quick," "volatile."
Ephron represents a type of thought that is very impulsive,
light, airy, and quick to change.
The name Machpelah means "equally divided," "twofold,"
"spiral form." Machpelah represents subconscious body
substance (a field in which there was a cave). Sarah and
the others buried in this cave symbolize the submergence of
spiritual ideals in us. When these ideals have done their
work in the conscious realm of our mind, for the time being
they give
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way to other activities of the mind, while they sink back
into the subconsciousness (cave). There they take deep root
in substance and continue their work, which is not apparent
to the outer, conscious, thinking part of the mind. They
work out into the body consciousness in another
incarnation, thus aiding in raising the whole organism to a
higher plane of expression.
When going through the inner experience of releasing from
consciousness some much-cherished soul quality or thought
activity that has become useless for the time being, one
may have a tendency to grieve and to hold to the good that
seems to be becoming inactive in one's life. Then the
thought activity represented by Ephron comes to one's
rescue to aid one in making the necessary change and in
letting go of the old. Sarah died in Hebron, and it was in
Hebron that Abraham bargained with Ephron for the cave of
Machpelah in which to bury Sarah. Hebron refers to the
conscious mind; also to a certain "association" of
thoughts. Faith (Abraham) suggests the awakening of man's
mind to higher ideals, and hills denote their manifestation.
The word Mamre means "firmness," "vigor," "strength." The
oak trees (which surrounded Mamre) in themselves denote
strength and protection; but the Hebrew name for oak trees
has a deeper significance than this; it comes from a root
similar to the one from which is derived the word Elohim.
Thus we are reminded of the truth that those who trust in
God as their defense, their refuge, and their fortress, and
who dwell in the secret place of the Most High, abide under
the shadow of the Almighty, and not only are kept from all
evil and its results but also continue
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to grow and unfold in understanding, in spirituality, in
every good. The Hebrew words ayil, elon, and allah all
refer to the oak or terebinth, and express the ideas of
power, elevation, and expansion. The prefix al or el that
begins the name Elohim, or better AElohim, comes from the
same root, which refers to the power of expansive movement,
the power of extension, and is also the personal pronoun
el, which stands for the strong one or the absolute.
Abraham's insistence on paying Ephron for the ground where
Sarah was to be buried emphasizes the sufficiency of Spirit
and the opulence of those who live under its law. Abraham
was the possessor of an all-producing faith, and he was
expected to use it on all occasions to supply his every
need. Those who have a living faith in God's
all-sufficiency do not beg or accept things without
recompense but give value received for everything.
Gen. 24:1-9. And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age:
and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham
said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled
over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my
thigh: and I will make thee swear by Jehovah, the God of
heaven and the God of the earth, that thou wilt not take a
wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among
whom I dwell: but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my
kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac. And the servant
said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing
to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son
again unto the land from whence thou camest? And Abraham
said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son
thither again. Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from
my father's house, and
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from the land of my nativity, and who spake unto me, and
who sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this
land; he will send his angel before thee, and thou shalt
take a wife for my son from thence. And if the woman be not
willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this
my oath; only thou shalt not bring my son thither again.
And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his
master, and sware to him concerning this matter.
The progenitor of the house of Abraham (primitive faith) is
Spirit. Abraham desired to perpetuate the spiritual trend
of consciousness. The "servant, the elder of his house,
that ruled over all that he had" (representing the personal
ego that rules over the body or "house" consciousness),
obeyed every injunction of his. Abraham (the progressive
mind) desires Isaac (his happy, joyous thoughts) to unite
in marriage with one of his kindred (Rebekah: high ideals)
in the land of Haran (exalted state of mind). Abraham
(progressive faith) then requires his obedient servant (the
personal ego ruling over the body consciousness) to take an
oath or affirm, with his hand (power) on Abraham's thigh,
that this shall be accomplished.
Yarek, the Hebrew word translated "thigh," comes from a
little used root and is sometimes used euphemistically to
designate the genitals. This oath was not taken on the
thigh but on the genital organs, a practice not peculiar to
the Hebrews but known to many other primitive people. Such
a custom hints at phallicism or the worship of the physical
source of life. As our courts impress on the witness the
sacredness of his oath by having him place his hand on the
Bible while making it, so these people used the source of
physical life to enforce the sanctity of an oath.
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Spiritual light comes through the activity of pioneering
faith. Abraham realized that through his struggles for a
higher state of consciousness (Haran) his soul had become
rooted and grounded in the fundamental principles of Truth.
Therefore he desired his happy, joyous thoughts (Isaac) to
unite with a feminine soul force that had sprung from the
original root of Spirit (his own kindred).
Gen. 24:10-62. And the servant took ten camels, of the
camels of his master, and departed, having all goodly
things of his master's in his hand: and he arose, and went
to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made the
camels to kneel down without the city by the well of water
at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw
water. And he said, O Jehovah, the God of my master
Abraham, send me, I pray thee, good speed this day, and
show kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing
by the fountain of water; and the daughters of the men of
the city are coming out to draw water: and let it come to
pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy
pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say,
Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same
be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and
thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my
master. And it came to pass, before he had done speaking,
that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel,
the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother,
with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very
fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her:
and she went down to the fountain, and filled her pitcher,
and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said,
Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water from thy
pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and
let down her pitcher upon her hand,
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and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink,
she said, I will draw for thy camels also, until they have
done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into
the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw, and drew
for all his camels. And the man looked stedfastly on her,
holding his peace, to know whether Jehovah had made his
journey prosperous or not. And it came to pass, as the
camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring
of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of
ten shekels weight of gold, and said, Whose daughter art
thou? tell me, I pray thee. Is there room in thy father's
house for us to lodge in? And she said unto him, I am the
daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bare unto
Nahor. She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and
provender enough, and room to lodge in. And the man bowed
his head, and worshipped Jehovah. And he said, Blessed be
Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who hath not
forsaken his loving-kindness and his truth toward my
master: as for me, Jehovah hath led me in the way to the
house of my master's brethren.
And the damsel ran, and told her mother's house according
to these words. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was
Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the fountain.
And it came to pass, when he saw the ring, and the
bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the
words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man
unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he was
standing by the camels at the fountain. And he said, Come
in, thou blessed of Jehovah; wherefore standest thou
without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the
camels. And the man came into the house, and he ungirded
the camels; and he gave straw and provender for the camels,
and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men that
were with him. And there was set food before him to
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eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine
errand. And he said, Speak on. And he said, I am Abraham's
servant. And Jehovah hath blessed my master greatly; and he
is become great; and he hath given him flocks and herds,
and silver and gold, and men-servants and maid-servants,
and camels and asses. And Sarah my master's wife bare a son
to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given
all that he hath. And my master made me swear, saying, Thou
shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the
Canaanites, in whose land I dwell: but thou shalt go unto
my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife for
my son. And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman
will not follow me. And he said unto me, Jehovah, before
whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy
way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred,
and of my father's house: then shalt thou be clear from my
oath, when thou comest to thy kindred; and if they give her
not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath. And I came
this day unto the fountain, and said, O Jehovah, the God of
my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I
go: behold, I am standing by the fountain of water; and let
it come to pass, that the maiden that cometh forth to draw,
to whom I shall say, Give me, I pray thee, a little water
from thy pitcher to drink; and she shall say to me, Both
drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the
same be the woman whom Jehovah hath appointed for my
master's son. And before I had done speaking in my heart,
behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her
shoulder; and she went down unto the fountain, and drew:
and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee. And she
made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and
said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I
drank, and she made the camels drink also. And I asked her,
and said, Whose daughter art
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thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son,
whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the ring upon her
nose, and the bracelets upon her hands. And I bowed my
head, and worshipped Jehovah, and blessed Jehovah, the God
of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to
take my master's brother's daughter for his son. And now if
ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and
if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to
the left.
Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing
proceedeth from Jehovah: we cannot speak unto thee bad or
good. Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and
let her be thy master's son's wife, as Jehovah hath spoken.
And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard
their words, he bowed himself down to the earth unto
Jehovah. And the servant brought forth jewels of silver,
and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah:
he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious
things. And they did eat and drink, he and the men that
were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in
the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. And
her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with
us a few days, at least ten; after that she shall go. And
he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing Jehovah hath
prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her
mouth. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt
thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. And they
sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and
Abraham's servant, and his men. And they blessed Rebekah,
and said unto her, Our sister, be thou the mother of
thousands of ten thousands, and let thy seed possess the
gate of those that hate them.
And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the
camels, and followed the man: and
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the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. And Isaac came
up from the way of Beer-lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the land
of the South.
A declaration of Truth is always demonstrated in mind and
body. Paul says the man is not without the woman in the
Lord. In the above Scripture the law is in process of being
fulfilled (the oath or affirmation made by Abraham's
servant is here being demonstrated.
Abraham's servant journeyed into the land of Mesopotamia in
search of a wife for Abraham's son Isaac and was led by
Jehovah to the city of Nahor, where he found Rebekah.
The state of consciousness represented by Mesopotamia lies
close to the spiritual, at least close enough to be open to
the divine urge for light and higher attainment ("country
between," "middle region," "middle land"). Otherwise it
could not have been the home of Rebekah and her brother
Laban, nor of Abraham at the time when he received from God
the revelation directing him to come out from his people
into another country (to enter into a higher and more
spiritual state of mind) that he might possess his divine
inheritance.
Nahor denotes the arousing of a more lofty desire in man
through the activity of faith (Abraham). These greater
aspirations pierce the darkness of materiality and aid in
bringing about a new trend of thought ("eager," "piercing,"
"slaying").
Bethuel, father of Rebekah, represents conscious unity with
Spirit. Milcah, mother of Rebekah, represents wisdom and
good judgment through the intuitional or feminine nature.
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The name Rebekah means "tying firmly," "noosed cord,"
"beauty that ensnares." Rebekah represents the soul's
natural delight in beauty. This essence of the soul is
continually going forth and making contact with the
harmonious and the beautiful.
Abraham's servant adorned Rebekah with rings and bracelets
of gold, which appealed to her love of the beautiful. This
no doubt influenced her in her decision to make the journey
to the house of Abraham. Metaphysically Rebekah's taking
this step represents an esthetic feminine force within the
soul penetrating down into the subconscious and there
making union with life and substance. The servant (personal
ego) guided Rebekah into Beer-lahai-roi, in the "land of
the South" (the subconscious), where Isaac dwelt.
(For further interpretation of Beer-lahai-roi see comments
on Gen. 16:1-15.)
Through the inherent love of the harmonious thousands are
blessed and many hearts of "hate" are directed into other
channels of expression ("let thy seed possess the gate of
those that hate them").
Gen. 24:63-67. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field
at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and,
behold, there were camels coming. And Rebekah lifted up her
eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted from the camel.
And she said unto the servant, What man is this that
walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant said, It
is my master: and she took her veil, and covered herself.
And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and
took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her:
and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
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The happy Isaac consciousness claimed its counterpart in
Rebekah. Faith and obedience (Abraham) bring forth joy, and
joy (Isaac) is linked with the beauty of nature without.
The devout, joyous soul readily makes union with the
natural, harmonious expression of Spirit, and in the joy of
spiritual realization the thoughts are lifted up in
exaltation and praise. "And Isaac went out to meditate in
the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and
saw . . . And Rebekah lifted up her eyes . . . and he loved
her." Thus is portrayed the union of the devout, joyous
nature with the soul of love.
The joyous soul, when established in spiritual faith and
poise, is screened from contact with inharmonies: "and she
took her veil, and covered herself."
Isaac led Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent. This
signifies that the soul powers symbolized by Isaac and
Rebekah are ever penetrating into the physical, here
represented by the tent.
Gen. 25:1-4. And Abraham took another wife, and her name
was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and
Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And Jokshan begat
Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and
Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian: Ephah, and
Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were
the children of Keturah.
The name of Abraham's second wife, Keturah, means
"incense," "perfume," "aloeswood." Keturah represents a
soul consciousness that aspires to higher things even
though still in sense.
To Abraham Keturah bare six sons. Zimran represents a
positive expression of joy, harmony, and
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grace, the first conscious result of a union in the
individual of awakening faith (Abraham) with the aspiration
of the soul for higher bodily attainment (Keturah). Jokshan
represents a sly, treacherous, deceitful tendency that
often exists in the sense mind of man and that places the
individual who gives way to it in difficult situations.
Medan and Midian represent the sense of dominion that to a
degree is founded on discrimination and understanding but
that is still full of contention and strife. Ishbak
typifies the transitoriness of human ambition and its
results. Shuah denotes an exceedingly depressed, downcast
state of thought.
The meaning of the names of the six sons of Abraham and
Keturah point to divided thought; the thoughts are partly
good thoughts and partly limited thoughts, thoughts of the
sense mind. The descendants of these sons became enemies of
the Israelites. While the trend of thought represented by
them may to a certain extent be helpful to the natural man
at a certain stage of his unfoldment, the time comes when
they must be released from the mind so that the real, true
thoughts and activities (Israelites) may have full sway in
the consciousness.
Jokshan begat Sheba, who represents wholeness or fullness
on various planes of existence ("return to an original
state," "repose," "equilibrium"), and Dedan ("mutual
attraction," "physical love," "low"), who represents a
phase of physical or animal attraction and affection. This
must give way to true love, which is spiritual in its
character and is unselfish and pure.
Dedan had three sons. Asshurim represents the reasoning
power of faith operating in sense consciousness. The
reasoning of the intellect, guided by the
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senses, may seem almost invincible at times, but it does
not endure. Only spiritual ideas and their manifestation
are truly strong, powerful, and abiding. The second son of
Dedan was Letushim, who represents the sense of being
oppressed and hard driven that all persons in the lower,
earthly consciousness experience much of the time. In the
Letushim consciousness advancement is slow and is gained by
means of hard experiences. The third son of Dedan was
Leummim, who symbolizes great increase and multiplication
of thoughts in consciousness but without real spiritual
quickening.
Midian had five sons. Ephah represents darkened and
obscured phases of thought and soul in which the Spirit of
God is working--over which Spirit is brooding--that Truth
may blossom forth and come to fruition in due time.
Midian's second son was Epher, who represents thoughts on
the animal plane of consciousness in man that are active
but young and inexperienced. His third son was Hanoch, who
represents entrance into a higher consciousness than has
been known and experienced before. The fourth son, Abida,
represents the belief that knowledge comes through the
senses. The judgment of the senses, based on outer
appearances, produces discordant thoughts, jealousies, and
the like. Midian's fifth son Eldaah ("whom God has
called"), represents a central thought that responds in a
measure to the quickening presence of Spirit although it
belongs to the sense phase of man consciousness. It
perceives that God is the source of understanding, yet it
does not bring forth definite fruit in consciousness.
Gen. 25:5-6. And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
But unto the sons of the concubines, that Abraham had,
Abraham gave gifts; and he sent
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them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward,
unto the east country.
Isaac was the product of Abraham's spiritual consciousness,
while the sons of the concubines were the product of his
personal consciousness. Hence Isaac (meaning divine
sonship) was the rightful heir to all that Abraham had.
Gen. 25:7-11. And these are the days of the years of
Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred three-score and
fifteen. And Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good
old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to
his people. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in
the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of
Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; the field which
Abraham purchased of the children of Heth: there was
Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife. And it came to pass
after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son;
and Isaac dwelt by Beer-lahai-roi.
Machpelah was a field "before Mamre" that Abraham bought
from Ephron, of the children of Heth. Machpelah represents
the subconscious body substance. As in the case of Sarah,
when the aggregation of thoughts symbolized by Abraham has
done its perfect work in the conscious realm of mind, it
gives way for the time being to other activities of the
mind and sinks back into the subconsciousness. (See
comments on Gen. 23:3-20.)
The name Mamre means "firmness," "vigor," "strength." The
lesson here is that faith in God (suggested by Abraham)
brings about the right relation among all the faculties,
establishing firmness, vigor, and strength.
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After Abraham's passing God blessed Isaac, and he dwelt in
Beer-lahai-roi by the well of the same name. The name
Beer-lahai-roi means "the well of the living one." Isaac
symbolizes divine sonship. When the individual realizes
that life is omnipresent and eternal and that Spirit is its
source he has laid the foundation for its manifestation
throughout his whole being.
Gen. 25:12-18. Now these are the generations of Ishmael,
Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid,
bare unto Abraham: and these are the names of the sons of
Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations:
the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel,
and Mibsam, and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadad, and
Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: these are the sons of
Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and
by their encampments; twelve princes according to their
nations. And these are the years of the life of Ishmael a
hundred and thirty seven years: and he gave up the ghost
and died, and was gathered unto his people. And they dwelt
from Havilah unto Shur that is before Egypt, as thou goest
toward Assyria: he abode over against all his brethren.
The first-born of Ishmael was Nebaioth. Nebaioth represents
the outer, sensate, or material consciousness, reflecting
the light of the inner, true ideas that are born of Spirit
("heights"), and realizing the possibility of bringing
forth abundant good ("cultivation of the soil,"
"fruitfulness," "germinations") through the power of the
word of understanding ("prophetic utterances," "inspired
words").
The second son of Ishmael was Kedar. Kedar represents a
confused, unsettled, disturbed, obscure thought
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yet one with a degree of power that belongs to the outer or
sense side of consciousness.
The third son of Ishmael was Adbeel. Adbeel represents a
yearning of the soul for something higher and better. This
yearning will bring forth fruit in time, when it has been
subjected to the necessary education and training. Though
not always recognized as coming from God, this discipline
is brought about by the working of the divine law.
The fourth son, Mibsam, represents a perception or sensing,
to a degree, of the joys and beauties of Spirit: the power
to perceive, discriminate, detect, estimate.
The fifth son, Mishma, represents a receptive, attentive,
obedient attitude in the outer or sense consciousness.
The sixth son, Dumah, represents the condition that man
calls death; also the state of man wherein he is dead
through his trespasses and sins.
The seventh son, Massa, represents the ushering in of a new
thought regarding that in man which has hitherto been
deemed by him to be wholly material and so doomed to death
and dissolution. This new thought is a prophecy that the
seemingly physical body will ultimately be lifted up and
saved alive. Massa represents a type of thought that lays
hold of, retains, and transports this truth ("divine
declaration," "a lifting up,") into the outer organism, the
seemingly mortal part of the individual.
Ishmael's eighth son was Hadad. Hadad symbolizes the
setting up as all-powerful of the intellect in its
spiritually unawakened state. Back of the intellect
however, back of every expression of intelligence or
understanding,
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there exists the hidden principle of all light, all wisdom,
all knowledge: God, Spirit.
The ninth son, Tema, represents abundant substance and
life, firmness, faithfulness, and Truth stored in the
subconsciousness.
The tenth son, Jetur, represents an idea of order,
solidity, strength, that which keeps within bounds; the
idea or belief that the individual can be kept in orderly
existence only when limited to certain lines of thought and
action, only when his thoughts, beliefs, and acts are
fenced in. The sense man's way of making the individual
better is always to limit him by means of outer rules and
regulations; it knows nothing of true spiritual freedom and
guidance, which alone can bring about real strength, unity,
and adjustment in consciousness.
The eleventh son, Naphish, symbolizes the activity of the
very breath of life by which every living creature is
animated and inspired, consciously or unconsciously.
The twelfth son, Kedemah, represents the inner or true
being of man, divine principle; that which exists from
everlasting to everlasting, man's true spiritual or Christ
self.
Ishmael represents the thoughts that are the fruit of the
personal or carnal in man. Kedemah, the youngest of his
twelve sons, symbolizes the individual's turning within to
his inner or true being, which is spiritual, eternal. This
makes us think of Paul's words in I Corinthians 15:46, 47:
"Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that
which is natural; then that which is spiritual. The first
man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven."
God, Spirit, and
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the Christ, who is man's true inner self, are first;
otherwise the outer man could not be. In outer expression
and manifestation however the physical man appears to come
first, and he seems to run the full gamut of experience in
the outer consciousness before he finally turns about and
begins to seek within his own inner being to find God,
Spirit, his true source and sustenance.
Gen. 25:19-22. And these are the generations of Isaac,
Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac: and Isaac was forty
years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the
Syrian of Paddanaram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be
his wife. And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because
she was barren: and Jehovah was entreated of him, and
Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled
together within her; and she said, If it be so, wherefore
do I live? And she went to inquire of Jehovah.
When Isaac (representing serenity, peace, joy) was forty
years old he took Rebekah to be his wife. Rebekah
symbolizes the soul's natural delight in beauty. She was
the daughter of Bethuel, who symbolizes unity with God, a
conscious abiding in Him, and the sister of Laban, who
symbolizes an exalted state of mind.
Gen. 25:23-28. And Jehovah said unto her,
Two nations are in thy womb,
And two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels:
And the one people shall be stronger than the other people;
And the elder shall serve the younger.
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold,
there were twins in her womb. And the first came forth red,
all over like a hairy garment; and she called his name
Esau. And after that came forth
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his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel; and his
name was called Jacob: and Isaac was three-score years old
when she bare them.
And the boys grew: and Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of
the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.
Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison:
and Rebekah loved Jacob.
The inner joyous life current (Isaac) gradually builds up a
physical body of great vitality and at the same time
develops an active mentality. These two phases of life, the
mental and the physical, are represented by Isaac's twin
sons Jacob and Esau. They were twins, but Esau was slightly
the older, which fact under the Hebrew law gave him the
rights of the eldest son and made him Isaac's heir.
Metaphysically this denotes the physical vigor comes first
at this stage of development but that the mind accompanies
it as a close second. Jacob had hold of Esau's heel when
they were born, showing that the mental is directly
connected with the physical and holds it in check at all
times, even from the beginning.
Isaac loved Esau better than he loved Jacob. When we
remember that Isaac represents joy in the individual
consciousness we can understand why the physical man seems
to supply the needs of joy better than does the mental.
Esau continually brought venison (substance to nourish the
animal appetite) to please his father.
Rebekah loved Jacob better than she loved Esau. The exalted
mother principle (Rebekah) loves its expression (Jacob)
better than the physical expression (Esau) and seeks the
blessing of the father principle (Isaac) upon it.
Esau's birthright is the body and the all-round
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development to which it is entitled. It is an inheritance
of potential mental powers, which rightly used will lift
the physical man out of the fleshly consciousness to the
higher consciousness of the allness of Divine Mind. Under
the natural law of evolution the physical man (Esau) is
brought forth first and has precedence over the
intellectual man (Jacob). However in this allegory the
physical man is overwhelmed by his desire for creature
comforts ("pottage") and does not sufficiently value the
mind power that has been given to man. The mental man,
being on a higher plane, naturally draws to himself the
finer forces of being. In consequence Jacob (the intellect)
acquires precedence over Esau (the body consciousness).
Gen. 25:29-33. And Jacob boiled pottage: and Esau came in
from the field, and he was faint: and Esau said to Jacob,
Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am
faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said,
Sell me first thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am
about to die: and what profit shall the birthright do to
me? And Jacob said, Swear to me first; and he sware unto
him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
The ambitious ideas of the intellect forge far ahead of the
growth of the body. Instead of supplying the body with its
natural substance, which is spiritual, it gives the body
consciousness intellectual ideas (boiled pottage). (Esau
was named Edom, "red," because he sold his birthright for
the red pottage. Edom pertains to the outer man, the
physical phase of man's consciousness and organism.) This
results in a temporary separation in consciousness between
the mind and the body. Esau went his way, and Jacob became
a man rich
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in the world's goods. Under divine law, however, they were
twins and the separation was only apparent. They were to
become united again and share all the blessings that Jacob
(intellect) had gained.
We must remember that the "birthright" that Esau so
willingly bartered away for a mess of pottage meant not
only a right to the material goods of his father Isaac but
to the spiritual blessings of the covenant of Abraham,
which descending on him, should through him bless the
world. Instead of "Abraham, Isaac, and Esau" the immortal
words would be "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." To a "profane
person" (Heb. 12:16) this would have no meaning, for
spiritual blessings are visionary and unreal to him.
The name Jacob means "supplanter." In the development of
the spiritual consciousness the supplanting quality finds
its true office in replacing selfishness with
unselfishness. We who seek to bring the ideal into active
expression in our life know that to do this we must put
into the place occupied by willful self-seeking an
unwavering faith in the unseen God. The sensual must be
supplanted by the spiritual, the apparent by the ideal. The
fact that Jesus approvingly cited the Jewish tradition in
His words "Many shall come from the east and the west, and
shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the
kingdom of heaven" proves the value of this supplanting
power or power that man has to change his mind and so
remake his consciousness and his life.
Jacob, representing a limited concept of the I AM, is
ambitious to receive original inspiration and is unwilling
to let appetite and passion rule. Therefore as the whole
scheme of development is from lower to
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higher, Jacob (intellect) must supplant Esau (the immature
consciousness of the natural man that is moved by desire).
It is by the work of conscious re-creation of his life
after the pattern of the divine ideal that man gains
self-dominion and becomes a citizen of the kingdom of the
heavens, the inner kingdom of peace and power.
Gen. 26:1-11. And there was a famine in the land, besides
the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac
went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, unto Gerar.
And Jehovah appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into
Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will
bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give
all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I
sware unto Abraham thy father; and I will multiply thy seed
as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all
these lands; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the
earth be blessed; because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and
kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: and the men of the place asked
him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he
feared to say, My wife; lest, said he, the men of the place
should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look
upon. And it came to pass, when he had been there a long
time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at
a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with
Rebekah his wife. And Abimelech called Isaac, and said,
Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou,
She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said,
Lest I die because of her. And Abimelech said, What is this
thou hast done unto us? one of the people might easily have
lain with thy wife, and thou wouldest have brought
guiltiness upon
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us. And Abimelech charged all the people, saying, He that
toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.
The soul established in a consciousness of serenity, peace,
laughter, joy (Isaac), accepts spiritual things as real.
God's promise is: "I will be with thee, and will bless
thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all
these lands, and I will establish the oath which I sware
unto Abraham thy father; and I will multiply thy seed as
the stars of heaven, and I will give unto thy seed all
these lands; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the
earth be blessed." When there is a need of substance the
serene, joyous side of the soul through mind activity
penetrates into the subconsciousness (Gerar), where there
is an abundance of all things. But here the personal will
(Abimelech) rules. When a mind is not strong enough to work
from principle or has not faith enough to trust God, it
exposes the beautiful and gracious side of its nature
(Rebekah) to the undisciplined sense consciousness, the law
is broken, and plagues result. In this case however
personal will has received enough light to preceive the
truth and the threatened harm is averted.
Gen. 26:12-22. And Isaac sowed in that land, and found in
the same year a hundredfold: and Jehovah blessed him. And
the man waxed great, and grew more and more until he became
very great: and he had possessions of flocks, and
possessions of herds, and a great household: and the
Philistines envied him. Now all the wells which his
father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his
father, the Philistines had stopped, and filled with earth.
And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art
much mightier than we. And Isaac
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departed thence, and encamped in the valley of Gerar, and
dwelt there.
And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had
digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the
Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham:
and he called their names after the names by which his
father had called them. And Isaac's servants digged in the
valley, and found there a well of springing water. And the
herdsmen of Gerar strove with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, The
water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek,
because they contended with him. And they digged another
well, and they strove for that also: and he called the name
of it Sitnah. And he removed from thence, and digged
another well; and for that they strove not: and he called
the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now Jehovah hath
made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
Isaac was working according to law, and he was prospering.
The Isaac faculty in man has a double mission. Isaac was
the connecting link between Abraham and Israel; that is,
between faith in God and rulership or manifestation of God.
His activity in "unstopping" the wells dug by Abraham
allegorizes the reopening of the hidden springs of life and
the keeping of the soul consciously connected with its
inner source. Isaac was not a well digger so much as a well
"reopener." Abraham had dug the wells. Faith delves into
the deep things of Spirit and unearths the pure life
essence. In the beginning of spiritual unfoldment however
the outer senses (Philistines) suppress or crowd out this
fine substance and life of Spirit. The Philistines
represent evil material thoughts that "fill with earth" the
channels of spiritual expression.
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Isaac's first well was named Esek, a name signifying
"violence" or "contention." A warring takes place in the
valley (the subconsciousness) between the Philistine
herdsmen (the animal desires) and Isaac's servants (the
awakening spiritual thoughts). The new energy and vigor of
life that man gains by his conscious contact with Spirit is
sought by the sense desires to be used at once for their
gratification and pleasure. They would take this fine
essence and energy to build up sense rather than to build
up the spiritual nature. Thus contention and strife arise.
The second well was called Sitnah, a name that also
signifies "strife" and "hatred." The material sense
thoughts (Philistines) do not give up easily but follow the
individual a long way on his path to development of a
spiritual consciousness. However we read that Isaac's third
well, called Rehoboth (a name signifying "broad places" or
"enlargements"), was not taken by the Philistine. Material
thoughts cannot continue to follow and annoy the man who is
persistent in his determination to find the "water of life."
Gen. 26:23-33. And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba.
And Jehovah appeared unto him the same night, and said, I
am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with
thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my
servant Abraham's sake. And he builded an altar there, and
called upon the name of Jehovah, and pitched his tent
there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.
Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his
friend, and Phicol the captain of his host. And Isaac said
unto them, Wherefore are ye come unto me, seeing ye hate
me, and have sent me away from you? And they said, We saw
plainly
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that Jehovah was with thee: and we said, Let there now be
an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us
make a covenant with thee, that thou wilt do us no hurt, as
we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee
nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou
art now the blessed of Jehovah. And he made them a feast,
and they did eat and drink. And they rose up betimes in the
morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them
away, and they departed from him in peace. And it came to
pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him
concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto
him, We have found water. And he called it Shibah:
therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.
This Scripture interprets itself very definitely within the
soul of man. Isaac (spiritual peace, joy) under the
guidance of Jehovah is conscious of the I AM pioneering
faith (symbolized by Abraham). In this "place" in mind a
new order is established, which denotes the willingness to
give up the lower for the higher, the personal for the
impersonal, the animal for the divine.
At this stage of the allegory appears Abimelech, King of
the Philistines (representing metaphysically the
unregenerate will of the sense man). With him he brings
Ahuzzath (selfishness) and Phicol ("speech") and tries to
make an agreement with Isaac. The will (Abimelech) believes
that it is the rightful ruler of man and that all the rich
substance that comes to man from Spirit is for the
gratification of sense desires. Having witnessed the
ever-increasing power and possessions of Isaac, who
represents divine sonship, Abimelech (the will) fears the
loss of his own rule and possessions.
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The divine Son, the Christ, does not destroy but fulfills
and saves. Error eventually brings on its own destruction,
but the error seems to flourish along with the good during
a certain period of development; the wheat and tares are
allowed to grow together until the harvest. The harvesttime
came when the Israelites under Joshua took possession of
the Promised Land. Even then the Philistines made several
successful comebacks and had to be defeated again and again.
There were seven wells altogether, culminating in the one
named Beer-sheba, "well of the oath" or "seventh well." The
opening up of these seven wells symbolizes the
establishment of a right relation in consciousness between
the seven creative centers in natural man and the spiritual
powers of the Christ man. The whole allegory illustrates
the struggle going on within man for the possession of the
life generated in his body. This struggle takes place
between the higher and the lower nature of the
individual--the spirtual soul and the animal soul--at a
certain stage of his development. Beer-sheba is the place
where the altar of victory is set up and God is given the
thanks.
Gen. 26:34-35. And when Esau was forty years old he took to
wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath
the daughter of Elon the Hittite: and they were a grief of
mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
When Esau (the body consciousness) reaches the age of forty
years (the number forty denoting a certain degree of
completeness) he takes two wives (makes union with two
forces), Judith and Basemath. Judith (the feminine
consciousness of prayer and praise) is the daughter of
Beeri (limitation). Basemath (the
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ability to receive intuitively spiritual understanding and
guidance) is the daughter of Elon (materiality and
transitoriness). Because of the limiting, unenduring,
material character of these forces, this union for a season
is bound to bring trial and grief to the higher spiritual
forces (Isaac and Rebekah) finding expression through the
body consciousness (Esau).
The Bible narrative about Jacob and Esau has always been
read historically, and theologians have had trouble trying
to excuse Jacob and Rebekah for their apparent duplicity in
their dealings with Isaac and Esau. When read in the light
of spiritual understanding or considered as part of the
history of the unfoldment of the individual soul, the
incidents lose their aspect of duplicity and we find that
they are a description of the subtle working of the soul in
spiritual evolution under the guidance of Divine Mind. The
soul is progressive. It must go forward. The soul must meet
and overcome its limitations.
Gen. 27:1-17. And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old,
and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called
Esau his elder son, and said unto him, My son: and he said
unto him, Here am I. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I
know not the day of my death. Now therefore take, I pray
thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to
the field, and take me venison; and make me savory food,
such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my
soul may bless thee before I die.
And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And
Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring
it. And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I
heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring
me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and
bless thee
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before Jehovah before my death. Now therefore, my son, obey
my voice according to that which I command thee. Go now to
the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the
goats; and I will make them savory food for thy father,
such as he loveth: and thou shalt bring it to thy father,
that he may eat, so that he may bless thee before his
death. And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau
my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. My father
peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a
deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a
blessing. And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy
curse, my son; only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother:
and his mother made savory food, such as his father loved.
And Rebekah took the goodly garments of Esau her elder son,
which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob
her younger son; and she put the skins of the kids of goats
upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: and she
gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared,
into the hand of her son Jacob.
Jacob was very dear to the heart of his mother. Rebekah
symbolizes the beautiful and esthetic side of man's nature,
the divine-natural. In keeping with the mother principle,
in which these twin states of mind gestated and grew, she
desires that the mental take precedence over the animal.
The seeming trickery on the part of Rebekah and Jacob is an
illustration of how we are moved by emotional states of
consciousness and how, in our half-blind understanding, we
accept their suggestions. The fact is that the soul (woman,
Rebekah) is constantly making suggestions to us in dreams,
visions, and intuitive flashes. These suggestions may
sometimes be for our highest good and sometimes
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they may not be. Spiritual understanding must determine
this point and decide whether we should follow them or not.
Rebekah represents the love of the ideal, and it is only
through Jacob, the mental, that the ideal can be realized.
The mind feels that its claim to the control of life should
come before the claims of physical sense. By its superior
quickness, aided by the soul's (Rebekah's) love of mental
acumen, the mental tricks the physical and secures the
blessing of substance and the acknowledged authority in the
organism. Then the head rules the heart in us until the
touch of Spirit (Jacob's wrestling with the angel) arouses
the soul to action and there is another supplanting, this
time of the intellect's sterile claims, which are taken
over by the soul. In reality the physical body has an equal
right with the intellect to the uplifting and refining
influence of Spirit. Being twins, they should be treated as
equals, the law of the first-born should not be allowed to
operate, but should be blessed and established in the
substance of all good things.
The difference between Esau and Jacob is given to us in
Jacob's own words: "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man,
and I am a smooth man." The Semitic word for "hairy,"
translators tell us, has a connotation of intemperance or
licentiousness. In the Epistle to the Hebrews Paul calls
Esau a "fornicator, or profane person." This may be taken
in a literal sense or in the sense of one who commits
spiritual adultery; that is, who is unfaithful to God,
divine love. The name Esau also signifies "one swept away"
or "one who rushes forward wildly and impulsively." He is
the very antipode of Jacob, "the smooth," clean, reliable
man. The
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word smooth is used in the story of David's victory over
Goliath: David took "five smooth stones out of the brook."
Esau is unfortunately no uncommon type. As for "smooth"
men, very few are smooth to start with. It is the constant
rubbing, cutting, and reshaping that makes them at last
"the polished corners of the temple," good and beautiful
after the pattern of heaven.
The denunciations of Esau by the prophets Jeremiah,
Obadiah, and Malachi were not directed against a man of
that name but against the course of conduct exemplified by
him. Therefore it might well appear to Malachi,
interpreting the name metaphorically, that God loved Jacob
and hated Esau because Jacob symbolized the mental man and
Esau the physical or animal man.
Gen. 27:18-40. And he came unto his father, and said, My
father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? And
Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first-born; I
have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee,
sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. And
Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it
so quickly, my son? And he said, Because Jehovah thy God
sent me good speed. And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I
pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my
very son Esau or not. And Jacob went near unto Isaac his
father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's
voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he
discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his
brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him. And he said, Art
thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. And he said,
Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison,
that my soul may bless thee. And he
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brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him
wine, and he drank. And his father Isaac said unto him,
Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And he came near, and
kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and
blessed him, and said,
See, the smell of my son
Is as the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed:
And God give thee of the dew of heaven,
And of the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of grain and new wine:
Let peoples serve thee,
And nations bow down to thee:
Be lord over thy brethren,
And let thy mother's sons bow down to thee:
Cursed be every one that curseth thee,
And blessed be every one that blesseth thee.
And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of
blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the
presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in
from his hunting. And he also made savory food, and brought
it unto his father; and he said unto his father, Let my
father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul
may bless me. And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art
thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau. And
Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who then is he
that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have
eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea,
and he shall be blessed. When Esau heard the words of his
father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry,
and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my
father. And he said, Thy brother came with guile, and hath
taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not he rightly
named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he
took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken
away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a
blessing for me?
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And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made
him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for
servants; and with grain and new wine have I sustained him:
and what then shall I do for thee, my son? And Esau said
unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father?
bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his
voice, and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said
unto him,
Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling,
And of the dew of heaven from above;
And by thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy
brother;
And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt break loose,
That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck.
Jacob represents the man of spiritual insight: he is not
exactly spiritual but is beginning to see the possibilities
of mind and is going forward. In Truth Jacob represents the
illumined intellect. Isaac was not a spiritual man, but he
represents one of the stages in the evolution of spiritual
man. When this evolution comes into manifestation and pours
out its essence upon the natural man (Esau), the spiritual
quality in the natural man is stimulated. It moves forward
and outdistances the physical, but the physical is not
destroyed.
Isaac placed his blessing on Jacob. The real point is that
the blessing imparts an inward impetus or an inspiration to
the real, spiritual man. It stimulates the intellect
(Jacob) first, which then supplants or takes precedence
over the physical. This is the reason why intellectual
people apparently get ahead; but "the last shall be first,
and the first shall be last."
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The body is entitled to an equal blessing, as given by
Isaac to Esau.
"And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt break loose,
That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck." In other
words, when the body begins to realize its innate capacity
the yoke of the mind is broken. This phase of man's
evolution may be said to be in evidence in the struggle
between capital and labor, or mind and body. Also there is
a recognition by the scientific world of a principle in the
body that directs it in the matter of food, healing, and in
a general instinctive knowing of all matters pertaining to
its welfare.
Gen. 27:41-46. And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing
wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his
heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then
will I slay my brother Jacob. And the words of Esau her
elder son were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called
Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy
brother Esau as touching thee, doth comfort himself,
purposing to kill thee. Now therefore, my son obey my
voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury
turn away; until thy brother's anger turn away from thee,
and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will
send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be bereaved
of you both in one day?
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of
the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the
daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the
land, what good shall my life do me?
When cheated of its due the body rebels, as Esau
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did, and the outraged cells react in a disorderly way on
the mind. Insane asylums bear witness to the fact that a
neglected body will destroy the channels through which the
mind is meant to function perfectly in man. The threat of
Esau against the life of Jacob represents the inward
rebellion that we feel when we change our modes of thought.
The physical cannot be ignored. It must have its place in
the all-round, fully developed man. This truth is
illustrated by Esau. He became rich. He had many
possessions, and he was the head of a race.
To avoid an open conflict Rebekah (the soul) ordered Jacob
to flee to her brother Laban at Haran. The name Laban means
"white," "shining," and the name Haran "exalted,"
"mountaineer." This clearly indicates that the attention
must be centered on exalted states of mind and united with
spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Gen. 28:1-9. And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and
charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife
of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to
the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a
wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's
brother. And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee
fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a company
of peoples; and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee,
and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the
land of thy sojournings, which God gave unto Abraham. And
Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Paddam-aram unto
Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah,
Jacob's and Esau's mother.
Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away
to Paddan-aram, to take him a wife
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from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a
charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters
of Canaan; and that Jacob obey his father and his mother,
and was gone to Paddan-aram: and Esau saw that the
daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father, and Esau
went unto Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had,
Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister
of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
A man's marrying a wife symbolizes the union of the ego
with certain ideals. If these ideals are spiritual, then
spiritual character is developed with all its qualities. If
the union is with inferior ideals, like that of Esau, the
fruit may be large in quantity, but it will be of inferior
quality. Jacob was admonished to go to Paddan-Aram
("tableland"), to the house of Bethuel ("dweller in God"),
and to take a wife from among the daughters of Laban
("shining," "pure"). Paddan-aram represents
levelheadedness, poise in Spirit; and Laban, with whom
Jacob (the unfolding ego) seeks association, represents a
clear state of mind in which higher understanding is
dominant. Thus the way is pointed to a unification with the
love principle in its higher aspects. Jacob had exalted
ideals, divine aspirations, and now it was necessary that
love should become one of his attributes. High ideals,
spiritual aspirations, and pure motives are necessary to
the union that the I AM makes with the soul.
Esau took Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael and sister of
Nebaioth, to be his wife. The Ishmaelites represent the
offspring of the natural, unillumined races (states of
mind). Nebaioth denotes the outer, sensate, or material
consciousness. Mahalath symbolizes a peaceful,
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harmonious, tuneful attitude of the soul, found in
expression on the carnal and also on a higher plane.
Gen. 28:10-17. And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went
toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and
tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he
took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his
head, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed;
and, behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of
it reached to heaven; and, behold, the angels of God
ascending and descending on it. And, behold, Jehovah stood
above it, and said, I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham thy
father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest,
to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall
be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad
to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the
south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families
of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and
will keep thee whithersoever thou goest, and will bring
thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until
I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob
awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely Jehovah is in
this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said,
How dreadful is this place! this is none other than the
house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
On his journey to Haran--which had a double purpose: to
escape the wrath of the disappointed Esau, and "to take him
a wife"--Jacob came to a certain place where he tarried all
night, "because the sun was set." He took one of the stones
that abounded in the place for use as a pillow and lay down
to sleep. This incident illustrates the fact that when we
are going through an emotional experience that is leading
us upward to a
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higher spiritual consciousness we may not understand what
is happening, may have no light on it ("the sun was set"),
but if like Jacob we tarry there in the darkness in
meditation, the messengers of God--ideas of Truth--will
come to us in the subconsciousness (dreams).
Jacob's act of placing a stone under his head symbolizes
the effort of the understanding to put itself in a position
to unravel the meaning of matter and material conditions.
In the very midst of seeming materiality and darkened
understanding the visions of the night reveal the ladder
reaching from earth to heaven and the angels of God
(spiritual thoughts) ascending it and descending it. The
ladder represents the step-by-step realization by means of
which man assimilates the divine ideas of Truth that come
to him from Jehovah. Jehovah promised the land to Jacob and
his seed and assured Jacob of His continued presence and
power: "Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee
whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee again into
this land; for I will not leave thee . . . And Jacob awaked
out of his sleep, and he said, Surely Jehovah is in this
place; and I knew it not."
God is right here in our midst. Understanding, when turned
toward the omnipresent light of Spirit, opens its eyes to
the astonishing fact that the seemingly material bodies and
temporal surroundings conceal the immanent God. Jacob said,
"How dreadful is this place! this is none other than the
house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." When divine
wisdom reveals to us that our seemingly physical body is
"none other than the house of God," we are at first afraid.
It seems "dreadful" that we have made the Father's
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house a "den of robbers."
Gen. 28:18-22. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and
took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it
up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he
called the name of that place Bethe-el: but the name of the
city was Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying,
If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I
go, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give
me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come
again to my father's house in peace, and Jehovah will be my
God, then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar,
shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I
will surely give the tenth unto thee.
In the morning of this new understanding even the temporal
surroundings become holy in our sight. Like Jacob we set up
the common things, the stones upon which we slept in
ignorance, and pour the oil of joy and gladness upon them.
Then we name the place (our body temple and its affairs)
Bethel, the "house of God." Jacob took the stone that he
had used for a pillow and made a pillar of it. Instead of
whining over the hardness of his experience he blessed it
and made it a sustaining point in his mind.
Jacob was awestruck by the tremendous thought of
omnipresence: what seems so commonplace may be the very
house of God, and thinking some true thought or doing some
loving act may be the gate of heaven. Jacob's vow to be
more faithful to God and to give Him one tenth of all he
received is a recognition of God as the source of all that
man requires and also of the need of a constant reminder of
this fact; hence the agreement to give back the tithe.
Those who practice tithing testify that it leads them into
an understanding
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of the relation of God to material affairs that they can
get in no other way. When a person feels that he has God
for a partner in all his financial affairs, he is never
afraid of failure or lack.
In his inner consciousness man can make an agreement of
this kind with the Mind of Spirit and can keep it in his
everyday affairs. Many metaphysicians write out such
contracts and put them away in the full assurance that the
terms will be carried out by both contracting parties, God
and man. It is found by nearly everyone who tries this plan
that the agreement is fulfilled. If you would have your
material affairs prosper, agree with Jehovah to give one
tenth of your income to some work dedicated to God. If you
keep your part of the agreement, you may rest assured that
the Lord will keep His and abundantly prosper you, that
your financial affairs will be taken care of without worry
or strain on your part, and that you will come into a land
where peace and plenty go hand in hand.
When there is recognition in fact by the mental (Jacob) of
the true nature of the body's essence and of the spiritual
nature of all life, then we begin the ascent from self to
selflessness. We are then willing to give of our thought
substance to God, and the house of God (the body) bears
witness to the sincerity of our vow.
The natural seeks to hold onto all that it can gain by fair
or unfair means, but the heart self, as soon as it has had
a vision of the infinite, seeks in its turn to give. In
this dream Jacob heard the voice of God saying, "To thee
will I give . . ." When he awoke and came to himself, his
quickened heart echoed in thankful responsiveness, "I will
surely give . . . unto thee."
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