24. For Esdra, when he dictated the lost Bible 1, in the knowledge of the spirit of God, to his scribes, saw this very well; and therefore the Holy Spirit does so set it down: and we see very exactly, how Esdra wrote the histories of Abraham in the vision of the spirit; for the whole history of Abraham is delineated under Christ's person, and is an image or type of Christ.
1 Note. -Esdra dictated the Bible that was lost. 2 Esdra xiv.
25. Abraham saw in the spirit this priest of Salem; and when Abraham offered sacrifice, then this priest was in the offering, and offered to God; for he was to make reconciliation for the world with an offering; therefore he was a priest of God.
26. He brought Abraham's will-offering, viz. his prayer and desire in faith, into the holy ens of God, and in the same ens, viz. in the divine essentiality, heavenly bread and wine was brought to Abraham's soul, that it might eat at God's table, till this priest became Abraham; that is, did manifest himself in Abraham with the heavenly corporiety, viz. with the soul's food in the right bread and wine.
The Thirty-Ninth Chapter
How God appeared to Abraham in a Vision, and established the Covenant with him in his Seed; and how Abraham's faith laid hold of the Covenant, which God accounted unto him for Righteousness; and how God commanded him to offer Sacrifice: and what is thereby to be understood
1. MOSES says, After these things it came to pass, that the word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision, and said, Fear not, Abram, I am your shield, and exceeding great reward. But Abram said, Lord God, what will you give me, seeing I go childless; and the steward of my house has a son, this Eliezer of Damascus ? And Abraham said further: To me you have given no seed; and, lot this son of my servant will be mine heir. And, behold, the Lord said unto him, He shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he commanded him to go forth, and said, Look towards the heaven, and number the stars, can you number them? And he said unto him, Even so shall your seed be. Abraham believed God, and that was counted to him for righteousness (Gen. xv. 1-6).
2. In this portion of Scripture lies the root of the Christian faith, for God said to Abraham, that he was his shield and reward, that he would give him the seed out of his loins: God would be Abraham's reward; and give him a son of his own, whose seed should be as the stars in heaven, which are innumerable; and his steward's son should not be heir, viz. the animal human-seed, full of the Serpent's ens, shall not inherit, but God's reward, God's ens. He would give in his reward into his seed, viz. into the power of his loins, which should be a seed, like unto the stars of heaven. He looked upon the seed in the Covenant, viz. upon the eternal kingdom, which should be as the stars in heaven, so pure, bright, clear and innumerable; and this Abraham believed, and it was imputed to him for righteousness.
3. Believing here is this much, viz. he received and laid hold of the Word; he took it into his desire, viz. into the human ens. The aim in the Covenant in the formed compounded word, viz. in Abraham's nature and property, received the speaking Word of God, viz. the promise; and both these were formed into one, and in this one Abraham's faith was right; for God counted the Word, which Abraham received into his faith's desire, unto him for righteousness, for propriety, and for justification.
24. For Esdra, when he dictated the lost Bible 1, in the knowledge of the spirit of God, to his scribes, saw this very well; and therefore the Holy Spirit does so set it down: and we see very exactly, how Esdra wrote the histories of Abraham in the vision of the spirit; for the whole history of Abraham is delineated under Christ's person, and is an image or type of Christ.
1 Note. -Esdra dictated the Bible that was lost. 2 Esdra xiv.
25. Abraham saw in the spirit this priest of Salem; and when Abraham offered sacrifice, then this priest was in the offering, and offered to God; for he was to make reconciliation for the world with an offering; therefore he was a priest of God.
26. He brought Abraham's will-offering, viz. his prayer and desire in faith, into the holy ens of God, and in the same ens, viz. in the divine essentiality, heavenly bread and wine was brought to Abraham's soul, that it might eat at God's table, till this priest became Abraham; that is, did manifest himself in Abraham with the heavenly corporiety, viz. with the soul's food in the right bread and wine.
The Thirty-Ninth Chapter
How God appeared to Abraham in a Vision, and established the Covenant with him in his Seed; and how Abraham's faith laid hold of the Covenant, which God accounted unto him for Righteousness; and how God commanded him to offer Sacrifice: and what is thereby to be understood
1. MOSES says, After these things it came to pass, that the word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision, and said, Fear not, Abram, I am your shield, and exceeding great reward. But Abram said, Lord God, what will you give me, seeing I go childless; and the steward of my house has a son, this Eliezer of Damascus ? And Abraham said further: To me you have given no seed; and, lot this son of my servant will be mine heir. And, behold, the Lord said unto him, He shall not be your heir; but he that shall come forth out of your own bowels shall be your heir. And he commanded him to go forth, and said, Look towards the heaven, and number the stars, can you number them? And he said unto him, Even so shall your seed be. Abraham believed God, and that was counted to him for righteousness (Gen. xv. 1-6).
2. In this portion of Scripture lies the root of the Christian faith, for God said to Abraham, that he was his shield and reward, that he would give him the seed out of his loins: God would be Abraham's reward; and give him a son of his own, whose seed should be as the stars in heaven, which are innumerable; and his steward's son should not be heir, viz. the animal human-seed, full of the Serpent's ens, shall not inherit, but God's reward, God's ens. He would give in his reward into his seed, viz. into the power of his loins, which should be a seed, like unto the stars of heaven. He looked upon the seed in the Covenant, viz. upon the eternal kingdom, which should be as the stars in heaven, so pure, bright, clear and innumerable; and this Abraham believed, and it was imputed to him for righteousness.
3. Believing here is this much, viz. he received and laid hold of the Word; he took it into his desire, viz. into the human ens. The aim in the Covenant in the formed compounded word, viz. in Abraham's nature and property, received the speaking Word of God, viz. the promise; and both these were formed into one, and in this one Abraham's faith was right; for God counted the Word, which Abraham received into his faith's desire, unto him for righteousness, for propriety, and for justification.
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