Sing to Jehovah
by Reverend Paul Booth
Lessons: Isaiah 6,7, 10-13 | Revelation 14: 1-4; 15: 1-4 | Arcana C&œ;lestia 8261- 1
by Reverend Paul Booth
Lessons: Isaiah 6,7, 10-13 | Revelation 14: 1-4; 15: 1-4 | Arcana C&œ;lestia 8261- 1
Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him.
(Exodus 15: 1,2)
(Exodus 15: 1,2)
The Israelites had been grudgingly set free from Egypt by the Pharaoh. They were led by a 'pillar of cloud' durning the day and during night by a 'pillar of fire'. Jehovah was that pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. The historical story says Moses was instructed by Jehovah to turn back and to camp before Pi[ha]hiroth between Migdol and the sea. But we learn that this was actually done to intend to make Pharaoh think the Israelites were trapped in the wilderness and that his army would think be able catch and perhaps destroy or capture them. We learn that Jehovah had harden the Pharaoh's heart and that he would pursue after the Israelites. The Egyptians had caught up with the Israelites and were ready to pursue and attack them. However, when they did, Moses was instructed by Jehovah to lift up his staff and the waters of the Red (Sulph) sea parted leaving a way across. The Israelites went through the parted waters on dry land to the other side and when Moses lifted up his staff again on the other side the waters enclosed upon all the Pharaoh's horsemen and the chariots which had followed and all were drowned. Thus, for a period of time we see the Israelites had feared Jehovah after having seen His mighty power and saving them from Egypt's army.
Next, following this miraculous event we find them breaking out in song and began singing about what had happened. You can just imagine the joy in their hearts and minds. And why wouldn't they sing - and sing to Jehovah? Of course they would. They glorified Him for their libration. But this gladness must be recognized as something that entered them and that it had not come from themselves; for glory belongs to Jehovah. However, the thing which this refers to is the Lord when He was to come on earth and manifest His Divine in His Human. At that time just from His presence alone falsities from evil were damned and cast into hell. In fact, all power comes from Him. We thus see that faith and consequent glory comes from the Divine Truth from Him. What the children of Israel sang about was their salvation. This was because the good in them which is from the Lord becomes a place for Him to dwell even as He dwells in Heaven. Perhaps they had recalled that such Divine came from the Ancient Churches and that Divine worship belongs to Him alone.
However, here by the children of Israel being saved signifies only the Lord's coming into the world as said. Anyone may see their escaping Pharaoh and his army by this miraculous way does not mean their actual salvation. We read in Arcana C&œ;lestia that their salvation came later and when where they were detained in the lower earth in the spiritual world and were there infested by spirits who were in falsities from evils. This took place, of course, at the Lord had come upon earth to make His Human Divine.
The song begins like this; "I will sing unto the LORD, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea" (Exodus 15: 1). To sing a song denotes to glorify, thus a song means glorification. The Word speaks to us prophetically and it treats here of the Lord through the Ancient Churches and afterwards by the Jewish church here as representing the Ancient Church. These songs spoke of the Lord's coming into the world and of destroying the diabolical crew, of liberating the faithful from their attacks. The songs expressed a gladness of heart and breaks forth as if of its self into sound. Even the natural or external person knew from the song's words what was meant by enemies, by combats, and victories over them such as this one says. And, those who knew that the prophetic utterances involved heavenly and divine things or internal things knew that they treated of the damnation of the unfaithful and the salvation of the faithful by the Lord when He would come into the world.
Those of the Ancient Church who knew this and who thought upon it were affected by it and had internal gladness. Of course, the others had only an external gladness. The angels who are with those who had this internal gladness gave glorification at the same time to the Lord. It was in this way that those "who sang and heard the songs had heavenly gladness and blessedness which flowed in from heaven in which gladness they seemed to themselves to be as it were taken up into heaven." (AC 8261: 3-in the middle) We are taught that songs of the church effected the gladness of one's heart which becomes active even into the remotest fibers of the body. Even the glorification of the Lord with the ancients who were of the church had joy that surpassed all other joys from the calling to the mind the coming of the Lord to the salvation of the human race by Him.
First, we see these prophetic songs contains a glorification of the Lord, "I Jehovah have called thee in justice and I will take hold of thy hand. I will guard thee, and give thee for a covenant to the people, for a light of the nations. To open upon the blind eyes, to bring out him that is bound from the prison, him that sits in darkness out of house of confinement. Sing ye to Jehovah a new song, His praise, O end of the earth. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up the voice. Let the inhabitants of the rock sing. Let them give glory to Jehovah. Jehovah shall go forth as a hero, as a man of wars; He shall stir up the zeal; He shall prevail over His enemies" (Isaiah 42: 6,7, 10-13).
One sees here that glorification to the Lord is on account of one's liberation. This involves two things. One, gladness of the heart and the second, the exaltation of the Lord; gladness, because the Lord comes on earth and so too does His salvation, and then second there is an exaltation of Him because of His victory over the spiritual enemies. What is recognized is an influx into man of that glorification.
One may have heard the saying or even the song 'to God alone (be) or belongs the glory.' Of course glory does belongs to the Lord alone, for the words 'I will sing to Jehovah' signifies this. And, of course, the Word throughout is the Lord. However, to those who do not know the interior things of the Word may believe that the Lord desires and loves glory for Himself and that He loves glory like a man in the world does and that it is due HIm. Though, actually He does not desire any glory at al fro Himself, but it is only for man's sake who glorifies Him. This, of course, is because the person has a holy reverence and a humiliation of self in that the Lord is Supreme. It is because of this that a person receives an influx of good from the Lord. I know many might believe the Lord's influx just flows in without any reason at all.
The results of His glorification is because of Lord exalting Himself. What we come to understand by this is that He has manifested His Divine in His Human. One can see this by the fact that the Divine is the 'Highest' or 'Supreme' and, so, by the Lord exalting Himself signifies that He made manifest the Divine in Human and as a result He cast evil into hell and has raised Himself into (or above) the heavens and this by His presence alone. For evils cannot be present before the Divine. We can read the song teaches "the horse and [his] rider he has cast into the sea" (Exodus 15: 1). Thus, were falsities damned and cast into hell evident from the signification of 'horses;' - 'horses' signifies falsities from the perverted intellectual - and in this case even a false scientific as it was the horses of the Pharaoh. Here, the Pharaoh of Egypt, signifying scientifics. By the sea here, because it is the Sulph sea, is meant hell. Nonetheless, in hell we learn they are not utterly destroyed and deprived of life, because they are veiled over by their own falsities and evils like mists and clouds of nature cover the rays of the sun here on earth. And, thus they remain there in hell.
The song continues; "The LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an inhabitation; and my father's God, and I will exalt Him" (Exodus 15:2). We read this from the King James and the Authorized King James versions. However, Swedenborg had used an much earlier translation which says, "My strength and song is Jah, and He hath been my salvation" (Exodus 15: 2). The only reason for the difference is because by the word 'Jah' which come from the word Jehovah, is not meant the Esse, but Existere from the Esse, and this is because Divine Truth proceeds from the Divine Human of the Lord, who is the Existere and who at such a time is not the Esse or the Divine Good Itself in this case. One thence understands from where his salvation comes; that is it is from the Lord who came and made His Human Divine.
Let us continue, and we talk about the person, and in this case, about the Jew of that time. So, the signification is the glory which is from faith as such a person has glory from faith from the Lord. Though, here the Jews were not looking for the Lord, the Divine to come in the Human for their salvation. Plus, they understood only an invisible God. Again, by glory is nothing denoted except Divine Truth or faith. The Word teaches "That 'Jah' denotes the Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Human of the Lord, is because 'Jah' is from Jehovah, and is called 'Jah' because it is not Esse, but Existere from Esse, for the Divine Truth is Existere, but Divine Good is Esse, hence also it is said my 'song is Jah' because 'song' is signified the faith which is of Divine Truth." (AC 8267 2e) However, we read the translations of today say the 'Lord' as was shown and this Lord does not mean the Lord that today is in heaven, but the Lord come on earth - the Truth and Word.
From what has been said we understand from where a person's salvation comes from. The song continues saying that they the children of Israel will set up a 'habitation' for Jehovah. However, in the internal sense one sees that the habitation will be in the good within them which is from the Lord. And, this will be as a heaven. Here, the Word says that the Lord dwells in this - the Good - and thus in His Divine. We read that the Lord said "If any one love me, he keeps My word; and My father loves him, and we will come unto him, and make an abode with him" (John 14: 23). We naturally here see heaven as the Lord's habitation or abode in a man. Thus, He is in every man as in His heaven when His Good is within him. In truth, a man is in heaven with the angels when he is in good.
We saw that in the internal sense that by the Israelites and Moses represents the Ancient church though it was not the Ancient Church. This is explained here because by their 'father's God' is meant the Ancient Churches. The Divine in these churches was the Lord who was to come and thus by Jehovah they understood no other than the Lord or God Himself. One then sees here their worship in that they exalted Jehovah and thus showed a degree of humiliation before Him. For in humiliation man is in a state of receiving from the Lord truth which is of faith and good which is of charity - the two things which lead man to salvation.
Amen.
Next, following this miraculous event we find them breaking out in song and began singing about what had happened. You can just imagine the joy in their hearts and minds. And why wouldn't they sing - and sing to Jehovah? Of course they would. They glorified Him for their libration. But this gladness must be recognized as something that entered them and that it had not come from themselves; for glory belongs to Jehovah. However, the thing which this refers to is the Lord when He was to come on earth and manifest His Divine in His Human. At that time just from His presence alone falsities from evil were damned and cast into hell. In fact, all power comes from Him. We thus see that faith and consequent glory comes from the Divine Truth from Him. What the children of Israel sang about was their salvation. This was because the good in them which is from the Lord becomes a place for Him to dwell even as He dwells in Heaven. Perhaps they had recalled that such Divine came from the Ancient Churches and that Divine worship belongs to Him alone.
However, here by the children of Israel being saved signifies only the Lord's coming into the world as said. Anyone may see their escaping Pharaoh and his army by this miraculous way does not mean their actual salvation. We read in Arcana C&œ;lestia that their salvation came later and when where they were detained in the lower earth in the spiritual world and were there infested by spirits who were in falsities from evils. This took place, of course, at the Lord had come upon earth to make His Human Divine.
The song begins like this; "I will sing unto the LORD, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea" (Exodus 15: 1). To sing a song denotes to glorify, thus a song means glorification. The Word speaks to us prophetically and it treats here of the Lord through the Ancient Churches and afterwards by the Jewish church here as representing the Ancient Church. These songs spoke of the Lord's coming into the world and of destroying the diabolical crew, of liberating the faithful from their attacks. The songs expressed a gladness of heart and breaks forth as if of its self into sound. Even the natural or external person knew from the song's words what was meant by enemies, by combats, and victories over them such as this one says. And, those who knew that the prophetic utterances involved heavenly and divine things or internal things knew that they treated of the damnation of the unfaithful and the salvation of the faithful by the Lord when He would come into the world.
Those of the Ancient Church who knew this and who thought upon it were affected by it and had internal gladness. Of course, the others had only an external gladness. The angels who are with those who had this internal gladness gave glorification at the same time to the Lord. It was in this way that those "who sang and heard the songs had heavenly gladness and blessedness which flowed in from heaven in which gladness they seemed to themselves to be as it were taken up into heaven." (AC 8261: 3-in the middle) We are taught that songs of the church effected the gladness of one's heart which becomes active even into the remotest fibers of the body. Even the glorification of the Lord with the ancients who were of the church had joy that surpassed all other joys from the calling to the mind the coming of the Lord to the salvation of the human race by Him.
First, we see these prophetic songs contains a glorification of the Lord, "I Jehovah have called thee in justice and I will take hold of thy hand. I will guard thee, and give thee for a covenant to the people, for a light of the nations. To open upon the blind eyes, to bring out him that is bound from the prison, him that sits in darkness out of house of confinement. Sing ye to Jehovah a new song, His praise, O end of the earth. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up the voice. Let the inhabitants of the rock sing. Let them give glory to Jehovah. Jehovah shall go forth as a hero, as a man of wars; He shall stir up the zeal; He shall prevail over His enemies" (Isaiah 42: 6,7, 10-13).
One sees here that glorification to the Lord is on account of one's liberation. This involves two things. One, gladness of the heart and the second, the exaltation of the Lord; gladness, because the Lord comes on earth and so too does His salvation, and then second there is an exaltation of Him because of His victory over the spiritual enemies. What is recognized is an influx into man of that glorification.
One may have heard the saying or even the song 'to God alone (be) or belongs the glory.' Of course glory does belongs to the Lord alone, for the words 'I will sing to Jehovah' signifies this. And, of course, the Word throughout is the Lord. However, to those who do not know the interior things of the Word may believe that the Lord desires and loves glory for Himself and that He loves glory like a man in the world does and that it is due HIm. Though, actually He does not desire any glory at al fro Himself, but it is only for man's sake who glorifies Him. This, of course, is because the person has a holy reverence and a humiliation of self in that the Lord is Supreme. It is because of this that a person receives an influx of good from the Lord. I know many might believe the Lord's influx just flows in without any reason at all.
The results of His glorification is because of Lord exalting Himself. What we come to understand by this is that He has manifested His Divine in His Human. One can see this by the fact that the Divine is the 'Highest' or 'Supreme' and, so, by the Lord exalting Himself signifies that He made manifest the Divine in Human and as a result He cast evil into hell and has raised Himself into (or above) the heavens and this by His presence alone. For evils cannot be present before the Divine. We can read the song teaches "the horse and [his] rider he has cast into the sea" (Exodus 15: 1). Thus, were falsities damned and cast into hell evident from the signification of 'horses;' - 'horses' signifies falsities from the perverted intellectual - and in this case even a false scientific as it was the horses of the Pharaoh. Here, the Pharaoh of Egypt, signifying scientifics. By the sea here, because it is the Sulph sea, is meant hell. Nonetheless, in hell we learn they are not utterly destroyed and deprived of life, because they are veiled over by their own falsities and evils like mists and clouds of nature cover the rays of the sun here on earth. And, thus they remain there in hell.
The song continues; "The LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an inhabitation; and my father's God, and I will exalt Him" (Exodus 15:2). We read this from the King James and the Authorized King James versions. However, Swedenborg had used an much earlier translation which says, "My strength and song is Jah, and He hath been my salvation" (Exodus 15: 2). The only reason for the difference is because by the word 'Jah' which come from the word Jehovah, is not meant the Esse, but Existere from the Esse, and this is because Divine Truth proceeds from the Divine Human of the Lord, who is the Existere and who at such a time is not the Esse or the Divine Good Itself in this case. One thence understands from where his salvation comes; that is it is from the Lord who came and made His Human Divine.
Let us continue, and we talk about the person, and in this case, about the Jew of that time. So, the signification is the glory which is from faith as such a person has glory from faith from the Lord. Though, here the Jews were not looking for the Lord, the Divine to come in the Human for their salvation. Plus, they understood only an invisible God. Again, by glory is nothing denoted except Divine Truth or faith. The Word teaches "That 'Jah' denotes the Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Human of the Lord, is because 'Jah' is from Jehovah, and is called 'Jah' because it is not Esse, but Existere from Esse, for the Divine Truth is Existere, but Divine Good is Esse, hence also it is said my 'song is Jah' because 'song' is signified the faith which is of Divine Truth." (AC 8267 2e) However, we read the translations of today say the 'Lord' as was shown and this Lord does not mean the Lord that today is in heaven, but the Lord come on earth - the Truth and Word.
From what has been said we understand from where a person's salvation comes from. The song continues saying that they the children of Israel will set up a 'habitation' for Jehovah. However, in the internal sense one sees that the habitation will be in the good within them which is from the Lord. And, this will be as a heaven. Here, the Word says that the Lord dwells in this - the Good - and thus in His Divine. We read that the Lord said "If any one love me, he keeps My word; and My father loves him, and we will come unto him, and make an abode with him" (John 14: 23). We naturally here see heaven as the Lord's habitation or abode in a man. Thus, He is in every man as in His heaven when His Good is within him. In truth, a man is in heaven with the angels when he is in good.
We saw that in the internal sense that by the Israelites and Moses represents the Ancient church though it was not the Ancient Church. This is explained here because by their 'father's God' is meant the Ancient Churches. The Divine in these churches was the Lord who was to come and thus by Jehovah they understood no other than the Lord or God Himself. One then sees here their worship in that they exalted Jehovah and thus showed a degree of humiliation before Him. For in humiliation man is in a state of receiving from the Lord truth which is of faith and good which is of charity - the two things which lead man to salvation.
Amen.
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