Echoes of Eden: Genesis 2-3 and ... - Google Books

Echoes of Eden: Genesis 2-3 and ... - Google Books

genesis e os misterios

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//section Title Page

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Mysteries of Genesis

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//section Contents

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Foreword ... 3

I Spiritual Man ... 9

II Manifest Man ... 29

III The Fall of Man ... 43

IV The Reaction to Sense Living ... 71

V The Initial Step toward Redemption ... 115

VI The Promise of Salvation ... 139

VII The Fruits of Faith ... 164

VIII The Mental Supplants the Physical ... 188

IX Man Develops Spiritual Faculties ... 231

X The Spiritual Gains Precedence of the Mental ... 254

XI Joseph a Type of the Christ ... 293

XII The I AM and Its Faculties in the Body ... 323

XIII The Blessing of the Faculties ... 353

Question Helps ... 377

Index ... 399

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//section Foreword

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THE BOOK OF GENESIS is the key to the Bible. In the New
Testament it is quoted twenty-seven times literally and
thirty-eight times substantially. It tells in a very few
words how God first imaged man and the universe and then
turned the development over to Jehovah, who has been in a
process of manifestation for ages and aeons.

The "Five Books of Moses," of which Genesis is the first,
have always been credited to Moses, but that he was the
author seems doubtful in the face of the many stories of
creation found in the legends and hieroglyphs of ancient
Egypt, Chaldea, and other nations that are almost identical
with those of Genesis. It would thus seem that Moses edited
the legends of the ages and compiled them into an
allegorical history of creation.

As printed in English translations there is little to
reconcile Genesis with creation as revealed by modern
geology. It is said that Hugh Miller, the brilliant
Scottish geologist, went insane in his efforts to reconcile
Genesis with the geological record. However more accurate
translations of the Hebrew show that the literal reading of
the English is often not warranted by the original text.
For example, the English Bible reads, "In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth." Fentons translation
renders it thus: "By periods God created that which
produced the Suns; then that which produced the Earth."
When we realize that God is mind (Spirit-mind), we see that
this latter rendition is correct. God creates the ideas
that form the things. Here we have the key that unlocks not
only the mysteries

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of Genesis but the whole Bible. God's creations are always
spiritual. This includes the spiritual man, called Jehovah,
through whom all things, including personal man, Adam, are
brought into manifestation.

We ask our readers to dwell on this initial proposition
until its truth is established in consciousness, because it
is repeated over and over in both the Old and the New
Testament. Jesus said, "I speak not from myself: but the
Father abiding in me doeth his works." Jesus was here
referring both to His personality, the external I, and to
the inner spiritual entity that He named the Father, in
Genesis called Jehovah.

Hebrew words are composite; they contain a variety of
meanings, to be determined by the context. For example the
Hebrew word yom, translated "day" in the English Bible,
means "to be hot"; that is, with reference to the heat of
the day as compared with the cool of the night. The word
yom was also used to represent a period of time, an age.

It will readily be seen that the translator had a rich
field of ideas from which to choose and that he could make
his text historical or symbolical according to his
consciousness. If he thought the original story was a
statement of facts his translation would be to that end.
The Pharisees of Jesus' time were condemned by Him for
teaching the letter of the Scriptures and neglecting the
spirit. The same charge can be brought today against those
who study the Bible as history rather than as parable and
idealistic illustration of the spiritual unfoldment of man.

The Bible veils in its history the march of man from
innocence and ignorance to a measure of sophistication and
understanding. Over all hovers the divine

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idea of man, the perfect-man pattern, the Lord, who is a
perpetual source of inspiration and power for every man.
Those who seek to know this Lord and His manifestation,
Jesus Christ, receive a certain spiritual quickening that
opens the inner eye of the soul and they see beyond the
land of shadows into the world of Spirit.

The truths in this book will be revealed to you through
your own spiritual unfoldment. Spiritual things are
spiritually discerned. The spiritual revelations that you
seem to get from books and teachers already existed as
submerged experiences in your own soul. The essential
truths have been worked out in this or previous
incarnations, and when you were reminded of the buried idea
it blazed forth as a light from without. So all that you
are or ever will be must come from your own spiritual
achievements.

"Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened
unto you."

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//section Chapter 1

Chapter I

Spiritual Man

Genesis 1

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THE WORD genesis means "source" or "origin." It points to
new birth and to the perfection of man in the regeneration.
The law of generation is undoubtedly one of the mysteries
in human consciousness. Men have probed with more or less
success nearly every secret of nature, but of the origin of
life they know comparatively nothing. In the matter of life
we discover that the clues given us by our own experience
point to intelligence as well as force. In other words,
life falls short of its mission if it is not balanced by
intelligence.

Man is constantly seeking to know the origin of both the
universe and himself. But nearly all his research of a
scientific nature has been on the material plane. As a
rule, he has ascribed the beginning to matter, to atoms and
cells, but much has eluded his grasp because their action
is invisible to the eye of sense. Now we are beginning in
the realm of mind a scientific search for the origin of all
things. We say "scientific" because the discoveries that
come from a right understanding of mind and its
potentialities can be arranged in an orderly way and
because they prove themselves by the application of their
laws.

What is stated in the Book of Genesis in the form of
allegory can be reduced to ideas, and these ideas can be
worked out by the guidance of mental laws.

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Thus a right understanding of mind, and especially of
Divine Mind, is the one and only logical key to an
understanding of the beginnings of man and the universe. In
this book we have many symbols explained and their meaning
interpreted, so that anyone who sets himself the task can
understand and also apply to his own development the rules
and laws by which ideas are related to one another and
discover how they are incorporated into man's
consciousness, thus giving him the key to the unfoldment of
the primal ideas implanted in him from the beginning.

It is found that what is true in the creation of the
universe (as allegorically stated in Genesis) is equally
true in the unfoldment of man's mind and body, because man
is the microcosmic copy of the "Grand Man" of the universe.

The Bible is the history of man. In its sixty-six books it
describes in allegory, prophecy, epistle, parable, and
poem, man's generation, degeneration, and regeneration. It
has been preserved and prized beyond all other books
because it teaches man how to develop the highest principle
of his being, the spirit. As man is a threefold being,
spirit, soul, and body, so the Bible is a trinity in unity.
It is body as a book of history; soul as a teacher of
morals; and spirit as a teacher of the mysteries of being.

The student of history finds the Bible interesting if not
wholly accurate; the faithful good man finds in it that
which strengthens his righteousness, and the overcomer with
Christ finds it to be the greatest of all books as a guide
to his spiritual unfoldment. But it must be read in the
spirit if the reader is to get the lesson it teaches. The
key to its spiritual meaning is that

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back of every mentioned thing is an idea.

The Bible will be more readily understood if the fact is
kept in mind that the words used have both an inner and an
outer significance. Studied historically and
intellectually, the external only is discerned and the
living inner reality is overlooked. In these lessons we
shall seek to understand and to reveal the within, and
trace the lawful and orderly connection between the within
and the without.

Genesis, historically considered, falls into three parts:
first, the period from the creation to the Flood; secondly,
the period from the Flood to the call of Abraham; and
thirdly, the period from the call of Abraham to the death
of Joseph.

The 1st chapter describes creation as accomplished in six
days, and refers to a seventh day of rest. There is no
reason to believe that these days were twenty-four hours in
length. "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and
a thousand years as one day." They simply represent periods
of development or degrees of mind unfoldment.

Numbers are used throughout the Bible in connection with
faculties or ideas in Divine Mind. There are twelve divine
faculties. They are symbolized in the Old Testament by the
twelve sons of Jacob and in the New Testament by the twelve
apostles of Jesus. All of these have a threefold character:
first, as absolute ideas in Divine Mind; secondly, as
thoughts, which are ideas in expression but not manifest;
and thirdly, as manifestations of thoughts, which we call
things. In man this threefold character is known as spirit,
soul, and body. Therefore in studying man as the offspring
of God it is necessary to distinguish between the faculties

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as they exist in the body. We find heaven to be the orderly
arrangement of divine ideas within man's true being. Earth
is the outer manifestation of those ideas, this
manifestation being man's body.

In the 1st chapter of Genesis it is the great creative Mind
that is at work. The record portrays just how divine ideas
were brought into expression. As man must have an idea
before he can bring an idea into manifestation, so it is
with the creations of God. When a man builds a house he
builds it first in his mind. He has the idea of a house, he
completes the plan in his mind, and then he works it out in
manifestation. Thus God created the universe. The 1st
chapter of Genesis describes the ideal creation.

The 1st chapter shows two parts of the Trinity: mind, and
idea in mind. In the 2d chapter we have the third part,
manifestation. In this illustration all theological mystery
about the Trinity is cleared away, for we see that it is
simply mind, idea in mind, and manifestation of idea. Since
man is the offspring of God, made in the image and likeness
of Divine Mind, he must express himself under the laws of
this great creative Mind. The law of manifestation for man
is the law of thought. God ideates: man thinks. One is the
completion of the other in mind.

The man that God created in His own image and likeness and
pronounced good and very good is spiritual man. This man is
the direct offspring of Divine Mind, God's idea of perfect
man. This is the only-begotten Son, the Christ, the Lord
God, the Jehovah, the I AM. In the 2d chapter this Jehovah
or divine idea of perfect man forms the manifest man and
calls his name Adam.

The whole of the 1st chapter is a supermental statement

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of the ideas on which evolution is based. Mind projects its
ideas into universal substance, and evolution is the
manifestation of the ideas thus projected. The whole
Genesiac record is an allegory explaining just what takes
place in the mind of each individual in his unfoldment from
the idea to the manifest. God, the great universal Mind,
brought forth an idea, a man, perfect like Himself, and
that perfect man is potentially in every individual,
working himself into manifestation in compliance with law.

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Gen. 1:1-5. In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth. And the earth was waste and void; and darkness
was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved
upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And
God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

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To understand the creation of the universe by God, we must
know something of the character of God. Jesus said, "God is
Spirit." The works of God, He said, were done in Him
(Jesus) and through Him. "The Father abiding in me doeth
his works." That God is an intelligent force always present
and always active is the virtual conclusion of all
philosophers, thus corroborating the statements of Jesus.
God is eternally in His creation and never separate from
it. Wherever there is evidence of creative action, there
God is.

God is mind, and He created through His word or idea, and
this is the universal creative vehicle. It is plainly
stated in this 1st chapter of Genesis that "God

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said." Jesus corroborated this creative power of the word
or idea again and again. He said that His words were so
powerful that if we let them abide in us we might ask
whatsoever we would and it should be done to us.

God is a mind force carrying forward creation under mental
law. That law may be known to anyone who will follow the
example of Jesus. Jesus said, "Be perfect, as your heavenly
Father is perfect." This means that we should strive for
the perfection that God is. We are the image and likeness
of this great creative Mind, and being in a certain aspect
of our mind just like it, we can through mental adjustment
attain the same conscious unity that Jesus did.

God creates through the action of His mind, and all things
rest on ideas. The idea back of the flower is beauty. The
idea back of music is harmony. The idea back of day is
light or the dispensation of intelligence.

This whole chapter is a statement of the creative ideas
involved in the universe. It deals with involution.
Evolution is the working out in manifestation of what mind
has involved. Whatever mind commands to be brought forth
will be brought forth by and through the law of evolution
inherent in being. This applies to the great and the small.
In mind there is but one.

The first step in creation is the awakening of man to
spiritual consciousness, the dawning of light in his mind,
his perception of Truth through the quickening of his
spirit. Light is wisdom; and the first day's work is the
calling of light or wisdom into expression. Light
represents intelligence, and darkness represents
undeveloped capacity. Symbolically these are "day" and
"night."

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The word God in this instance stands for Elohim, which is
God in His capacity as creative power, including within
Himself all the potentalities of being. The "beginning"
indicates the first concept of Divine Mind. "Created" means
ideated. The "heavens" is the realm of ideas, and the
"earth" represents ideas in expression. Heaven is the idea
and earth the mental picture. A comparison is found in the
activity of our own mind: we have an idea and then think
out a plan before we bring it forth.

Ferrar Fenton, the well-known student of Hebrew and Greek,
says that the first verse should read: "By periods God
created that which produced the Suns; then that which
produced the Earth. But the Earth was unorganized and
empty; and darkness covered its convulsed surface; but the
breath of God vibrated over its fluid face." From this we
are to understand that God created not the earth as it
appears but that which produced the earth. Elohim, Spirit,
creates the spiritual idea, which is afterward made
manifest through Jehovah God.

The earthly thought was not yet clear. Harmony of form had
not yet come into expression. "The deep" represents the
capacity of the earth idea to bring forth. "The face of the
deep" represents its intelligence. Understanding has not
yet come into expression, and there is no apparent action.
"The Spirit of God" or divine intelligence moved upon "the
face of the waters." "Waters" here represents unexpressed
capacities, the mental element out of which all is
produced. Man is conscious of unexpressed capacities within
himself, but only as he moves upon mind substance with
intelligence are his inherent spiritual qualities molded
into

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forms. "Light" is intelligence, a spiritual quality. It
corresponds to understanding and should precede all
activity. At the beginning of any of our creating we should
declare for light. Our declarations of Truth are instantly
fulfilled in Spirit.

James says in his Epistle, "Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of
lights." The Evangelist John speaks of "the true light . .
. which lighteth every man, coming into the world."

All that emanates from God is good. In the process of
bringing forth our ideas we need a certain degree of
understanding in order properly to regulate our thoughts.
The light must be divided from the darkness, as in Divine
Mind the light was separated from the darkness.

"Day" represents the state of mind in which intelligence
dominates. "Night" represents the realm of thoughts that
are not yet illuminated by the Spirit of God.

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Gen. 1:6-8. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the
midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the
waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters
which were under the firmament from the waters which were
above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the
firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was
morning, a second day.

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The second step in creation is the development of faith or
the "firmament." The "waters" represent the unestablished
elements of the mind.

The second day's creation is the second movement of Divine
Mind. The central idea in this day's creation

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is the establishment of a firmament in the "midst of the
waters" dividing the "waters from the waters." "Waters"
represent unexpressed possibilities in mind. There must be
a "firm" starting point or foundation established. This
foundation or "firmament" is faith "moving upon" the
unformed capacities of Spirit consciousness. The divine
Logos--God as creative power--gives forth the edict "Let
there be a firmament." The first step or "day" in creation
involves "light" or understanding, and the second step,
faith in the knowing quality of mind.

The word is instantly fulfilled in Spirit. "And God made
the firmament." This does not refer to the visible realm of
forms but to the mental image in Divine Mind, which deals
only with ideas. In every mental state we have an "above"
and a "below." Above the firmament are the unexpressed
capacities ("waters") of the conscious mind resting in
faith in Divine Mind. Below the firmament are the
unexpressed capacities ("waters") of the subconscious mind.

The word "Heaven" is capitalized in this passage because it
relates directly to Divine Mind. Faith ("firmament")
established in consciousness is a state of perfect harmony,
therefore "Heaven." Another degree of mind unfoldment has
been attained. "And there was evening and there was
morning, a second day." "Evening" represents completion,
and the "morning" following represents activity of ideas.

//quote

Gen. 1:9-13. And God said, Let the waters under the heavens
be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land
appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth;
and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas:
and God saw

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that it was good. And God said, Let the earth put forth
grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit
after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the
earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass,
herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing
fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and
God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there
was morning, a third day.

//text

The third step in creation is the beginning of the
formative activity of the mind called imagination. This
gathers "the waters . . . together unto one place" so that
the "dry land" appears. Then the imagination begins a great
multiplication of forms and shapes in the mind.

The first day's creation reveals the light or inspiration
of Spirit. The second day establishes faith in our
possibilities to bring forth the invisible. The third day's
creation or third movement of Divine Mind pictures the
activity of ideas in mind. This is called expression. The
formative power of mind is the imagination, whose work is
here represented by the dry land. There is much unformed
thought in mind ("the heavens") that must be separated from
the formed.

In this proclamation "earth" is the mental image of formed
thought and does not refer to the manifest world. God is
Divine Mind and deals directly with ideas. "Seas"
represents the unformed state of mind. We say that a man is
"at sea" when he is in doubt in his mental processes. In
other words he has not established his thoughts in line
with the principle involved. The sea is capable of
production, but must come under the dominion of the
imagination.

Divine Mind images its ideas definitely and in

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every detail. The idea precedes the fulfillment. "Let there
be" represents the perfect confidence necessary to
demonstration.

Ideas are productive and bring forth after their kind. They
express themselves under the law of divine imagery. The
seed is within the thought and is reproduced through
thought activity until thought habits are formed. Thoughts
become fixed in the earth or formed consciousness. In
Divine Mind all is good.

Again a definite degree of mind unfoldment has been
attained. Man, in forming his world, goes through the same
mental process, working under divine law. Jesus said, "The
seed is the word of God."

//quote

Gen. 1:14-19. And God said, Let there be lights in the
firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night; and
let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and
years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of
heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God
made the two great lights; the greater light to rule the
day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the
stars also. And God set them in the firmament of heaven to
give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and
over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness:
and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and
there was morning, a fourth day.

//text

The fourth step in creation is the development of the "two
great lights," the will and the understanding, or the sun
(the spiritual I AM) and the moon (the intellect). These
are but reflectors of the true light; for God had said,
"Let there be light: and there was light"--before the sun
and the moon were created.

The "firmament of heaven" is the consciousness of Truth
that has been formulated and established.

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In the second day's creation a firmament was established in
heaven (realm of divine ideas). This firmament divides the
day (illumined consciousness) from the night (unillumined
consciousness). Through faith the "lights" are established;
that is, understanding begins to unfold. The "signs,"
"seasons," and "days and years" represent different stages
of unfoldment. We gain understanding by degrees.

The "earth" represents the more external processes through
which an idea passes, and corresponds to the activity of an
idea in mind. In man the "earth" is the body consciousness,
which in its real nature is a harmonious expression of
ideas established in faith-substance. "And it was so"; that
is, an idea from divine consciousness is instantly
fulfilled.

The "greater light," in mind, is understanding and the
"lesser light" is the will. The greater light rules "the
day," that realm of consciousness which has been illumined
by Spirit. The lesser light rules "the night," that is, the
will; which has no illumination ("light" or "day") but
whose office is to execute the demands of understanding.
The will does not reason, but in its harmonious relation
acts easily and naturally upon the inspiration of Spirit.
Divine will expresses itself as the I AM in man.

The "stars" represent man's perceptive faculties, including
his ability to perceive weight, size, color, sound, and the
like. Through concentrating any of the faculties ("stars")
at its focalizing point one may come into an understanding
of its action.

Divine Mind first images the idea, then perceives its
fulfillment. Man, acting in co-operation with Divine Mind,
places himself under this same creative law and

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thus brings his ideas into manifestation.

The idea is the directing and controlling power. Every idea
has a specific function to perform. When our ideas are
constructive and harmonious we see that they are good and
realize that their power to rule is dominant in
consciousness.

"Evening" stands for the fulfillment of an idea and marks
another "day" or step or degree of unfoldment in
consciousness.

Again referring to Fenton's translation of the 1st chapter
of Genesis, "By periods God created that which produced the
solar systems; then that which produced the earth," we see
that God did not create the worlds directly; He created
that which produced or evolved them. Then God said, "Let
there be light." The Hebrew word for light is owr, meaning
"luminosity" either literally or metaphysically. On the
fourth day God said, "Let reflectors appear in the expanse
of the heavens." Then God made two large "luminaries." The
Hebrew word here used to express light is maowr, "a
luminous body." The author of Genesis made a distinction
between the source of light and how it was to be bodily
manifested. But both were concepts in Divine Mind.

Our modern dynamos produce luminosity out of the ether
equal to sunlight. The earth whirling on its axis generates
electricity. Modern scientists are accepting analogy then,
holding that bodies in motion generate energy that under
certain conditions becomes luminous, and the conclusion is
that the primal force that produces light existed before
its manifestation through matter. This conclusion is in
harmony with the symbolic story of creation as found in
Genesis.

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Modern critics have questioned the accuracy of Scripture on
these points. Robert Ingersoll in his book "Some Mistakes
of Moses" calls attention to the creation of light before
the sources of light, the sun and the stars, were created,
as evidence of the ignorance and inaccuracy of Moses. But
scientific research and study of the original Hebrew
reveals their harmony.

//quote

Gen. 1:20-23. And God said, Let the waters swarm with
swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the
earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created the
great sea-monsters, and every living creature that moveth,
wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every
winged bird after its kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply,
and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on
the earth. And there was evening and there was morning, a
fifth day.

//text

The fifth step in creation is the bringing forth of
sensation and discrimination. The "creatures" are thoughts.
The "birds . . . in the open firmament of heaven" are ideas
approaching spiritual understanding.

"Water" represents the unformed substance of life, always
present as a fecundating element in which ideas ("living
creatures") increase and multiply, just as the earth
produces a crop when sown with seed. The "birds" represent
the liberated thoughts or ideas of mind (heavens).

In connection with the body, "water" represents the fluids
of the organism. The "sea-monsters" are life ideas that
swarm in these fluids. Here is pictured Divine Mind
creating the original body idea, as imaged

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in the 20th verse. In the 2d chapter of Genesis we shall
read of the manifestation of this idea. Idea, expression,
and manifestation are the steps involved in bringing
anything forth under divine law. The stamp of good is
placed upon divine ideas and their activity in substance.

In the fifth day's creation ideas of discrimination and
judgment are developed. The fishes and fowls represent
ideas of life working in mind, but they must be properly
related to the unformed (seas) and the formed (earth)
worlds of mind. When an individual is well balanced in mind
and body, there is an equalizing force flowing in the
consciousness, and harmony is in evidence.

Another orderly degree of mind unfoldment is fulfilled.
Another step in spiritual growth is worked out in
consciousness when the individual enters into the
quickening of his judgment and seeks to conform his ideas
to those of Divine Mind.

//quote

Gen. 1:24-31. And God said, Let the earth bring forth
living creatures after their kind, cattle, and creeping
things, and beasts of the earth after their kind: and it
was so. And God made the beasts of the earth after their
kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that
creepeth upon the ground after its kind: and God saw that
it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and
over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God
created man in his own image, in the image of God created
he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed
them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply,
and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion

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over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the
heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the
earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb
yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and
every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed;
to you it shall be for food: and to every beast of the
earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything
that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have
given every green herb for food: and it was so. And God saw
everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.
And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

The sixth step in creation is the bringing forth of ideas
after their kind. When man approaches the creative level in
his thought, he is getting close to God in his
consciousness, and then the realization that he is the very
image and likeness of his Creator dawns on him. This is the
consciousness in man of Christ.

//text

On the sixth day of creation ideas of life are set into
activity. "Cattle" represent ideas of strength established
in substance. "Creeping things" represent ideas of life
that are more subtle in their expression, approaching
closer to the realm of sense. They are the micro-organisms.
The "beasts" stand for the free energies of life that
relate themselves to sensation. Divine ideas are always
instantly set into activity: "and it was so."

Underlying all these ideas related to sensation, which in
their original purity are simply ideas of life functioning
in substance, is the divine idea of life. When life is
expressed in divine order it is pronounced good. What is
termed "sense consciousness" in man is not to be condemned
but lifted up to its rightful place.

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"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth
may in him have eternal life." When the ideas of life are
properly related to love and wisdom, man will find in them
eternal satisfaction instead of sense pleasure.

Wisdom and love are the two qualities of Being that,
communing together, declare, "Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness." This is the mental image of man that
in Truth we call the Christ. The Christ man has dominion
over every idea emanating from Divine Mind.

The creation described in these six days or six "steps" or
stages of God-Mind is wholly spiritual and should not be
confounded with the manifestation that is described in the
succeeding chapters. God is mind, and all His works are
created in mind as perfect ideas.

This statement of man's creation, "And God said, Let us
make man in our image, after our likeness," has always been
a puzzle to people who read the Scriptures literally. The
apparent man is so at variance with the description that
they cannot reconcile them. Theologians began first to
admit that the Garden of Eden story was an allegory, and
now they are including the whole of Genesis.

But this is more than an allegory; it is a description of
the ideal creation. In their calculations engineers often
use mathematical symbols, like the letters x, y, and z, to
represent quantities not yet given precise determination
but carried along for development at the proper time.
Involved in these symbols are ideas that are to be brought
out in their proper order and made visible when the
engineer's plans are objectified. So

//page 26

man plans in his mind that which he proposes to build.
First the idea, then the visible. This is the process
through which all creation passes. God makes all things in
His mind first, which is involution; then they are made
into form and shape, and this is evolution.

In some such way then we can think of man as represented by
an x in God's plan or calculations. God is carrying man
along in His mind as an ideal quantity, the
image-and-likeness man of His creation, and His divine plan
is dependent for its success on the manifestation by man of
this idea. The divine plan is furthered by the constant
idealism that keeps man moving forward to higher and higher
achievements. The image-and-likeness man pours into
"mankind" a perpetual stream of ideas that the individual
man arranges as thoughts and forms as substance and life.
While this evolutionary process is going on there seem to
be two men, one ideal and spiritual and the other
intellectual and material, which are united at the
consummation, the ideal man, Christ.

When the mind attains an understanding of certain creative
facts, of man's creative powers, it has established a
directive, intelligent center that harmonizes these two men
(ideal and spiritual vs. intellectual and material). This
directive center may be named the I AM. It is something
more than the human I. Yet when this human I has made union
with the image-and-likeness I, the true I AM comes into
action, and this is the Christ Jesus, the Son of God,
evolved and made visible in creation according to divine
law.

God ideated two universal planes of consciousness, "the
heavens and the earth." One is the realm of pure ideas, the
other of thought forms. God does not create

//page 27

the visible universe directly, as a man makes a concrete
pavement, but He creates the ideas that are used by His
intelligent "image and likeness" to make the universe. Thus
God's creations are always spiritual. Man's creations are
both material and spiritual, according to his understanding.

Mental activity in Divine Mind represents two phases:
first, conception of the idea; and secondly, expression of
the idea. In every idea conceived in mind there is first
the quickening spirit of life, followed by the increase of
the idea in substance. Wisdom is the "male" or expressive
side of Being, while love is the "female" or receptive side
of Being. Wisdom is the father quality of God and love is
the mother quality. In every idea there exist these two
qualities of mind, which unite in order to increase and
bring forth under divine law.

Divine Mind blessed the union of wisdom and love and
pronounced on them the increase of Spirit. When wisdom and
love are unified in the individual consciousness, man is a
master of ideas and brings forth under the original
creative law.

"Seed" represents fundamental ideas having within
themselves reproductive capacity. Every idea is a seed
that, sown in the substance of mind, becomes the real food
on which man is nourished. Man has access to the seed ideas
of Divine Mind, and through prayer and meditation he
quickens and appropriates the substance of those ideas,
which were originally planted in his I AM by the parent
mind.

Provision is made for the sustenance of all the ideas
emanating from Divine Mind. The primitive forms of life are
fed on "herbs"; they have a sustaining

//page 28

force that is food to them, even as the appropriation of
divine ideas is food to man.

Divine Mind, being All-Good itself, sees only its own
creation as good. As man co-operates more fully with Divine
Mind, imaging only that which is good, he too beholds his
production with the "single" eye, sees them only as good.
The sixth step in creation is the concentration, in man, of
all the ideas of Divine Mind. Man is given authority and
dominion over all ideas. Thus is completed another step in
mind unfoldment.

In the six mental steps or "mind movements," called days,
Elohim God creates the spiritual universe and spiritual
man. He then rests. He has created the ideas or patterns of
the formed universe that is to follow.

In the next chapter we shall find Jehovah God executing
what Elohim God created or ideated. In the Hebrew the name
Jehovah means "I am." We identify Jehovah as the I AM, the
spiritual man, the image and likeness of Elohim God. But
Jehovah, spiritual man, must be made manifest, so He forms
a man called Adam.

//page 29

//section Chapter 2

Chapter II

Manifest Man

Genesis 2

//text

THE BOOK OF GENESIS gives two accounts of the creation of
man, the first that of the creation by Elohim and the
second that of the creation by Jehovah. A right
understanding of the processes the mind uses in bringing
forth its children (ideas) enables us to perfect harmony
between these apparently conflicting accounts. The first
act of mind is the formation of the idea, and the second is
the expression of that idea. Elohim or God-Mind creates a
spiritual man, in whom are conceived to be present all the
attributes of his source. Next this spiritual man, Jehovah
God, God-Mind indentified as I AM, forms man in spiritual
substance, in the "dust of the ground."

The unfolding man is God's man, or the divine idea of man
in process of construction. The various ideas are being
"clothed upon," that is, made manifest. The manifest man is
an idea until the Elohim mind in its I AM or Jehovah form
begins its process of expression. Then Jehovah God begins
to form or clothe the idea man in substance, which process,
described symbolically in these Scriptures, has been going
on all down the ages.

The manifest man is the man we see, the man we behold with
our senses. Manifest man evolves or makes manifest the
ideas that exist eternally in Being. The spiritual man is
the man we behold in our ideals.

//page 30

"Ye are a temple of God." Eventually the manifest man and
the ideal man merge into one, as Jesus said: "I in them,
and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one."

Many have caught sight of the fact that the true body of
Christ is a state of consciousness in man, but few have
gone so far as to realize that this body is a temple in
which the Christ holds religious services at all times.
"Know ye not that ye are a temple of God and that the
Spirit of God dwelleth in you." Under the direction of the
Christ, a new body is constructed by the thinking faculty
in man; the materials entering into this superior structure
are spiritual substances, and the new creation is the
temple or body of Spirit. It breathes an atmosphere and is
thrilled with a life energy more real than that of the
manifest man. When a person has come into the realization
of his true Christ body, he feels the stirring within him
of this body of the indwelling Spirit or Christ. He knows
what Paul meant when he said: "There is a natural body,
there is also a spiritual body." "If any man is in Christ,
he is a new creature: the old things are passed away;
behold, they are become new."

Jehovah I AM breathes the breath of life into Adam, who
names the animals (the elemental life forms in which he
exists) and becomes cocreator with Jehovah God in bringing
forth his own perfection.

The image-and-likeness man is God's idea of man, a man
spirtually conceived, in whom are implanted the dominion
and power necessary to bring forth the perfection of his
Father, God-Mind. "Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your
heavenly Father is perfect," said Jesus.

//page 31

//quote

Gen. 2:1-3. And the heavens and the earth were finished,
and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God
finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the
seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God
blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in
it he rested from all his work which God had created and
made.

//text

The plans of Divine Mind were finished although there was
as yet no outward manifestation. All is finished first in
consciousness and mind then rests, in faith, from further
mental activity. This "rest" precedes manifestation. The
seventh day refers to the mind's realization of
fulfillment, its resting in the assurance that all that has
been imaged in it will come forth in expression.

To hallow the seventh day is to rest in the stillness,
quiet, and peace of the silence of Mind. "Be still, and
know that I am God." To hallow means to keep holy. Holiness
is resting in the conviction that there is no lack in the
absolute law that is the law of God. One creates first in
mind by idealizing the desired object and then resting in
the assurance that the law of manifestation is being
fulfilled. God has finished creating His universe,
including man, and is resting in His perfect idea. God
rested on the seventh day.

Our Sunday is a symbol of the true Sabbath, a time when men
turn away from business and the pleasures of the senses to
seek a day of quiet and holy rest. The great Sabbath, the
rest of God, is for all who will enter it.

It is the state of mind in which we rest from outer work,
cease daily occupation, and give ourselves up to meditation
or the study of things spiritual. The Sabbath

//page 32

also symbolizes an attitude of mind in which we relax the
outer consciousness, let go of all thought about material
things, about the affairs of daily life, and enter into the
stillness of the consciousness and begin to think of God
and His law. This Sabbath is kept any time we enter into
spiritual consciousness and rest from thoughts about
temporal things. Then we let go of the external observance
of days, because every day is a Sabbath on which we retire
into Spirit and worship God.

//quote

Gen. 2:4-8. These are the generations of the heavens and of
the earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah
God made earth and heaven. And no plant of the field was
yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung
up; for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the
earth: and there was not a man to till the ground; but
there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole
face of the ground. And Jehovah God formed man of the dust
of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life; and man became a living soul. And Jehovah God planted
a garden eastward, in Eden; and there he put the man whom
he had formed.

//text

Jehovah (I AM) in the Hebrew is written Yahweh. Yah is the
masculine and weh the feminine. The word is made up of
masculine and feminine elements and represents the joining
together of wisdom and love as a procreating nucleus. This
is the Jehovah God who made the visible man, the man of
self-consciousness. God manifest in substance is the Jesus
Christ man. Elohim, universal Mind, creates, but Jehovah
God forms. Being is without beginning or ending. Universal
Mind imaged itself in all that it created, and all its ideas

//page 33

are contained in the divine-idea man, which is Jehovah or
the Christ. Jesus Christ is that perfection made manifest
in man. Spiritual creating is ideation in Truth. The ideas
of Divine Mind are contained potentially in substance, but
until these ideas are consciously recognized by Jehovah
God, the divine-idea man, they are not wholly manifest. All
things exist as ideas, but these ideas are manifested only
as spiritual man, becomes conscious of them. The "rain"
represents the descent of potential ideas into substance.
Spiritual man, in whom all the ideas of Divine Mind are
imaged, is not yet manifest in substance. "There was not a
man to till the ground."

The "face" represents the outward aspect, while "ground"
stands for formed substance, the product of related ideas.
When man begins to focus his mind on a purpose, there
appears at first to be a "mist" or lack of clear
understanding between the earth consciousness and the
spiritual mind. But this "mist" has its place in the divine
economy, for it "waters" or softens the divine radiance.

"Dust" represents the radiant earth or substance. When
spiritual man (I AM) enters into this "dust of the ground"
(substance) and makes use of the God ideas inherent in him,
he brings forth the ideal body in its elemental perfection.
The real body of man is not material but is of the nature
of the universal-dust body, which is the divine-substance
body. Therefore the perfect image-and-likeness man is
perfect in body as well as in mind. We should remember that
the first Adam was perfect as an idea in his elemental soul
and body. "Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual,
but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual."

//page 34

Spiritually, "nostrils" represents openness to the
inspirations of mind. The "breath" is the inner life flow
that pulsates through the soul. The breathing of the
manifest man corresponds to the inspiration of the
spiritual man. When any man is inspired with high ideas, he
breathes "into his nostrils the breath of life." Spiritual
inspiration quickens man to the awareness that he is a
"living soul." The soul is the sum total of consciousness
and its great goal is a consciousness of eternal life.
Through his I AM or Jehovah God man enters into his soul
realm and rebreathes into it the true ideas of Being until
these ideas quicken his consciousness to a response that
harmonizes it with the underlying Christ principles. Man,
spiritually identified, is Jehovah God, co-operating with
Elohim God, divine principle, developing a spiritual being,
the Christ man, to the consciousness of his divinity. "I
speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth
his works."

The Garden of Eden represents a region of being in which
are provided all primal ideas for the production of the
beautiful. As described in Genesis it represents
allegorically the elemental life and intelligence placed at
the disposal of man, through which he is to evolve a soul
and body.

The Garden of Eden also represents allegorically the
elemental forces named by scientists as composing the
invisible, etheric universe that Jesus referred to as the
"kingdom of the heavens" and "Paradise." It also
comprehends the activity of those forces in man's soul and
body that, when quickened and regenerated, make him a
master of all creation. "The kingdom of God is within you."
"East" represents the within as

//page 35

"west" represents the without. Jesus also said, "Ye who
have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man
shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit
upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
In our analysis of the Garden of Eden we consider it as a
concentration, in man, of all the ideas of God concerned in
the process of unfolding man's soul and body. When man is
expressing the ideas of Divine Mind, bringing forth the
qualities of Being in divine order, he dwells in Eden, a
state of bliss, in a harmonious, productive consciousness
containing all possibilities of growth.

//quote

Gen. 2:9. And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow
every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for
food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

//text

"Ground" represents formed substance: ideas of Truth of
which man is conscious. The "tree" is the substance that
connects mind and body, earth and heaven, represented
physically by the nerves. The "tree that is pleasant to the
sight" represents the pleasure derived from ascending and
descending currents of life over the nerves. The substance
of spiritual thought is the "food" that is good. The "tree
of life also in the midst of the garden" represents the
absolute-life principle established in man's consciousness
by Divine Mind, the very center of his being. The roots of
the "tree of life" are centered in the solar-plexus region,
and they are symbolized in the physical organism by the
nerves of that plexus.

The "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" represents the
sympathetic nervous system whose fruit is

//page 36

sensation. When man controls his feelings and emotions his
sensations are harmonized and all his functions are
supplied with nerve energy. But when man gives way to the
pleasure sensation he consumes or "eats" of that energy and
robs his body of its essential nerve food. Thus excessive
sense pleasure and the pain that follows are designated as
"good and evil."

//quote

Gen. 2:10-14. And a river went out of Eden to water the
garden; and from thence it was parted, and became four
heads. The name of the first is Pishon: that is it which
compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and
the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon:
the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Cush. And
the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which
goeth in front of Assyria. And the fourth river is the
Euphrates.

//text

"River" symbolizes the activity of life in the trees or the
current of life in the organism (garden). The "head" of the
river represents its directive power.

The name Pishon is variously defined as "fully diffused,"
"real existence," "perfect substantiality," "being, carried
to its highest degree." Spiritually interpreted, this
definition is descriptive of Spirit at work in man's
consciousness, Spirit diffusing its ideas of intelligence
and light into man's soul. However this work of Spirit is
not confined to man's body or to the earth but is
everywhere present. It is the activity of divine ideas in
their fullness.

The river Pishon is described as encompassing "the whole
land of Havilah." Havilah represents the struggle of
elemental life, virtue born of trial, travail, or

//page 37

suffering. There is gold in this land and also precious
stones, which means that it is the realm of reality. In
other words, we have locked up in our elemental body all
the treasures of Spirit. All the precious things of life
for which we have been looking are in our body, and it is
through the inflow of this mighty spiritual Pishon that
these precious ideas are released. But there is a struggle
or, as Jesus said, "tribulation" between the spiritual and
the natural.

The name Gihon means variously "formative movement," "a
bursting forth," "whirlpool," "rapid stream." This river
represents the deific breath of God inspiring man and at
the same time purifying his blood in the lungs. Job said
that "there is a spirit in man" and that "the breath of the
Almighty giveth them understanding." The river Gihon
"compasseth the whole land of Cush." The name Cush means
"firelike," "darkness," "impurity"; and the passage refers
to the blood-purifying process of the breath. God is
breathing His breath through man's being, cleansing the
blood stream, and filling his whole being with spiritual
inspiration.

The name Hiddekel means "universal generative fluid,"
"rapid stream," "rapid spiritual influx." The river
Hiddekel symbolizes the spiritual nerve fluid that God is
propelling throughout man's whole being continually, as the
electromagnetic center of every physically expressed atom
and cell, the very elixir of life. This wonderful stream of
nerve fluid finds its way over all the many nerves in man's
body, giving him the invigorating, steadying power of the
Holy Spirit.

Assyria represents the psychic realm or the soul. The nerve
fluid, the most attenuated and volatile fluid of the body,
breaks into flares at the ends of the

//page 38

nerves, giving rise to various kinds of psychical and
mental action, forming character or soul. The mind uses the
nerve flares to express its ideas.

The name of the fourth river, Euphrates, means
"fructifying" or "that which is the fructifying cause."
Metaphysically it represents the blood stream. The
circulatory system receives and distributes the nutrients
contained in the food we eat. The blood stream is charged
with the food substance for bone, muscle, brain, teeth, and
hair. Every part of the organism is supplied with substance
through this wonderful river Euphrates.

//quote

Gen. 2:15-17. And Jehovah God took the man, and put him
into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And
Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the
garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for
in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

//text

The Garden of Eden symbolizes the omnipresent, unseen realm
out of which comes the visible universe. Modern science has
named it the cosmic ether. It cannot be described in human
language, because it transcends all the comparisons of
earth. Jesus said that the "mysteries" of the kingdom were
revealed to those who were spiritually awake but to others
must be told in parables.

The human body with its psychical and spiritual attributes
comprises a miniature Garden of Eden, and when man develops
spiritual insight and in thought, word, and act voluntarily
operates in accord with the divine law, then rulership,
authority, and dominion become his in both mind and body.
"The kingdom of God is within you."

Jehovah God, the active representative of Divine

//page 39

Mind in man, places man in the Garden of Eden to "dress it
and to keep it." Man dresses and keeps this garden by
developing, in his consciousness, the original, pure ideas
imparted by Divine Mind. As man establishes ideas of Truth
he calls into manifestation his spiritual body imaged in
substance by Divine Mind.

"Tree" represents the connecting link between the formed
substance (earth) and the formless (heaven). To "eat" is to
appropriate the substance of ideas through thinking about
them. "Evil" represents error thought combinations; that
part of consciousness which has lost sight of true
principles and through sensation becomes enamored of the
thing formed. Form has its place in creation, but it is
subject to the creative idea that begets it. The activity
of an idea in man's mind produces sensation. To become
involved in the sensation of an idea to the exclusion of
control is to eat of the "tree of the knowledge of good and
evil" and die to all consciousness of the original idea.

Materiality as the obverse of spirituality was set up when
man became involved in thoughts of the external, in
sensation, and lost sight of the true creative idea.
Because of this, man gradually became separated from the
realm of divine ideas; in other words, from God. Death is
the result of this separation from God. Jesus restored the
broken life current between God and man and so became the
"Saviour" for those who follow Him.

//quote

Gen. 2:18-25. And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the
man should be alone; I will make him a help mate for him.
And out of the ground Jehovah God formed every beast of the
field, and every bird of the heavens; and brought them unto
the man to see what he would call them: and whatsoever the
man

//page 40

called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of
the heavens, and to every beast of the field; but for man
there was not found a help meet for him. And Jehovah God
caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and
he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead
thereof: and the rib, which Jehovah God had taken from the
man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And the
man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my
flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out
of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be
one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife,
and were not ashamed.

//text

Man must have avenues through which to express himself.
These avenues are the "help meet" designed by Jehovah God.
Man represents wisdom. It is not good for wisdom to act
alone; it must be joined with love if harmony is to be
brought forth. Both the soul and the body are helpmeets to
man (spirit), avenues through which he expresses the ideas
of Mind.

It is on the soul or substance side of consciousness that
ideas are "identified," that is, "named." Whatever we
recognize a thing to be, that it becomes to us because of
the naming power vested in man (wisdom). "Every beast of
the field" and the "cattle" represent ideas of strength,
power, vitality, and life. These ideas must be recognized
by the I AM before they can be formed. "The birds of the
heavens" represent free thoughts and the interchange
between the subconscious and the conscious activities of
mind. Man has power to name all ideas that are presented to
his conscious mind, whether they come from within or
without.

//page 41

Wisdom, the masculine phase of man, needs a helpmeet or
balance. Love in the soul (woman) has not yet been
developed and established in substance.

A limited concept of Jehovah God caused a deep sleep
(mesmeric state) to fall on the man (Adam). Nowhere in
Scripture is there any record to show that Adam was ever
fully awakened; and he (man) is still partly in this
dreamlike state of consciousness. In this state he creates
a world of his own and peoples it with ideas corresponding
to his own sleep-benumbed consciousness.

Paul said, "As in Adam all die [fall asleep, lose spiritual
consciousness], so also in Christ shall all be made alive
[awaken from coma or lethargy into the awareness of Spirit
life]."

Awakening cannot be associated with dying. The idea that
man awakens to spiritual or any kind of consciousness
immediately after "death," whether in heaven, hell,
purgatory, or elsewhere, is opposed to Truth. His awakening
must take place here, during the time of "life," at least
while he is partially awake and before he sinks into that
deeper sleep or coma that we call death.

The Scripture admonishes us: "Awake, thou that sleepest,
and arise from the dead [the mortal dream of life], and
Christ [Truth] shall shine upon thee." David, sensing this,
said, "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with beholding
thy form."

The soul is here coming into the positive development of
divine love (the woman). Love is the passive quality of
mind and must become active through man's volition, before
it can be brought forth; and man must enter into the
passive side of Being and

//page 42

cease from outer mental activity. This state is symbolized
by "deep sleep"; the outer consciousness is quiet, allowing
the spiritual to express itself fully.

Man evolves, attains consciousness in mind and body, as he
becomes aware of the divine ideas implanted in his being.
In this chapter Adam "names"--calls to consciousness in
life's activities--the beasts of the field and the birds of
the heavens (animal and intellectual realms). Then in
moments of meditation, when the outer mind is still, he
makes contact with the subconscious.

The Hebrew word from which "rib" is translated means
"curved surface," not specifically one of Adam's ribs;
rather, the curves of beauty innate in Adam. The
development of Eve is a refining process that helps man to
bring forth his divine feminine nature. The rib or bone
that became woman is symbolical of the very substantial
character of the love that she represents.

Adam is the objective and Eve the subjective in primal man,
both in the same body. As man evolves Eve becomes
objective. "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my
flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out
of Man."

If the ego or will that is man has adhered to the guiding
light of Spiritual faithfully and has carried out in its
work the plans that are ideated in wisdom, it has created a
harmonious consciousness. The original Adam in Eden is
symbolical of such a consciousness.

The "deep sleep" into which the intellect is plunged when
true love is experienced still prevails in human relations.
Love is the great mystery of life. The spiritually wise see
love as the force that enfolds with mathematical precision
the galaxies in space as well as the tiniest atom. Science
names it gravity.

//page 43

//section Chapter 3

Chapter III

The Fall of Man

Genesis 3, 4, and 5

//text

ACCORDING to the Bible, "the word of God" is the power that
created the world, as stated in Hebrews:

"By faith we understand that the worlds have been framed by
the word of God, so that what is seen hath not been made
out of things which appear."

The 1st chapter of John explains that "the Word" was in the
beginning with God and was God and that through the Word
all things were made. So it is not true to say that the
Bible is "the creative Word" of God. The Christ in Jesus is
the creative Word. Spiritual man is the Word of God, and
the Bible bears "witness of the word of God." As Jesus
taught: "Ye search the scriptures because ye think that in
them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear
witness of me; and ye will not come to me, that ye may have
life."

Man fell because he did not keep his mind on the source of
life. He departed from spiritual consciousness and saw both
good and evil. If he had held to the one good, good is the
only thing that he could have manifested.

The Word of God is the living, creative force that is man's
spiritual mind. As Jesus said to those Jews who searched
the Scriptures for eternal life: "Ye have not his word
abiding in you."

//page 44

Those who search the Scriptures and think that through them
they will get life are, according to Jesus, ignoring the
omnipresent creative word and separating themselves from
its perfect manifestation, man.

Man is falling just to the extent that he is ignoring the
living Word in himself. Man must keep affirming the living
Word; then he will have the transformed body.

Jesus Christ is the Word demonstrated as perfect man, and
through Him we are saved from the fall. In these words we
find an epitome of both the law and the gospel.

The Bible is at the same time the simplest and the greatest
of all books. It is great because it deals with great
matters in simple ways. It eliminates the transient,
unnecessary temporalities and goes direct to the gist of
the subject.

We have not understood the depth and height of these simple
allegories and symbols sprinkled all through the Bible.
They are condensed explanations, stripped of minor details,
of the great underlying laws of existence. A mortal
description of creation would make time a necessary
element, but the author of Genesis is not caught in this
trap of mortality. "In the beginning God created."

Time is a human invention and acts as a barrier to a
broader conception of creative processes. All attempts to
find a date for the beginning of man are futile. Years are
associated with events, and when the events are past the
years go with them. States of mind make events, and new
states of mind are constantly being formed; consequently
every moment is the beginning

//page 45

of a new creation to the individual. It is of no practical
value to a man to know that the world has journeyed around
the sun six thousand or six million years since it was
formed. The important thing is to know where man stands in
relation to the creative law. The Bible puts history before
us as if we were part of every event, which we are. The one
Mind is moving in its realm of ideas "over all, and through
all, and in all."

The allegory of the Garden of Eden, of the man and the
woman and the serpent, represents the development of ideas
in individual consciousness, not the development of a
planetary system. The latter is the narrow conclusion of
the casual observer. Creation is the evolution of ideas in
mind. Creation is the development of individuality; hence
the one object of all creative processes is the making of
man.

In the development of individuality the factors described
in the allegory are active in every one of us at this
moment, and the creating is going on right now. The reason
why God created man potentially perfect and then set him
the task of proving it is found in the mysterious process
called self-identification. Man makes himself after the
pattern designed by the Great Architect. In proving his
ability to carry out the divine plan he proves himself
perfect.

As we study mind we find that every thought tends to find
expression; that the formless and the formed go hand in
hand; that you cannot have an idea in your mind without its
immediately taking form as a mental picture, which in due
course is clothed upon with substance and life, "a local
habitation and a name."

Three fundamental factors are at the basis of all
manifestation, namely intelligence, life, and substance.

//page 46

Divine intelligence reveals perfect ideas as the basis of
existence. Any conception other than this is "eating" or
appropriating thoughts that seem both good and evil. This
conception of opposites leads to all kinds of inharmonies.
It is the "serpent," "more subtle than any beast of the
field," that suggests this to man. The serpent represents
life, in which is vibration, color, sound, in fact all
sensation. Sense consciousness is another name for the
serpent. The word sensation, either written or spoken,
suggests the sinuous movement and warning hiss of the
serpent. The life idea is manifest in the sinuous shape of
the mighty lightning chain darting from sky to earth as
well as in the subtle sensations that sweep through the
soul.

The soul (Eve) is attracted by this realm of sensation and
is psychologized by its promises of pleasure. It is a
"delight to the eyes," is "good for food," is to be desired
to make one wise. When we indulge any of the sensations of
the flesh for the mere pleasure that accompanies the
indulgence, we are following the delusive suggestions of
the serpent instead of listening to the word of God. Pain,
disease, and finally death always result from such ignorant
trangression of the divine daw.

Life is a fundamental factor in all existence. The most
vital word in any or all languages is "life." Without life
there could be no existence. In man's estimation life is so
great a thing that he often uses the word "living" as
representing all existence. But life is not all of
existence. Love, substance, power, intelligence, these all
play their part; and above all is man, spiritual man.

When man riots in the realm of ideas ("birds of

//page 47

the heavens") and loses sight of God in the pursuit of his
art, he becomes unbalanced. This applies to all who are so
enamored of the outer that they lose dominion over the
inner.

When man fails to master his sensations and gives himself
up to the uncontrolled enjoyment of life, he is losing his
dominion and must suffer the consequences of transgressing
the law. Listen to the voice of wisdom and keep a steady
rein on "every beast of the field": the life forces in the
natural world.

Man should therefore be ever on the alert to maintain his
dominion and mastery over all the ideas of the mind and
sensations of the body. The wise man never gives himself up
to pleasure seeking in the world or in his body. Everything
has its use in the divine economy, and man as the master
builder should ever be seeking to carry out the divine plan.

In considering a practical application of this allegory,
let every man ask himself, Am I entangled in the coils of
the serpent of sense? The Scripture says that the serpent
was the most subtle of all the beasts of the field that the
Lord God created. That subtle sensuous feeling that thrills
you is the beast of the field. The elemental life forces of
your body are minute serpents. The reproductive elements in
your body are in the form of minute serpents. These
serpents are very obedient to your thought. By thinking
about some sense pleasure you can concentrate them in the
function of life giving, and they will blend all their
energies to give you pleasure. But remember that in so
doing you may be robbing some other function of its life,
and it will deteriorate in consequence.

The person who gives up to the pleasures of sex

//page 48

eats from the tree of life until the body is depleted in
every function; even sex itself dies of its own ignorance.

What is the remedy? Conservation, mastery, control. Man
must control every one of the elemental forces of his
being. In other words, instead of being tempted by the
devil of sensation, instead of yielding completely to the
pleasure of living, he must study the object of life as a
whole.

There are two ways of living open to man. One is Satan's
way: through experience of evil man gains by contrast a
concept of good. The other is God's way: through
consciousness of good, man sees that evil is unreal and
unnecessary. Every man and woman in the world is following
one or the other of these two courses in the development of
his individuality. Good and evil seem to be pitted against
each other in the world, but it is not necessary for man to
eat of the tree of good and evil; he need not have a
knowledge of evil in order to realize the allness of good.
If he follows God's way, which is to know the good first,
last, and always, his mind will become so charged with good
that evil will be to him totally unreal.

You will find men on every side meeting temptation in God's
way, by knowing the good, affirming the good, and living it
according to their faith in God. I know men who have never
taken a drink of whiskey. They have not found it necessary
to become intoxicated in order to experience the feeling of
sobriety. They have better dominion over their appetites
than those who have given up to Satan's way of experience.
There are men in the world who are living a pure life. They
know the joy of purity in the sex dominion. They have

//page 49

proved that dominion over sex, under the guidance of
Spirit, is a necessary part of the regeneration taught by
Jesus. "For there are eunuchs, that were so born from their
mother's womb: and there are eunuchs, that were made
eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, that made themselves
eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake."

//quote

Gen. 3:1-5. Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast
of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said unto
the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of any tree
of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, Of the
fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat: but of the
fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God
hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch
it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye
shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye
eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall
be as God, knowing good and evil.

//text

The serpent is sense consciousness. It may also be called
desire, sensation, or the activity of life in external
manifestation apart from the divine source of life. "Woman"
represents love or feeling in the individual consciousness
and symbolizes the soul. Desire for sensation or activity
in the external first tempts the soul, the center of
feeling and emotion. The temptation of sense is at first
very subtle, entering the consciousness to stir up doubt
and slyly asking the question "Why not?"

From the center of one's being the life-giving,
ever-bearing tree of the Spirit of God spreads its branches
into every department of mind and body. Its fruits are
intelligence to the mind, substance to the body, and life
to the entire being. The warning given by Jehovah

//page 50

God was that man should not eat of (appropriate) the fruit
of this tree. In spiritual revelation we discern that man's
cardinal mistake is to appropriate the pure essence of God
in order to experience selfish sensuous pleasure.

The serpent is slyly suggesting to the soul that it indulge
in the pleasures of sense and that the experience will
result in a deeper understanding of God and His laws. The
individual can always find arguments that to his own mind
justify indulgence. This tendency may be described as
sensation beguiling man from his Garden of Eden
consciousness.

//quote

Gen. 3:6-7. And when the woman saw that the tree was good
for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that
the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of
the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her
husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of both were
opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed
fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

//text

Woman, the intuitive or feeling side of man's nature,
discerns that activity in ideas begets knowledge, but the
knowledge gained is not necessarily of a divine nature.
Love or feeling (woman) acting independently of wisdom
(man) is not reliable.

The "eyes" are the perceptive faculty of mind, and unless
the perception is established in Truth one sees or
perceives duality. When one delights in knowledge that is
less than Truth, one's capacity to receive inspiration
direct from Divine Mind is lessened or lost. Both love
(woman) and wisdom (man) become involved in a counterfeit
knowledge through "eating" ideas inappropriate

//page 51

to the divine nature.

In the Scriptures figs are representative of the "seed" of
man. This seed is in its original essence mind energy, and
when ideas are kept in contact with Divine Mind, the seed
of man is the life stream in its original purity. Man's sin
is the misappropriation of ideas, which leads to sensation.
When man and woman are joined--that is, one in sin--they
are unclothed of the garment of Truth or "naked."

When wisdom and love, man and woman, are joined in the
consciousness that God inspires all their thoughts and
acts, the gross sensations of the flesh will be "lifted
up," that is, glorified. "I, if I be lifted up from the
earth, will draw all men unto myself." This is the "holy
marriage."

//quote

Gen. 3:8-12. And they heard the voice of Jehovah God
walking in the garden in the cool of the day; and the man
and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah
God amongst the trees of the garden. And Jehovah God called
unto the man, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he
said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid,
because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who
told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the
tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me,
she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

//text

The "cool of the day" represents the relaxation or
emptiness that follows sense expression. After the high
tide of sensation has subsided, the voice of Jehovah God,
commonly called conscience, is heard. Man is convinced that
he has acted out of harmony with divine law. After
experiencing sensation the picture

//page 52

visualized by the conscious mind is impressed on the life
stream and sets up a subconscious tendency. Consciousness
would hide from facing this situation, taking refuge
amongst the "trees of the garden" (other sensations), but
this is not the way to redemption. Every idea is to be
dealt with. All error is forgiven when Truth is brought to
bear on it, and if this method is pursued, only
constructive thought habits will be put into activity in
the subconscious realm of mind.

Jehovah God walks continually in the garden (the body)
calling unto Adam (life), and when man raises his thoughts
and feelings Godward, he contacts the inspiration of Being
and builds again the immortal consciousness.

The soul or "woman" is the feminine aspect of man. It is
through the affections (love) that man becomes involved in
sensation. When a desire of the soul (woman) presses for
attention, man often gives way to his feelings instead of
raising them, through wisdom, to conform to higher
principles.

In Truth feeling must be disciplined and refined and desire
for sense pleasure eliminated. When consciousness is
purified through the knowledge of Truth and thought force
is established in harmonious relation to divine ideas, the
woman (feeling) will be joined with man (wisdom) and the
holy marriage (generation of divine ideas) will again be
consummated. "Therefore shall a man leave his father and
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be
one flesh," writes the author of Genesis, and Jesus
verifies it in Matthew 19:5: "For this cause shall a man
leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife;

//page 53

and the two shall become one flesh." Indescribable joy is
the heritage of those who submit their sex relations to God
in prayer.

//quote

Gen. 3:13-14. And Jehovah God said unto the woman, What is
this thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent
beguiled me, and I did eat. And Jehovah God said unto the
serpent, Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou above
all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy
belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days
of thy life.

//text

Man, ever seeking an excuse for sin, puts the blame on God
for endowing him with sensation. Sensation is itself a
divine creation, and all God's creation was pronounced
"good." This brings us to the root cause of the appetite
that craves stimulants and goes to excess in seeking
satisfaction. Through listening to the serpent of sense,
man goes beyond the limit set by natural or divine law and
becomes a glutton and drunkard of sensation. The remedy is
for him to take up the problem from a spiritual standpoint
in the knowledge that sensation is a mental quality that
can be satisfied only by his cultivating the spiritual side
of his nature.

When the desire for sensation leads man to dissipate the
precious fruit of the tree of life in his earthly garden,
the whole nervous system is depleted and loses its capacity
to contact the higher life current and supermind wisdom.
Then man feels a lack of something; he is "naked."
Sensation is no longer a heavenly ecstasy but a fleshly
vibration, and crawls on its "belly," eating "dust" all the
days of its life.

We often wonder why God cursed the serpent since He created
him for the very purpose of enabling man

//page 54

to have sensation. The author of Genesis discerned that
certain principles were in operation; that when the
creative life which Jehovah God breathed into man's
nostrils was taken away, there would be a fall from divine
union and man would have to suffer certain conditions that
would follow. So the curse was not imposed directly by
Jehovah but as a result of man's breaking certain laws.

//quote

Gen. 3:15-19. And I will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise
thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he
said, I will greatly multiply thy pain and thy conception;
in pain thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire
shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And
unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the
voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I
commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is
the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all
the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it
bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the
field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till
thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken:
for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

//text

The seed of the woman is from God; it is the spiritual life
that comes from the fountainhead. The seed of the serpent
is fallen sense consciousness, and there is enmity between
the two. The effect, as set forth in the text describing
the suffering common to most women, needs no metaphysical
interpretation. The interpretation usually given is that
the "seed" that bruised the head of the serpent was Jesus.
But these verses were written long before the time of
Jesus, so they must refer to certain principles. The heel
represents the activity

//page 55

of the will in the body. When one is willful the tendency
is to force the heel into the ground. When you do that you
are determined.

When you make up your mind that you are not going to be
governed by your sensations, you plunge the whole man into
spiritual consciousness, through which you are protected
from sense. All through the account of the fall of man are
found these promises of redemption, implications that man
has within him a saving consciousness.

The story of Eve symbolizes the truth that instead of
bringing forth ideas in the realm of supersubstance, the
feminine is compelled to clothe its ideas with flesh and
bring them forth in the earthly consciousness.

Having lost consciousness of God as its guiding light, the
soul turns to its highest concept of wisdom, the intellect
(husband).

The intellect, having lost contact with its inner light, is
no longer possessed of the ability to ideate direct from
God, and man is forced to cultivate the ground and toil
physically. Jesus demonstrated man's spiritual ability
when, direct from the ether as a substance base, He
produced the fishes and loaves to feed more than five
thousand persons.

//quote

Gen. 3:20. And the man called his wife's name Eve; because
she was the mother of all living.

//text

The name Eve means "elemental life," "life," "living.'' Eve
represents the soul region of man and is the mother
principle of God in expression through which life is
evolved. The I AM (wisdom) puts feeling into what it
thinks, and so Eve (feeling) becomes the "mother of all
living." Back of feeling is the pure

//page 56

life essence of God. Adam and Eve symbolize the I AM
individualized in life and substance. They are the primal
elemental forces of Being itself.

The Hebrew verb hoh, "to be being" luminous, absolute life,
which forms the basis of the name Ihoh (Jehovah) is the
basis also of the word Eve; however, due to a slight change
in characters and a hardening of the vowels, it no longer
represents absolute life, but the struggle of elementary
existence. This indicates the struggle of the soul to
regain its perfect state of existence in the Absolute, God.

//quote

Gen. 3:21. And Jehovah God made for Adam and for his wife
coats of skins, and clothed them.

//text

Man originally was connected with the warm currents of
spiritual life, but when these currents were broken by
thoughts of separation, he required protection from
external invading thoughts, hence the "coats of skins."
This need is evidenced by the outer skin covering the
sensitive nerves of our body and the danger of infection
when this covering is broken. When spiritual thought
becomes supreme in consciousness the "coat of skins" gives
way to the manifestation of the spiritual body spoken of by
Paul. Corruptible flesh is the manifestation of corrupt
ideas in mind. "Be ye transformed [changed in form] by the
renewing of your mind."

//quote

Gen. 3:22-24. And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man is
become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest
he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life,
and eat, and live for ever--therefore Jehovah God sent him
forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from
whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed

//page 57

at the east of the garden of Eden the Cherubim, and the
flame of a sword which turned every way, to keep the way of
the tree of life.

//text

"Jehovah God" is Divine Mind identified as the Christ Mind
or I AM man. "Good and evil," primarily representing the
two poles of Being, are opposite but not adverse to each
other. Man developed divine consciousness--came into an
understanding of ideas in their relation to Being
itself--and when he became involved so intensely in the
feeling or negative side of his nature, he lost
consciousness of the equilibrium of the Christ Mind. Will
became independent of wisdom, and an unbalanced condition
in both mind and body was set up. And "lest he put forth
his hand [appropriating power of mind], and take also of
the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever," using the
forces of Being toward the expression of a consciousness
adverse to the Christ Mind, omnipresent wisdom closed the
door to the within until man should again enter into the
"garden" by establishing the divine consciousness, Christ,
the Way.

The "garden" symbolizes the spiritual body in which man
dwells when he brings forth thoughts after the pattern of
the original divine ideas. This "garden" is the substance
of God. "Eden" is a state of perfect relations among the
ideas of Being. The "garden of Eden" is the divine
consciousness. Having developed a consciousness apart from
his divine nature, man must "till the ground from whence he
was taken"--that is, come into the realization of God as
the substance of his being--and express ideas in harmony
with Divine Mind. Wisdom and love are joined in God, and a
perfect balance is struck in consciousness between knowing

//page 58

and feeling when man spiritualizes his thoughts.

The "east" is the within. "Cherubim" refers to protection
of the sacred life. The inner spiritual life is protected
from the outer, coaser consciousness. The "flame of a
sword" is the divine idea or Word of God. Man unites with
the inner Word or sacred life through the Christ Mind.

//quote

Gen. 4:1-2. And the man knew Eve his wife; and she
conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man
with the help of Jehovah. And again she bare his brother
Abel, and Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller
of the ground.

//text

The story of Cain and Abel is an allegory of the movement
of certain departments of the soul or consciousness. The
name Cain means "possession." This refers directly to that
part of human consciousness which strives to acquire and
possess selfishly. Cain was a tiller of the soil, which
shows that he is of the earthly domain. The name Abel means
"breath," which places Abel in the air or spiritual realm.
The two are brothers, that is, are closely related in the
consciousness. Abel does not represent the high spiritual
consciousness but the life energy that controls the animal
functions: he was a sheep raiser. The Hindu metaphysics
would call Abel the animal soul and Cain the physical body.
Paul would call Abel the "creature" and Cain "the flesh."

//quote

Gen. 4:3-4a. And in process of time it came to pass, that
Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto
Jehovah. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his
flock and of the fat thereof.

//text

Making sacrifices unto Jehovah is symbolic of a refining

//page 59

process that is constantly going on in consciousness.
Jehovah is the one universal Mind, which is the receptacle
of all ideas and receives all. When you have a thought of
love and good will, you set free invisible emanations that
are impregnated with these ideas. These ascend to a higher
realm and form a part of your spiritual soul, at the same
time relating you to Jehovah, who is the presiding oversoul
of the race. This is the inner meaning of the offering of
sacrifices to Jehovah.

Everything in nature is going through this refining
process, and there is a constant ascension of substance to
mind and of mind to Spirit. We are taught that a time will
finally come when the whole universe will be resolved back
into its original essence in God.

//quote

Gen. 4:4b-15. And Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his
offering: but unto Cain and to his offering he had not
respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
And Jehovah said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is
thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shall it not be
lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the
door; and unto thee shall be its desire; but do thou rule
over it. And Cain told Abel his brother. And it came to
pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up
against Abel his brother, and slew him. And Jehovah said
unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know
not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou
done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from
the ground. And now cursed art thou from the ground, which
hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's blood from
thy hand; when thou tillest the ground, it shall not
henceforth yield unto thee its strength; a fugitive and a
wanderer shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto
Jehovah, My

//page 60

punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast
driven me out this day from the face of the ground; and
from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and
a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that
whosoever findeth me will slay me. And Jehovah said unto
him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be
taken on him sevenfold. And Jehovah appointed a sign for
Cain, lest any finding him should smite him.

//text

The thoughts of the mind are nearer to the Spirit than are
the emanations of the body. Hence the offering of Abel
(mind) was more acceptable to Jehovah than was that of Cain
(body). The killing out of all human sympathy and love by
the body selfishness is the slaying of Abel by Cain. When
the body demands possession of all the resources of mind,
it reduces existence to mere material living; it has slain
Abel, whose blood of life then cries from the earthly
consciousness (ground) to Jehovah for expression.

When the selfishness of the body has killed out the finer
impulses of the mind and reduced all the higher aspirations
to a material level of existence, there is no longer any
pleasure in living. Without the mind the body is a mere
machine with little sensation and makes no progress. Cain
thus tills the ground, but it yields him no strength.

The body feels its degradation, and those who get into this
degraded condition are usually miserable. Thus Cain's
punishment is great. He fears the vengeance of the other
faculties; fears that they may condemn the body (Cain) for
its impotency. But Jehovah, divine law, has fixed a limit
to this condemnation, and we are warned that we must not
destroy the body, however great its sins. This mark set
upon Cain to prevent his

//page 61

being slain is man's consciousness of his divine origin. No
matter how deep the body ego may be in transgressions, it
still bears the stamp of God and can never be killed out
entirely. We cannot kill life, for it is eternal; but we
can allow the body ego (Cain) to kill the consciousness of
life within the individual organism.

Every man, by his example and word, is his brother's
keeper. Jesus said, "Even so let your light shine before
men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father who is in heaven." This does not nullify the innate
freedom of your brother, but rather strengthens your
ability to co-operate with the good and make it manifest in
your life.

//quote

Gen. 4:16-24. And Cain went out from the presence of
Jehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch:
and he builded a city, and called the name of the city,
after the name of his son, Enoch. And unto Enoch was born
Irad; and Irad begat Mehujael; and Mehujael begat
Methushael; and Methushael begat Lamech. And Lamech took
unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the
name of the other Zillah. And Adah bare Jabal: he was the
father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle. And his
brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as
handle the harp and pipe. And Zillah, she also bare
Tubal-cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass
and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain, was Naamah. And
Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;

Ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech:

For I have slain a man for wounding me,

And a young man for bruising me:

If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold,

Truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

//text

//page 62

After he had killed Abel, Cain went out from the presence
of Jehovah (the body consciousness lost its contact with
its spiritual source) and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the
east of Eden. After any positive action of the mind there
is always an apparent negative reaction. Nod, a name
meaning "wandering with uncertainty," suggests the
seemingly unguided activity of man's subconsciousness
during periods of sleep. The fundamental idea in the word
Nod is that of uncertainty of mind, bewilderment.

The name Enoch means "founder," "centralizer."
Metaphysically it denotes entrance into and instruction in
a new state of thought or understanding.

The name Irad means "self-leading passion," "blind
whirling." Irad represents a state in the physical or body
consciousness and organism of man, the embodiment of the
stubborn, foolish, destructive, devouring--yet transitory
and fleeting--emotions and desires that are the result of
the sense man's ignorant, confused thoughts and beliefs.

The name Mehujael means "manifestation of strength,"
"physical demonstration of power." Metaphysically Mehujael
represents the belief of the outer man that strength and
power are purely physical. This belief leads to error
manifestations and demonstrations of power and strength
that always lead to trouble of some kind; and the outer,
personal man usually attributes to God the afflictions and
griefs that are the result of his own error activities.

The name Methushael means "man of God." Metaphysically
Methushael denotes the idea that man is a spiritual and
perfect being, which is inherent even in the body
consciousness of man (Cain and his descendants

//page 63

represent the body or physical consciousness). Methushael
also denotes the error thought of death, of the
disintegration of the outer organism that unenlightened man
thinks is desirable, inevitable, of God.

The name Lamech means "strength," "health," "power."
Metaphysically Lamech represents the thought of strength
and youth that is carnal and physical.

The name Adah means "beauty or comeliness," "adornment,"
"pleasure." Metaphysically Adah symbolizes a phase of the
human soul, the love nature. Love even in limited personal
consciousness and expression has its pleasing aspect
("pleasure"). The expression of it adorns one with a
certain beauty of character and a grace and comeliness that
are lacking in persons who are wanting in love.

The name Zillah means "deep," "darkness, gloom, or shadow,"
"screened," "veiled," "protected." Zillah represents the
very great or dense obscurity of thought regarding his true
spiritual nature and capabilities that exists in the soul
of the individual who is still living wholly in the outer
or sense consciousness. Lack of true and clear
understanding at this phase of unfoldment is a protection
to the individual in that it shields or screens him from
experiences that he is not yet able to meet yet would have
to face if it were possible for the full light of Truth to
enter his consciousness at this time.

The name Jabal means "a stream," "a welling up,"
"abundance." Jabal represents the transitoriness of the
outer, physical character of the man who dwells in the
animal-strength consciousness. The negative aspects of the
name--"wanderer," "passing away," "going out"--all

//page 64

imply lack of permanence. The word cattle refers to animal
strength. Stream means the "life flow."

The name Jubal means "principle of sound," "harmony,"
"melody." Jubal "was the father of all such as handle the
harp and pipe"; in other words, metaphysically he
represents a principle of harmony, which might find
expression in musical instruments. Thus Jubal symbolizes
the natural rhythm, harmony, and joy of life that are
experienced when the soul radiates grace, beauty of thought
and character, and comeliness (Adah, mother of Jubal), and
the body is healthy and strong.

The name Tubal-cain means "diffusion of Cain," "diffusion
of worldly possessions," "flowing of centralized might."
Cain represents the sense selfishness centered by an
individual in his own physical being. Tubal-cain denotes a
broadening out of the selfishness represented by Cain, or
the same selfishness operating on a broader, more universal
base. Tubal-cain is sometimes said to have been the
inventor of the art of forging metals into cutting
instruments.

The name Naamah means "amity," "social unity," "grace,"
"sweet or pleasant." Metaphysically Naamah represents the
animal soul in pleasing, harmonious combination with youth
even though the consciousness here is of the strength and
youth of the outer man.

//quote

Gen. 4:25-26. And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a
son, and called his name Seth: For, said she, God hath
appointed me another seed instead of Abel; for Cain slew
him. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he
called his name Enosh. Then began men to call upon the name
of Jehovah.

//text

//page 65

The third son of Adam and Eve, Seth, was born after the
death of Abel. The name Seth means "compensation,"
"substituted"; but more particularly it carries the idea of
settled, placed, set. The root idea is that of surrounding
sympathetic forces which envelop a thing and define its
limits. Some mystics have seen in the meaning of the name a
reference to the law of destiny: that which predetermines a
thing and settles the order of its occurrence.

While man is in a sense a creature of free will, yet in a
larger sense he is a son of God, made in His image and
likeness and destined to express and demonstrate spiritual
perfection. There is in all the universe, including man, a
balancing power of good, of protection, that causes
readjustment and healing to supervene after every
transgression of law or wandering away from that which is
wholesome and true. This is set forth very clearly in Bible
symbology and history. Every time man has wandered away,
gone to some extreme, he has experienced a reaction and
been led back to a saner standpoint. It is thus that he
evolves and grows into a full consciousness of his perfect
good. His growth in Christlikeness is greatly accelerated
however when he comes into a knowledge of the Truth that
makes him free, and begins to think and act consciously and
voluntarily in harmony with it.

The spiritual idea killed out by the carnality of Cain
(represented by his slaying of Abel) was reincarnated or
reborn in another spiritual idea (identified with the
personality of Seth), as compensation for the loss of the
original concept.

"And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he
called his name Enosh. Then began men to call

//page 66

upon the name of Jehovah." The name Enosh means "a
miserable man," "mortal man." When man comes to the end of
his personal resources and sees the nothingness of all his
efforts in the outer, apart from Spirit, he begins to look
for a higher ideal to express in his life. He calls on the
name of Jehovah. It is the activity of the awakening
spiritual ideas within him (Seth) that causes him first to
realize the futility of his human efforts to better
himself, and then to recognize the one Source of all true
uplift and good.

//quote

Gen. 5. This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the
day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he
him; male and female created he them, and blessed them, and
called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son
in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name
Seth: and the days of Adam after he begat Seth were eight
hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters. And all the
days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years:
and he died.

And Seth lived a hundred and five years, and begat Enosh:
and Seth lived after he begat Enosh eight hundred and seven
years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of
Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

And Enosh lived ninety years, and begat Kenan: and Enosh
lived after he begat Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years,
and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Enosh
were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

And Kenen lived seventy years, and begat Mahalalel: and
Kenan lived after he begat Mahalalel eight hundred and
forty years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days
of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

//page 67

And Mahalalel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:
and Mahalalel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and
thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the
days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety and five
years: and he died.

And Jared lived a hundred sixty and two years, and begat
Enoch: and Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred
years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of
Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three
hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the
days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty and five years:
and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

And Methuselah lived a hundred eighty and seven years, and
begat Lamech: and Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech
seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and
daughters: and all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred
sixty and nine years: and he died.

And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begat
a son: and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall
comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, which
cometh because of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed. And
Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and
five years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days
of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and
he died.

And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem,
Ham, and Japheth.

//text

The name Adam means "red," "ruddy," "firm." Adam is the
first man of the human race according to the Bible.
Metaphysically Adam represents the first movement in the
evolution of the man idea in its contact

//page 68

with life and substance. Adam also represents generic man;
that is, the whole human race epitomized in the typical
individual-man idea.

Adam in his original state was a spiritually illumined
creation. Spirit breathed into him continually the
necessary inspiration and knowledge to give him superior
understanding. But he began "eating" or appropriating
thoughts of two powers: God and not-God, good and evil. The
result, so the allegory runs, was that he fell away from
spiritual life and all that it involves.

Man is Spirit, absolute and unconditioned; but man forms an
Adamic consciousness into which he breathes the breath of
life; this, in its perfect expression, is the Son of man,
the expression of the divine idea. This Adam is all of what
we term soul, intellect, and body. We are continually at
work with this Adam; we can breathe into his nostrils the
breath of life, insiring him with the idea of life in all
its unlimited fullness. We can lift up this Adam by
infusing into him this sublime idea, and in no other way.

The name Seth means "substituted," "settled,"
"compensated." Seth represents the root idea of surrounding
sympathetic forces.

The name Enosh means "transient man," "mortal man." Enosh
represents the outer or body consciousness in its limited,
material, corruptible concept of the organism.

The name Kenan means "self-centered one," "possession
invading space." Kenan denotes the seemingly established
materiality of consciousness and organism. But the higher,
more spiritual thought represented by Seth is at work, and
the man, though seemingly established in materiality, is
reaching out of the lesser self

//page 69

("possession invading space") and upward toward something
that has more power to uplift, enlighten, heal, renew, and
restore than anything to be found in the material. Thus
Kenan brings forth Mahalalel.

The name Mahalalel means "mighty rising," "glory of
brightness," "praise of God." Metaphysically Mahalalel
denotes that in man which praises and blesses and glorifies
God, the good.

The name Jared means "descending," "low country."
Metaphysically Jared denotes the descent of Spirit through
praise and acknowledgment of God (Mahalalel, father of
Jared), into the seemingly earthly or physical in man ("low
ground") in order to lift man wholly into spiritual
consciousness (Enoch, son of Jared).

The name Enoch means "founder," "instructor," "repentance."
Enoch walked with God and did not die. He was translated
into the spiritual consciousness. Enoch represents entrance
into and instruction in the new life in Christ.

The name Methuselah means "man of the sword," "sting of
death." Methuselah has the record of having lived in the
earthly body longer than any other man. Metaphysically
Methuselah denotes a quick, piercing thought or word
("sword," "dart") of life, power, and oneness with God,
which while it causes a renewal of youth to a degree and
serves to lengthen one's life in the body, does not become
abiding enough in the consciousness at the Methuselah stage
of man's unfoldment to put away the appearance of death
entirely.

The name Lamech means "strong young man," "health,"
"power." Metaphysically Lamech represents the strength of
youth, the vital something in us that

//page 70

overcomes thoughts and tendencies leading to dissolution.
The vital life principle constantly inspires us from within
to keep on living. This thought of youth was in Lamech, the
father of Noah, and it found expression in Noah. The
strength and youth symbolized by the Lamech descended from
Adam through Cain is carnal and physical. The Lamech
descended from Adam through Seth, which God sent to replace
Abel, represents a higher, a more spiritual understanding.

Lamech signifies the principle of life, which not only
tends to keep one alive in the body but also brings about
the building of a new body and re-entrance into manifest
existence for each one who lets go of his consciousness of
life in the body for a time.

The name Noah means "rest," "calm," "peace." Noah was the
son of Lamech, the "strong young man." It is in the
strength of our youth that we idealize the material and
attach our spiritual enthusiasm to the things of sense. But
the law of reaction sets in: Noah (rest) finds "favor in
the eyes of Jehovah." If in the strength of your youth you
have indulged in the things of sense, the law of spiritual
equilibrium (the Lord, Jehovah) is now working itself out
in a "rest" and you may have bodily ills. Thus your race of
wicked thoughts is drowned and your earth cleansed. Noah
can also denote the obedience through which seed for a new
state of consciousness is saved. Again Noah represents the
consciousness at rest in God (Gen. 6:9). In Genesis 6:10
the sons of Noah represent typical states of mind. Shem
("renowned") represents the spiritual; Ham ("warm")
represents the physical mind, and Japheth ("extended")
represents the intellect or reason.

//page 71

//section Chapter 4

Chapter IV

The Reaction to Sense Living

Genesis 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11

//text

THE RESULT of sense living is the resistance that is a part
of man's consciousness. The mind of man is constantly at
work, and this work results in the production of thought
forms. These thought forms assume individual definiteness;
they take on personality. They are aggregated into a
composite mind, which works out into the body. Whenever a
new idea is introduced into the mind, the personality is
disturbed. It resists; but the spiritual idea is always
more powerful than the personal, and with this resistance
comes more or less commotion in the consciousness.

Those who have entered into this process of spiritual
evolution, or what Jesus called the regeneration, are
prepared for the reception of these divine new ideas, and
instead of resisting they say with Jesus, "Not my will, but
thine, be done." This attitude opens the way for the easy
advent into their consciousness of God ideas and leads to
an inspiration or steady flow of ideas into it. In this way
the sense consciousness is being transformed or lifted up,
and the new man appears while the old man is sloughed off.
This is crucifixion. The assimilation of the new ideas
leads to resurrection and finally to ascension.

There have been many floods upon the earth, and nearly
every people has traditions of a time when to

//page 72

them "the whole earth" was engulfed in a great deluge.
Geologists are agreed that there have been many deluges in
the history of the earth. But these do not necessarily
refer to the Flood of Genesis, nor do they corroborate it
as history.

As history the story of the great rain in Genesis is very
uncertain, and from a historical standpoint we should gain
but little of value from its study. But as a symbolic
description of certain habits of thought both in the
individual and in the race and of the result of those
habits of thought in consciousness, we can profit much from
the story's study.

When we observe cloud formations over the earth we can be
sure that rain is indicated. The wind may blow the clouds
away from the immediate vicinity, but some other part of
the earth will get the rain. "Clouds" formed by ignorant or
erroneous thinking also indicate a coming storm. The effect
of untrue thoughts may become manifest in any part of the
body.

The trials and reverses in the life of an individual can be
traced to a definite cause in his thinking. In it there has
been some error of belief or some confusion of thought,
which in its natural course under the law has worked itself
into outer expression as in apparent loss, an accident, a
disappointment, or a disease. We deplore the condition, yet
see in it two possibilities of good. First the
manifestation has fulfilled the law and provided an avenue
of escape for the pent-up error within, and secondly, it
has taught a valuable lesson. There is small comfort in the
thought that an earthquake has relieved a strained and
abnormal condition in the earth's crust. Yet when we look a
little deeper we see that a strained and abnormal condition
in the

//page 73

race thought that had to become manifest has been relieved
and the race consciousness is the better for it.

//quote

Gen. 6:1-7. And it came to pass, when men began to multiply
on the face of the ground, and daughters were born unto
them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that
they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they
chose. And Jehovah said, My Spirit shall not strive with
man for ever, for that he also is flesh: yet shall his days
be a hundred and twenty years. The Nephilim were in the
earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of
God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare
children to them: the same were the mighty men that were of
old, the men of renown.

And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the
earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually. And it repented Jehovah
that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at
his heart. And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have
created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast,
and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it
repenteth me that I have made them.

//text

When we lower our ideals to a material basis, "the sons of
God" are taking unto themselves wives of "the daughters of
men." "Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in
the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of
his heart was only evil continually." When we join
spiritual faculties like faith, will, and imagination to
material surroundings and personalities and sensual
desires, we are falling short of the law of Being, which is
that these higher faculties shall draw from the formless
and be joined to that realm. The Nephilim represent
spiritual ideas (sons of God) uniting with psychical forces
to

//page 74

bring forth unregenerated physical forces. To unite
spiritual ideas with sensual images is in direct opposition
to divine law and in the Scripture is termed "wickedness."

When the wrong use of the spiritual faculties reaches a
certain limit, the law (Lord) of our being begins to
regulate the consciousness. Outraged nature reacts; a
destruction of the false, man-made condition sets in. This
it is which is symbolized in the Book of Genesis by the
"flood" of Noah.

//quote

Gen. 6:8-17. But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous
man, and perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God.
And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And the
earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with
violence. And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was
corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the
earth.

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before
me; for the earth is filled with violence through them;
and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee
an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark,
and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this
is how thou shalt make it: the length of the ark three
hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the
height of it thirty cubits. A light shalt thou make to the
ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward; and the
door of the ark shall thou set in the side thereof; with
lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. And I,
behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to
destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from
under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die.

//text

Lamech, the name of Noah's father, is a name

//page 75

signifying "a strong young man," and the name Noah means
"rest." In the days of our youth we idealize the material
world and devote our spiritual faculties to the things of
sense. This devotion becomes so complete that we no longer
use our spiritual faculties for their proper functions on
the spiritual plane. This results in abnormal conditions,
and the balance must be restored. A reaction sets in and
there is a flood of seemingly adverse experiences. But Noah
(rest) finds "favor in the eyes of Jehovah."

One who has indulged the strength of youth (Lamech) in
pursuing the things of sense until under the law of
spiritual equilibrium he begins to require rest (Noah) may
have bodily ills. The cross-currents of thought have
brought about a precipitation of negation in the body
consciousness, caused by wicked or error thoughts clashing
with the spiritually positive ideas. This is followed by
the "flood," which drowns out the material thoughts and
cleanses the "earth."

Science teaches that man's body contains all the elements
that are found in the earth. This gives rise to the thought
of "ashes to ashes, dust to dust." Religion however goes a
step farther and says that man is the epitome of Being,
that he is like his Maker in spirit, soul, and body, the
image and likeness of God. If man's body is of the same
character as the earth, it is in some of its aspects like
its prototype. The earth's surface is three fourths water
and the body is about eighty per cent water. This is a
major negative condition that needs but little augmenting
to cause an overflow or a "flood." Only our positive
spiritual thoughts hold back a deluge, and once there is an
overbalance

//page 76

the negative is let loose and there is great destruction.
There is no stopping this flood by any material means, and
one who is spiritually wise will not fear it but rather
rejoice in the body cleansing it brings about.

Just as the earth's waters evaporate and surround it with
clouds of mist, so the mists and clouds of life surround
man's body. As the physical forces move on these mists and
clouds of earth, so do the mental forces move on and cause
the invisible ethers to condense and flood the body with
its own negative thoughts. The poetic words "A flood of
thoughts came o'er me" is no metaphor but a physiological
fact. When mind and body reach a certain tenseness or
strained condition, the law forces a conjunction, and a
flood is certain to follow. This is exemplified by what is
called a "nervous breakdown." Someone has said that America
is fast becoming a nation of neurotics. We certainly need
this lesson of Noah (rest) to learn to let go of physical
tenseness and material things. This rest can be attained
only when we realize that our faculties are spiritual and
must seek spiritual expression.

Man is an epitome of all that exists in Being, even as
regards the Spirit of God, which is inspired in him. But
man is a free agent. He can open his mind to the divine
intelligence and know the creative law or he can work out
his unfoldment through blind experimentation. Our race is
in the experimental stage. In our ignorance we transgress
the law to the very limit, and then, a great reaction sets
in; a general condition that is negative to the point of
dissolution. Then that in us which always looks obediently
to God in an extremity

//page 77

is awakened and we seek the divine law. This obedient
disposition is represented by Noah, through whom the seed
of a new state of consciousness is saved.

//quote

Gen. 6:18-22. But I will establish my covenant with thee;
and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and
thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. And of every
living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou
bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they
shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind,
and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing
of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come
unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of
all food that is eaten, and gather it to thee; and it shall
be food for thee, and for them. Thus did Noah; according to
all that God commanded him, so did he.

//text

The only refuge from this "flood" is the ark of Jehovah.
The ark represents a positive, saving state of
consciousness, which agrees with or forms a covenant with
the principle of Being, with subconscious inspiration, with
Christ. This ark is the product of "rest," "abiding"
(Noah), in the spiritual part of us, right in the midst of
the flood of error. Noah heeded not the jeers of the people
about him but rested on the promise of God.

Your ark must be built on a scientific understanding of the
truth as regards the presence, power, and wisdom of God.
This is suggested by the mathematical dimensions prescribed
for the ark. Your ark is built on affirmations of what you
are in Spirit. You take with you into the ark your wife,
your sons and their wives (spiritual principles inhering in
the soul),

//page 78

and "of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort"
(male and female or positive and negative activities of
life in the organism).

The idea of divine Truth must be fed with true affirmations
as you are being lifted up and above the flood of error
thoughts that surge about you. In due time the waters of
negation will subside and enable you to walk forth and to
people the "earth" of your body with new and better ideas.

In case the error thoughts destroy the body of flesh, the
ark represents the new body that the mind spiritually
projects and that forms the basis of the organism in the
new incarnation.

The story of Noah and the Flood portrays in wonderful
symbolism the manner in which one of the faculties of being
operates in unfolding the perfect man. The faculty of
renunciation is twofold in action: it eliminates the error,
and it expands the good. The name Noah connotes the sweet
rest and quiet comfort that come after the soul has worked
out some of its problems in consciousness and has perceived
that there is an original spark of divinity in man that is
most sacred and holy and that man's spiritual development
consists in the expansion of this original divine spark.
Jehovah, the image-and-likeness man created by Elohim God,
recognizes only the good and instructs His Adam man to open
his consciousness to good thoughts and to cleanse his
consciousness from all evil by the flood waters of denial.

Man is making his body temple an eternal dwelling place for
the soul. His goal is to bring into expression the kingdom
of the heavens and to establish it within himself. To do
this he needs to realize that the old is

//page 79

constantly passing away and the new constantly coming in
according to the outworking of the law. He should not
resist this change but rather assist in bringing it about.
We are born daily and we die daily in some phase of
consciousness. Some errors may stick in our mind for a
while, but when new light is born in consciousness, old
thoughts are carried away by Noah's Flood.

//quote

Gen. 7:1-24. And Jehovah said unto Noah, Come thou and all
thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous
before me in this generation. Of every clean beast thou
shalt take to thee seven and seven, the male and his
female; and of the beasts that are not clean two, the male
and his female; of the birds also of the heavens, seven and
seven, male and female, to keep seed alive upon the face of
all the earth. For yet seven days, and I will cause it to
rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every
living thing that I have made will I destroy them off the
face of the ground. And Noah did according unto all that
Jehovah commanded him.

And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters
was upon the earth. And Noah went in, and his sons, and his
wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because
of the waters of the flood. Of clean beasts, and of beasts
that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that
creepeth upon the ground, there went in two and two unto
Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah.
And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters
of the flood were upon the earth. In the six hundredth year
of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day
of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the
great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were
opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and
forty nights.

//page 80

In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and
Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three
wives of his sons with them, into the ark; they, and every
beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind,
and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after
its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of
every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two
and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life. And
they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as
God commanded him: and Jehovah shut him in. And the flood
was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased,
and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth.
And the waters prevailed, and increased greatly upon the
earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And
the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all
the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were
covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and
the mountains were covered. And all flesh died that moved
upon the earth, both birds, and cattle, and beasts, and
every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and
every man: all in whose nostrils was the breath of the
spirit of life, of all that was on dry land, died. And
every living thing was destroyed that was upon the face of
the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping things, and
birds of the heavens; and they were destroyed from the
earth: and Noah only was left, and they that were with him
in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth a
hundred and fifty days.

//text

"The rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights."
The number 40 is made up of the number 4, representing
unlimited freedom of action, and the cipher, 0,
representing unlimited capacity of action. This number is
used where a definite time cannot be

//page 81

given. "Day" and "night" represent periods of understanding
and lack of understanding, succeeding each other during the
"forty" period. The number of Noah's age, 600, represents
an established degree of spiritual unfoldment. The number 7
represents the evolution and fulfillment of the spiritual
law of man on the natural plane.

(For further interpretation of this material see comments
on Gen. 6:8-22.)

//quote

Gen. 8:1-3. And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts,
and all the cattle that were with him in the ark: and God
made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters
assuaged; the fountains also of the deep and the windows of
heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was
restrained; and the waters returned from off the earth
continually: and after the end of a hundred and fifty days
the waters decreased.

//text

This Scripture describes symbolically a change in
consciousness from the negative to the positive state. A
certain set of negative thoughts run their course and the
restorative thought forces are in evidence.

//quote

Gen. 8:4-6. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the
seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountain of Ararat.
And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month:
in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the
tops of the mountains seen.

And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah
opened the window of the ark which he had made:

//text

Ararat symbolizes resting in a state of consciousness high
above the physical plane, where one gets a wide perspective
of material things. It is the place of rest

//page 82

(Noah) that one arrives at through understanding and that
follows turbulence, tribulation, and a flood of negative
conditions.

The number 7 represents fullness in the world of phenomena.
It always refers to the divine law of perfection for the
divine-natural man. As man lays hold of the indwelling
Christ, the Saviour, he is raised out of the Adam
consciousness. He then enters the seventh stage of his
unfoldment, where he finds rest and peace. It is the
seventh or perfect stage of man's natural development.

The ark reaches the seventh stage of unfoldment in a high
consciousness, which brings a certain measure of peace and
rest.

//quote

Gen. 8:7-14. And he sent forth a raven, and it went forth
to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the
earth. And he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the
waters were abated from off the face of the ground; but the
dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she
returned unto him to the ark; for the waters were on the
face of the whole earth: and he put forth his hand, and
took her, and brought her in unto him into the ark. And he
stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the
dove out of the ark; and the dove came in to him at
eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off:
so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the
earth. And he stayed yet other seven days, and sent forth
the dove; and she returned not again unto him any more.

And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in
the first month, the first day of the month, the waters
were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the
covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of
the ground was dried. And in the second month, on the seven
and twentieth

//page 83

day of the month, was the earth dry.

//text

When we begin to realize that we have attained a new and
high state of consciousness we are more or less in doubt as
to its stability. This uncertainty is symbolized by the
raven. The seven days' wait means that we test the
principles of the sevenfold law.

Then we send forth the dove, which represents peace of mind
and confidence in the divine law. The dove is nonresistant:
we rest in the Spirit. The dove brings back a green olive
leaf (which represents the beginning of a new growth). We
start on a new cycle of unfoldment.

//quote

Gen. 8:15-22. And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth
from the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy
sons' wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living
thing that is with thee of all flesh, both birds, and
cattle, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the
earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be
fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. And Noah went forth,
and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:
every beast, every creeping things, and every bird,
whatsoever moveth upon the earth, after their families,
went forth out of the ark.

And Noah builded an alter unto Jehovah, and took of every
clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered
burnt-offerings on the altar. And Jehovah smelled the sweet
savor; and Jehovah said in his heart, I will not again
curse the ground any more for man's sake, for that the
imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither
will I again smite any more everything living, as I have
done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and
cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night
shall not cease.

//text

//page 84

The altar in this case represents an abiding resolution of
the spiritual-minded one (Noah) who makes a covenant with
the Lord to continue to "sacrifice" his sensations or
transmute them on the spiritual plane. The spiritual-minded
person should have his daily meditations and prayers,
during which he lifts up all his states of consciousness,
both masculine and feminine, seeking to know the reality
back of appearances and to restore them to the Lord. This
is symbolized by the daily sacrifice of the animals that
came out of the ark. Thus the body is secured against the
results of another universal judgment of error thoughts.

//quote

Gen. 9:1-7. And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said
unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the
earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be
upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the
heavens; with all wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the
fishes of the sea, into your hand are they delivered. Every
moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; as the
green herb have I given you all. But flesh with the life
thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And
surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require;
at the hand of every beast will I require it: and at the
hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, will
I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by
man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made
He man. And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth
abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

//text

Noah (the consciousness), with his sons (states of mind),
after the Flood (his purification) is very closely related
to God.

The "flood" cleanses man of certain cloudy states of mind,
and he begins to see that he lives on three

//page 85

planes of consciousness, represented by Noah's three sons:
Ham, whose name means "hot," typifying body mind; Shem,
whose name means "renowned," typifying Spirit-mind, and
Japheth, whose name means "extended and wide," typifying
the intellect. He also sees that his body mind organizes a
fourth plane, that of the visible flesh, Canaan.

The matter of food is also to be solved. "Every moving
thing that liveth shall be food for you; as the green herb
have I given you all." The wording implies that green herbs
are to be the food of both man and animal. But the next
command is "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the
blood thereof, shall ye not eat." The importance of the
living element in blood is its soul (Hebrew nephesh), which
becomes part of man's soul when he eats the blood of
animals. This is forbidden, hence to this day orthodox
Hebrews drain the blood from the animal flesh before it is
offered for food. It is also significant that green herbs
are now recommended for food for both animals and man. When
we eat of the flesh of animals as popularly prepared we
appropriate the soul of the animal as well as the body, and
our soul is mentally impregnated with animal tendencies. As
Byron said, "the eating of meat makes me savage."

God covenants or agrees to bless the purified consciousness
and its realm of ideas (seed). Every idea (living creature)
that is illumined of Spirit--even an idea relating to the
body consciousness (earth)--is blessed when man knows the
creative law and operates in accord with it.

Once the consciousness has been cleansed and man has
awakened to his spiritual nature, he is saved

//page 86

through obedience to divine law and is no longer subject to
dissolution through negative means. This "covenant," which
is eternal, is with those who give up mind and body to the
keeping of divine law. The "bow" signifies the orderly
arrangement of ideas in Divine Mind and their perfect
manifestation. One who is poised in Truth rests in the
consciousness of God's presence even in the midst of error
(the cloud).

//quote

Gen. 9:8-19. And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with
him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with
you, and with your seed after you; and with every living
creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every
beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of the ark,
even every beast of the earth. And I will establish my
covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any
more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any
more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is
the token of the covenant which I make between me and you
and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual
generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be
for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it
shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth,
that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, and I will
remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every
living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more
become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be
in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember
the everlasting covenant between God and every living
creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said
unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant which I have
established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

And the sons of Noah, that went forth from the ark, were
Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of
Canaan. These three were the sons

//page 87

of Noah: and of these was the whole earth over-spread.

//text

God made a covenant with Noah that the earth should not
again be flooded, and the rainbow was given as a sign of
this covenant. The rainbow as a token of the covenant
between God and the earth involves the law of obedience. It
is also symbolic of the human race and of the law of unity.
The rainbow is formed of many drops of water, each of which
acts as a prism, receiving light from the sun and
transmitting it by refraction. Each drop represents a human
being and the whole race. Only as the drops refract the
sun's rays do they become visible and only as man
"refracts" God does he make his demonstration.

The seven colors of the solar spectrum are produced by
different rates of vibration of a universal energy that in
its myriad activities makes the visible universe.

When man is like Noah, obedient to the guidance of God, he
is never flooded by negative conditions. When the whole
race enters into this obedience, the perfect principles of
unity and God refraction and reflection will be forever
established. The rainbow is the sign of this state in which
we shall all form with our obedient mind a circle of
natural perfection. As the rainbow connects the heavens and
the earth, so the state of perfect obedience and unity in
Spirit brings the earth and the kingdom of the heavens
together as one.

//quote

Gen. 9:20-29. And Noah began to be a husbandman, and
planted a vineyard: and he drank of the wine, and was
drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the
father of Canaan,

//page 88

saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren
without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it
upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered
the nakedness of their father; and their faces were
backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. And
Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son
had done unto him. And he said,

Cursed be Canaan;

A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

And he said,

Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem;

And let Canaan be his servant.

God enlarge Japheth,

And let him dwell in the tents of Shem;

And let Canaan be his servant.

And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty
years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty
years: and he died.

//text

Noah had planted a vineyard, and he drank of the wine: took
into his physical nature the juice of the grape. This is
symbolical of the new spiritual life that is still
contaminated by the sense consciousness. Noah had given his
attention to the cultivation of the vineyard (earth
consciousness) rather than the cultivation of the spiritual
consciousness. More thoroughly to explain what the
drunkenness of Noah signifies we must resolve the allegory
into its spiritual elements.

Noah became "uncovered" or naked (lost his garment of
Truth) because he mixed sense (artificial) stimulants with
the new wine of life, Spirit. His cultivation of the life
force in this physical manner is like the work of some of
our physical scientists. Athletes cultivate the physical in
an effort to increase the flow of life force and imagine
that the physical side is

//page 89

the whole thing. Instead of illuminating Noah or giving him
life the wine put him to sleep. He was intoxicated with
error thought, and this opened his consciousness to
negation. The higher man saw at once that he was not
expressing spiritual Truth.

Although the sons of Noah were supposed to be on a higher
plane than he, yet they were also in sense consciousness in
a measure, and this is especially true of Ham. Now there is
a higher and lower physical consciousness, and the name of
Canaan, Ham's son, is introduced to symbolize the lower
physical thought, the organized body. Ham saw the ignorance
and the nakedness that sense thinking had produced in his
father but did nothing to remedy it, nor did he try to
extenuate the uncovering in any way. To Ham the thing was
more or less a joke, and he told his brothers about it,
evidently in a scandalous way. This reveals that man cannot
get spiritual life out of material thought.

Shem, representing the Spirit in man, and Japheth,
representing the intellectual nature, have pity on their
father (man) because of his exposure of his nakedness and
sensuality and try to cover it up without seeing it as a
reality. They put a garment over their shoulders and walk
backward and spread it over their father's nakedness. They
do not view the occurrence as a reality.

When Noah awoke from his wine--that is, returned to his
spiritual consciousness--his first words were "Cursed be
Canaan." Canaan means "lowland" and represents the body
consciousness. "A servant of servants shall he be unto his
brethren," he said, thus placing the stamp of materiality
upon the body consciousness

//page 90

and showing that it cannot give spiritual life.

But Noah said to the God of Shem, "Let Canaan be his
servant"; that is, let the flesh come under the dominion of
the spiritual man. Of Japheth Noah said, "Let him dwell in
the tents of Shem"; that is, let the intellectual man dwell
under the protection of the spiritual man, not as a servant
but as a younger brother. Thus the physical mind (Ham) and
the body (Canaan) come under the dominion of both the
intellectual man and the spiritual man, the I AM itself.

The sons of Noah represent the positive, permanent thoughts
that rise above the negative, wicked conditions, even the
catastrophe of death (the Flood), and come down to earth
again. In other words, they are carried over and
reincarnated when the soul again takes on a body of flesh.

In order to get the most from physical man we must seek to
develop him along spiritual lines. When the spiritual man
(Noah) begins a new cycle, a new evolution in physical
consciousness (after the cleansing of the "flood") he must
give attention to the impact of the ideas put into the body
consciousness, select carefully his food and drink, and
refuse to give himself to the sense consciousness in any
way.

We find the 10th chapter of Genesis to be devoted to
genealogy. It gives an account of the descendents of Noah
and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

//quote

Gen. 10:1-32. Now these are the generations of the sons of
Noah, namely, of Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were
sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and
Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech,

//page 91

and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Riphath,
and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish,
and Kittim, and Dodanim. Of these were the isles of the
nations divided in their lands, every one after his tongue,
after their families, in their nations.

And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and
Canaan. And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and
Sabtah, and Raamah, Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah: Sheba,
and Dedan. And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty
one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before Jehovah:
wherefore it is said, Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before
Jehovah. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and
Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of
that land he went forth into Assyria, and builded Nineveh,
and Rehoboth-Ir, and Calah, and Resen, between Nineveh and
Calah (the same is the great city). And Mizraim begat
Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, and
Pathrusim, and Casluhim (whence went forth the
Philistines), and Caphtorim.

And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born, and Heth, and the
Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, and the
Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, and the Arvadite,
and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the
families of the Canaanite spread abroad. And the border of
the Canaanite was from Sidon, as thou goest toward Gerar,
unto Gaza; as thou goest toward Sodom and Gomorrah and
Admah and Zeboiim, unto Lasha. These are the sons of Ham,
after their families, after their tongues, in their lands,
in their nations.

And unto Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the
elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born.
The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and
Lud, and Aram. And the sons of Aram: Uz, and Hul, and
Gether, and Mash. And Arpachshad begat Shelah; and Shelah

//page 92

begat Eber. And unto Eber was born two sons: the name of
the one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided;
and his brother's name was Joktan. And Joktan begat
Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, and
Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, and Obal, and Abimael, and
Sheba, and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were
the sons of Joktan. And their dwelling was from Mesha, as
thou goest toward Sephar, the mountain of the east. These
are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their
tongues, in their lands, after their nations.

These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their
generations, in their nations: and of these were the
nations divided in the earth after the flood.

//text

The name Shem means "upright," "renowned," "splendor,"
"name." Metaphysically Shem represents the spiritual in man.

The name Ham means "oblique," "curved," "inferior," "hot,"
"blackened." Metaphysically Ham represents the physical in
man, given over to sensuality.

The name Japheth means "extended and wide," "increase,"
"expansion," "unfoldment," "extends without limitation."
Metaphysically Japheth represents the intellect or reason,
the mental realm. To "extend without limitation" this realm
would have to extend into the spiritual.

Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, represent the
spiritual, the physical, and the mental in man.

The names of the "sons of Japheth" follow:

The name Gomer means "organic accumulation," "finished or
perfected," "ended." Gomer represents human reason in its
greatest perfection and completion; but by reasoning alone
man cannot reach spiritual wisdom

//page 93

and Truth or come in conscious touch with God, Spirit.

The name Magog means "region of God," "from the upper,
i.e., north," "extreme extension." Symbolically Magog
represents the satanic or selfish thought force in human
consciousness warring against the true thought force that
springs from the ideas that Jesus taught and demonstrated.

The name Madai means "sufficiency," "indefinite capacity,"
"middle portion." Madai represents the phase of being in
man that lies between the outer or conscious thinking mind
and the superconscious mind or Spirit; the psychic realm.

The name Javan means "the East," "the dove," "warmth,"
"fertility," "mire," "deception." Javan symbolizes the
human or personal intellect in man and one of its governing
characteristics, the deceptive, error belief that
understanding is gained through the impressions of the
senses in contact with the outer world and through books,
teachers, and experience rather than through the Spirit of
God within the soul of man. In the broadest sense Javan
also represents the spiritual phase of intelligence or
illumined and inspired intellect, hence the idea of the
East, of fertility and productiveness.

The name Tubal signifies "diffusive motion," "welling,"
"triumphal song." Tubal represents the expanding
possibilities of the consciousness of man, with the joy and
the good that result from increased understanding.

The name Meshech means "perceptibility," "drawing out,"
"deducing." Meshech stands for perception through the
senses, judgment according to appearances,

//page 94

and the work of the mind in conceiving ideas and in drawing
conclusions.

The name Tiras means "determination of forms," "thought,"
"imagination," "desire." Metaphysically Tiras represents
the imagination or formative faculty of man made active in
the mind of the individual by the inner longing of the soul
(desire), whichever leads to unfoldment Godward. As the
seventh son of Japheth, Tiras represents a certain fullness
or completeness of that which Japheth symbolizes, the
mental phase of man's being. The power to think, to image
in the mind, is the formative power in man.

The names of "the sons of Gomer," with their meaning,
follow:

The name Ashkenaz means "fire that spreads," "latent fire,"
"hidden fire." Ashkenaz represents the life thought formed
in Spirit, the "fire that spreads" to assist in doing away
with the confused state of mind represented by Babylon.
When the life thought is taken up consciously by man it
extends quickly to the whole consciousness, overthrowing
sense confusion and its inharmonies. Fire stands for
cleansing and purification and is generally used in the
Bible as a symbol of the destruction of evil and error.

The name Riphath signifies "centrifugal force," "spoken
word," "pardon," "healing." Riphath symbolizes the power
actively expressing itself through the will and the word.
This power, though more mental than spiritual, is refining
and healing.

The name Togarmah means "centralizing energy,"
"gravitation," "hard," "strong." Togarmah represents
strength and a drawing, centralizing force or energy; a
force or energy of the intellect rather than of the inner

//page 95

spiritual understanding and therefore characterized by very
great hardness and selfishness.

The names of "the sons of Javan" are given here:

The name Elishah means "God firmly establishes,"
"uprightness of God," "God saves." Even the human reason
acknowledges that God is the saving power of His people.
The intellectual powers of man are human and they are
deceptive. Yet they are productive on their own plane; and
Elishah represents the power back of the intellect that
knows God to be the one true helping, sustaining, saving
power in man.

The name Tarshish means "precipitating force," "hard,"
"severity." Tarshish symbolizes the hard, unyielding,
argumentative tendency that is characteristic of the purely
intellectual and reasoning nature in man when unmixed with
divine love and the softening influence of spiritual wisdom.

The name Kittim signifies "the cut off," "the rejected,"
"outsiders." Kittim represents a phase of the outer,
sense-reasoning mind in man, as opposed to the inner, true
spiritual understanding. This phase of thought must be cut
off, rejected, by the individual who would progress
spiritually, since it is an "outsider," uncivilized and
reprobate as far as Truth is concerned.

The name Dodanim means "confederates," "the elect,"
"lovable," "pleasing." Dodanim represents unifying thoughts
of a very excellent character belonging to the intellect in
man.

These are the names of "the sons of Ham":

The name Cush means "burned," "blackened," "firelike." Cush
represents the darkened thought in which man has held his
body and its activities, the seemingly mortal, physical
part of himself. But this

//page 96

all changes as he perceives the Truth and holds in mind the
perfect-body idea.

The name Mizraim means "limitation," "bondage,"
"tribulation." Mizraim is symbolical of the sense belief
that the life as well as the organism of man is bound in
materiality and that man is subject to sorrows and to all
forms of error that hinder him from receiving good.

The name Put signifies "state of being stifled,"
"asphyxiation or suffocation." Put represents the darkened,
sorrowful, and very material dying state of mind and body
that results from a lack of spiritual inspiration, of the
inbreathing and understanding of Spirit.

The name Canaan means "material existence," "realized
nothingness," "lowland," "inferior." Canaan thus represents
the body consciousness; the fleshly organism and tendencies
of man; the physical rather than the spiritual. We also
think of Canaan as denoting the subconsciousness.

Here are the names of "the sons of Cush," with their
meaning:

The name Seba signifies "radical mixture," "vital fluid,"
"intoxicated." Seba represents intemperate desire
expressing itself in the body consciousness. The Seba
thought or state of thought is not poised, moderate, or
well balanced as regards anything; it goes to extremes,
especially in the indulgence of the appetites and desires
of the flesh.

The name Havilah means "struggle of elementary life,"
"virtue born of trial." Havilah symbolizes the effort, the
travail, the trials that are necessary to bring into
manifestation the inner spiritual possibilities that lie
back of and are wrapped up in the seemingly material
organism.

//page 97

The name Sabtah means "determining motion," "a trun,"
"orbit." Sabtah represents the general cyclical trend of
the activity of the sensual in man. Led away by outer
seeming, man has through the exercise of his personal will
set up a course of action in sense consciousness that falls
short of the divine ideal and is contentious and
destructive.

The name Raamah signifies "moved with agitation,"
"trembling," "quaking." Raamah represents the result or
fruit of the ignorant thought of the sense man regarding
his body. This result takes the shape of the nameless
fears, inner trembling, and un-Godlike emotions that the
sense man experiences.

The significance of the name Sabteca is the same as that of
Sabtah but greatly intensified.

The following are the names of "the sons of Raamah":

The name Sheba means "rest or repose," "stability,"
"restoration." Sheba represents a thought of wholeness or
fullness on some plane of existence. Whether this thought
belongs to the inner man or the outer man depends on who
the person in the Bible name Sheba is and on his descent,
history, or activities. If the activities are constructive
or if he owns descent from Shem he represents higher and
more spiritual thoughts than if the activities are not
constructive and he is descended from Ham.

The name Dedan means "mutual attraction," "selective
affinity," "physical love." Dedan refers to a phase of
physical or animal attraction and affection.

The names of the children of Cush, with their meaning, are
given here:

The name Nimrod means "self-ruling will," "rebellion."

//page 98

Nimrod denotes the rule of the personal will in the animal
forces of the organism; also a material belief in courage
and might.

The name Babel signifies "court of Baal," "confusion,"
"chaos," "vanity." When man thinks that he can comprehend
and contract the divine in outer or purely mental or
psychic ways the result is always confusion.

The name Erech means "long," "extended," "slack"; in a good
sense, "prolonged," "lasting." Erech represents a state of
consciousness in which, because of long and extended
material thinking the natural, inherent wholeness and
goodness of man is conceived by him entirely in terms of
the material, bringing about the disastrous results of
error in body and affairs.

The name Accad signifies "castle," "fortress," "highland."
Accad represents a fixed state of belief that protection,
great strength, exalted position, and superiority are to be
attained through the intellectual and the physical alone.

The name Calneh signifies "complete concentration,"
"centralized ambition." Calneh represents selfishness, a
centering in self; also confidence in material conditions
rather than trust in God.

The name Shinar signifies "two rivers," "divided stream,"
"divided mind." Shinar represents a belief in two powers,
an evil as well as a good one, and the error results.

Assyria represents the reasonings, philosophical as well as
physical, that do not recognize a spiritual head of the
universe but are based on sense observation.

The name Nineveh means "exterior growth," "coordination,"

//page 99

"education of youth." Nineveh represents the seat of the
natural animal forces in man's body consciousness. The
people of Nineveh were not willfully wicked; they were only
awaiting spiritual instruction that would turn their
attention away from the outer and material to God.

Rehoboth-Ir ("broad places," "enlargements," "forums")
symbolizes thoughts of a broadening, increasing nature,
principally on the intellectual or mental plane in the
individual.

The name Calah signifies "completed," "integrity," "an
ancient." Calah represents a state of consciousness built
about the belief that age (in terms of years) and
experience bring balanced judgment and fullness or
perfection.

The name Resen means "executive power," "control from
above," "restraint." Resen indicates recognition by the
natural man that there is a higher guiding, ruling,
judging, restraining power in his life than that of the
purely human and material.

The name Ludim signifies "travails," "conception,"
"nativity or physical birth." Ludim represents man's
material beliefs regarding the origin and continuation of
the race; also the expression of these beliefs.

The name Anamim means "statues," "rockmen," "fountains."
Anamim represents hard, material thoughts about life
("fountains"). Such thoughts aid in building a corruptible
body, a mere statue in so far as its being truly alive
through union with the divine source of all life is
concerned.

The name Lehabim means "inflamed uprisings," "passionate."
Lehabim represents the life of the seemingly material and
physical organism activated wholly

//page 100

by the tendencies and desires of the outer animal man.

Naphtuhim ("the opened," "the hollow," "the empty ones")
represent empty thoughts of lack, thoughts that the
physical man is wholly material.

The name Pathrusim signifies "region of the south," "broken
into fragments," "dust." The Pathrusim represent thoughts
belonging to a state of mind that, though there is good in
it, is still in darkness so far as the individual is
consciously or subconsciously concerned.

The name Casluhim signifies "tried for atonement,"
"forgiveness of sins," "hopes of life." The thought
represented by Casluhim is that man's outer consciousness
evolves, unfolds, Godward by means of trials, testings, and
experience.

The name Philistines signifies "transitory," "migrating,"
"wandering." The Philistines represent forces foreign to
Spirit. The five great cities of the Philistines ruled by
"lords" denote the five senses under the dominion of
thoughts foreign to Spirit (strangers, foreigners).

The name Caphtorim means "converts," "converters."
Caphtorim represents changing, growing, unfolding thoughts
that belong to the seemingly physical in man.

The name Sidon signifies "catching of fish," "providing,"
"hunter." Sidon symbolizes a great increase of ideas on the
animal plane of thought or being in the individual.

The name Heth means "sundered," "broken," "terrified." Heth
represents a very active thought of fear, the result of
thinking apart from Spirit.

//page 101

The name Jebusite signifies "trodden down," "conquered,"
"profaned." A Jebusite represents the spiritual or peace
center in consciousness (Jerusalem) in subjection to purely
sense and carnal thoughts, beliefs, and desires.

The name Amorites signifies "mountaineers," "highlanders."
The Amorites represent the race thought of the generation
of the flesh. Sex and procreation are very strongly rooted
in man's consciousness and have been elevated by man in
personal thought to the very heights.

The name Girgashite signifies "belonging to that which is
dense," "marshy ground." A Girgashite represents the
material state of thought that unawakened man holds
concerning himself and especially concerning his material
organism.

The name Hivite signifies "physical existence," "life born
of effort," "wickedness." A Hivite represents the thoughts
belonging to the carnal consciousness in man.

The name Arkite means "fugitive," "blind passions." An
Arkite represents thoughts pertaining to the carnal
consciousness in man.

The name Sinite means "clayey," "muddy," "hateful
passions." A Sinite represents thoughts missing the mark,
falling short of the divine law.

The name Arvadite means "avarice," "plunder," "pirate's
den." An Arvadite represents a retreat or refuge or
unstable, erring, destructive thoughts in a mixed,
confused, ever-changing consciousness of man.

The name Zemarite signifies "hunger for dominion or thirst
for power," "despot." A Zemarite represents rebellious,
tyrannical, despotic thoughts and desires belonging to the
"mind of the flesh" consciousness in unredeemed man, the
outer seeking dominion.

//page 102

The name Hamathite means "inclosed," "held together,"
"fortress." A Hamathite represents confidence in material
conditions rather than trust in God.

The name Gerar signifies "a sojourn," "a lodging place,"
"an encampment." Gerar symbolizes subjective substance and
life. In the beginning of man's journey Spiritward this
substance and life are in possession of the sense nature
(Philistines), and the ruling ego of the sense nature lives
in the region of this place.

The name Gaza means "strength," "power," "stronghold," Gaza
represents strength on a purely physical or sense plane.

The name Sodom signifies "consumed with fire," "hidden
wiles," "covered conspiracies." Sodom represents an obscure
or concealed thought or habit in man.

The name Gomorrah means "overbearing," "tyranny,"
"oppression." Gomorrah represents a state of mind in man
that is submerged in sense and is very tyrannical in its
nature.

The name Admah means "silent," "unrelenting," "a tomb," "a
fortress." Admah represents the seeming strength and
merciless sureness of the death thought and condition that
enters into man's experience as the result of his carnal,
material, adverse thoughts and activities.

The name Zeboiim signifies "wars," "plunderings," "rendings
with the teeth." Zeboiim refers to ravenous appetites,
sensual passions, the wild-beast nature holding sway deep
in the subconsciousness of many.

The name Lasha signifies "bursting forth," "fountains,"
"for looking upon." The cities that are mentioned in the
text with Lasha as being on the southern border of Canaan
are representative of the subconscious

//page 103

substance and life in man ruled over and actuated by
various phases of the subjective carnal, sense mind. Lasha
symbolizes the bursting forth of this inner substance and
life into greater activity in consciousness. Lasha also
refers to the penetration by higher ideals, truer
understanding, of a seemingly mortal and material state of
the subjective substance and life in unawakened man.

The names of the children of Shem, with their meaning, are
listed here:

The name Eber signifies "passed over," "overcome," "a
shoot." Eber represents the germination in man's
consciousness of the spiritual phase of his being.

The name Elam signifies "eternal or everlasting," "fully
developed." Elam symbolizes thoughts of the abidingness,
resourcefulness, and creative power of Truth, of that which
is of God, Spirit.

The name Asshur signifies "a step," "level ongoing,"
"observance of laws," "harmonious." Asshur typifies mental
recognition that the entire man, spirit, soul, and body, is
free, is of spiritual origin, and is not bound by any
limitation of matter.

The name Arpachshad signifies "providential regeneration,"
"realm of astrology." Arpachshad represents the belief in
man that his good depends wholly on something outside of
himself--his ruling star, fate, providence--instead of
depending on the power of his own thoughts to establish
within himself and his world what he wills.

The name Lud signifies "desire to bring forth,"
"conception," "creation." Lud represents man's earliest
conception of the truth that he is the offspring of God.

The name Aram means "highland," "high or exalted."

//page 104

Aram symbolizes the intellect, which has its foundation in
Spirit; but in unawakened man it is linked up entirely with
the outer or material realm so that it reasons from the
basis of the senses instead of acknowledging Divine Mind as
the source of all intelligence.

The names of "the sons of Aram," with their meaning, follow:

The name Uz means "growing might," "formative power,"
"plan." Uz denotes the process of thought by which man
arrives at a conclusion (be it true or erroneous) and
establishes it in consciousness.

The name Hul means "circle," "ecstasy," "travail," "fear."
Hul stands for that in the intellect of man which seeks to
conform to both the spiritual and outer-sense ideas of
wisdom and understanding.

The name Gether means "abundance," "pressed out," "vale of
trial." Gether represents man's belief that much physical
effort is needed to make a living and to acquire abundance;
thus he experiences hard labor and many inharmonies.

The name Mash signifies "pressing out by contractile
force," "harvest of fruits." In Mash we see the intellect
in the role of obtaining knowledge. The intellect is not
naturally receptive to spiritual understanding. It is
aggressive in its nature and it works very hard in the
outer seeking to obtain by force, by personal
determination, and by much persistent study and research
the knowledge that it desires. The very pressure of its
outer seeking does open to it something of the inner light
and intelligence of Spirit, though in its ignorance it
usually takes to itself the honor of having worked out the
ideas that come to it from Spirit.

//page 105

However fruit is realized in increased knowledge.

The name Shelah means "security," "peace," "demand,"
"prayer." Shelah represents a sense of peace, harmony, and
security that has come about by prayer, affirmation, and
desire centered in that which is good and true.

The names of the children of Eber, with their meaning, are
given here:

The name Peleg means "separation through grace,"
"cleaving," "dividing." Peleg represents man's first
realization of the difference and seeming separation
between his apparently material organism and his inner
spiritual ideals. Thus was the "earth divided," and the
individual began to recognize his higher nature.

The name Joktan signifies "that which is diminished,"
"lessened," "of little concern." Joktan represents the
lessening to the vanishing point of error in the
consciousness and life of the unfolding individual.

The following are the names, with their meaning, of the
children of Joktan:

The name Almodad signifies "measure of God," "the
agitator." Almodad represents a certain discernment of the
boundless possibilities that are open to man if he makes
practical application of Truth. This understanding however
proves to be a disturbing element ("agitator") in
consciousness because it is not definite enough to bring
about the real change of mind that is needed to establish
peace and order and to bring forth spiritual fruit.

The name Sheleph means "reaction," "refraction," "drawing
out." Sheleph represents a working out from

//page 106

within of the spiritual in man; or at least a striving of
Spirit within man for greater expression in and through the
individual.

The name Hazarmaveth means "village of death," "court of
death." Hazarmaveth symbolizes a central thought or group
of thoughts belonging to the sense mind of man and having
as its ruling idea a strong belief in death. Its conception
of justice ("court") is always active on the negative,
condemnatory, and destructive side.

The name Jerah signifies "he will breathe," "he will become
inspired," "moon." Jerah represents the light
(understanding) of the inspired intellect, or to the
capacity of the intellect of man for being illumined by
Spirit and for radiating the light of Spirit, divine
understanding.

The name Hadoram signifies "powerful," "pompous,"
"majestic." Hadoram represents the lifting up of the outer,
sense mind of man, and the attributing of power and might
to it as though it were man's highest source of light and
good.

The name Uzal signifies "continual going forth," "divine
spark." Uzal represents the continual unfoldment that takes
place in the progressively inclined individual because of
his natural tendency to conform to the divine ideal or
divine spark within him, which is ever urging him on to
higher light, new understanding, purer thoughts and ways.

The name Diklah means "palm tree," "palm grove," "ethereal
lightness." Diklah denotes the inherent belief of man's
inner, spiritual, or true self that complete victory over
all error and complete triumph in understanding and life
are his heritage.

//page 107

The name Obal signifies "extreme attenuation of matter,"
"stripped," "barren." Obal denotes the barrenness,
nakedness, and nothingness of all that is not founded in
Truth.

The name Abimael means "a father from God," "father of
abundance." Abimael stands for the thought of man as being
descended from God; also for the thought of abundance as
coming from God. At a certain stage of man's unfoldment
however the thought represented by Abimael is not
established in consciousness with enough positiveness to
produce spiritual results.

The name Ophir signifies "a final state," "purity,"
"ashes." Ophir symbolizes that which remains after the
deeper purification by fire has taken place. Through
purification by the Christ Spirit, by the baptism of fire,
all that is true is refined, purified, and elevated to its
rightful place in the kingdom, while the dross or error of
the carnal, adverse mind is reduced to dust and ashes.

The name Jobab signifies "fullness of joy," "trumpet call
of victory," "desert," "wail of tribulation." Here Jobab
represents a certain fulfillment of the seeming mortal and
an entrance into that which the positive, spiritual
meanings of the name denotes: a realization of dominion
over error and a rejoicing in Truth.

The name Mesha means "harvest of spiritual fruits,"
"heaped-up fullness of being," "refuge," "freedom." Mesha
symbolizes a place in consciousness wherein the inner life
forces of the organism are freed from the dominion of
carnal thought, thus raising them to higher and more
spiritual expression.

The name Sephar means "remembering," "engraving,"

//page 108

"book." The east always represents the within, and a
mountain denotes a high plane of thought. In the
consciousness of the individual, Sephar represents that
high place within the spiritual realm of his being where a
record is kept of all the thoughts, ideals, tendencies,
desires, and activities to which he has given attention,
even to those that belong to the seemingly changeable and
unestablished phase of his consciousness (the Arabian
tribes that were descended from Joktan).

//quote

Gen. 11:1-9. And the whole earth was of one language and of
one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed east,
that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they
dwelt there. And they said one to another, Come, let us
make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick
for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said,
Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may
reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be
scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And
Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded. And Jehovah said, Behold, they are
one people, and they have all one language; and this is
what they begin to do: and now nothing will be withholden
from them, which they purpose to do. Come, let us go down,
and there confound their language, that they may not
understand one another's speech. So Jehovah scattered them
abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they
left off building the city. Therefore was the name of it
called Babel; because Jehovah did there confound the
language of all the earth: and from thence did Jehovah
scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

//text

Here is related the building by the descendents of Noah of
a city and a tower that was to reach to heaven.

//page 109

"And the whole earth was of one language and of one
speech," which indicates that there was unity in the
interchange of intelligence and purpose but that it was
based on materiality: "And they had brick for stone, and
slime had they for mortar." They built the city and the
tower; but Jehovah confounded their language and they were
scattered abroad "upon the face of all the earth."

According to Ferrar Fenton's translation of the Bible in
modern English, the word Jehovah should be translated
"chief." The chief was the priest or ruling religious
power. So it was not Jehovah who confused the tongues of
the people but their religious leaders. This is true today.

Interpreted in individual consciousness, it is not Spirit
that leads man astray but man's interpretation of the
message of Spirit as molded by man's mentality. In other
words, it was the Adversary or personal ego of the people
that asserted its disintegrating nature and destroyed the
work of their hands.

The name Babel means "confusion." Babel represents the
mental chaos that is the result of thinking from a wholly
material standpoint.

Whether the story of the building of Babel and the
scattering of its people be history or allegory matters
little; it illustrates the ephemeral character of man's
work exemplified times beyond number in the buried cities
of the past. Not only cities but great nations have
occupied large areas of this earth, only to be swept away.

This universal scattering of the nations that bravely set
out to build cities and civilizations planned to reach to
heaven and endure forever, should make thinking

//page 110

persons pause and inquire the cause of such stupendous
failure. The fact is that the foundations of their cities
were material instead of spiritual; there was an excess of
"stone, and slime."

However every great nation has claimed God as its
originator and often its temporal heads as ruling by divine
right. As long as these nations had faith in this divine
source they prospered, but when the personal element began
to assert itself, decline set in, the nation collapsed, and
its people scattered.

This is not only the history of cities and nations but also
of numerous colonies of Utopian pattern for the betterment
of men. Their plans are perfect and appear to be based on
laws that will work toward universal happiness and
prosperity. But they fail because their leader is some
human being, and there is often some other human being in
the colony who is ambitious to rule. Politics and party
strife then enter and break down the unity that is so
necessary to the success of any enterprise.

History shows that often just preceding a great national
collapse dictators or "chiefs" assume the power personally
to make and enforce the laws for the people. This condition
repeats itself in world affairs and presages a breakdown of
man-made civilization. The towers of Babel totter and
philosophic onlookers foretell a lapse of the human family
into primitive savagery.

That the principles on which the governments of the world
are based are inadequate to meet the needs of a world
nation is patent to anyone who studies the economic and
moral status of various countries. God created all men of
one blood, according to the Scriptures, and that universal
bond of humanity is asserting

//page 111

itself in the tremendous increase in facilities for
intercourse among men of every country. The struggle for
separate national existence must be broken down, and a new
and larger understanding of race solidarity established.

We see that history is repeating itself on a larger scale
than ever before and is again ready to scatter the
inhabitants of Babel who have attempted to build to heaven
without God. After the breaking up of the present
materially founded governments, the spiritually wise will
get together and form a federation based on the principles
laid down by Jesus Christ, and we shall then enter into
that universal peace and security called the millennium.
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the
whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then
shall the end come." The prophecies of Jesus, as set forth
symbolically in Matthew 24, undoubtedly point to their
fulfillment at this time, and the "tribulations" there
recited are upon us. But we need not be fearful or troubled
if we are depending on God to take care of us. "The race is
not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong," "but he
that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved."

//quote

Gen. 11:10-32. These are the generations of Shem. Shem was
a hundred years old, and begat Arpachshad two years after
the flood: and Shem lived after he begat Arpachshad five
hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.

And Arpachshad lived five and thirty years, and begat
Shelah: and Arpachshad lived after he begat Shelah four
hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.

And Shelah lived thirty years, and begat Eber: and Shelah
lived after he begat Eber four hundred

//page 112

and three years, and begat sons and daughters.

And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: and
Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty
years, and begat sons and daughters.

//text

(For interpretation of the foregoing names see comment on
Gen. 10.)

//quote

And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: and Peleg
lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and
begat sons and daughters.

And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug: and
Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years,
and begat sons and daughters.

And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: and Serug
lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat
sons and daughters.

And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah: and
Nahor lived after he begat Terah a hundred and nineteen
years, and begat sons and daughters.

And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and
Haran.

Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah begat Abram,
Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. And Haran died
before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur
of the Chaldees. And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the
name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's
wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah,
and the father of Iscah. And Sarai was barren; she had no
child. And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of
Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his
son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of
the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came
unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two
hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

//text

//page 113

The name Reu means "leading to pasture," "shepherd,"
"friend." Reu represents the co-operative feeling, the
feeling of friendship, evolving in the individual
consciousness into a sense of loving, active,
responsibility for the welfare of others.

The name Serug means "interwoven," "tendril," "strength."
Serug represents the budding, sprouting, and development of
spiritual "seed" or Truth ideas deep down in the
subconsciousness by way of preparation for the saving work
in the body. In the Serug phase of man's unfoldment the
work is done mostly in secret, with now and then just a ray
of light breaking through to consciousness.

The name Nahor signifies "angry," "passionate," "piercing,"
"slaying." Nahor denotes the piercing and breaking up of
the sense consciousness hitherto unpenetrated by Truth so
that the way may be opened for a new line of thought
activity (Abram). This activity may be more of the
subconscious than of the conscious mind. Much turmoil often
accompanies this inner first breaking up of lesser ideals
because of the efforts of the outer, limited, emotional
self ("angry," "passionate").

The name Haran means "strong," "mountaineer," "exalted."
Haran symbolizes an exalted state of mind, wherein Truth is
lifted up in consciousness and the individual is
strengthened in his determination to go on toward fuller
spiritual enlightenment and upliftment.

(For Abram, Sarai, Terah, and Lot see interpretation of
Gen. 12. For Canaan see the interpretation of Gen. 10.)

The name Ur (of the Chaldees) signifies "light."

//page 114

"Orient," "brightness or brilliance," "fire or blaze." Ur
therefore symbolizes the activity of the understanding or
intelligence in man; the inner spiritual part of man's
being, whence true light shines forth into the entire
consciousness.

The name Milcah means "queen," "rule," "counsel." Milcah
symbolizes the soul in the act of expressing dominion,
wisdom, good judgment.

The name Iscah signifies "who looks upon," "scans abroad,"
"discerns." Iscah represents the soul in the act of being
attentive to the things of Spirit.

//page 115

//section Chapter 5

Chapter V

The Initial Step toward Redemption

Genesis 12, 13, and 14

//text

ACCORDING to Jesus, when a man turns toward a new country,
a new state of consciousness, he must quicken his faith.
Formerly he has had faith in material processes; he has
attached himself to material things. Thus Abraham long
lived in the sense world or consciousness, represented by
Sodom and Gomorrah. His higher ideal, Jehovah, urged him to
flee from that world and not to move back but to detach his
mind from the things of sense and turn his face toward the
light. This new land that the Lord desired him to go to
represents new ideas and their manifestation, a new
relationship to the substance of things. When the new ideas
begin to multiply in man's mind, his environment changes;
as Paul says, "if any man is in Christ, he is a new
creature." But the beginning is to believe further than you
can see or feel in terms of the senses. A man often finds
it necessary to go into a "new country" that he knows
nothing about; and he has to trust the Lord to carry him
through. "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have
believed." To put faith in things spiritual is the
essential step.

The call of Abraham is considered the initial step in a
great plan for the redemption of the Adam race from its
material, sensual consciousness, called the fall of man.
From any mortal viewpoint the time seems

//page 116

long and the way tortuous, but we may, if we will, enter
into the mind of the Spirit, where one day is as a thousand
years and a thousand years are as one day, and here we see
the whole plan worked out in a definite, systematic, and
orderly way.

Every detail in Abraham's experience has a definite
counterpart in the life of each one who is bringing forth
the Christ in man. A study of these things is therefore of
great importance to all who seek the realization of
sonship. To them it is given to understand "the mystery
which hath been hid for ages and generations."

Abraham represents faith, the first great faculty developed
or "called out" by man in the unfoldment of his spiritual
nature or Christ Mind. Faith is that faculty by which we
know God as omnipresent Spirit substance. This substance is
man's supply, as discerned by the author of Hebrews when he
said, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for." By
faith we appropriate the spiritual substance of whatever
things we desire, thus taking the first step necessary to
their manifestation. Abraham, rich in faith, increased his
substance until it was very great.

Volumes might be written about faith in its relation to the
conscious, subconscious, and superconscious departments of
mind; or about its centers of action in the body. Abraham
represents faith in its early establishment in
consciousness, and his life portrays the different
movements of this faculty on the various planes of action
in man's being. In order to understand the lessons that
Abraham's life has for us, a certain familiarity with each
plane of consciousness is necessary.

That in the individual which is called "I" may be

//page 117

termed attention. It is in reality the spiritual man. It is
the inherent capacity of the "I" to recognize ideas and
through the law of Being to form ideas into states of
consciousness. By forming these new states and setting up
action in their various departments, the "I" (attention)
can then leave them, as the millwright leaves the mill he
has constructed over a waterfall. Nature carries on the
work once it is established.

So we find ourselves in possession of states of
consciousness that may seem to be ignorant. There are, for
instance, the subconscious states that have to do with the
processes of digestion, assimilation, circulation,
respiration, elimination, and the like. We could not be in
possession of an organism having these various powers of
mind unless at some point in our experience we had
established them. If we consciously assumed these powers
ourselves, it is plainly possible that we could again go
back of them and become familiar with their subconscious
action.

Thus it is a question of attention whether or not we shall
know about these various planes of mental activity. If we
fix our thoughts for but ten minutes a day on the heart, we
shall know in a short time what is going on at that center.
So with every department of the organism. Whatever the
process being carried on by an organ in the body, we may be
assured that a center of intelligence is located somewhere
in the vicinity of it, and by continually focusing our
attention there we may become familiar with its office and
work.

Abraham represents man in the first awakening of his faith,
when he is dominated by it. The very name has come to be
almost a synonym for faith. Abraham

//page 118

was dwelling in a realm of limited thought, and he was
called out by Spirit into a great expansion of all his
thoughts and powers through faith. All the people and
places mentioned in connection with his history have a
symbolical meaning. They represent other faculties and
phases of mind that are called into expression along with
faith.

//quote

Gen. 12:1-5. Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of
thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's
house, unto the land that I will show thee: and I will make
of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy
name great; and be thou a blessing: and I will bless them
that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse:
and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
So Abram went, as Jehovah had spoken unto him; and Lot went
with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he
departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and
Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they
had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran;
and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into
the land of Canaan they came.

//text

The movement in consciousness represented in this Scripture
is that of an individual who has been spiritually inactive
or laggard. The name of Abraham's father Terah signifies
"loitering." The Lord or spiritual impulse within presses
forth to religious activity. It virtually says, "Get thee
out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy
father's [loiterer's] house, unto the land that I will show
thee."

When this call comes, lofty ideas begin to possess the
mind. The name in its original form, Abram, means "exalted
father." Faith in the unseen God and

//page 119

in divine guidance inspires lofty thoughts that become part
of the consciousness without special effort when man is
obedient to the call of Spirit. To those who depend on the
evidence of the senses it may be blind faith, but it works
out beautifully in the life of those who are true to it.

When Abraham went to seek a new country (consciousness) in
response to the call of the Spirit, Lot went with him. The
name Lot means "hidden," "concealed," "covert," and Lot
represents the negative side of faith. When faith (Abraham)
expands in consciousness (in a new and greater country),
its old subconscious element (Lot) expands also. Lot may
also be said to symbolize the part of man that is still in
darkness; in other words, the natural or animal man. This
part of man's nature he cannot escape, but must take with
him into the new country. He can, however, by association,
lift it up and increase its capacity, as Abraham "lifted
up" and aided Lot, for we read that Lot prospered as well.

(For further interpretation of Abraham and Lot see
commentary on Gen. 13.)

//quote

Gen. 12:6-9. And Abram passed through the land unto the
place of Shechem, unto the oak of Moreh. And the Canaanite
was then in the land. And Jehovah appeared unto Abram, and
said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there
builded he an altar unto Jehovah, who appeared unto him.
And he removed from thence unto the mountain on the east of
Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west,
and Ai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto
Jehovah, and called upon the name of Jehovah. And Abram
journeyed, going on still toward the South.

//text

//page 120

In this instance Canaan represents the pure elements of the
natural body. Moreh represents the mind that is receptive
to Truth; a tabernacle. In a tabernacle state of mind the
constructive methods that are always characteristic of the
divine are revealed, and in this state of mind protection
and strength (oak tree) are realized, and victory is
assured.

The "oak of Moreh" may also be said to represent a nerve
center in the body, and the tabernacle an aggregation of
cells.

The name Shechem means "inclining," "shoulder." Shechem
represents man's wholly material thoughts about himself and
the universe, which tend to make life a burden.

The name Beth-el means "house of God." Beth-el represents
the understanding that all seemingly material things in
reality have their origin in Spirit.

The name Ai means "heap of ruins." Ai refers to egotism and
self-confidence without recognition of Spirit. These
qualities are counterfeits of faith; they are destructive
of the building of a truly spiritual character and must be
put away so that the individual may come into a knowledge
of his unity with God.

//quote

Gen. 12:10. And there was a famine in the land: and Abram
went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was
sore in the land.

//text

There was a famine in Abraham's land, and this caused him
to go down into Egypt. Egypt represents the realm of
substance and life in the depths of the body consciousness.
In a sense this is a region of darkness and mystery, yet it
is a great kingdom rich in substance and essential to the
preservation of the body.

//page 121

It refers to the vitality of the abdominal region. Those
who have not attained an all-round understanding of the
divine law do not know how to affirm the flow of a steady
current of life from below to feed the flame of
intelligence above, and therefore they have periods of
bodily exhaustion. In this condition they seem to lose
divine guidance and are plunged into apparent darkness
(Egypt). This is a very necessary adjustment however.

//quote

Gen. 12:11-20. And it came to pass, when he was come near
to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife,
Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
and it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see
thee, that they will say, This is his wife: and they will
kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee,
thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy
sake, and that my soul may live because of thee. And it
came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the
Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. And the
princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh: and
the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. And he dealt well
with Abram for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and
he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and
she-asses, and camels. And Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his
house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou
hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was
thy wife? why saidst thou, She is my sister, so that I took
her to be my wife? now therefore behold thy wife, take her,
and go thy way. And Pharaoh gave men charge concerning him:
and they brought him on the way, and his wife, and all that
he had.

//text

Here again we see the result of a lack of spiritual

//page 122

understanding. Pharaoh represents "the sun." He is the
ruler of the solar plexus, the sun center in the
subconscious mind. This is obscurity or "Egypt" to the
conscious mind. Pharaoh's (the sun's) being in Egypt points
to the truth that the light of the sun of righteousness is
veiled by our life on the lower or sense plane. Pharaoh
also signifies the whole house, the whole body
consciousness; he is the force that rules the body under
the natural regime.

Sarai represents the soul not yet regenerated and under
divine law should not be allowed to unite with Pharaoh
(physical sensation). Not having the divine understanding
when he was drawn down into Egypt (seat of the vital
processes), Abram allowed Sarai (his unregenerate love,
affection, and emotion) to become united with Pharaoh (the
dominating physical ego) and this brought plagues upon the
land of Egypt (bodily ills).

Metaphysicians regenerating their bodies through the power
of the spoken word should heed this lesson. When
quickening, cleansing, and readjusting the cells at their
life center, they should silently declare:

//quote

"The sensation of the flesh cannot hold my love, for my
love is the daughter of God, and we are joined in purity
and pure desire in my Father's house."

//text

Thus they may escape the plagues of Egypt and the rebuke of
Pharaoh: "What is this that thou hast done unto me? why
didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?"

//quote

Gen. 13:1. And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his
wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South.

//text

Abram went up out of the land of Egypt, "and Lot

//page 123

with him"; for the time had not yet come when Abram could
part with Lot (the subjective) and dwell in the Promised
Land (the purely spiritual consciousness).

Lot can also be said to symbolize the part of man's
consciousness that is still spiritually undeveloped. In
other words, Lot represents the natural or animal man.
Abram still had much growth to make before he could sustain
a consciousness of Spirit. He was unable as yet to cross
out the material side of his nature. He still had faith in
materiality and a dual vision as to the fulfillment of the
Scriptures. He saw the negative as well as the positive;
evil as well as good.

Until the Christ Mind is firmly established in the
individual he retains a certain residue of faith in
negative appearances. This divided state of mind causes
confusion and discord.

//quote

Gen. 13:2-4. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver,
and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the South
even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at
the beginning, between Beth-el and Ai.

//text

Abram (faith) while in Egypt accumulates rich substance
ideas, which are necessary for a well-balanced mind and
body. Bethel (house of God) represents the perfect body
ideal. Ai (heap of rubbish) represents the physical
manifestation with an increased appreciation and possession
of life and substance (cattle, silver, and gold).

The return from Egypt is symbolical of man's return to his
divine-natural consciousness. This was not a single event;
it is something that occurs again and again in the Bible
story, and is repeated in the case of every individual who
comes into a realization of

//page 124

his spiritual oneness with God. The whole nation of Israel
was called out of Egypt to assume its destiny of bringing
forth the fruit unto righteousness and life everlasting, to
play a part in the restitution of the race to its Edenic
state. This is the essence of the covenant. Jesus came up
out of Egypt where His parents had taken Him as a child.
Abram (faith) did not remain long in Egypt (sense
consciousness).

//quote

Gen. 13:5-7. And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks,
and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear
them, that they might dwell together: for their substance
was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there
was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the
herdsmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the
Perizzite dwelt then in the land.

//text

It was Abraham rather than Lot who suggested the
separation. When man reaches a certain point in his
spiritual development he realizes that he must let go of
everything that retards his progress. Lot is typical of the
natural man, always eager to take the best for himself. He
chose the plain of the Jordan because it was "like the land
of Egypt."

True faith in God is separated from all negative belief
that the body is material, impure, or transient. The
herdsmen of Abraham were separated from the herdsmen of
Lot. The time comes when by reason of the increase of faith
or substance these two types of mind cannot dwell together:
"the land was not able to bear them." So the senses of the
man who has centered his faith on the invisible are by
degrees separated from the appeal of his lower nature and
become true herdsmen of his enduring thoughts. As a true
seer

//page 125

his vision is fixed on the changeless reality inhabiting
all form, the substance of which all visible manifestation
is but the configuration. His ear becomes attuned to the
unbroken harmony of life that is permeating his mind and
body and the world about him. He learns so to direct his
thought of Spirit substance that if a belief in material
imperfection should find lodgment in his consciousness one
touch of his mind would release the hidden spring that
opens the way to healing of the body.

//quote

Gen. 13:8-12. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no
strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my
herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the
whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from
me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the
right; or if thou take the right hand, then I will go to
the left. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the
Plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where,
before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the
garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest
unto Zoar. So Lot chose him all the Plain of the Jordan;
and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the
one from the other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and
Lot dwelt in the cities of the Plain, and moved his tent as
far as Sodom.

//text

When we put our faith wholeheartedly in spiritual reality
and follow our ideal without wavering, we are willing to
allow sense consciousness the choice of its own field of
action. Abraham gave Lot his choice of land. When we
withdraw our interest from the natural man, there is a
separation. True thought and untrue thought cannot
intermingle.

//page 126

Canaan means "lowland," but it is here that Abraham lived
after his separation from Lot. Is it not significant that
this "lowland" became the Promised Land, the land "flowing
with milk and honey"? True faith, which works through love,
has power to refine the body and so make it the promised
land of the soul. When man rediscovers this lost domain,
the promises of the Scriptures will be fulfilled.

Every faculty of the mind has an active and a passive side,
an objective and a subjective, a positive and a negative.
Abraham represents the faculty of faith in its positive
expression. To complete the symbol we find Lot ("hidden,"
"concealed") representing the negative or undeveloped
aspect of faith. His domain is the flesh. He accompanied
Abraham into Egypt and back again. When they separated, Lot
chose to dwell in the "Plain of the Jordan . . . like the
land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar." The river Jordan
here symbolizes the descending flow of thought running
through the organism from head to foot. When mortal beliefs
rule the individual, the life flow is muddy with sense
concepts and turbulent with materiality. The Jordan is
noted as a muddy stream. Zoar ("smallness," "littleness")
represents that which is inferior. We should beware how we
link our I AM consciousness with the faith that is
established in the flesh, typified by Lot.

(For Sodom and Gomorrah see interpretation of Gen. 10).

//quote

Gen. 13:13-18. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners
against Jehovah exceedingly. And Jehovah said unto Abram,
after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine
eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and

//page 127

southward and eastward and westward: for all the land which
thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for
ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so
that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then may
thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in
the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee
will I give it. And Abram moved his tent, and came and
dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built
there an altar unto Jehovah.

//text

Hebron ("community," "alliance," "friendship") represents
an association of ideas; in other words, concentration.
Spiritual unfoldment always causes one to direct toward
God's children everywhere a kindly feeling that is
constant, deep, tender. Ability to do this is one of the
indispensable qualifications of every successful spiritual
leader.

Mamre ("firmness," "vigor," "strength") refers to the front
brain, the seat of conscious thought. The lesson here is
that faith in God (Abraham) brings about the right
relationship among all the associated faculties, and withal
an enduring firmness, vigor, and strength. Mamre in the
sense of "fatness," "abundantly supplied," "well-fed,"
refers to a consciousness of substance and riches. The
qualities represented by Mamre are not of the highest
spiritual consciousness, the Christ Mind, but they belong
more to the spiritually awakening intellect of the
individual.

In Truth a person does not have to change his residence in
order to enter a new country. "The land which thou seest"
refers to a new concept of substance. When we deny our
attachment to matter and material conditions and affirm our
unity with spiritual substance, we enter the new
consciousness of real substance.

//page 128

Substance is not confined to matter; it is the idea that is
the firm foundation of all that we conceive to be permanent.

Abraham's moving his tent signifies that the center of
consciousness changed; in this case from a lower to a
higher plane.

//quote

Gen. 14:1-11. And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel
king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king
of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, that they made war with
Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah,
Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the
king of Bela (the same is Zoar). All these joined together
in the vale of Siddim (the same is the Salt Sea). Twelve
years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year
they rebelled. And in the fourteenth year came
Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote
the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and
the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in their
mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness. And
they returned, and came to En-mishpat (the same is Kadesh),
and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the
Amorites, that dwelt in Hazazon-tamar. And there went out
the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king
of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela
(the same is Zoar); and they set the battle in array
against them in the vale of Siddim; against Chedorlaomer
king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of
Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the
five. Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and
the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there,
and they that remained fled to the mountain. And they took
all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their
victuals, and went their way.

//text

//page 129

Amraphel ("keeper of the treasures," "speaker of
mysteries") represents the belief of unawakened man that in
generation, in physical reproduction, he is fulfilling the
creative law of Being.

Shinar ("two rivers," "divided stream," "divided mind")
represents a belief in two powers, an evil as well as a
good power, and error results.

Arioch ("lionlike," "venerable") represents the seeming
power, strength, and ("lionlike") dominion that sex lust
has over man; also the belief so prevalent among all
peoples that the secret desires and habits pertaining to
the sex life must be good and must have been ordained of
God because of ages of acceptance and practice. Therefore
they are regarded as sacred ("venerable").

Ellasar ("strong rebellion," "oath of Assyria," "oak of
Assyria") represents a state of consciousness whose central
thought and belief has to do with sex on the physical
plane. It does not look to Spirit for its strength and
power but trusts in the "mind of the flesh."

Chedorlaomer ("handful of sheaves," "roundness of a sheaf")
represents the generative function of the body given over
to the expression of sex lust.

Elam ("hidden," "concealed," "everlasting") represents
thoughts of the abidingness, resourcefulness, and creative
power of Truth. The natural man may not know the truth of
his being; it may be hidden under the debris of sense
thought and belief. It will come to light in due time
however and will bring forth its fruit of perfection in the
life of every individual.

Tidal ("veneration," "awe," "fear") represents the
prominent place that sensuality has in the material and
carnal states of consciousness that belong to the outer,

//page 130

animal man; also the fearfulness that results from sense
expression.

Goiim ("Gentiles," "people, especially foreign") represents
the carnal, material thoughts and states of consciousness
that belong to the outer man (Gentile).

Bera ("spontaneous gift," "son of desire," "son of evil")
represents the directing thoughts and desires of the
sensual state of consciousness denoted by Sodom.

(For Sodom see interpretation of Gen. 10.)

Birsha ("son of wickedness," "son of impiety," "fat with
evil") was King of Gomorrah in Abraham's time. The name
Gomorrah means "material force," "tyranny," "oppression."
Gomorrah denotes a state of mind that is adverse to the law
of Spirit. This state of mind has to do with the submerged
or hidden subconscious phase of man's sensual life. Birsha
represents the ruling thought in this state of
consciousness in the individual.

Shinab ("sharpened desire," "father of mutation," "father
of transgression") represents the presiding thought of the
state of consciousness denoted by Admah.

Admah ("dumb," "unrelenting," "tomb") represents the
seeming strength and mercilessness of the death thought and
condition that enters into man's experience as the result
of his carnal, material, adverse thoughts and activities.

Shemeber ("superior brilliance," "high flight," "superior
name") represents the innate spiritual ideal implanted in
man from the beginning that causes him to grow, unfold, and
unceasingly desire and seek to attain a higher and better
understanding.

Zeboiim ("wars," "rending with the teeth") represents
ravenous appetites, sensual passions, the wild-beast

//page 131

nature holding sway in the subconsciousness. The fact that
Shemeber was King of Zeboiim shows that the perfect-man
idea of God is implanted in the physical being of man as
well as in his more inner spiritual consciousness.

Zoar ("reduced," "lessened") denotes inferiority. It was
one of the wicked cities of the plain belonging to Moab
(carnal mind).

Bela ("swallow up," "utterly consume or destroy")
represents the destructive tendencies in consciousness. The
city of Bela symbolizes a group of destroying, consuming
thoughts. It suggests the destroying of letting go of error
by denial, an absorption or "swallowing up" of error by
Truth or of darkness by light, thus doing away with the
error.

Siddim ("extensions," "stony land") represents the very
lowest material idea and manifestation of substance in the
sense consciousness and the body consciousness of the
individual.

Rephaim ("bonds," "terrors," "giants") was the name of a
people of great stature, and Rephaim represents the seeming
strength of binding, fear-producing, opposing thoughts in
consciousness at a certain stage of man's unfoldment into
Truth.

Ashteroth-karnaim ("horned Ashteroth," "Ashteroth of two
peaks") represents the state of consciousness in man that
attributes double honor, authority, and power to purely
intellectual understanding and capacity. In this state of
consciousness man does not recognize that God instead of
intellect is the source of intelligence. The intellect
borrows its real light from Spirit, just as the moon, which
has no light of its own, reflects light from the sun.
Ashteroth refers to the

//page 132

moon or intellect, while Karnaim (two horns or peaks)
suggests exultation and power.

Zuzim ("glittering," "flowing out like rays," "sprouting,"
"restless") was the name of a people "in Ham." Zuzim
represents the confusion, fears, unrestrained emotions, and
general terrors of the physical consciousness of "mind of
the flesh," seemingly very prominent and flourishing at a
certain stage in the evolution or unfoldment of the
individual.

Ham ("inferior," "hot") represents the material
consciousness in man.

Emim ("the terrible," "formidable people," "objects of
terror," that is, "idols") was the name of a race of giants
in Shaveh-kiriathaim. Metaphysically Emim represents giant
terrors and fears in human consciousness that are a result
of man's believing in the outer, formed world and the
conditions that man has built up as being real and true.

Shaveh-kiriathaim ("plain of the twin cities," "plain of
the double meetings") is the name of a place. The name
Shaveh means "a plain," and Shaveh represents an equalized,
poised state of mind and body. The name Kiriathaim means
"double city," and Kiriathaim denotes double strength or
supply. Shaveh-kiriathaim thus denotes poise and
equilibrium in the consciousness and the organism, doubly
established and sure.

The Horites ("cave dwellers," "dwellers in black holes"),
inhabitants of Edom, represent forces in action in man's
physical organism, more especially the deep-seated,
subconscious, fleshly forces and tendencies.

Seir ("bristling," "hairy," "rough," "horror") represents
the physical or sense consciousness in man.

El-paran ("strength of Paran," "oak of the region

//page 133

of the caves") denotes the seeming strength of the
multitude of confused and undisciplined thoughts and
energies in man's subconscious mind that are given over to
the furtherance of sense expression.

En-mishpat ("fountain of judgment," "fountain of right")
symbolizes the truth that under the law of adjustment, when
it reaches a certain point in expression, sense indulgence
destroys the very error desires that keep it active in
consciousness. Then these desires die for lack of fuel to
keep them alive.

The name Kadesh means "holy," "consecrated," "a sanctuary."
Kadesh represents the divine presence within the individual
consciousness.

The Amalekites ("warlike," "valley dweller," "that licks
up") represent the base desires of the individual; the
animal forces, appetites, and passions of the subconscious
mind.

(For Amorites see interpretation of Gen. 10.)

Hazazon-tamar ("a division of palms," "felling of palms,"
"victory divided") represents a divided mind. This mind
must be conquered before one can become fearless and so
gain a real victory over error. When the thoughts are
divided the results are divided.

This whole Scripture reveals the working out of sense on
the lowest plane of consciousness. The kings in this
chapter who served Chedorlaomer for twelve years and then
rebelled represent ruling thoughts in the hidden sense
consciousness of man. Error fights error, destroying much
of it, and the remainder is lifted up (flees to the
mountain) and eventually is absorbed by Truth. We often
refer to this movement of mind as a transmuting process. A
close study of these verses tells us that even in battling
with sex

//page 134

the Spirit of the Lord is constantly working, through the
law of sowing and reaping, to unveil to man's consciousness
a higher way of life.

//quote

Gen. 14:12. And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who
dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

//text

Lot and all his possessions were carried away by
Chedorlaomer and the kings with him, who symbolize the rule
of sensuality in man. These sense beliefs and desires have
seemingly overpowered the negative side of faith that Lot
symbolizes. The power of this side of faith has been taken
over to build up and sustain flesh that is ruled over by
carnal thought. But when knowledge of this occurrence comes
to the positive side of the faith faculty in the individual
(Abraham) who has come up out of material thought (Egypt)
and passed to a higher concept of God (Hebrew), let us see
what happens. Positive faith (Abraham) gets into action
with a thought power that destroys sense rule (Chedorlaomer
and his allies) and restores negative faith (Lot) to its
rightful place in consciousness.

//quote

Gen. 14:13-20. And there came one that had escaped, and
told Abram the Hebrew: now he dwelt by the oaks of Mamre,
the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and
these were confederate with Abram. And when Abram heard
that his brother was taken captive, he led forth his
trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen,
and pursued as far as Dan. And he divided himself against
them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and
pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of
Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also
brought back his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women
also, and the

//page 135

people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after
his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings
that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh (the same is the
King's Vale). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth
bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. And he
blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be God Most
High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand. And
he gave him a tenth of all.

//text

Mamre ("strength"), Aner ("adolescent youth"), and Eshcol
("fruitfulness"), the Amorites who "were confederate with
Abram," suggest thoughts of vigor and abundant substance
inspired by faith. These thoughts are apparently material
in expression (Amorites), yet they are friendly toward the
individual's higher concepts or faith in God (Abraham),
because in reality their true origin is Spirit. They lend
their conception of strength and power to the aid of faith
while it is gaining its victory over error.

Faith brings into action all its accumulated wisdom and
understanding ("he led forth his trained men") and makes a
union with the judgment faculty (Dan). Then faith strikes
at the very root of sensuality, the mortal man's belief
that life is material. This belief is the hiding or lurking
place (Hobah) for the error thoughts symbolized by the
kings who took Lot captive.

We can never fully overcome sensuality until we put away
belief in materiality. We must know that our whole being,
including the body, is not material but spiritual. By
sowing according to belief in the flesh we reap the
corruption of the flesh, but by sowing

//page 136

according to Spirit we reap eternal life. (Damascus also,
like Hobah, signifies a state of consciousness founded on a
material conception of life in the body.)

We find a rich symbology in the story of Abraham's
victorious return from the battle. He was met at the "vale
of Shaveh" (which means "plain," a level place, a place of
equality) by Melchizedek (whose name means "king of
righteousness"), priest of God, who here symbolizes the
Christ consciousness in the individual. The King of Sodom
also met and greeted Abraham on the "plain" of equality
(Shaveh). He here represents the ruling power in the
physical.

When the Christ consciousness rules in both the mind and
the body, the individual is established in right thinking
and right doing (righteousness). Then he has come to the
place of peace, poise, equilibrium, and wholeness signified
by Shaveh. When this place is reached in both the inner and
the outer consciousness (Salem and Sodom) there is a great
increase of substance and of life in one's realization.
This increase comes from the higher spiritual mind within,
the Christ, and is symbolized by the bread and the wine
that Melchizedek gave to Abraham. Melchizedek blessed
Abraham and blessed God, and Abraham gave him "a tenth of
all." When a person realizes that his victories are gained
by the power of God alone, he should willingly use a tenth
of his increase of power, understanding, and substance for
the furtherance of the Christ Truth.

//quote

Gen. 14:21-24. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give
me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram
said to the king of Sodom,

//page 137

I have lifted up my hand unto Jehovah, God Most High,
possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a
thread nor a shoe-latchet nor aught that is thine, lest
thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: save only that
which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men
that went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take
their portion.

//text

Abraham refused the proffered gifts of the King of Sodom
(sense man), which teaches us that there must be a lifting
up and transmuting of the seeming material life and
substance in the body before it can be utilized by the
higher faculties of the mind. None of the credit for the
multiplication of substance and strength should be given to
the mortal in man's nature. Spirit gives all the increase
of good.

Abram represents the spiritual ego, and the King of Sodom
represents the personal, the physical ego. The spiritual
ego or spiritual man has its first development on the
physical plane. The two egos, the spiritual and the
physical, are united there in appropriating physical
things, personal things, that they consider valuable, such
as appetites, passions, and other things on the sense
plane. The spiritual man advances or develops beyond that.
He does not want these things, so he gives them all to the
personality, the physical ego. Then the physical man is
willing to give up anything to the spiritual man, and he
will claim that he supplied the spiritual man. That is the
glorification of the personality. The personal man claims
that he is the whole thing, that everything belongs to him.
It is personal selfishness, and the spiritual man does not
want to be told that he got anything from the physical. He
gets his things from the realm of ideas, the spiritual
realm.

//page 138

Man is prone to feel that the outer or sense world is the
source of his good, at least a measure of it. But in order
fully to realize our sonship and our divine heritage, we
must hold fast to Spirit. We must see Spirit as our only
cause and sustenance. We have a tendency to plead the cause
of the good in our sense nature. This is characteristic of
all of us. We try hard to save some of our sense thoughts
and secret habits. We have indulged in them so long (and
our ancestors before us did likewise, beyond the memory of
man) that we cannot help thinking there is some good in
them. However we, like Abraham, must keep our vision high.
We must hold steadfastly to the realization that God is the
one source of all, that in spirit and in truth all is good.

The young ("immature") men who went with Abram had partaken
("eaten") of the pleasures of sense. They represent the
primitive understanding, and as such they are excused from
the operation of the spiritual law. The plane of activity
for life and strength at a certain stage of man's
development is the physical, material plane. During this
stage God in His grace grants to man, when his motive is
pure, a degree of immunity from the effects of his ignorant
transgression of the divine law.

//page 139

//section Chapter 6

Chapter VI

The Promise of Salvation

Genesis 15, 16, 17, and 18

//text

THE PROMISE of salvation is for everyone. But man must
attain it. Man must be like a child at school. He must
study the lessons and pay attention. Those who are
following Jesus find that they have lessons every day, in
mind must listen to inspiration, and like Jesus, must pray
all night when the big problem comes up. If they are
faithful to the Spirit they always gain the victory. The
teacher is the Holy Spirit, and all get their lessons in
their own way, some through inspiration, some through
dreams, some through visions, some through flashes of
understanding. Spirit uses the avenue most accessible and
open to the student.

This avenue may change. In fact it often does as man
unfolds. The majority of students get understanding through
the quickening of their own spiritual mind, but as a rule
they do not have faith enough to make it powerful. Here the
Spirit comes to the rescue and confirms the new
understanding in dreams, sometimes in visions. As one
cultivates a knowledge of the symbols and a regular word is
established the leading becomes definite. All doubts are
erased from consciousness. Thousands of persons in this age
and day have attained a state of mind in which they commune
regularly with Christ.

To be saved according to the standard set up by

//page 140

Jesus we must sit with Him upon His throne in the kingdom
of heavens. This kingdom is to be attained, not after we
are dead but while we are still in the body.

Faith in things spiritual is not born full-orbed and
perfect. It has its stages of growth in man. The parable of
the mustard seed is applicable in this as in many other
instances. Up to the time of Abraham man had a primitive
consciousness of Spirit. The story of Abraham shows us how
the consciousness of soul and of the soul's relation to God
dawns in the race mind, beginning a long period of growth
that reaches perfection in the Christ demonstration on the
part of Jesus. Therefore Abraham's history and his varied
experiences are to be read as having to do with the
evolution of the soul. The early stages of this soul growth
are symbolized in the experiences of Abraham, the typical
man of faith.

The earliest growths of faith are not deeply rooted. We
find Abraham at first living in a tent, which indicates
that faith had not yet become an abiding quality in the
consciousness of man. Through certain activities of the
mind faith takes a firmer hold and finally establishes the
"firmament" mentioned in the 1st chapter of Genesis.

Abram and Sarai, as they were called before their names
were changed to Abraham and Sarah, were both old and had no
children. Symbolizing faith and soul, respectively, they
were as yet without visible fruit (manifestation). Deep
within his heart Abraham cherished an intense desire for a
son as heir to his own growing faith and the perpetuation
of his own spiritual vision. This desire was later to lead
to a test of his

//page 141

faith in the reality of the unseen and in the power of
Spirit to bring the unseen into visible manifestation.

Not only was Abraham to be himself blessed and given a
great name, but he was to be a blessing to the race in
turn. This required something positive of him; namely the
establishment of a faith in the invisible good as being
present and active to the exclusion of a negative faith in
or acceptance of appearances. Thus the promise of God to
Abraham was not alone the promise of a son to gratify his
personal desires; it was a promise that, with a spiritual
background to his life, the impossibilities confronting the
natural man would no longer exist and were to be put out of
mind. Abraham was the founder of the faith that "with God
all things are possible."

Abraham's son and the great nation that he was to father
were thus first formed in Abraham's mind by faith in the
all-potency of Spirit. The formation of the Christ, the
Son, in the individual follows the same law and involves
the whole man, spirit, soul, and body. The changes that
take place in the mind and in the body of one who begins to
exercise the faculty of faith should occasion no surprise.
Sense states of mind have formed groups of cells and fixed
them in consciousness in certain relations that are not in
accord with spiritual law. The activity of faith in mind
and body breaks up these crystallized cells, builds up new
combinations and establishes them in the body in divine
order and harmony. Thus the soul (Sarah) that seems barren
of fruit is by faith in Spirit made to bring forth joyously
(Isaac).

//quote

Gen. 15:1-11. After these things the word of Jehovah came
unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear

//page 142

not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great
reward. And Abram said, O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give
me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor
of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold,
to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my
house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of Jehovah came
unto him saying, This man shall not be thine heir; but he
that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be
thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look
now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to
number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for
righteousness. And he said unto him, I am Jehovah that
brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this
land to inherit it. And he said, O Lord Jehovah, whereby
shall I know that I shall inherit it? And he said unto him,
Take me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three
years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove,
and a young pigeon. And he took him all these, and divided
them in the midst, and laid each half over against the
other: but the birds divided he not. And the birds of prey
came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

//text

This is a lesson of encouragement to those who are faithful
yet see no visible fruits of their faith. Jehovah said,
"Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great
reward." Whoever works under the divine law is protected,
and the result is sure to come. Active faith in the
spiritual powers of Being is productive of tremendous
results: "I will multiply your seed as the stars of
heaven." The outward evidence of the inward reality may be
delayed because we are holding in mind some idea that
prevents the manifestation. It is estimated that the best
telescopes reveal

//page 143

as many as two billion stars. This illustrates the
generative power of faith working in the formless substance
of spiritual being. Things of form are limited and can
bring but limited reward. Working in the formless, one is
working in the free range of the whole expanse of the
heavens, and the results are like the innumerable stars,
beyond all computation.

The fulfillment of this faith in God may not come at once.
A way may be opened in the consciousness for its descent
into externality. But keep on believing. "He believed in
Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness." Then
find out why you do not have the visible evidence. Abram
asked for specific evidence. He said, "O Lord Jehovah,
whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?" Then follow
instructions for a sacrifice. Some ideas on the sense plane
must be sacrificed, especially those that have been holding
back the demonstration. A heifer, a she-goat, a ram, a
turtledove, and a young pigeon are mentioned. These
represent ideas of physical strength, human will, and
subconscious resistance. The idea of physical strength
should be given up for the realization that its source is
spiritual. Sacrifice your human will, and the divine will
will work its perfect way in you. Deny away all
subconscious resistance to the workings of divine law. Let
peace and patience pervade your mind, while ever knowing
that swiftness is characteristic of all spiritual action.
Look for a swift fulfillment of all that you are holding in
faith, and if it be delayed, know that some sacrifices are
necessary. In all this process continue to drive away, by
denial, all the "birds of prey," as Abraham did. Faith is
quickened and increased by a denial of all inability, which
seems real to the mind of sense. Affirm

//page 144

that the boundless, limitless power that creates the stars,
can accomplish in your world all that it has promised or
that you have desired.

Abraham's greatest desire was to bring forth a son. Our
greatest desire is like unto it, for it is to bring forth
the Son, the Christ, in our consciousness and in our life.
God's promise applies in both cases, and the method is the
same: the limited ideas of sense must be sacrificed for the
limitless power of Spirit.

In a dream God revealed to Abraham that his descendants
should be sojourners in a strange land (Egypt) for four
hundred years, and should then come into Canaan with great
substance and power to claim it as their own country.

God's promises are not vague nor veiled in mystery. If they
seem so or if anything about our religion seems hazy or
indefinite to us, it is because our understanding has not
been developed sufficiently to comprehend the fullness of
it. Through his repeated contacts with God Abraham grew in
understanding; in like manner we also grow by continually
"practicing the presence."

Eliezer, steward of the house of Abraham, represents the
highest intellectual concept of the Deity. The name Eliezer
means "God is my help," "God is my success." Eliezer of
Damascus points to the will, which directs the temporal
affairs of the illumined ego (Abraham). The power of the
will in the management of one's house or body is so
important that egotism results, and the spiritual man sees
that this must not be perpetuated, so he asks for a "son,"
a projection of his exalted ideals; which was fulfilled in
Isaac.

//page 145

//quote

Gen. 15:12-21. And when the sun was going down, a deep
sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness
fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety
that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not
theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them
four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall
serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with
great substance. But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace;
thou shalt be buried in a good old age. And in the fourth
generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity
of the Amorite is not yet full. And it came to pass, that,
when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking
furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these
pieces. In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram,
saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the
river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, and the
Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, and the
Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the
Jebusite.

//text

Abraham's vision is fulfilled in the enslavement of the
Children of Israel for four hundred years in Egypt and
their final deliverance.

The sun represents the light of Spirit, but we sometimes
have periods when this illumination is obscured ("the sun
was going down") and we become negative in consciousness
(Abraham fell into a "deep sleep" or stupor). Thus we make
contact with the subconscious (land of Egypt), in which
region abides substance. The realm of the subconscious
needs the enlightenment of Israel; Israel also needs
substance to complete its manifestation.

The name Kenite means "of or belonging to Kain,"
"possessions," "welding." The Kenites are

//page 146

thought to have been a tribe of the Midianites; therefore
like the latter, they represent the carnal consciousness of
man. However they possess an element not possessed by the
Canaanite nations that were to be utterly destroyed. The
thoughts represented by the Kenites of our text, though
seemingly of the carnal or sense man, contain a measure of
judgment, discrimination, and impulse toward good that
brings about their final upliftment into salvation. (One of
the meanings of Midian is "judgment.")

The name Kenizzite means "centralized strength,"
"possessor," "hunter." The Kenizzites represent the
thoughts of man having to do with the animal phase of his
nature, with animal strength and activity.

The name Kadmonite means "primeval," "prototype,"
"eternal." The Kadmonites represent error, carnal thoughts
about life.

The name Hittite means "broken in pieces," "sundered,"
"terror." The Hittites represent thoughts of opposition,
resistance, and fear.

The name Perizzite means "rustic," "dweller in the
country." The Perizzites lived in the hill country of
Canaan, like the Canaanites. These tribes represent
thoughts in the subconscious mind that seem to be at enmity
with Spirit, but they are fundamentally part of the
principle and when so recognized can be redeemed and become
part of the perfect man. This is exemplified by the
Israelites making friends with the Kenites.

(For Rephaim see interpretation of Gen. 14. For Amorite,
Canaanite, Girgashite, and Jebusite see interpretation of
Gen. 10.)

Euphrates means "fruitfulness." These tribes and nations
represent the fruits of sense consciousness.

//page 147

//quote

Gen. 16:1-15. Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bare him no
children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name
was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, Jehovah
hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto
my handmaid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.
And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai,
Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after
Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave
her to Abram her husband to be his wife. And he went in
unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she
had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. And
Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I gave my
handmaid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had
conceived, I was despised in her eyes: Jehovah judge
between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy
maid is in thy hand; do to her that which is good in thine
eyes. And Sarai dealt hardly with her, and she fled from
her face.

And the angel of Jehovah found her by a fountain of water
in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. And
he said, Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, whence camest thou? and
whither goest thou? And she said, I am fleeing from the
face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of Jehovah said
unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under
her hands. And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, I will
greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered
for multitude. And the angel of Jehovah said unto her,
Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou
shalt call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah hath heard thy
affliction. And he shall be as a wild ass among men; his
hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand
against him; and he shall dwell over against all his
brethren. And she called the name of Jehovah that spake
unto her, Thou art a God that seeth: for she said, Have I
even here looked after him that seeth me? Wherefore

//page 148

the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between
Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram
called the name of his son, whom Hagar bare, Ishmael. And
Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare
Ishmael to Abram.

//text

Abraham and Sarah did not doubt God's promise of a son, but
as yet their faith in the all-creativeness and all-power of
God was weak. The spiritual child (Isaac) is brought forth
only through faith.

Abraham took Sarah's maid Hagar and had a son by her. The
name Hagar means "wanderer," "fugitive," "to flee one's
country." Metaphysically Hagar represents the natural or
animal soul in man, which is a servant to the higher, more
spiritual soul represented by Sarah. The thoughts of the
animal soul are not lifted up to a very high plane and are
therefore likely to be sensual, selfish, or unholy, which
reacts to produce a state of fear or uncertainty
(wanderer). This sensual must give way to the spiritual. It
cannot stand in the presence of the Christ Truth but flees
before it. In development from the lower to the higher
there is often a seeming contention between the spiritual
and physical. (Sarah cast out Hagar.)

Hagar's son, being the fruit of the union of faith with
natural will and affection on a lower plane of expression,
was not recognized by Jehovah as an heir of the promise.

There is an important lesson in this for everyone who is
growing in faith and seeking to bring forth the fruits of
Spirit according to the promise. No true spiritual
demonstration is made unless the divine law is recognized
and obeyed. When we try to demonstrate

//page 149

through our own personal will and effort, we find that we
fall short.

Paul gives us an interpretation of this allegory in
Galatians 4:21-31. He calls Sarah the freewoman and Hagar
the bondmaid. We who are born of Spirit in the Christ
consciousness are sons of the freewoman and the "children
of promise." Those born of the bond-maid (the outer or
material) are of the flesh and are cast out from the
inheritance of Spirit.

Beer-lahai-roi ("the well of the living one who seeth me,"
"the well of the vision of life") was the name of "a
fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the
way to Shur," where the angel met Hagar when she fled from
Sarah. Beer-lahai-roi represents the recognition by the
individual that his life is divine, is spiritual ("the well
of the living one that seeth me"), and is for the whole
man. Even the outer or physical man and the human side of
the soul are sustained by the life of God, "the living
one." It was beside this well that the Lord met Hagar and
instructed her to return to Sarah, and also blessed her son
Ishmael, who was yet to be born. Ishmael refers to the
outer or flesh consciousness. Isaac (who later lived by
this well) symbolizes divine sonship. When it is understood
that there is but one life and that it is everywhere
present in its fullness, the entire man will be lifted up
into eternal life.

Beer-lahai-roi also symbolizes God as the guiding light of
both the inner and the outer man (the well of the vision of
life).

The name Bered means "strew," "scatter," "seeding." Bered
represents the sowing of ideas (seed thoughts) in the mind
that the individual may begin

//page 150

to act on them consciously and make them fruitful.

(For Shur and Kadesh see interpretation of Gen. 20:1.)

//quote

Gen. 17:1-8. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine,
Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God
Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will
make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply
thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God
talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is
with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of
nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram,
but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a
multitude of nations have I made thee. And I will make thee
exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and
kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my
covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee
throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant,
to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And I
will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land
of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an
everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

//text

"I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect."

According to the Scofield Bible, the word Almighty is a
translation of the Hebrew El Shaddai, one of the names
applied to God in the Old Testament. El means the "Strong
One," and shad means "the breast, invariably used in
Scripture for a woman's breast. Shaddai therefore means
primarily 'the breasted.' God is 'Shaddai' because He is
the nourisher, the strength-giver, and so, in a secondary
sense, the satisfier, who pours Himself into believing
lives."

//page 151

It was revealed to Abram that he should henceforth be
called Abraham, which means "father of a multitude." The
change in name always denotes a change in character so
pronounced that the old name will no longer apply to the
new person. We read that Jacob's name was changed to
Israel, Simon's to Peter, and Saul's name was changed to
Paul. The change of name applies to everyone who changes
from sense to Spirit, as is indicated in Revelation 2:17:
"I will give him [that overcometh sense] a white stone, and
upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but
he that receiveth it." The new name, Abraham, "father of a
multitude," when we apply it individually means that our
faith is to be expressed by bringing the multitude of our
thoughts into the realm of Spirit and under the guidance of
the Christ.

Through Abraham God called His "chosen people." Some have
thought that God's choice of a particular nation or race is
out of harmony with the idea of fatherly love and
impartiality toward all His children, and so have rejected
part of God's purpose before they understood it in its
wholeness. Justice to all is seen when the "elect" (select)
are considered in their rightful place in the divine plan
of redemption. The Jews are the seed of Abraham, and
through them is the whole human race blessed by the coming
of Jesus.

When Abraham (faith) first catches this large vision of his
good, multiplied "as the stars of the heavens," he is not
concerned with details, which will work themselves out
later. The particular channel through which this great
expression would come was not revealed to Abraham in the
first promise. The specific thing, the birth of a son to
Sarah to be called

//page 152

Isaac, was a much later revelation. All the facts in
connection with the call of Abraham, his experiences, and
the several promises made to him by Jehovah God are very
important to us, for the great plan of redemption cannot be
understood without them. All these promises have not been
fulfilled even yet, but the word of God stands sure, and
there can be no failure in their fulfillment.

Jehovah on His first contact with Abraham made him a
certain promise, namely that his descendants should become
a great nation in which all the people of the earth would
be blessed. This was rather abstract and indefinite:
Abraham was to leave his old life and environment, give up
his home, and go into a new and unknown land (state of
consciousness).

Jehovah made His second appearance to Abraham when he was
camped under the oak of Moreh, in the land of Shechem. At
that time he was on his way down to Egypt, keeping the
commandment "Get thee out of thy country . . . unto the
land that I will show thee." Here he received Jehovah's
promise "Unto thy seed will I give this land." This shows
us that Abraham is progressing in understanding, that God
is becoming more definite to him, and the promise more
specific.

Jehovah next appeared to Abraham after he had separated
himself from Lot and returned to the land of Canaan. This
time the promise was still more definite, namely that
Jehovah would give him and his seed forever this very land
that he saw and walked upon, to the eastward, westward,
northward, and southward. Nothing indefinite or theoretical
about that! Yet the promise was still indefinite as regards
the descendants, who were to be as numerous as the dust of
the earth.

//page 153

The indefinite nature of this part of the promise was due
to Abraham's lack of understanding and complete faith, for
somewhere in his mind was a doubting thought caused by the
fact that his wife Sarah was barren. When we doubt God's
promises by speculating how He can keep them, or when we
set up limitations on His power, we of course fail to
comprehend, and the promises seem vague and indefinite.

Canaan means "lowland"; it symbolizes the body. The
redeemed body is the Promised Land, and when man
rediscovers this lost domain all the promises of the
Scriptures will be fulfilled.

//quote

Gen. 17:9-14. And God said unto Abraham, And as for thee,
thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee
throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which ye
shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee:
every male among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall be
circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be
a token of a covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is
eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male
throughout your generations, he that is born in the house,
or bought with money of any foreigner that is not of thy
seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought
with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant
shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the
uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of
his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people;
he hath broken my covenant.

//text

Circumcision is symbolical of the cutting off of mortal
tendencies, and is indicative of purification and
cleanliness. One is circumcised in the true inner
significance of the word only by being thoroughly purified

//page 154

in soul. Then, the glory of the inner soul's cleansing and
purifying action works out into the outer consciousness and
the body and sets one free from all sensual, corruptible
thoughts and activities. "Circumcision is that of the
heart, in the spirit not in the letter." Thus man becomes a
new creature in Christ Jesus.

Circumcision is the first step toward the eventual
elimination of generation. This was fulfilled in the life
of Jesus who taught and demonstrated regeneration. He
spiritualized both soul and body, and thus made the great
demonstration over death. "Verily I say unto you, that ye
who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of
man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit
upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

//quote

Gen. 17:15-21. And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy
wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall
her name be. And I will bless her, and moreover I will give
thee a son of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be
a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be of her. Then
Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his
heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred
years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live
before thee! And God said, Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall
bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I
will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting
covenant for his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have
heard thee: behold, I have blessed him, and will make him
fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes
shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my
covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear
unto thee at this set time in the next year.

//text

//page 155

The name Sarai means "bitter," "contentious," "dominative."
The name Sarah means "princess," "noble woman," "noble
lady." Sarai's name was changed to Sarah. In spiritual
symbology woman represents the soul or intuitive part of
man. Sarah is the higher phase of the soul. In Sarai the
soul in contending for its rightful place in consciousness;
the individual is just recognizing the fact that his
affection and emotions are in essence divine and must not
be united with material conditions but with Spirit. In
Sarah this is more fully realized and expressed.

The name Ishmael means "whom God hears," "whom God
understands." Metaphysically Ishmael represents the fruit
of the thoughts of the natural man at work in the flesh.
However, God hears and understands the outer man of flesh
as well as the inner man of Spirit, for he too must be
redeemed from error and corruption. The name Ishmael can
also be said to denote that state of consciousness which
recognizes God but which, because of the seeming opposition
of the outer world, does not express itself according to
the highest standards. In other words, Ishmael represents
personality, which has its real source in the I AM but
which goes wrong in its activity.

In its struggle to attain light, understanding, in
contacting the outer or manifest world, it becomes involved
in error.

The Lord Jehovah established His everlasting covenant with
the promised heir of Abraham and Sarah, whose name was to
be called Isaac.

//quote

Gen. 17:22-27. And he left off talking with him, and God
went up from Abraham. And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and
all that were born

//page 156

in his house, and all that were bought with his money,
every male among the men of Abraham's house, and
circumcised the flesh of their foreskins in the selfsame
day, as God had said unto him. And Abraham was ninety years
old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his
foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when
he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the
selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
And all the men of his house, those born in the house, and
those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised
with him.

//text

When Abraham received the light in regard to circumcision
he not only conformed to the law himself but he ordered all
the male members of his family to follow his example.
Metaphysically interpreted, this means that the central ego
(Abraham) catches the light or lays hold of the dominant
idea and transmits it to all states of consciousness in its
domain.

Critics have accused religion of being too general,
abstract, and idealistic. Some have said that the teachings
of Jesus are not "practical" in this age. These critics are
invariably looking at religion from a general and abstract
point of view. They consider such promises as the one made
to Abraham that he should be the father of a great nation,
with descendants as many as the stars of heaven,
allegorically rather than the terse and very definite
promise "Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son."

From a careful study of Genesis, especially the story of
Abraham, we should be able to see that our religion is
either a purely speculative philosophy or a practical
principle applicable to daily living, depending on our
point of view and our understanding of it.

//page 157

//quote

Gen. 18:1-5. And Jehovah appeared unto him by the oaks of
Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men
stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to
meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the
earth, and said, My lord, if now I have found favor in thy
sight, pass not way, I pray thee, from thy servant: let now
a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest
yourselves under the tree: and I will fetch a morsel of
bread, and strengthen ye your heart; after that ye shall
pass on: forasmuch as ye are come to your servant. And they
said, So do, as thou hast said.

//text

Here we have a most interesting account of another of
Jehovah's appearances to Abraham. This time Abraham was
sitting "in the tent door," inactive because of "the heat
of the day." The tent was pitched under the oaks of Mamre,
and Jehovah's appearance here was the most definite of all.
The oak tree denotes something strong and protective. In
many places in the Bible God's protection is compared to an
oak tree. We are told that God is our strength, our
deliverance, our refuge from the storm. The name Mamre
means "fatness," "firmness," "vigor," "strength," and Mamre
symbolizes endurance, renewed life, and abundant substance.
Thus we see that faith (Abraham) has in and around itself
everything needful for growth and for its firm
establishment in consciousness.

"He lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood
over against him." Faith must "lift up" its eyes above all
material things and look to the spiritual as the source of
all. Having done that, it will perceive the truth in its
triune aspect. Abraham saw Jehovah as "three men." Jehovah
is always the central figure,

//page 158

but we must not lose sight of the fact that, although the
one Mind is the omnipresent source of all, it manifests
itself as a trinity of spirit, soul, and body, or spirit,
consciousness, and substance. When faith lifts up its eyes
and catches this vision, then indeed hath Jehovah appeared
unto it, and His promises are sure and clear.

Abraham's bringing water to wash the feet of his guest or
guests symbolizes the necessity of purifying the
consciousness by the use of denials. The "morsel of bread"
for the strengthening of the heart represents substance in
its relation to the renewing of one's inner strength and
courage; also the necessity of using affirmation (eating
bread) for the growth of the soul. Abraham recognized the
triune aspect of Jehovah in manifestation, for he talked to
the three men as though they were one man, whom he
addresses as "my lord." This "my lord" is the I AM.

If by faith in Spirit we receive the higher ideas and
entertain them as though they were realities instead of
"figments of the imagination," as the faithless term them,
we thereby open the way for a new state of consciousness.
Many Truth seekers try to visualize God by thinking of the
divine master Jesus and surround themselves with pictures
of Him to aid the eye of faith.

Jehovah goes into the details of His former promise to
Abraham (faith) at greater length because through his faith
he has now comprehended God in a more particular and
practical way. At the time of the former promise Jehovah
was understood in an abstract and transcendent way, and His
promise was abstract and vast in scope: that Abraham should
be the father of multitudes. Now Abraham (faith) sees God
in His

//page 159

triune manifestation as spirit, soul, and body, like unto
"three men," which is a definite and practical conception.
The promise is renewed and made specific in its terms.
Abraham is to be the father of a nation, because his wife
Sarah is to give birth to a son. This is a definite promise
that cannot be misunderstood by Abraham or long postponed
by Jehovah.

Since the human race is made up of individuals all
patterned after the one divine-idea man, we can see in the
history of these Bible characters the story of their own
spiritual development both as individuals and as a race.
Our understanding of the life of Abraham will not be
complete unless we consider it in both these relations to
us.

//quote

Gen. 18:6-15. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto
Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine
meal, knead it, and make cakes. And Abraham ran unto the
herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto
the servant; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter,
and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it
before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they
did eat. And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife?
And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will
certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round;
and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard
in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and
Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to
be with Sarah after the manner of women. And Sarah laughed
within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have
pleasure, my lord being old also? And Jehovah said unto
Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a
surety bear a child, who am old? Is anything too hard for
Jehovah? At the set time I will return unto thee,

//page 160

when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son.
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was
afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

//text

The feast that Abraham set before Jehovah symbolizes the
new vital forces in the bodily organism (tent)--which
shares in the spiritual unfoldment--producing a new state
of consciousness (Isaac) in spite of what seems advanced
age or deterioration of bodily vigor. Isaac represents the
pleasure and joyousness of life. The incredulity of Abraham
and Sarah symbolizes the doubts of the natural man.

//quote

Gen. 18:16-33. And the men rose up from thence, and looked
toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on
the way. And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that
which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great
and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall
be blessed in him? For I have known him, to the end that he
may command his children and his household after him, that
they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and
justice; to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham
that which he hath spoken of him. And Jehovah said, Because
the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their
sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether
they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which
is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but
Abraham stood yet before Jehovah. And Abraham drew near,
and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked?
Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city:
wilt thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty
righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do
after this manner, to slay the righteous with the

//page 161

wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that
be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do
right? And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous
within the city, then I will spare all the place for their
sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have
taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and
ashes: peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty
righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five?
And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty
and five. And he spake unto him yet again, and said,
Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said,
I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh let
not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: peradventure there
shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it,
if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have
taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there
shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not
destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not
the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once:
peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will
not destroy it for the ten's sake. And Jehovah went his
way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and
Abraham returned unto his place.

//text

The time has now arrived in the development of spiritual
consciousness when faith (Abraham) must be fully awakened
to the truth that all belief in the expression of
sensuality must be entirely put away. Sodom is to be
destroyed. But the man of faith is not yet entirely out of
his sense consciousness. Sodom ("hidden wiles") represents
an obscure or concealed thought habit. Gomorrah ("material
force") represents a state of mind adverse to the law of
Spirit. These wicked cities of the plain are located within
man, and before he can come into a realization of the
promised "son"

//page 162

that he desires so much he must consent to a thorough
purification from the sins that go on in them. The
purification is by fire and must be absolutely complete.

The remainder of the chapter concerns Jehovah's revelation
to Abraham of His intention utterly to destroy Sodom and
Gomorrah because of their great wickedness; also Jehovah's
agreement to save Sodom if only ten righteous men could be
found in it. The tendency to plead to be allowed to keep
old habits of thought on the ground that there is some good
in them is a characteristic of man's early stages of
development. We try very hard to save some of our secret
habits and sense thoughts. At first we reason that there
must be quite a few good things in the old thoughts, ideas,
and ways. Then we are a little less sure about there being
"fifty" and we come down to "ten." But there are not even
ten righteous, and the old consciousness must be destroyed.
Error must be wholly wiped out of the consciousness, and
the sooner we consent to accept the fullness of the
regenerative law the sooner we shall enter the kingdom.

Sodom represents the very lowest form of sense desire in
the procreative center. Today we derive from the word Sodom
the name of an unmentionable vice. Yet the spiritual-minded
Abraham persisted in the belief that there must be some
good in Sodom. Jehovah showed him otherwise. The tendency
to plead that there must be good in sense habits persists
very strongly. We cannot conceive why these functions,
which seem so necessary to the reproduction of the race,
should not be under the divine law. We have not yet
awakened to the fact that they are but an external and
counterfeit expression, a degenerate imitation, of divine
reproduction.

//page 163

Do not hold the thought that your so-called natural
functions are divine. They are great mysteries to the human
consciousness, to be understood when we have acquired
spiritual wisdom. The race has gone through some strange
experiences, and wonderful revelations come to those who
get beneath the surface of things. There are those walking
the earth today who could startle the world with
revelations of Truth about the things right under our eyes
that we do not see. Resolutely turn your back on all the
forms of sense thought and seek no excuse for them. Then
you will gradually begin to see the light within the light.

All these incidents, men, and places represent states of
consciousness in the individual. The men represent the
human desires that are still attached to the senses (Sodom
and Gomorrah); the incidents denote their method of
operation, and the places indicate their sphere of activity.

//page 164

//section Chapter 7

Chapter VII

The Fruits of Faith

Genesis 19, 20, 21, and 22

//text

IN THE PRECEDING chapter we read that when Jehovah appeared
to Abraham the patriarch was sitting in the door of his
tent. There is a remarkable parallel here, for Jehovah
appeared to Lot as he sat in the gate of Sodom.

//quote

Gen. 19:1-11. And the two angels came to Sodom at even; and
Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot saw them, and rose up
to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face to the
earth; and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn aside, I
pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night,
and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on
your way. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the
street all night. And he urged them greatly; and they
turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made
them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did
eat. But before they lay down, the men of the city, even
the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and
old, all the people from every quarter; and they called
unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men that came in
to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may
know them. And Lot went out unto them to the door, and shut
the door after him. And he said, I pray you, my brethren,
do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters that
have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto
you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto
these men do nothing, forasmuch as

//page 165

they are come under the shadow of my roof. And they said,
Stand back. And they said, This one fellow came in to
sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal
worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon
the man, even Lot, and drew near to break the door. But the
men put forth their hand, and brought Lot into the house to
them, and shut to the door. And they smote the men that
were at the door of the house with blindness, both small
and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

//text

As Abraham represents the positive side of faith and Lot
the negative side, it can also be said that Abraham
represents the spiritual consciousness and that Lot is the
natural consciousness, which however is turned toward the
light. Jehovah appeared to Abraham as three. Spiritual
consciousness understands the trinity of being that is
spirit, soul, and body. Lot saw Jehovah as two angels,
which shows that the natural mind leaves Spirit out of
consideration.

When Abraham invited the three into his tent they accepted
his hospitality without comment. But when Lot asked the two
to spend the night under his roof, wash their feet, and
partake of his food, they refused. It took persistent
urging on the part of Lot to persuade them to abide with
him.

When the unfolding nature (Lot) begins to entertain higher
spiritual thoughts (angels), all the evil and degenerate
thoughts (men of Sodom) come at once and "compass the
house." They demand that the higher thoughts be put out, or
that they be admitted (into mind) to throw them out. When
the demand is refused they become violent. Man's way is to
compromise with evil thoughts by giving to them

//page 166

his love and emotion, even if he does not allow them free
expression in his mind. Lot offered his daughters to the
men of Sodom. When carnal thoughts become strong and
numerous enough (compass the house) they assert complete
mastery over the individual and tell him: "Stand back . . .
This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a
judge."

The angels (high spiritual thoughts) whom Lot induced to
enter his house, came to his rescue. They struck the men of
Sodom (carnal thoughts) with blindness so that they were
thrown into confusion and their destructive efforts
rendered futile, at least for the time being: blind
passions that stop at nothing to gain their ends must be
annihilated.

//quote

Gen. 19:12-23. And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here
any besides? son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters,
and whomsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of the
place: for we will destroy this place, because the cry of
them is waxed great before Jehovah; and Jehovah hath sent
us to destroy it. And Lot went out, and spake unto his
sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, Up, get
you out of this place; for Jehovah will destroy the city.
But he seemed unto his sons-in-law as one that mocked. And
when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot,
saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters that
are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the
city. But he lingered; and the men laid hold upon his hand,
and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two
daughters, Jehovah being merciful unto him: and they
brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it
came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that
he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither
stay thou in all the Plain; escape to the mountain, lest
thou be consumed.

//page 167

And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my lord: behold now,
thy servant hath found favor in thy sight, and thou hast
magnified thy lovingkindness, which thou hast showed unto
me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain,
lest evil overtake me, and I die: behold now, this city is
near to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape
thither (is it not a little one?), and my soul shall live.
And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning
this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of
which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I
cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the
name of the city was called Zoar. The sun was risen upon
the earth when Lot came unto Zoar.

//text

Jehovah's promise to Abraham was that He would save the
righteous. Here Jehovah's angels invited Lot to take with
him those of his household (thought people) who were ready
to advance spiritually. Only Lot, his wife, and his two
virgin daughters were prepared to take the step. However
after the Lord had delivered them outside the walls of the
city Lot (negative faith) was afraid to attempt flight to
the mountain (high state of consciousness). He knew he was
not fully prepared for such a step. The angels consented to
let him escape to the little city of Zoar, the name of
which means "reduced," "made small," "lessened." Thus Lot
was given opportunity to open his mind to the light to such
a degree that seeming negation was minimized in
consciousness, and he was blessed with a new understanding
of Truth. ("The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot came
unto Zoar.")

//quote

Gen. 19:24-26. Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon
Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven; and
he overthrew those

//page 168

cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the
cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife
looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of
salt.

//text

Eventually all error must be wiped out of consciousness. In
our efforts to overcome the sins of the flesh we pass
through strange experiences, and wonderful revelations come
to those of us who conform to divine law. The destruction
of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire represents a mighty purifying
process that makes man ready for a great realization of
divine life.

Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt. Salt is a
preservative, corresponding to memory. When we remember the
pleasures of the senses and long for their return, we
preserve the sense desire. This desire will manifest itself
sometime, somewhere, unless the memory is dissolved through
renunciation.

//quote

Gen. 19:27-29. And Abraham got up early in the morning to
the place where he had stood before Jehovah: and he looked
toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the
Plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the land went up
as the smoke of a furnace.

And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the
Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the
midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in
which Lot dwelt.

//text

The above Scripture means that after a degree of cleansing
or destruction of sense we mentally review our experiences
and recognize that nothing is really destroyed but rather
transmuted (Abraham beheld the result). Through faith we
take stock of the progress we have made and find that we
are getting a consciousness of radiant substance (smoke)
and of a

//page 169

higher life (heat). Nothing is lost. When sense
consciousness is raised to a higher plane all that belongs
to it is saved with it. This is represented by Jehovah's
saving Lot's life.

//quote

Gen. 19:30-38. And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in
the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared
to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two
daughters. And the first-born said unto the younger, Our
father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come
in unto us after the manner of all the earth: come, let us
make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that
we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their
father drink wine that night: and the first-born went in,
and lay with her father; and he knew not when she lay down,
nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the morrow, that
the first-born said unto the younger, Behold, I lay
yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this
night also, and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may
preserve seed of our father. And they made their father
drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay
with him; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she
arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by
their father. And the first-born bare a son and called his
name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this
day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his
name Ben-ammi: the same is the father of the children of
Ammon unto this day.

//text

When the soul reaches a certain stage of unfoldment the
natural progressive quality of faith shows a tendency
toward spiritual growth. Lot here represents natural faith
in a state of evolution, yet his living in a cave in the
mountain denotes that this faith is still in the clutches
of materiality. The feminine forces of

//page 170

faith (daughters of Lot) reflect the parent desire for
continued perpetuation of their line. There was no other
masculine principle on the plane of consciousness on which
these feminine forces were functioning ("there is not a man
in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the
earth"). Through stimulating life (wine) the seed idea was
implanted by the father principle (Lot) in receptive soil
and brought forth fruit.

Moab, son of Lot's eldest daughter, represents the thought
that perpetuates body consciousness. It is found in the
idea of organized substance ("flowing from the father") but
it is impregnated with the lusts of the flesh. Referring to
the Moabites, Jeremiah says, "Cursed be he that doeth the
work of Jehovah negligently." So Moab represents one phase
of the lusts of carnal mind for expression through the
flesh. While Moab pertains to the body and the most
external conditions of life, there is something good in
him, or at least a possibility of good.

Ben-ammi, the name of the son of Lot's youngest daughter
and father of the Ammonites, means "son of my people," "son
of my kindred," "son of my tribe," which points to
segregation and personal selfishness. This thought is the
source of the clan, then the nation. When this egotism is
exalted the nation looks on itself as being superior to all
other nations and proceeds to compel them to acknowledge
this superiority by force of arms. The Ammonites waged
constant war against the Israelites but were eventually
defeated.

//quote

Gen. 20:1. And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the
land of the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and
he sojourned in Gerar.

//text

//page 171

The name Shur means "going round about," "wall,"
"fortification," "ox." Shur represents the never-ceasing
progress, unfoldment, and development of man. In his
evolution man has apparently always moved in cycles; but
each time he comes again to his starting place he seems to
be a little in advance of his former state. When he begins
to awaken spiritually his progress is more rapid. There is
also a thought of strength and might ("wall," "ox").

The name Kadesh means "pure," "bright," "holy," "sacred."
Kadesh represents the inherently pure, sinless, perfect,
ideal state in the depths of the consciousness of every
individual.

Abraham "dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in
Gerar." Gerar symbolizes subjective substance and life.
Abraham had on one hand Kadesh --the inherently pure,
sinless, ideal state--and on the other hand Shut (unceasing
progress) while he had his existence in Gerar (substance
and life). Thus does faith (typified by Abraham) develop in
the spiritually awakening individual.

//quote

Gen. 20:2-13. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my
sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said
to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, because of the
woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife. Now
Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt
thou slay even a righteous nation? Said he not himself unto
me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is
my brother: in the integrity of my heart and the innocency
of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in the
dream, Yea, I know that in the integrity of thy heart thou
hast

//page 172

done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against
me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now
therefore restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and
he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou
restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die,
thou, and all that are thine.

And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his
servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the
men were sore afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham, and
said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and wherein
have I sinned against thee, that thou hast brought on me
and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me
that ought not to be done. And Abimelech said unto Abraham,
What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? And
Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is
not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's
sake. And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of
my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she
became my wife: and it came to pass, when God caused me to
wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This
is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me: at every
place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

//text

If spiritual faith through the affectional side of one's
nature (Sarah) makes union with the controlling
unregenerate will in the subconscious (Abimelech) there is
a reversal of the progressive law and bodily ills (the
plagues of Egypt) are brought forth, as we noted with
reference to a previous experience of Abraham. (See
interpretation of Gen. 12:10-20.) However in an instance
like this, when faith, lacking understanding, would have
repeated the error, the soul has progressed until the
subconsciousness has come under the guidance of Spirit, and
the plagues that came as a result

//page 173

of a former mistake are not repeated on this occasion.

Abimelech (unregenerate will) was quickened to the point
where he could receive instruction through dreams. Spirit
revealed to Abimelech the true relationship between Abraham
and Sarah, and thus he was saved from making an unlawful
union.

When Abimelech (will) faced Abraham (pioneering faith) with
the fact, Abraham admitted that he had lost sight of the
possibilities of the divine omnipresence and was not aware
that the all-knowing Spirit could penetrate into every
consciousness. "Because I thought, Surely the fear of God
is not in this place." Abraham and Sarah were of the same
blood and therefore he said truly, "She is my sister."

//quote

Gen. 20:14-18. And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and
men-servants and women-servants, and gave them unto
Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech
said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it
pleaseth thee. And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given
thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, it is for
thee a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee; and
in respect of all thou art righted. And Abraham prayed unto
God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his
maid-servants; and they bare children. For Jehovah had fast
closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because
of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

//text

This is a situation where there is apt to be contention
between the soul and the body consciousness unless
adjustment is made. Pioneering faith (Abraham) in union
with the spiritual soul (Sarah) issues in a high
realization of both soul and body. It is only the highest
emanation of body consciousness that is ready for

//page 174

transmutation, consequently there needs to be an equalizing
and adjusting power to establish peace and safety in the
body consciousness in order to avoid some form of plague.
To teach this truth Abimelech (the ruling power that
controls the substance side of man's being), his wife, and
maidservants are represented as being unproductive for a
season, but as being healed through faith (Abraham
interceded with God).

//quote

Gen. 21:1-7. And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and
Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken. And Sarah
conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the
set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called
the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare
to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when
he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. And
Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was
born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh;
every one that heareth will laugh with me. And she said,
Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give
children suck? for I have borne him a son in his old age.

//text

Isaac was born after Abraham and Sarah were both past the
age of bringing forth. So we when born of the Spirit
through faith are born not "of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God." The natural man has no
power to bring forth the "new man" in Christ Jesus. The
natural man brings forth Hagar's son, who is not the chosen
heir. The new man is a "new creature," begotten not of the
flesh but of the divine word. This begetting represents the
forming of a new state of consciousness, the consciousness
referred to by

//page 175

Paul when he expressed the hope to the Galatians that
"Christ be formed" in them.

As one gains a certain inner satisfaction from doing a good
deed, so in repeatedly following the promptings of Spirit
one accumulates a fund of satisfaction that finally breaks
forth in laughter. Isaac was not born until Abraham and
Sarah had reached old age--had accumulated a "faith
consciousness." Note the different kinds of laughter in
this allegory. Abraham laughed questioningly, hopefully,
when it was announced that Sarah would bear a son. Sarah
laughed incredulously when the promise was announced to
her. Both Abraham and Sarah, with their friends, laughed
joyfully and thankfully when Isaac was born.

Religion is not the dolorous thing that many have pictured
it, much to its loss and to ours as well. On the contrary
religion should make man joyful. God is not to be served in
the spirit of bondage to a taskmaster but in the spirit of
happiness. In Deuteronomy we read: "Because thou servedst
not Jehovah thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of
heart, by reason of the abundance of all things; therefore
shalt thou serve thine enemies . . . in hunger, and in
thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things." If
one's prayers are not answered or one fails to demonstrate
the reason may perhaps be found here.

Those who persistently exercise faith in God find there is
generated in their mind a condition that gradually grows
into a conviction of the permanent presence of divine
substance within, and this gives rise to the most exquisite
joy. Inward ecstasy is what gives the countenance of peace
to the saint and of illumination and purity to the sister
of mercy. It is experienced by

//page 176

all who pass into the second degree of faith (Isaac, son of
Abraham).

//quote

Gen. 21:8-21. And the child grew, and was weaned: and
Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was
weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom
she had borne unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said
unto Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son: for the
son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even
with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's
sight on account of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let
it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and
because of thy handmaid; in all that Sarah saith unto thee,
hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a
nation, because he is thy seed. And Abraham rose up early
in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and
gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and gave
her the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and
wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. And the water in
the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of
the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him
a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me
not look upon the death of the child. And she sat over
against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. And God
heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to
Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee,
Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad
where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy
hand; for I will make him a great nation. And God opened
her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and
filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And
God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the
wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer. And he
dwelt in the wilderness

//page 177

of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of
Egypt.

//text

When Isaac was weaned (symbolizing his readiness to take a
forward step in soul responsibility) Ishmael, Hagar's son,
mocked him. Such mockery is the experience of everyone in
the new birth. The thoughts that are the fruit of the mind
of flesh rise up within him and mock the new man. Here the
overcomer has a definite work to do. The animal soul
(Hagar, the bondmaid) and the natural desires (her son)
must be cast out. As Abraham grieved when Hagar was
banished, so we sometimes grieve at giving up the fruits of
material thinking brought forth by the natural man.

In the development of spiritual faculties, of which faith
(Abraham) is one, there is an ascending movement of the
consciousness that is felt and understood by the individual
having the experience but that is difficult to explain to
one who has not yet entered upon that plane of development.
The faculty of faith grows stronger with each trial, and
when it is obedient to the Lord as its divine guide, it
finds an added pleasure in the exercise of both mind and
body at every upward step. Each function of man's organism
is spiritual at its foundation, and when he exercises it as
intended by Divine Mind his every breath and every
heartbeat is a song of joy. Even the most earthly functions
may be spiritualized and become sources of unending
pleasure, while when they are under the control of the
animal mind of man they become demoralizers of the body.
Under divine guidance the retrogression produced by mere
animalism may be harmonized and purified through the
descent of the fires of Spirit. This is what happened to
Sodom and Gomorrah, which represent

//page 178

the desires and activities pertaining to generation.

When we have faith in God and the ways of Spirit, we are
willing to give up all our material pleasures if such be
the instruction of the inner guide. This giving up is
symbolized by the sacrifices so often referred to in the
history of the Children of Israel. The body and its vital
forces are in perpetual action, which is progressive under
the divine law. When the law is disregarded there is a
waning of the higher forces that brings a sense of
discomfort. It is frequently through pain that we are
brought to see the error of our ways. Then we should hasten
to find the law of being that will give real satisfaction
without inharmony.

The action of Abraham is an example of this practice. After
giving up animal gratification and purifying the mind of
sense thoughts (banishing Hagar and Ishmael), he
experienced a greater pleasure from a more interior or
spiritual action of the same function. Isaac was the
fulfillment of Abraham's greatest desire. But the use of
the natural functions must also be raised to a higher
plane. On each of the ascending stages in bodily
transmutation there is a residuum of the last preceding
stage remaining in consciousness. This too must be purified
so that the whole man may be a fit temple for the Holy
Spirit.

The seemingly inhuman treatment of Hagar and Ishmael by
Abraham and Sarah is symbolical of the activity of forces
at work in the soul of man. The natural soul (Hagar),
lacking real understanding of the newly awakened spiritual
soul (Sarah), looks on it with a jealous and antagonistic
eye. The product of the thoughts of the natural man at work
in the flesh (Ishmael) reflects the natural soul's attitude
and

//page 179

scoffs at the possibility of joy brought about through mere
pleasure in spiritual life. Such an attitude brings about a
separation between the spiritual state of consciousness and
the natural state that depletes the supply on the natural
plane.

The wilderness of Beer-sheba represents in individual
consciousness the multitude of undisciplined and
uncultivated thoughts. Even in this state of mind a person
can hear the voice of God. God spoke to Hagar, which opened
her eyes to the truth that the well of living water was
close by and that she and her son would be amply sustained
and prospered.

This tells us that even the outermost part of man (the
body) is to be saved and to be given the chance to unfold
and become efficient in all its activities.

Ishmael became an archer, which indicates that he was an
expert at hitting the mark. Later he left Beer-sheba and
"dwelt in the wilderness of Paran." The name Paran means
"region of caverns," "region of searching," "place of much
digging." Paran represents the multitude of seemingly
confused and undisciplined thoughts of the subconscious
mind; also a place or period of much earnest searching
after Truth. That "his mother took him a wife out of the
land of Egypt" means that Ishmael (fruits of the flesh)
through Hagar (the natural soul) unites with the feminine
force of materiality.

//quote

Gen. 21:22-34. And it came to pass at that time, that
Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spake unto
Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:
now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not
deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's
son: but according

//page 180

to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do
unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. And
Abraham said, I will swear. And Abraham reproved Abimelech
because of the well of water, which Abimelech's servants
had violently taken away. And Abimelech said, I know not
who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me,
neither yet heard I of it, but today. And Abraham took
sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and they two
made a covenant. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the
flock by themselves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What
mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by
themselves? And he said, These seven ewe lambs shalt thou
take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I
have digged this well. Wherefore he called that place
Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them. So they
made a covenant at Beer-sheba: and Abimelech rose up, and
Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned into the
land of the Philistines. And Abraham planted a tamarisk
tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of
Jehovah, the Everlasting God. And Abraham sojourned in the
land of the Philistines many days.

//text

The name Phicol means "spokesman for all,"
"all-commanding," "every tongue." Phicol was the captain of
the host of Abimelech and represents the seeming
all-sufficiency of sense consciousness in man at a certain
stage of his evolution. He was a Philistine, a Philistine
denoting sense consciousness.

The name Beer-sheba means "well of the oath," "well of
fulfillment," "well of the seven." Abraham represents the
first activity of the faith faculty in man's consciousness.
Abimelech represents the will, which though unregenerate at
this stage of man's unfoldment, recognizes faith and its
attainments (Abraham

//page 181

and his possessions). Abimelech fears that he and his
kingdom will be overrun by Abraham and his everincreasing
family and household. On the other hand, Abimelech's
servants take by force the well that Abraham had dug. This
latter means that the life forces, which have been
discovered and laid hold of by faith's activity, have been
utilized and corrupted by the fleshly man instead of being
retained for the use of the mental and spiritual. The
covenant between Abraham and Abimelech denotes the
establishing of a right relation in consciousness between
the spiritual and so-called material. Beer-sheba represents
the establishing of this agreement ("well of the oath")
between the inner and the outer, wherein faith and its
adherents (higher thoughts) are given ample room in the
organism and are allowed to retain possession of the well
(reservoir of life) that they have been instrumental in
bringing to light. On the other hand, the higher thoughts
of faith realize that they must not harm or destroy the
outer man (Abimelech and his kingdom).

To swear by the seven is to covenant that the thing
promised will be fulfilled, the number seven representing
fulfillment of the natural law.

//quote

Gen. 22:1-18. And it came to pass after these things, that
God did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he
said, Here am I. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only
son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the
land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering
upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And
Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and
took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and
he clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and
went unto the

//page 182

place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham
lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham
said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass, and I
and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and come
again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the
burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took
in his hand the fire and the knife; and they went both of
them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and
said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he
said, Behold, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb
for a burnt-offering? And Abraham said, God will provide
himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son: so they went
both of them together.

And they came to the place which God had told them of; and
Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order,
and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon
the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took
the knife to slay his son. And the angel of Jehovah called
unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he
said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the
lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that
thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes,
and looked, and, behold, behind him a ram caught in the
thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram,
and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his
son. And Abraham called the name of that place
Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of
Jehovah it shall be provided. And the angel of Jehovah
called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said,
By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, because thou hast
done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only
son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying
I will multiply

//page 183

thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which
is upon the sea-shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate
of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of
the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

//text

The story of the near sacrifice of Isaac illustrates the
truth that we must be willing to give up the pleasures of
sense without question if we are to have the consciousness
of the greater satisfactions of Spirit. Being willing and
obedient in submitting our sensations to the law of Spirit,
we then find that we do not at all sacrifice the real inner
joy but only its coarser expression in physical generation
(which is represented by the ram).

It seemed to Abraham that the law of Spiritual growth
demanded the slaying of Isaac, the whole consciousness of
joy. At various stages of unfoldment there are trials as
well as triumphs, and those who have but a transient faith
in the wisdom and power of Spirit are apt to give up and
turn back before the process is complete. (Abraham did not
turn back.) Moriah, the name of the land where Abraham was
sent to make his sacrifice, signifies the "bitterness of
Jehovah." So we find that the changes that take place in
consciousness sometimes are bitter experiences, and it
takes a strong faith to believe that good will come out of
them. Yet it always does come when there is steadfast
obedience to God and faith in His goodness. The successful
meeting of such trials gives great power to the body and
brings a sure reward. Abraham became the father of a
multitude as numerous "as the stars of the heavens, and as
the sand which is upon the sea-shore."

//page 184

The child was not sacrificed although Abraham took every
step in preparation. After he had successfully passed this
test, the angel of the Lord repeated the promise of the
covenant: "By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah . . . and
in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
because thou hast obeyed my voice."

In the regeneration man must be willing to sacrifice his
greatest pleasure in life (Isaac). But when he has given up
willingly, made the spiritual surrender, he finds that it
is not the joy of life that he sacrifices but only the
sensuous aspect of joy.

Faith in God (Abraham) and obedience to the divine law
brings forth a serene peace and joy. Christians well know
that the development of faith and obedience does cause one
to become inwardly happy and outwardly serene. Jesus had
this inward happiness, and He tried to pass it on to His
disciples: "These things have I spoken unto you, that my
joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."

The name Jehovah-jireh means "Jehovah will see," "Jehovah
will behold," "Jehovah will provide." It signifies "I am
the provider." If we expect to demonstrate prosperity from
without, we find it a slow process; but if we know that the
I AM is the provider, we have the key to the inexhaustible
resource.

//quote

Gen. 22:19. So Abraham returned unto his young men, and
they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham
dwelt at Beer-sheba.

//text

The two young men represent masculine forces that have been
trained for service under the supervision of pioneering
faith.

//page 185

Beer-sheba represents the establishing of a right
relationship in consciousness between the spiritual and the
seemingly material. Faith (Abraham) and the young masculine
thoughts dwell in the state of consciousness represented by
Beer-sheba, and it is in the light of this fact that the
following incidents are to be understood.

//quote

Gen. 22:20-24. And it came to pass after these things, that
it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she also hath
borne children unto thy brother Nahor: Uz his first-born,
and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, and
Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight did Milcah bear to
Nahor, Abraham's brother. And his concubine, whose name was
Reumah, she also bare Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and
Maacah.

//text

Milcah represents the soul in its function of expressing
dominion, wisdom, and good judgment. The soul of man on its
feminine side is intuitional and often perceives or senses
things that, while they are not perceived by the outer or
more active and positive part of the individual
consciousness, should be heeded by it.

Nahor symbolizes a piercing and breaking up of the
individual sense consciousness hitherto unpenetrated by
Truth so that a new line of thought may be brought forth.

Nahor and Milcah united to produce eight children (states
of consciousness), whose names are interpreted here.

(For Uz see interpretation of Gen. 10.)

The name Buz means "despicable," "contempt," "despised."
Buz represents a scornful, scoffing state of thought, which
is despicable in the light of Truth.

//page 186

The name Kemuel means "God stands," "God's righteousness."
Kemuel symbolizes the righteousness and judgment of God in
the process of becoming ascendant in individual
consciousness, of growing and taking a firmer hold; also of
bringing about a closer union of the true, higher,
spiritual thoughts of the mind in order to establish the
adjustment that is needed for the further progress of the
individual.

The name Chesed means "an astrologer," "a magus," "wisdom."
Chesed represents a certain type of wisdom, a wisdom that
is psychical in its nature rather than spiritual.

The name Hazo means "vision," "revelation," "agreement."
The arousing of a higher desire in man (Nahor) through the
activity of faith (Abraham) causing the piercing of the
darkness of material belief and opens the way for a new and
clearer insight into Truth. This new insight is symbolized
by Hazo.

The name Pildash means "flame of fire." Pildash represents
zeal, ardor, the result of a quickening that has taken
place in consciousness.

The name Jidlaph means "dropping," "distilling," "tearful."
Jidlaph represents a very negative type of thought in man.

The name Bethuel means "dweller in God," "abode of God."
Bethuel represents unity with God; a conscious abiding in
Him.

Rebekah (the name of Bethuel's daughter) means "tying
firmly," "snare," "beauty that ensnares." Rebekah
represents the soul's natural delight in beauty.

Reumah (the name of Nahor's concubine means "lofty,"
"sublime," "pearl." Reumah symbolizes the soul or feminine
principle in man elevated to a place

//page 187

of appreciation, of high esteem, in consciousness.

By Reumah, Nahor had four children, whose names are given
here.

The name Tebah means "slaughter," "slaying," "life guard."
Tebah represents an active thought of or strong belief in
self-defense ("life guard") that is very destructive
("slaughter," i. e., of animals or persons).

The name Gaham means "flaming," "burning," "charring."
Gaham symbolizes the heat of sense consciousness brought to
a climax, a focus, and burning itself out. This is caused
by the higher desires (Nahor and Reumah) that have been
aroused by the awakening of faith (Abraham) in the
individual. Thus a reaction sets in, the whole
consciousness revolts against sense beliefs, and a measure
of purification is accomplished.

The name Tahash means "burrowing," "diving," "ram." Tahash
symbolizes an increase of life activity in the organism but
an activity more of the animal than the spiritual kind.

The name Maacah means "squeezed," "compressed." Maacah
represents an oppressively aggressive character. He is of
the outer sense man.

(For Aram see interpretation of Gen. 10:27-32.)

//page 188

//section Chapter 8

Chapter VIII

The Mental Supplants the Physical

Genesis 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28

//text

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

//quote

"Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay

Might stop a hole to keep the wind away,"

//text

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."

//page 189

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."

//quote

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.

//text

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

//page 190

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.

//quote

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

//page 191

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.

//text

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

//page 192

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

//page 193

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.

//quote

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

//page 194

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.

//text

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.

//page 195

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).

//quote

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,

//page 196

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

//page 197

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

//page 198

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

//page 199

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.

//text

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.

//page 200

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").

//quote

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.

//page 201

//text

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.

//quote

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.

//text

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

//page 202

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

//page 203

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.

//quote

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

//page 204

them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward,
unto the east country.

//text

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.

//quote

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.

//text

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.

//page 205

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.

//quote

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.

//text

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

//page 206

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,

//page 207

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

//page 208

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.

//quote

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.

//text

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.

//quote

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

//page 209

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.

//text

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

//page 210

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).

//quote

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.

//text

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

//page 211

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

//page 212

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.

//quote

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

//page 213

us. And Abimelech charged all the people, saying, He that
toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

//text

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.

//quote

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

//page 214

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.

//text

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.

//page 215

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."

//quote

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

//page 216

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.

//text

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.

//page 217

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.

//quote

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.

//text

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

//page 218

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.

//quote

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

//page 219

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.

//text

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

//page 220

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

//page 221

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.

//quote

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

//page 222

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?

//page 223

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.

//text

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."

//page 224

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.

//quote

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?

//text

When cheated of its due the body rebels, as Esau

//page 225

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.

//quote

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

//page 226

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.

//text

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,

//page 227

harmonious, tuneful attitude of the soul, found in
expression on the carnal and also on a higher plane.

//quote

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.

//text

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

//page 228

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

//page 229

house a "den of robbers."

//quote

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.

//text

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

//page 230

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."

//page 231

//section Chapter 9

Chapter IX

Lesson Nine

Man Develops Spiritual Faculties

Genesis 29, 30, and 31

//text

AN ALLEGORY is a description of one thing under the image
of another. It suggests but does not specifically state a
meaning. A key to its interpretation is necessary, and this
is usually given in the proper names that are used. By the
employment of such symbols the Bible describes man in his
wholeness, spirit, soul, and body. The names of men,
places, tents, temples in every case have a meaning
relative to the character of man. Mental states are thus
described, and it is important that the individual who
seeks spiritual wisdom for his regeneration shall be able
to understand the allegory by use of the key hidden in the
names.

An example of this is the name Jacob, which means
"supplanter," one who gradually supplants and takes the
place of the natural man in the consciousness of the
individual and of the race. To accomplish this great work
it is necessary that the individualized I AM shall have
certain experiences and develop certain faculties essential
to the higher-type man that is to follow.

Mystics tell us that man passes through twelve stages in
his spiritual development. Each of these is a particular
state of consciousness developed by a presiding ego or
faculty. The last and highest state of consciousness is
that complete, twelve-sided spiritual character attained by
Jesus. This final attainment of the

//page 232

twelvefold man reveals the spiritual man, the image and
likeness created in the beginning. These states may all be
active in the individual consciousness at the same time,
but the dominant one will indicate the point the person has
reached in his development.

Jacob was overdeveloped intellectually and robbed his body
(Esau) of its rightful heritage of life. This wrong was
atoned for when he divided his accumulated wealth with
Esau. In the meantime he had developed the spiritual side
of his life and had brought forth a number of faculties
(sons).

//quote

Gen. 29:1-15. Then Jacob went on his journey; and came to
the land of the children of the east. And he looked, and,
behold, a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep
lying there by it; for out of that well they watered the
flocks: and the stone upon the well's mouth was great. And
thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the
stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put
the stone again upon the well's mouth in its place. And
Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they
said, Of Haran are we. And he said unto them, Know ye Laban
the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. And he said
unto them, Is it well with him? And they said, It is well:
and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. And
he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that
the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep,
and go and feed them. And they said, We cannot, until all
the flocks be gathered together, and they roll the stone
from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep. While he
was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's
sheep; for she kept them. And it came to pass, when Jacob
saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and
the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went
near, and rolled the stone from the

//page 233

well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's
brother. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice,
and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's
brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and
told her father.

And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob
his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced
him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he
told Laban all these things. And Laban said to him, Surely
thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the
space of a month. And Laban said unto Jacob, because thou
art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for
nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

//text

Metaphysically interpreted, Jacob's journeying toward the
east is a way of saying that the illumined intellect is
penetrating deeper into the inner spiritual consciousness.
The well of water symbolizes an innate spiritual life
capacity in the body consciousness. The three flocks of
sheep represent three states of physical existence, each on
its own plane expressing the innocent, obedient activity of
life. The people Jacob visits are living in Haran, the name
of which means "strong," "exalted," "mountaineer"; the
people being not necessarily spiritual but having high
ideals. Their concepts are limited in expression ("they put
the stone again upon the well's mouth in its place"). Laban
represents the unsophisticated natural man whose pure high
ideals are expressed by Rachel and Leah (they shepherd his
sheep or thoughts). Jacob (related through his mother to
this divine-natural plane of consciousness) now makes a
closer contact that brings about prosperity for all
concerned.

//page 234

//quote

Gen. 29:16-30. And Laban had two daughters: the name of the
elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And
Leah's eyes were tender; but Rachel was beautiful and
well-favored. And Jacob loved Rachel; and he said, I will
serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. And
Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that
I should give her to another man: abide with me. And Jacob
served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but
a few days, for the love he had to her.

And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are
fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. And Laban gathered
together all the men of the place, and made a feast. And it
came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his
daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
And Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid unto his daughter Leah
for a handmaid. And it came to pass in the morning that,
behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this
thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for
Rachel? wherefore then has thou beguiled me? And Laban
said, It is not so done in our place, to give the younger
before the first-born. Fulfil the week of this one, and we
will give thee the other also for the service which thou
shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did
so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his
daughter to wife. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter
Bilhah his handmaid to be her handmaid. And he went in also
unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and
served with him yet seven other years.

//text

When unselfish love touches the heart, self drops out of
the mind. Love in the heart lifts us out of the time
limitations of sense consciousness into the joy of the
eternal present. When we forget ourselves in the service of
love, the selflessness of God takes possession

//page 235

of our being. Yet the selfless man is ever the
self-possessed man, such is the paradox of spiritual law.
The higher self in man loves the pure natural soul (Rachel)
and works joyously to possess it. The higher self also
loves the human part of the soul (Leah) with an objective
love and feeds it with the enduring substance of true
thought. Jacob was true to Leah. We can sustain the whole
consciousness in health and unfailing strength by
recognizing it as the essence of invisible substance.

The love story of Jacob and Rachel is one of the most
beautiful in all literature. Jacob served her father seven
years for her hand and was then disappointed because he had
to marry her elder sister Leah. He then served seven more
years for Rachel, which because of his great love for her
seemed but a few days.

The name Bilhah means "bashfulness," "timidity,"
"tenderness." Bilhah represents a tendency of the soul
toward self-abasement.

The name Zilpah means "distilling," "leaking." Zilpah
symbolizes the unfolding soul of man in which as yet too
much of the human is in evidence.

//quote

Gen. 29:31-35. And Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and he
opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived,
and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she
said, Because Jehovah hath looked upon my affliction; for
now my husband will love me. And she conceived again, and
bare a son: and said, Because Jehovah hath heard that I am
hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she
called his name Simeon. And he conceived again, and bare a
son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto
me, because I have borne him three sons: therefore was his
name called

//page 236

Levi. And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she
said, This time will I praise Jehovah: therefore she called
his name Judah; and she left off bearing.

//text

The first child born to Leah was Reuben. At his birth she
cried, "Jehovah hath looked upon my affliction." The
emphasis is on the word looked, and we find that the name
Reuben means "a son seen," "vision of the son." Thus the
mother revealed the character of the faculty represented by
the child, and this is likewise true in the case of each of
the sons.

The first faculty brought forth in man's spiritual
development is vision, the ability to discern the reality
of Spirit that lies back of every form or symbol in the
material world. Like Jacob all Truth seekers are anxious to
develop faith (Benjamin) to remove mountains and
imagination (Joseph) to mold substance to their desires,
but also like Jacob they must bring forth the faculties of
seeing, hearing, feeling, praise, judgment, strength,
power, understanding, zeal, and order on the spiritual
plane.

Simeon, the second son of Leah, represents hearing or, in a
broader sense, receptivity. When man is receptive to the
inflow of Spirit nothing can keep his good from him, and he
is in a position to make rapid strides in his development.

When Levi, the third son, was born, Leah exclaimed, "Now
this time will my husband be joined unto me." The emphasis
is on the word joined. Levi means "uniting," which in the
body is feeling, in the soul compassion, and in the spirit
love. The faculty of love is the unifying principle in
consciousness. It connects our forces with that on which we

//page 237

center our attention. When our attention is focused on
Spirit, these faculties become spiritualized. When we
elevate love (Levi) to the plane of Spirit (John), it draws
to us all that the soul requires. When it is kept on the
lower plane as feeling or emotion it often leads to
selfishness, to indulgence, even to violence.

The fourth son of Jacob and Leah was Judah. In the Hebrew
this name means "praise Jehovah." In Spirit this is prayer
and the faculty of accumulating spiritual substance. In
sense consciousness this faculty becomes acquisitiveness,
the desire to accumulate material things, and if the self
is dominant the faculty "hath a devil" (Judas).

//quote

Gen. 30:1-8. And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no
children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto
Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob's anger
was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's
stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
And she said, Behold, my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; that
she may bear upon my knees, and I also may obtain children
by her. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and
Jacob went in unto her. And Bilhah conceived, and bare
Jacob a son. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath
also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore
called she his name Dan. And Bilhah Rachel's handmaid
conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. And Rachel
said, With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my
sister, and have prevailed: and she called his name
Naphtali.

//text

Rachel and Bilhah represent soul attitudes. The name Rachel
means "journeying," "migrating," which indicates a
transitory state. In this instance Rachel was finding fault
with Jacob (I AM). Such an attitude

//page 238

thwarts the inflow of Spirit. This is why Rachel had not
conceived.

Bilhah was modest and teachable, consequently receptive to
Spirit. This receptivity opens the door to spiritual
inspiration, whose fruit is good judgment (Dan) and
strength of character (Naphtali). That there is a close
relation between the physical, mental, and spiritual
aspects of strength is shown by the fact that the back
becomes tired when thoughts of the burdens of materiality
are held. The realization that all strength is primarily
spiritual relieves this condition, and strength is
restored. ("Lo now, his strength is in his loins," says
Job.) Man retards his spiritual growth by his material
thinking and his mental clinging to the things of the
world. The faculties of judgment and strength find
expression in the physical or more outer consciousness of
man, but their true origin is Spirit, and their spiritual
nature and spiritual activity are in due time established.
The higher expression of this faculty is symbolized by
Jesus' apostle Andrew.

Jacob and his sons lived several hundred years before the
time of Jesus, hence represent the eariler stages of man's
development. They were natural men living by sense and
emotion, yet possessing great spiritual possibilities. In
the same way our faculties in the first stages of their
unfoldment express themselves on the lower planes of sense.
Like everything else with which we have to deal, they have
a physical, a mental, and a spiritual side to bring into
manifestation.

The faculties evolve on three planes. Jacob being a type of
the illumined mental, his sons especially portray ideals.
By developing our ideals we may attain to a high degree of
human perfection. But before we can

//page 239

become anything more than human or mortal our faculties
must be spiritualized and put to work on the heavenly
plane. Just as the sense man has reached his present stage
by the development of the senses, so the divine man must
evolve by the development of his spiritual powers. The
faculties involved are essentially the same, differing only
as regards the plane on which they are expressed, since
body, soul, and spirit are really one, and are separated
only in consciousness.

//quote

Gen. 30:9-13. When Leah saw that she had left off bearing,
she took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob to
wife. And Zilpah Leah's handmaid bare Jacob a son. And Leah
said, Fortunate! and she called his name Gad. And Zilpah
Leah's handmaid bare Jacob a second son. And Leah said,
Happy am I! for the daughters will call me happy: and she
called his name Asher.

//text

Leah's maid Zilpah (whose name means "distilling,"
"extracting an essence") was the mother of the next two
sons, Gad and Asher. Gad symbolizes power, which at this
stage of development is on the personal plane. Divine Mind
gives man power over his thoughts and ideas and the forces
of the soul. In the higher consciousness this power is
exercised over the self and inner conditions rather than
over other persons and the world without. The higher
expression is shown by the apostle Philip.

Asher symbolizes understanding, which corresponds to wisdom
in the realm of Spirit (Thomas). Through his knowing
faculty man acquires a body of knowledge by study and
observation of the world without. Through the same faculty
he acquires wisdom by being

//page 240

receptive to the Spirit within. Tennyson brings out this
difference clearly when he says, "Knowledge is earthly, of
the mind; but wisdom is heavenly, of the soul."

Jacob now had eight sons, four by Leah, two by Bilhah, and
two by Zilpah.

//quote

Gen. 30:14-21. And Reuben went in the days of wheat
harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them
unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I
pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. And she said unto her,
Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband?
and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And
Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to-night for
thy son's mandrakes. And Jacob came from the field in the
evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must
come in unto me; for I have surely hired thee with my son's
mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. And God
hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob a
fifth son. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire,
because I gave my handmaid to my husband: and she called
his name Issachar. And Leah conceived again, and bare a
sixth son to Jacob. And Leah said, God hath endowed me with
a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I
have borne him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.
And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name
Dinah.

//text

There is an interesting story in connection with the birth
of the next son. In the Oriental household where there were
several wives there were sure to be petty jealousies and
naive intrigues. Jacob spent most of his time with Rachel
since she was his favorite. To get his attention Leah
bargained with Rachel to keep out of the way for a while,
and as a reward gave her some mandrakes or "love apples"
that her son Reuben had

//page 241

brought in to her. Leah had great zeal and was never
discouraged by her failure of her attempts to win Jacob's
favor. When the child was born she called him Issachar, a
name meaning "there is reward." Metaphysically he
represents the faculty of zeal, active in substance and in
the body consciousness.

Zeal is a strong force, the urge behind all things and the
impulse to every achievement. It sets in motion all the
machinery of the universe to attain the object of its
desire. It should be tempered with understanding and love,
else it becomes a destructive force. Even a criminal may be
zealous in his work.

The spiritual side of the zeal faculty is represented by
the apostle Simon the Canaanite.

It is worthy of note that Leah--metaphysically the human
soul as distinguished from the more advanced soul
(Rachel)--was the mother of six or one half of Jacob's
sons. The last one she brought forth was Bebulun (whose
name means "habitation," "neighbor") and who symbolizes the
faculty of order. Order is the first law of the universe.
Indeed there could be no universe unless its various parts
were kept in perfect harmony. In the sense mind there is
disorder, manifest in confusion of thought and action,
while in Divine Mind everything is perfect order. Therefore
it is most important, if we are to survive at all, that our
thoughts be put in order and kept in harmony with divine
intelligence.

Even in the small details of life, such as dress,
conversation, eating, sleeping, and working, system and
order enables one to live a richer and fuller life. But
only in divine order can be found the life abundant and
eternal. This order is established in our body and

//page 242

affairs when we live up to the higher convictions of our
being under the guidance of spiritual understanding. No
man-made law can be strong, true, or exact enough to insure
perfect order. Only when man becomes conscious of who and
what he is can he exercise his God-given dominion and bring
his life into line with the principle of divine order,
which is mind, idea, and manifestation. The apostle James,
son of Alphaeus, symbolizes order on the spiritual plane.

The name Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob, means
"judged," "justified," "acquitted," "avenged." Dinah
represents the soul side or feminine aspect of the judgment
faculty in man; it might be called intuition, the intuition
of the natural man.

//quote

Gen. 30:22-25. And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened
to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a
son: and said, God hath taken away my reproach: and she
called his name Joseph, saying, Jehovah add to me another
Son.

And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that
Jacob said to Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine
own place, and to my country.

//text

During all this time Jacob had been serving his
father-in-law Laban in the country of Haran. This was a
high or mountainous place and metaphysically denotes the
high state of consciousness in which the individual is
strengthened and given the determination to go forward to
spiritual enlightenment and full development. Eleven of
Jacob's sons were born in Haran, the last of whom was
Joseph, the child of Rachel, the beloved. In the high state
of spiritual consciousness man develops the faculties from
the simple one of seeing

//page 243

to that of imagination, the faculty represented by Joseph.

//quote

Gen. 30:26-43. Give me my wives and my children for whom I
have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my
service wherewith I have served thee. And Laban said unto
him, If now I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry: for I
have divined that Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake. And
he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. And he
said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how
thy cattle have fared with me. For it was little which thou
hadst before I came, and it hath increased unto a
multitude; and Jehovah hath blessed thee whithersoever I
turned: and now when shall I provide for mine own house
also? And he said, What shall I give thee? and Jacob said,
Thou shalt not give me aught: if thou wilt do this thing
for me, I will again feed thy flock and keep it. I will
pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence
every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among
the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats:
and of such shall be my hire. So shall my righteousness
answer for me hereafter, when thou shalt come concerning my
hire that is before thee: every one that is not speckled
and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep,
that, if found with me, shall be counted stolen. And Laban
said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.
And he removed that day the he-goats that were ringstreaked
and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and
spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black
ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his
sons; and he set three days' journey betwixt himself and
Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

And Jacob took him rods of fresh poplar, ??? of the almond
and of the plane-tree; and peeled white streaks in them,
and made the white appear

//page 244

which was in the rods. And he set the rods which he had
peeled over against the flocks in the gutters in the
watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink; and they
conceived when they came to drink. And the flocks conceived
before the rods, and the flocks brought forth ringstreaked,
speckled, and spotted. And Jacob separated the lambs, and
set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstreaked and all
the black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves
apart, and put them not unto Laban's flock. And it came to
pass, whensoever the stronger of the flock did conceive,
that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in
the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods; but
when the flock were feeble, he put them not in: so the
feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's. And the man
increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, and
maidservants and men-servants, and camels and asses.

//text

This Scripture is quite symbolical of conditions within
ourselves.

One of the forces operative in the illumined intellect
(Jacob) is the image-making faculty of the mind. In this
Scripture the activity of this faculty is freely
exemplified. The imagination has the ability and power to
throw onto the screen of visibility in substance and life
any idea that the mind conceives. This accounts for the
rapid increase in Jacob's possessions.

Jacob served Laban seven years thinking he would get Rachel
(the spiritual soul) to wife only to find that Leah (the
human soul) had been substituted. This would indicate that
Laban in one aspect of his nature was something of a
trickster. Jacob then had to work another seven years to
pay for Rachel. However, there is only one presence, one
power, one intelligence, and

//page 245

one's own must come to him. When the soul looks steadily to
Omnipresence, it finds that the law of equilibrium adjusts
all conditions. For his hire Jacob was to take from Laban's
flock all the ring-streaked and speckled and spotted
cattle, all the black sheep, and all the speckled and
spotted goats; which he removed some little distance. In
addition to this he was to receive from the increase of
Laban's flocks, which were free from these markings, all
those animals which bore the same markings as Jacob's
flocks.

When the strong, healthy herds were ready to conceive,
Jacob placed in the gutters around the watering troughs
where they came to drink rods of fresh poplar, and of
almond, and of the plane tree, in which he had peeled white
streaks; the flocks conceived before these rods, and they
brought forth young that were ring-streaked, speckled, and
spotted. When the weak flocks were ready to conceive and
came to drink, he took away the rods in which he had peeled
the white streaks. In the end Jacob had large, strong,
healthy herds and Laban had small and weak herds.

Taking it all in all, the illumined intellect (Jacob)
receives all that it deserves.

These passages in Genesis show the urge toward higher
things on the part of those who received the quickening of
the Spirit. Jacob, Laban, and Laban's family were of the
same stock, but Jacob was more spiritually awakened, and
because of his superior understanding all those with whom
he was associated enjoyed increase of understanding and
substance. Laban said to Jacob, "I have divined that
Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake." Separating the
animals owned jointly by Laban and Jacob implies that the
vital forces have

//page 246

expanded to the point where finer types are possible. These
types are represented as "ringstreaked, speckled, and
spotted," and they fell to Jacob. Jacob also discovered
that he could increase his "flocks" by using his
image-making faculty, focusing the mind on a certain image
when he was in creative consciousness. The sculptor makes a
mental image of the thing he is carving and it appears
under the impact of his hand.

//quote

Gen. 31:1-16. And he heard the words of Laban's sons,
saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's;
and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this
glory. And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and,
behold, it was not toward him as beforetime. And Jehovah
said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and
to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto
his flock, and said unto them, I see your father's
countenance, that it is not toward me as beforetime; but
the God of my father hath been with me. And ye know that
with all my power I have served your father. And your
father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times;
but God suffered him not to hurt me. If he said thus, The
speckled shall be thy wages; then all the flock bare
speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstreaked shall be
thy wages; then bare all the flock ringstreaked. Thus God
hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them
to me. And it came to pass at the time that the flock
conceive, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream,
and, behold, the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were
ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled. And the angel of God
said unto me in the dream, Jacob: and I said, Here am I.
And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see: all the
he-goats which leap upon the flock are ringstreaked,
speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban

//page 247

doeth unto thee. I am the God of Beth-el, where thou
anointedst a pillar, where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now
arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the
land of thy nativity. And Rachel and Leah answered and said
unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in
our father's house? Are we not accounted by him as
foreigners? for he hath sold us, and hath also quite
devoured our money. For all the riches which God hath taken
away from our father, that is ours and our children's: now
then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

//text

Laban and his family represent the pure natural in man, to
which Jacob (spiritual illumination) brings expansion.
Laban acknowledged that Jacob had brought him prosperity.
But the spiritually illumined intellect (Jacob) reaps a
share of the increase, and to this the natural man objects
when his sons or "afterthoughts" call his attention to it.

In his dream Jehovah showed Jacob (illumined intellect)
that he had finished his work in Haran (a high exalted
state of consciousness on the natural plane) and now must
function in a more fertile, productive soil. He must return
with his possessions to the land of his nativity.

The wives for whom Jacob had labored also had their
substance share and inherited part of the increase. When
the mind is spiritually quickened all the faculties
respond, especially the imagination, as indicated by the
"ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled" progeny.

//quote

Gen. 31:17, 18. Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and
his wives upon the camels; and he carried away all his
cattle, and all his substance which he had gathered, the
cattle of his getting, which he had gathered in
Paddan-aram, to go to Isaac his father unto the land of
Canaan.

//page 248

//text

Jacob was moving from Haran all the possessions he had
acquired in Paddan-aram (the place of substance in the
organism) to Canaan (the state of consciousness that to the
individual is the kingdom of heaven). He took away with him
a great wealth of substance, including camels, cattle,
sheep, gold, and silver, and even the teraphim (highest
thoughts) of that land.

"I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst a pillar,
where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out
from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity."

We recall that Bethel, "the house of God," symbolizes the
consciousness in which Jacob dwelt when he beheld the
ladder reaching to heaven and exclaimed, "Surely Jehovah is
in this place; and I knew it not."

//quote

Gen. 31:19-21. Now Laban was gone to shear his sheep: and
Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father's. And Jacob
stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told
him not that he fled. So he fled with all that he had; and
he rose up, and passed over the River, and set his face
toward the mountain of Gilead.

//text

Gilead represents a high state of consciousness, where
Spirit reveals its discerning, judging power. In this state
of consciousness man refuses to allow his high ideals to
become subject to error reasonings. Thus his spiritual
discernment is not clouded by mortal thinking.

//quote

Gen. 31:22-32. And it was told Laban on the third day that
Jacob was fled. And he took his brethren with him, and
pursued after him seven days' journey; and he overtook him
in the mountain of Gilead. And God came to Laban the Syrian
in a

//page 249

dream of the night, and said unto him, Take heed to thyself
that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. And Laban
came up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the
mountain: and Laban with his brethren encamped in the
mountain of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou
done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and
carried away my daughters as captives of the sword?
Wherefore didst thou flee secretly, and steal away from me,
and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away
with mirth and with songs, with tabret and with harp; and
didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? now
hast thou done foolishly. It is in the power of my hand to
do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me
yesternight, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak
not to Jacob either good or bad. And now, though thou
wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after
thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid:
for I said, Lest thou shouldest take thy daughters from me
by force. With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall
not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine
with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that
Rachel had stolen them.

//text

The teraphim were household gods of the Eastern peoples.
They were images, apparently human in form, that were used
for purposes of worship in the homes of the people. They
were supposed to bring prosperity and health and general
domestic good. Even the Israelites used these images much
of the time, though the practice was of heathen origin.

Metaphysically the teraphim represent thoughts tending to
the outer only for supply, protection, and all good (givers
of prosperity, guardians of comforts,

//page 250

nourishers, domestic idols); thoughts that imply trust in
the many outer channels through which one's good comes to
one instead of faith in God as one's sustenance and power
of development; also the many thoughts and desires that man
entertains and gives expression to in outer ways and that
should first of all be centered in the one Presence within
him.

//quote

Gen. 31:33-53. And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into
Leah's tent, and into the tent of the two maid-servants;
but he found them not. And he went out of Leah's tent, and
entered into Rachel's tent. Now Rachel had taken the
teraphim, and put them in the camel's saddle, and sat upon
them. And Laban felt all about the tent, but found them
not. And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry
that I cannot rise up before thee; for the manner of women
is upon me. And he searched, but found not the teraphim.

And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob
answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my
sin, that thou hast hotly pursued after me? Whereas thou
hast felt about all my stuff, what hast thou found of all
thy household stuff? Set it here before my brethren and thy
brethren, that they may judge betwixt us two. These twenty
years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats
have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flocks have
I not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not
unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou
require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. Thus
I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by
night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes. These twenty years
have I been in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for
thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock: and thou
hast changed my wages ten times. Except the God of my
father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear

//page 251

of Isaac, had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me
away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of
my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, The daughters are
my daughters, and the children are my children, and the
flocks are my flocks, and all that thou seest is mine: and
what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto
their children whom they have borne? And now come, let us
make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness
between me and thee. And Jacob took a stone, and set it up
for a pillar. And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather
stones; and they took stones, and made a heap: and they did
eat there by the heap. And Laban called it Jegar-saha
dutha: but Jacob called it Galeed. And Laban said, This
heap is witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was
the name of it called Galeed: and Mispah, for he said,
Jehovah watch between me and thee, when we are absent one
from another. If thou shalt afflict my daughters, and if
thou shalt take wives besides my daughters, no man is with
us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee. And Laban said
to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar, which I
have set betwixt me and thee. This heap be witness, and the
pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to
thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this
pillar unto me, for harm. The God of Abraham, and the God
of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And
Jacob sware by the Fear of his father Isaac.

//text

Man should remember always that he does not live by bread
alone, by outer ways and means, but by every word that
proceeds out of the mouth of God: by the inner creative,
sustaining, energizing life, love, power, strength, and
intelligence of Spirit.

//page 252

Laban symbolizes that which is pure and gentle. He was told
in a dream what had happened, but God also revealed to him
that he was not to speak good or bad to Jacob. However, he
searched the tents for the teraphim without discovering
them, as Rachel had placed them on the camel's back under
the saddle on which she was riding. A covenant was made
between Jacob and Laban. They gathered stones in a heap and
they ate there. Laban called the heap Jegar-sahadutha, the
Aramaic name for Galeed. Galeed means "massive witness,"
"heap of witnesses," "rock of time," "great endurance." It
was the heap of stones that Jacob and Laban gathered for a
witness between them when Jacob with his wives, children,
and possessions left Laban to return to Esau and to Jacob's
own country. It was also called Mizpah, "watchtower," and
thus signifies the watchtower of prayer, while Galeed
signifies the witness that Spirit with man bears to Truth.
By following the true Jehovah Spirit in ourselves we shall
always deal justly with every phase of our consciousness
and of our entire organism, as well as with persons. "This
heap be witness, and the pillar be witness, that I will not
pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass
over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm."

//quote

Gen. 31:54, 55. And Jacob offered a sacrifice in the
mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they
did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mountain. And
early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and
his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and
returned unto his place.

//text

Jacob offered a sacrifice, and he and his brethren ate
bread together. The sacrifice consisted of an animal

//page 253

slaughtered as an offering to the deity in man, symbolizing
the surrender to Spirit of the animal forces that they may
be transmuted into higher states of consciousness. Eating
bread means joining in communion, partaking of spiritual
substance. Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his
sons and his daughters in token of affection. Then he
invoked divine favor upon them and returned to his place.

//page 254

//section Chapter 10

Chapter X

The Spiritual Gains Precedence of the Mental

Genesis 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36

//text

MAN DEVELOPS his faculties in an orderly manner when he
looks to Divine Mind as the one and only guide. But he does
not always seek this inner wisdom, and the result is a
disorderly development. Jacob represents the mind in man
that directs the physical body (Esau) in all its acts. In
divine order Jacob should be born first--we should think
before we act--but we find that as a rule people do not
reflect and then act, and especially is this true among
people who are in the first stages of their race journey.

The natural man in his immature consciousness is moved by
desire and not by rational thinking. He seeks to satisfy
appetite regardless of higher law and sells his birthright
for a mess of pottage. When understanding (Jacob) takes the
ascendancy, there is an entire change. Jacob went toward
Haran ("enlightened," "mountainous"). The significance of
this sentence is that when we let our meditations and
blessings fall on the "knowing" part of ourselves (Jacob
instead of Esau) we go into a higher mental state or an
exalted condition of mind, wherein we receive a higher and
clearer conception of things spiritual.

//quote

Gen. 32:1, 2. And Jacob went on his way, and

//page 255

the angels of God met him. And Jacob said when he saw them,
This is God's host: and he called the name of the place
Mahanaim.

//text

The name Mahanaim means "two camps," "two hosts,"
"companies." In the individual consciousness Mahanaim
represents spiritual ideas and the physical realm ("two
hosts"). This idea is brought out very clearly in the
naming of the place by Jacob. The "two hosts" are the
angels of God (messengers of God: spiritual ideas) on the
one hand, and Jacob and his company, his wives, children,
and possessions (manifestations of ideas) on the other.

//quote

Gen. 32:3-28. And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau
his brother unto the land of Seir, the field of Edom. And
he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye say unto my lord
Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob, I have sojourned with
Laban, and stayed until now: and I have oxen, and asses,
and flocks, and men-servants, and maid-servants: and I have
sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in thy sight.
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to
thy brother Esau, and moreover he cometh to meet thee, and
four hundred men with him. Then Jacob was greatly afraid
and was distressed: and he divided the people that were
with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels,
into two companies; and he said, If Esau come to the one
company, and smite it, then the company which is left shall
escape. And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God
of my father Isaac, O Jehovah, who saidst unto me, Return
unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will do thee
good: I am not worthy of the least of all the
lovingkindnesses, and of all the truth, which thou hast
shown unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over
this Jordan; and now I am become two companies.

//page 256

Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from
the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he come and smite
me, the mother with the children. And thou saidst, I will
surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the
sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

And he lodged there that night, and took of that which he
had with him a present for Esau his brother: two hundred
she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty
rams, thirty milch camels and their colts, forty cows and
ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten foals. And he delivered
them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself,
and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a
space betwixt drove and drove. And he commanded the
foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and
asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goeth
thou? and whose are these before thee? then thou shalt say,
They are thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my
lord Esau: and, behold, he also is behind us. And he
commanded also the second, and the third, and all that
followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak
unto Esau, when ye find him; and ye shall say, Moreover,
behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will
appease him with the present that goeth before me, and
afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept
me. So the present passed over before him: and he himself
lodged that night in the company.

And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his
two hand-maids, and his eleven children, and passed over
the ford of the Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them
over the stream, and sent over that which he had. And Jacob
was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the
breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not
against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the
hollow of Jacob's thigh was

//page 257

strained, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go,
for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go,
except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy
name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be
called no more Jacob, but Israel: for thou hast striven
with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

//text

Edom was the name of the country where Esau's descendants
lived. It represents the outer man, the body, or the
carnal, physical phase of man's consciousness and organism.
The significance of Seir is virtually the same as that of
Edom. Seir apparently designates especially the emotional
and stormy yet deep-seated carnal tendencies in the
physical.

The Jordan ("flowing of judgment") may be said to represent
that place in consciousness where we are willing to meet
the results of our thoughts face to face and
understandingly and courageously to pass judgment on all
thoughts.

In the soul's unfoldment the higher faculties forge ahead,
establish states of consciousness, and gather possessions
of substance that must afterward be distributed to the
lower faculties. Jacob represents the soul that has become
rich in ideas. A time comes when an equalizing process
begins and the body (Esau) must be given some of the riches
of the soul.

Until love has done its perfect work man is fearful. Jacob
feared to meet Esau. We find it hard to face the full
claims of the body (Esau) after we have cheated it of its
birthright, unity of soul and body in spiritual thought.
Divine courage must supplant this fear before we are equal
to facing the consequences of our self-centered thoughts
and to taking up the task of harmonizing

//page 258

all our forces. But the vital power of Spirit animates the
body, and it responds readily to our true thought when we
give it of our substance.

The soul does not like to enter into struggles to overcome
material habits, but it is necessary that it do so. The
name of the ford where Jacob wrestled with the angel means
"wrestling," and the inference is that it was hard for
Jacob to put aside the things that he loved and to enter
alone into the invisible to wrestle with the forces of the
subconsciousness or sense consciousness in darkness. This
struggle with the physical is illustrated in the overcoming
by Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. The error is "pressed
out" and the rich oil of reality saved.

The life in the subconsciousness has several planes of
action. In the deep recesses of the nerves it sends its
energy to and fro, coming to the surface here and there in
flesh-and-blood sensation. There is a strong man down there
about whom the average person knows little. He lives so far
below the plane of common consciousness that the great
majority of men go through their whole life without making
his acquaintance. This man is pure nature, the foundation
of the body. Without him man could not take form, and it is
his tenacity that keeps our organism intact. He belongs to
nature and is universal; hence when the individual attempts
to control him and to lift him up, there is resistance, and
a severe struggle with him is inevitable. "The flesh
lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh."

The mind controls the body through the thoughts acting on
the nerves. The sciatic nerve runs down the leg through the
hollow of the thigh, and the will

//page 259

acts directly through this nerve. When the intellect
(Jacob) exercises its power in the effort to control the
natural man within, there follows a letting go of human
will--Jacob's thigh is out of joint. A great light of
understanding breaks in on the struggling soul, of which
the intellect is a part, when it discovers that there is a
divine-natural body, and it clings to that inner life and
strength until it brings to the surface the blessing of
perpetual physical vigor. Jacob (intellect) said, "I will
not let thee go, except thou bless me." The blessing
carried with it a new name, Israel; one who has striven
with God and with men and has prevailed. "Israel" is one
who is a prince and has power as regards both God and man,
the spiritual and the material.

We can appreciate why Jacob (the intellect) after this
experience was willing to make amends to Esau (the body),
whom he had cheated and neglected all these years. When the
intellect or conscious mind realizes and exercises its
superior ability there is an intuitive feeling of injustice
and a fear of the results. An awareness of having
disregarded divine law coupled with inability to recall the
cause of this fear results in much mental concern. Persons
who let the ambitious intellect override the demands and
rights of the body (Esau) eventually find themselves afraid
and anxious to make restitution to the body.

//quote

Gen. 32:29-32. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I
pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou
dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob
called the name of the place Peniel: for, said he, I have
seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And the
sun rose

//page 260

upon him as he passed over Penuel, and he limped upon his
thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not the sinew
of the hip which is upon the hallow of the thigh, unto this
day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the
sinew of the hip.

//text

Instead of Jacob being weaker, as his limp would indicate,
he was stronger, because he had made a spiritual adjustment
between the higher and the lower in his body consciousness.
One can change one's attitude toward the body and thus
change the body itself by following the advise of Paul: "Be
ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Do not judge
by the appearance, do not call your body temple evil or
corruptible flesh; do not fall into the error of mortal
mind. See in the body what Jacob saw, the face of God; for
it is ever the temple of the living God.

The name Peniel means "turned toward God," "face of God,"
"within the presence of God." Peniel symbolizes the inner
realization of the divine presence, the realization of
having met God face to face and of having succeeded through
prayer in attaining the divine favor and blessing that have
been sought.

(Penuel is the same name as Peniel and carries the same
meaning and symbology.)

The "children of Israel eat not the sinew of the hip which
is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day," as a
reminder of a spiritual truth that they may not understand
now but will eventually.

//quote

Gen. 33:1-11. And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked,
and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred
men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto
Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. And he put the
handmaids and their children

//page 261

foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and
Joseph hindermost. And he himself passed over before them,
and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came
near to his brother. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced
him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the
children; and said, Whose are these with thee? And he said,
The children whom God hath graciously given thy servant.
Then the handmaids came near, they and their children, and
they bowed themselves. And Leah also and her children came
near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and
Rachel, and they bowed themselves, And he said, What
meanest thou by all this company which I met? And he said,
To find favor in the sight of my lord. And Esau said, I
have enough, my brother; let that which thou hast be thine.
And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found favor
in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand; forasmuch
as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of God, and
thou wast pleased with me. Take, I pray thee, my gift that
is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with
me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he
took it.

//text

Jacob, now become Israel, was reunited with Esau after he
crossed the ford Jabbok ("wrestling"). The universal law of
the unity of all things was fulfilled. The way in which the
mind (Israel) projects its thoughts toward the body (Esau)
is symbolized by the way in which Rachel and her children,
Leah and her children, and the handmaids with their
children were presented to Esau. The handmaids were
presented first because they represent physical thoughts.
Leah and her children, presented next, represent
intellectual thoughts. Rachel (most beloved) and her son
Joseph

//page 262

were presented last because they represent the more
spiritual thoughts. Then Jacob himself "passed over before
them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he
came near to his brother." This means that the intellect
recognizes the body as its equal and the body's well-being
as necessary to harmonious existence. In his spiritual self
man must give his body place as a divine creation and
co-operate with it in his evolution.

The body always obeys the conscious or subconscious behests
of the mind. "Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and
fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept." He
rufused at first to accept the proffered gifts of Jacob.
The body at first feels its own completeness and resists
the rich ideas that the mind has developed in its
unfoldment. Jacob (illumined intellect) said, "Receive my
present at my hand; forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as
one seeth the face of God."

Job says, "In my flesh shall I see God." (A.V.) Jesus said,
"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." The mind must
ideate the body as God substance. This will raise the body
to the higher consciousness of its innate divinity. The I
AM does not make spiritual union with the body until it
sees it as the pure and holy temple of God.

The gifts that Jacob gave to Esau represent the innate
abilities that are wrapped up in the body and that can be
expressed only through union with the mind. Persons who are
skilled in exercises of agility and strength must have the
will to win a contest before they are victorious, and
trainers are giving more and more attention and assigning
ever greater importance to the mental state of their
athletes.

//page 263

//quote

Gen. 33:12-16. And he said, Let us take our journey, and
let us go, and I will go before thee. And he said unto him,
My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and that the
flocks and herds with me have their young: and if they
overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die. Let my
lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will
lead on gently, according to the pace of the cattle that
are before me and according to the pace of the children,
until I come unto my lord unto Seir. And Esau said, Let me
now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And
he said, What needeth it? let me find favor in the sight of
my lord. So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.

//text

Here is a lesson in co-operation between mind and body.
This unity is essential not only to the development of the
mental and the physical but to the unfoldment of the
spirit. The body is lifted up and the mind strengthened
when they work in unison. The children of the mind are the
new ideas ushering in the untried capacities of both mind
and body. They were now penetrating into the body
consciousness (Seir) or the home of the physical (Esau),
where the mind will lay hold of the essential physical
elements and lift them up to a higher plane.

//quote

Gen. 33:17. And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a
house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name
of the place is called Succoth.

//text

The name Succoth means "interwoven," "booths," "tents."
Booths or tents represent temporary abiding places as
compared with permanent houses. Succoth represents the
seeming temporary, carnal, material organism of man, which
is the fruit or manifestation of the belief that the
spiritually unawakened man holds

//page 264

concerning his physical body. The abiding, spiritual body
will come into manifestation when man learns that he is
wholly spiritual and that no part of him, not even his
body, is material and subject to corruption. Spiritual,
true thinking will transform the present material seeming
and will bring forth immortality, eternal life, throughout
the whole man's being.

//quote

Gen. 33:18-20. And Jacob came in peace to the city of
Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from
Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city. And he bought
the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the
hand of the children of Hamor, Schechem's father, for a
hundred pieces of money. And he erected there an altar, and
called it El-Elohe-Israel.

//text

Jacob again entered the land of Canaan, as the Lord had
promised he should, and encamped there. His fears gone--he
came in peace to Shechem--he was free to pitch his tent
wherever he pleased. So we, studying his example, may
overcome the self through the transforming power of love.
We may have a vision of the power of God indwelling, and in
the patience that this vision teaches us we may cease
striving with the personal self and henceforth strive only
for the possession of the eternal ideal. Thus we make a new
name for ourselves, supplanting the former natural self
with the divine self. We find our new name written on the
white stone that no one else knows, for it is "I."

When love has preformed its work in his consciousness man
ceases to struggle against the seeming evils in the world
without and turns his attention to overcoming the
inharmonies of the world within himself.

//page 265

"Ye have heard that it is said, An eye for an eye, and a
tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, Resist not him that
is evil . . . Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt
love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: but I say unto
you, Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute
you."

All through the Bible life is compared to a battle but not
to war: "the battle is Jehovah's." The Lord does not fight
ignorance and evil; the foundation of all existence being
good, the law is constantly at work reducing error to its
exact stature. As man develops in consciousness, both the
soul and the body constantly become more refined under the
law of Spirit. This causes a seeming struggle sometimes
with adverse conditions, materiality, ignorance, and evil.

The city of Shechem in the land of Canaan is in the
locality where Hamor and his son Shechem dwelt. This is the
consciousness into which Jacob (illumined intellect) came.
The children of Hamor ("stubborn," "dark," "ignorant")
represent the earthly, carnal, state of mind. Shechem
represents a burden-bearing attitude of mind ("bending
down," "a burden"). The name El-Elohe-lsrael means "Elohe
[Elohim], God of Israel," "mighty God of Israel," "Elohim
He of Israel." The altar symbolizes the giving up of the
"mind of the flesh" in individual consciousness to make way
for the spiritual so that the spiritual may prevail
throughout and God alone may be recognized. Thus Israel
(the true, spiritual thoughts, beliefs, and faculties) may
indeed become a prince, prevailing and ruling with God,
having power with both God and man; that is, having power
for good in every phase of the consciousness, from the very
highest to the most material plane.

//page 266

//quote

Gen. 34:1-3. And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she bare
unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And
Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the
land, saw her; and he took her, and lay with her, and
humbled her. And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of
Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the
damsel.

//text

The name Dinah means "justified," "avenged." Dinah
represents the soul side of or the feminine element in the
judgment faculty in man, which may be called intuition, the
intuition of the natural man. The thought of vengeance that
is suggested in the name always comes to the natural man in
the process of judging; he is more likely to discern the
error side of a proposition than the true side. Dinah,
representing this feminine element, went out and mingled
with the daughters of the land, who were Hivites. The
Hivites were descended from Canaan, son of Ham, and
represent the physical and carnal qualities in the
individual. Any unlawful relationship of thoughts or
elements results in a heavy, burdensome, attitude of mind
(Shechem). Hamor represents a central or ruling thought (he
was a Hivite prince) in the carnal consciousness of man.

//quote

Gen. 34:4-7. And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor,
saying, Get me this damsel to wife. Now Jacob heard that he
had defiled Dinah his daughter; and his sons were with his
cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they
came. And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob
to commune with him. And the sons of Jacob came in from the
field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and
they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in
Israel in lying with

//page 267

Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

//text

Shechem (burden-bearing thoughts), representing a belief in
the reality of the material and physical, sought to make
his relationship with Dinah (feminine, intuitional element)
permanent. When Jacob's sons (the offspring of the
illumined intellect) discovered the unholy state of affairs
they were naturally grieved and angered.

//quote

Gen. 34:8-31. And Hamor communed with them, saying, The
soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray
you, give her unto him to wife. And make ye marriages with
us; give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters
unto you. And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be
before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you
possessions therein. And Shechem said unto her father and
unto her brethren, Let me find favor in your eyes, and what
ye shall say unto me I will give. Ask me never so much
dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say
unto me: but give me the damsel to wife. And the sons of
Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with guile, and
spake, because he had defiled Dinah their sister, and said
unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to
one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto
us. Only on this condition will we consent unto you: if ye
will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised;
then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take
your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we
will become one people. But if ye will not hearken unto us,
to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we
will be gone.

And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son. And
the young man deferred not to

//page 268

do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter:
and he was honored above all the house of his father. And
Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city,
and communed with the men of their city, saying, These men
are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the
land, and trade therein; for, behold, the land is large
enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for
wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only on this
condition will the men consent unto us to dwell with us, to
become one people, if every male among us be circumcised,
as they are circumcised. Shall not their cattle and their
substance and all their beasts be ours? only let us consent
unto them, and they will dwell with us. And unto Hamor and
unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the
gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that
went out of the gate of his city. And it came to pass on
the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of
Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his
sword, and came upon the city unawares, and slew all the
males. And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the
edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house,
and went forth. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and
plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.
They took their flocks and their herds and their asses, and
that which was in the city, and that which was in the
field; and all their wealth, and all their little ones and
their wives, took they captive and made a prey, even all
that was in the house. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi,
Ye have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants
of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and,
I bring few in number, they will gather themselves together
against me and smite me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my
house. And they said, Should he deal with our sister as
with a harlot?

//page 269

//text

The whole purpose of Jacob (illumined intellect) in
penetrating down into the city of Shechem (materiality) in
the land of Canaan (the physical and carnal) was to lay
hold of new vigor, vitality and substance. Dinah represents
the intuitive natural judgment that determines virtue and
law in the physical. When this intuitive natural judgment
is united with sense it loses its protective integrity,
which is resented by the related faculties on that plane of
consciousness (Dinah's brothers). A strict law of chastity
is often observed even among primitive people. They may be
cannibals or head-hunters yet be concerned for the
preservation of the purity of their women. "And they slew
Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and
took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went forth."

The thought of judgment and punishment that is suggested in
the name Dinah is carried out in the action of Simeon and
Levi in taking vengeance for Dinah's disgrace on Shechem
and his people. As man becomes more spiritual in his ideas
of judgment, thoughts of revenge, punishment, and evil are
eliminated from his mind and he sees the love, mercy, and
goodness of God instead.

(On the subject of circumcision see interpretation of Gen.
17:9-14.)

The Canaanites represent the elemental life forces in the
subconsciousness.

The Perizzites were inhabitants of Canaan and, like the
Canaanites, represent the fundamental life element in the
organism, only elevated to a more exalted plane by the
outer, personal man and more strongly entrenched in the
sense consciousness of the individual.

//page 270

//quote

Gen. 35:1-7. And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to
Beth-el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God,
who appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of
Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and
to all that were with him, Put away the foreign gods that
are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your
garments: and let us arise, and go up to Beth-el; and I
will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the
day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I
went. And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods which
were in their hand, and the rings which were in their ears;
and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And
they journeyed: and a terror of God was upon the cities
that were round about them, and they did not pursue after
the sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the
land of Canaan (the same is Beth-el), he and all the people
that were with him. And he built there an altar, and called
the place El-beth-el; because there God was revealed unto
him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

//text

God commanded Jacob to arise (lift up his thoughts) and go
unto Beth-el ("house of God"). After a progressive soul has
passed through such an experience as the one recorded in
the preceding chapter, this soul feels the need of and
affirms the cleansing, purifying, and uplifting power of
the word and resolves to keep its face turned more
steadfastly toward the light. The foreign gods here
referred to supposedly are little images (made of a
material substance such as clay or iron) representing
ideas. The rings symbolize ornaments in which a vain and
frivolous soul delights.

All these relics of the country they were leaving were now
to be cast out of the conscious mind. The change of
garments represents a change of thoughts.

//page 271

The name Luz means "turning away," "departing," "a shrub
bearing nuts." Luz indicates separation. It also carries
with it the idea of substance and strength ("a shrub
bearing nuts") of a more or less material character. When
Jacob realized the omnipresence of God he changed the name
of Luz to Beth-el ("house of God"). (See interpretation of
Gen. 28:18-22.)

On the occasion of this, Jacob's second journey to Luz, he
set up an altar and called the place El-beth-el, which
means "toward Beth-el; strength of the house of God." It
symbolizes the revelation from within that the true origin
of man is spiritual, that God dwells in man and reveals
Himself when man comes to the place in consciousness where
he is willing to give up the lower for the higher (builds
an altar to Jehovah). Man is the house (temple) of God, and
he is greatly strengthened when he perceives this truth.

//quote

Gen. 35:8. And Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was
buried below Beth-el under the oak; and the name of it was
called Allon-bacuth.

//text

Rebekah represents the soul's natural delight in the
beautiful. The name of Deborah means "a bee." The name
Allon-bacuth means "oak of weeping." Weeping is an
expression of emotion, a negative condition, a letting go
throughout the organism. Rebekah's nurse Deborah represents
the quality of the soul by virtue of which it serves
instinctively and is guided by discrimination and judgment.
In mixed states of consciousness, where error seems
strongest, Spirit can lead by following the guidance of
instinct. Deborah was buried below Bethel ("house of God")
under the oak (the protection of Spirit).

//page 272

Allon-bacuth ("oak of weeping") represents the inner
strengthening of the true man that comes when, in trying to
serve, he lets go of the outer personal activities and goes
within to the source of all strength and true energy (the
oak) and rests there in God.

//quote

Gen. 35:9-15. And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he
came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. And God said unto
him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any
more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his
name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be
fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations
shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
and the land which I gave unto Abraham and Isaac, to thee I
will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the
land. And God went up from him in the place where he spake
with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he
spake with him, a pillar of stone: and he poured out a
drink-offering thereon, and poured oil thereon. And Jacob
called the name of the place where God spake with him,
Beth-el.

//text

The foregoing incident left an idelible impression on
Jacob's mind, and he counted it as a great spiritual
experience and set up a stone as a pillar in commemoration
of it.

The name Aram means "high," "exalted," and Aram denotes the
intellect. The name Paddan means "field," "tableland."
Paddan-aram represents substance lifted to a broad, level
place in the intellectual thought of the individual. This
incident in the life of Jacob has much in common with an
earlier one. (See interpretation of Gen. 28:18-22).

//quote

Gen. 35:16-21. And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there
was still some distance to come to

//page 273

Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor. And
it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the
midwife said unto her, Fear not; for now thou shalt have
another son. And it came to pass, as her soul was departing
(for she died), that she called his name Ben-oni: but his
father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried
in the way to Ephrath (the same is Beth-lehem). And Jacob
set up a pillar upon her grave: the same is the Pillar of
Rachel's grave unto this day. And Israel journeyed, and
spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

//text

Ephrath is the original name of the town of Bethlehem.
Ephrath represents a realization of abundant substance,
this increase of substance ideas in consciousness bringing
about a corresponding fruitfulness, abundance, throughout
one's life and affairs.

The last of the sons of Jacob was born after his return to
Canaan. The death of Rachel and birth of Benjamin represent
the transition of a potential soul quality from the
subjective to the objective plane of consciousness. Rachel
("ewe," "lamb") represents the pure, innocent, potentially
spiritual soul that is a composite of faith, love, power,
and the like. It is through Jacob (the intellect) that
these qualities are made objective, and when this comes to
pass there is temporary sorrow ("son of my sorrow"),
followed by rejoicing at the realization of the birth of
the new power that has come through the transition ("son of
my right hand"). "A woman when she is in travail hath
sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered
of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the
joy that a man is born into the world."

//page 274

The name Eder means "troop," "flock." The tower called
Eder, beyond which Israel (Jacob) journeyed and spread his
tent, symbolizes the gathering of thoughts of dominion and
rulership (Israel means "rulership with God") and the
raising of them to a higher degree of understanding;
lifting them to a spiritual level by realizing that power
and dominion come from God.

//quote

Gen. 35:22. And it came to pass, while Israel dwelt in that
land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's
concubine: and Israel heard of it.

//text

All these illustrations show that the divine law must be
observed in developing the faculties. Reuben's laying with
Bilhah evidently symbolizes an abortive attempt of man's
perception of Truth (Reuben) to develop them through an
illegitimate union with a negative element (Bilhah:
"bashfulness," "timidity"). That there is no record of any
progeny from this union indicates that it was not in divine
order.

//quote

Gen. 35:23-26. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: the sons
of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's first-born, and Simeon, and Levi,
and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun; the sons of Rachel:
Joseph and Benjamin; and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's
handmaid: Dan and Naphtali; and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's
handmaind: Gad and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, that
were born to him in Paddan-aram.

//text

Leah ("weary," "exhausted") represents the human soul. She
became the mother of six sons:

Reuben, whose name means "behold a son," "vision of the
son," represents faith in its aspect of discernment, of
sight in the outer. Reuben like Simeon bespeaks
understanding.

//page 275

Simeon, whose name means "hearkening," "obeying,"
represents the bringing forth of hearing; receptivity.

Levi, whose name signifies "joining," "clinging,"
represents the love faculty in human consciousness.

The name Judah means "praise Jehovah." Judah symbolizes the
prayer and praise faculty in consciousness.

The name Issachar means "he will bring reward," "who brings
recompense." Issachar represents active zeal.

The name Zebulun means "habitation," "dwelling." Zebulun
represents the order faculty.

Rachel ("ewe," "lamb") symbolizes the spiritual soul. She
became the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.

The name Joseph means "Jehovah shall increase." Joseph
represents the imagination.

The name Benjamin means "son of good fortune." Benjamin
represents an active, accomplishing faith.

Bilhah ("bashfulness," "timidity") represents a tendency
toward self-abasement. She bore Jacob two sons, Dan and
Naphtali:

Dan ("a judge") symbolizes the faculty of judgment.

Naphtali ("my wrestling") represents the power of
elimination.

Zilpah ("distilling," "dropping," "leaking") represents the
unfolding soul of man in the phase of its awakening to
spiritual thought, marked by hesitation and lack of
perseverance; too much of the human is expressed and much
of the good is dissipated (leaking). Zipah's two sons were
Gad and Asher.

Gad ("fortunate," "good fortune") represents the

//page 276

faculty of power, but still mostly on the personal plane.

Asher ("straightforward") symbolizes the faculty of
understanding.

//quote

Gen. 35:27, 28. And Jacob came unto Isaac his father to
Mamre, to Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron), where Abraham
and Isaac sojourned.

//text

And the days of Isaac were a hundred and fourscore years.
And Isaac gave of the ghost, and died, and was gathered
unto his people, old and full of days: and Esau and Jacob
his sons buried him.

Kiriath-arba ("city of Arba") represents the tendency of
the sense mind to attribute strength, power, knowledge, and
greatness to the outer formed world rather than to Spirit.
Kiriath-arba was the old name of Hebron, which represents
an association of ideas.

Mamre signifies a consciousness of substance and riches.

The death of Isaac represents the passing or giving up of
that phase of the individual consciousness which has to do
with the pleasures of the natural man; or its sinking back
into the subconsciousness (giving up of the ghost).

//quote

Gen. 36:1-5. Now these are the generations of Esau (the
same is Edom). Esau took his wives of the daughters of
Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and
Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the
Hivite, and Basemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of
Nebaioth. And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Basemath bare
Reuel; and Oholibamah bare Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah:
these are the sons of Esau, that were born unto him in the
land of Canaan.

//text

Metaphysically Esau symbolizes the body or physical vigor.
He took wives from among the daughters of

//page 277

Canaan ("lowland"), which represents the body consciousness.

His first wife was Adah ("beauty," "comeliness,"
"adornment," "ornament," "pleasure"), who represents a
phase of the human soul or love nature. Love, even in its
limited expression in personal consciousness, adorns a
person with a certain beauty of character and a grace and
comeliness not found in those lacking in love.

Another of Esau's wives was Oholibamah, whose name means
"tent of the high place," "my tabernacle is exalted."
Oholibamah was the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite.

The name Zibeon means "wild robber," and the Hivites
represent thoughts belonging to the carnal consciousness in
man. Oholibamah signifies the lifting up and exalting of
materiality by the carnal phase of the soul.

Another of his wives was Basemath, whose name means
"fragrant," "sweet," "pleasant." Basemath represents the
soul or feminine element in man in the fineness of its
ability to perceive or receive intuitively.

Adah bore to Esau a son, Eliphaz, whose name means "God is
purification," "God is dispenser," "God of strength."

Basemath bore Reuel, whose name signifies "led of God,"
"shepherded of God," "companion of God." Reuel denotes a
thought of divine guidance and care; also a sense of mutual
understanding, comradeship, fellowship existing between God
and man.

Oholibamah bore Jeush and Jalam and Korah.

The name Jeush means "he will bring together." Jeush
represents strong, unifying, attracting, accumulating

//page 278

thoughts in consciousness; also the final lifting up and
unifying of the entire man in spiritual life and wholeness.
The name Jalam means "whom God hides."

The name Korah means "ice," "bald." Korah denotes the
coldness, the crystallization ("ice"), and the barrenness
(baldness) of consciousness that result from dominance of
the "mind of the flesh" (Esau) in the individual.

//quote

Gen. 36:6-12. And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and
his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his
cattle, and all his beasts, and all his possessions, which
he had gathered in the land of Canaan; and went into a land
away from his brother Jacob. For their substance was too
great for them to dwell together; and the land of their
sojournings could not bear them because of their cattle.
And Esau dwelt in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

And these are the generations of Esau the father of the
Edomites in mount Seir: these are the names of Esau's sons:
Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of
Basemath the wife of Esau. And the sons of Eliphaz were
Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. And Timna was
concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz
Amalek: these are the sons of Adah, Esau's wife.

//text

The original separation between mind (Jacob) and body
(Esau) was caused by the cunning mind taking advantage of
the stupid body; also the lusts and weaknesses of the body
appetite played their part. Here is illustrated a further
separation because of the physical possessions of Esau.
Those who cultivate the physical grow physically and
require so much room that the mental is crowded out, and
they exalt the things of the flesh. Esau dwelt in Mount
Seir. The name Seir means "shaggy," "rough," "tempestuous,"
"hairy," pointing

//page 279

to the deep-seated emotions in carnal consciousness.
Eventually the two states of consciousness represented by
Jacob and Esau must be merged.

(For Eliphaz and Basemath see the interpretation of Gen.
36:3, 4.)

The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and
Kenaz.

The name Teman means "prosperity," "abundance," "good
faith." Teman denotes the realm of the subconsciousness,
with its inherently rich stores of substance and good. Here
this realm is under the influence of the Esau-Edom state of
mind in the individual; in other words, under the influence
of material thought. Omar represents the ability of the
outer man to receive the higher Truth ideals
("mountaineer," "summit") and to express them ("bringing
forth," "bearing into the light"). The name Zepho (Zephi)
means "outlook," "watchtower." Zepho represents an
expectant state of mind that seemingly belongs to the outer
or physical man but whose desire is toward Spirit.

The name Gatam means "puny," "exhausted," and the like.
(Eliphaz, father of Gatam, represents an active thought of
strength.) Strength is from God, while that represented by
Eliphaz is of the physical consciousness and does not lay
hold of the truth about strength. The meanings attributed
to Gatam's name --"puny," "greatest fatigue," "burned
field"--clearly indicate the results of believing in
material strength. Until man realizes that his strength is
spiritual it cannot become abiding, unfailing, and enduring.

The name Kenaz means "spear thrower," "lancer," "archer,"
"hunter." A "hunter," in the sense of a

//page 280

Kenaz, denotes a thought that is connected with the animal
forces of the organism. Kenaz symbolizes the thought of man
engrossed in the animal phase of his nature, in animal
strength and activity ("spear thrower," "lancer," "archer").

Timna was Eliphaz's concubine. Timna represents a
restricting, curbing influence ("withheld," "restrained,"
"forbidden") that is ever at work in the soul of man and in
his body consciousness. If there were no restraint on the
carnal mind in man and its activities, man would destroy
himself utterly.

Timna bore Amalek, whose name means "warlike," "dweller in
the vale," "that licks up or consumes." Amalek symbolizes
lust, the base desire that, once established in the animal
forces of the subconscious mind of man, is the begetter of
destructive, rebellious, perverted appetites and passions.
Amalek's father was Eliphaz, whose name means "God of
strength," "God is purification." Thus desire at its origin
is good and is of God; but when it is misinterpreted by the
carnal man it becomes lust (Amalek).

//quote

Gen. 36:13. And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, and
Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of
Basemath, Esau's wife.

//text

(For Reuel see interpretation of Gen. 36:4.)

Reuel's first son was Nahath, who represents one of the
prevailing beliefs of the outer man at a certain period of
his unfoldment: restful, lulling, contentment ("resting,"
"quieting") in his seemingly material type of expression
("lowness"). However higher thoughts must be introduced
into even the outer consciousness of man if he is to be
aroused out of the false lethargy

//page 281

of the carnal and to be quickened throughout his whole
spirit, soul, and body to the Truth of his being.

The name of another son, Zerah, means "sunrise,"
"germination of a seed." "splendor." Zerah denotes the rise
of new light or understanding in the consciousness; the
first conscious awakening to the presence of this new inner
light or understanding. (The sun rises in the east; and the
east signifies the within.)

Shammah, a third son, represents a destructive, fearful
tendency in consciousness that leads to inharmonies of mind
and body. The outer man, apart from the dominion of Spirit,
is very likely to swing from one extreme to the other, from
the height of noble thinking and feeling ("fame," "renown")
to the depths of fear, desolation, emptiness, and error. By
consciously laying hold of the Christ Truth and making it
practical in his life, this outer man must come into a
better balance, greater stability and poise.

Mizzah, the fourth son, represents a steady tearing down
and wearing away of the consciousness and organism
("flowing down," "disintegration," "exhaustion") as the
result of fear, fear being one of the most subtle and
destructive errors that the carnal mind in man contains.
The destructive element is redeemed through divine love,
which knows only the good.

//quote

Gen. 36:14. And these were the sons of Oholibamah the
daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife: and
she bare to Esau Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah.

//text

(For Oholibamah see interpretation of Gen. 36:2. For
Oholibamah's sons, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah, see
interpretation of Gen. 36:1-5.)

//page 282

//quote

Gen. 36:15-19. These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau:
the sons of Eliphaz the first-born of Esau: chief Teman,
chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, chief Korah, chief
Gatam, chief Amalek: these are the chiefs that came of
Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah.
And these are the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: chief Nahath,
chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah: these are the
chiefs that came of Reuel in the land of Edom: these are
the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife. And these are the sons
of Oholibamah, Esau's wife: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief
Korah: these are the chiefs that came of Oholibamah the
daughter of Anah, Esau's wife. These are the sons of Esau,
and these are their chiefs: the same is Edom.

//text

(See interpretation of Gen. 36:9-12 for the sons of
Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, Gatam, and Amalek. For
Korah, see interpretation of Gen. 36:5.)

(See interpretation of Gen. 36:13 for the sons of Reuel:
Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, Mizzah.)

(See interpretation of Gen. 36:1-5 for the sons of
Oholibamah: Jeush and Korah.)

(See interpretation of Gen. 36:1-5 for Jalam.)

//quote

Gen. 36:20-30. These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the
inhabitants of the land: Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and
Anah, and Dishon and Ezer and Dishan: these are the chiefs
that came of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land
of Edom. And the children of Lotan were Hori and Heman; and
Lotan's sister was Timna. And these are the children of
Shobal: Alvan and Manahath and Ebal, Shepho and Onam. And
these are the children of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; this is
Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he fed
the asses of Zibeon his father. And these are the children
of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah. And
these are the children of Dishon: Hemdan and Eshban

//page 283

and Ithran and Cheran. These are the children of Ezer:
Bilhan and Zaavan and Akan. These are the children of
Dishan: Uz and Aran. These are the chiefs that came of the
Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief
Anah, chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan: these are the
chiefs that came of the Horites, according to their chiefs
in the land of Seir.

//text

The Horites were very closely connected with the Edomites,
the descendants of Esau. They were inhabitants of the land
of Mount Seir before they were overcome by Esau. After that
they lived in the land with the Edomites.

Metaphysically the Horites, like the Edomites, represent
forces having their seat of action in the physical
organism. The Horites denote more especially the
deep-seated, subconscious errors (cave dwellers) and
fleshly tendencies and activities of the physical in man,
while the Edomites designate forces in the outer or body
consciousness.

The name of Lotan, the son of Seir the Horite, means
"covered," "secret," "dark." Metaphysically Lotan
represents a secret, hidden, ignorant ruling thought in the
realm in man symbolized by the Horites.

Shobal, the name of another son, means "way," "traveling."
Each individual is "traveling" the pathway of life. To a
great extent the race has been and still is "wandering"
about in ignorance and darkness as to the true source of
man's being. The "way" that each takes in his thoughts,
beliefs, and expressions determines whether that which he
brings forth shall be the fruit of the "mind of the flesh"
or the fruit of the Spirit ("growing," "producing ears,"
"rain").

The name Zibeon means "immersed," "ravenous

//page 284

preyer," "wild robber," "dyed." Metaphysically Zibeon
symbolizes a wild, lawless sense thought that has the
capacity of adapting itself to the varying ideas and moods
of the individual, and that thus remains in his
consciousness (until it is cast forth by Truth), robbing
his body of its energy and substance.

The name Anah means "answering." Metaphysically Anah
denotes error tendencies or strongly influencing thoughts
deep within the subjective life forces in the individual
consciousness that cause these life forces to respond to
the desires of the flesh or sense man ("answering") instead
of listening to Spirit. (The Hivites and the Horites were
descendants of Canaan, son of Ham; they were hostile to the
Israelites in the Promised Land, and they had to be
destroyed.)

The name Dishon means "fatness," "opulence," "fertile,"
"ashes." Metaphysically Dishon symbolizes richness and
seeming fertility on the physical plane.

The name Ezer means "envelop," "help," "unite," "treasure."
Metaphysically Ezer symbolizes man's innate belief in a
substance, a wisdom ("treasure"), an established oneness
with All-Good (unity), and a power to aid and to protect
("envelop," "help") that comes from something higher,
stronger, and more real and lasting than sense
consciousness can give.

The name Dishan means virtually the same thing as Dishon.
Metaphysically Dishan represents a very active, rich, or
fertile controlling thought belonging to the Horite
consciousness in the individual.

The children of Lotan were Hori and Heman.

The name Hori means "cave dweller," "imprisoned," "black."
Metaphysically Hori denotes thoughts belonging to the
depths of the subconsciousness ("cave

//page 285

dweller"), or a person wholly given over to the error
beliefs signified by the Horites.

The name Heman means "lasting," "faithful," "trustworthy."
Heman represents thoughts full of faith and trust in God.
Great wisdom and harmony are the result of these thoughts.

The children of Shobal were Alvan and Manahath and Ebal,
Shepho and Onam.

The name Alvan means "tall," "sublime." Metaphysically
Alvan denotes a lofty concept on the part of man in regard
to the sensual or physical phase of his organism, whereby
he glimpses the truth that even the outer man has his
origin in Spirit.

The name Manahath means "resting," "restoring,"
"forsaking." Metaphysically Manahath designates a peaceful,
restful thought and place in consciousness; a ceasing from
outer activity, wherein both soul and body are nenewed, and
wherein something of error is forsaken and a degree of
Truth is realized.

The name Ebal means "stripped of all," "bare," "barren,"
"stone." Metaphysically Ebal represents the adverse
activity of the law in those who think and act out of
harmony with divine principle; that in us which takes
cognizance of the working out of error resulting from
ignorance and disobedience. This phase of the activity of
the law always seems hard ("stone") to the sense
consciousness upon which it falls, and it surely exposes
("bares") the nothingness of all that does not measure up
to the spiritual.

The name Shepho means "nakedness," "barren," "wasted away,"
"unconcerned." Metaphysically Shepho denotes a mental
activity in the body consciousness that is wholly
"unconcerned" with the things of Spirit,

//page 286

hence is unfruitful and "naked" in so far as real life,
strength, wholeness, substance, and good are concerned
("nakedness," "barren" "wasted away").

The name Onam means "vigorous," "powerful," "wealthy,"
"substantial." Metaphysically Onam denotes thoughts
pertaining to strength and vigor; also to understanding and
substance. He represents a belief in purely physical
strength and power, outer possessions, and the carnal
thought of understanding.

The children of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah.

The name Aiah means "a cry," "a clamor," "a vulture."
Metaphysically Aiah denotes destructive, devouring thoughts
pertaining to the animal consciousness and to what should
be the higher thought realm in the individual ("a cry," "a
clamor," and so on).

The name Anah means "answering." (For further comment see
interpretation of Gen. 36:20).

The children of Anah were Dishon and Oholibamah. (For
Dishon see interpretation of Gen. 36:21; for Oholibamah,
Gen. 36:2.)

The children of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, Cheran.

The name Hemdan means "desirable," "pleasant," "precious."
Metaphysically Hemdan represents the seemingly "desirable"
and "pleasant" sense beliefs and activities of one who is
not awakened spiritually. These beliefs and activities
however are but transitory and soon turn to dust and ashes,
to vanity and vexation of spirit.

The name Eshban means "man of wisdom," "man of
understanding," "son of fire." Metaphysically Eshban
represents the belief held by the outer man that wisdom and
understanding come through the perceptions

//page 287

of the senses, and through reasoning.

The name Ithran means "abundant," "excellent," "plenty,"
Metaphysically Ithran represents ideas of great
"excellence" and of great value; thoughts that are superior
to their fellows, being active both in the deep-seated
sense consciousness (Horites) in the individual and on the
more spiritual level of his mind (the Israelites). These
are ideas that have taken on abundant substance, they
involve belief in bountiful supply, and they lead to
"plenty."

The name Cheran means "lyre," "united," "a joyous shout."
Metaphysically Cheran denotes a harmonious, unifying
thought that is active in the depths of the physical being
of man ("united," "lyre"). Since this thought is not
consciously united with Spirit, though its origin and
tendency are good, it cannot bring about the perfect union
of man with God and the true spiritual harmony implied by
the meaning of the name.

The children of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.

The name Bilhan means "confused," "weak," "tender."
Metaphysically Bilhan represents a "confused" state of mind
and a lack of self-assertion ("weak") that are the result
of a giving way to the fulfillment of the thoughts and
desires of the unredeemed subconsciousness.

The name Zaavan means "disquieted," "trembling,"
"terrified." Metaphysically Zaavan denotes a confused,
fearful, unstable thought tendency in the outer or body
consciousness of the individual.

The name Akan means "warped," "keen of vision."
Metaphysically Akan represents a ruling thought, or

//page 288

at least a very strong influential thought, in the sense
consciousness. This thought aids in diverting the
individual from Truth and causes much trouble in the flesh.
It is quick to perceive ("keen") on the sense plane but is
blind ("warped") to the real truth of man's being.

The children of Dishan were Uz and Aran.

The name Uz means "substantiation," "formative power,"
"purpose," "fertility." Metaphysically Uz denotes the
process of thought by which man arrives at a conclusion (be
it Truth or error) and establishes it in consciousness
("substantiation," and so forth).

The name Aran means "active," "a wild goat," "firmness."
Metaphysically Aran represents aggressiveness and a
firmness or obstinacy of thought that is untrained and
undisciplined and is guided not by understanding but by
outer desires ("a wild goat," "firmness"). This makes a
place of refuge for many of the sense ideas of man that
should be overcome.

(For the names of the chiefs that came of the
Horites--Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and
Dishan--see interpretation of Gen. 36:20, 21.)

//quote

Gen. 36:31-39. And these are the kings that reigned in the
land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the
children of Israel. And Bela the son of Beor reigned in
Edom; and the name of his city was Dinhabah. And Bela died,
and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.
And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temanites reigned
in his stead. And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad,
who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his
stead: and the name of his city was Avith. And Hadad died,
and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead. And Samlah
died,

//page 289

and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his stead.
And Shaul died, and Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in
his stead. And Baalhanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar
reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and
his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the
daughter of Me-zahab.

//text

The name Bela means "destroy," "utterly consume."
Metaphysically Bela represents destructive tendencies in
consciousness.

The name Dinhabah means "robbers' den," "place of
plundering." Metphysically Dinhabah signifies an
aggregation of thoughts belonging to man's outer, carnal
consciousness. These thoughts are error; they build up and
sustain destructive sense tendencies that rob the real
inner man of the substance that is rightly his. The name
Jobab means "howling of wild beasts," "wail of
tribulation." Metaphysically Jobab denotes the noisy,
contentious tumultuousness of the outer personal man while
under the dominion of the "mind of the flesh."

The name Husham means "hasting," "vehement," "passionate."
Metaphysically Husham represents the hurried attitude of
mind as related to satisfying physical desire. This
attitude belongs to the outer consciousness and tends to
confusion and disorder.

The name Hadad means "quick," "might," "majesty."
Metaphysically Hadad represents the setting up as
all-powerful of the intellect in its spiritually unawakened
state.

The name Samlah means "outer garment," "mantle," "clothed."
Metaphysically Samlah represents the general ruling
characteristics of the outer, mortal phase of consciousness
in man represented also by Edom.

//page 290

The name Shaul means "desired," "demanded," "inquiring,"
"excavating." Shaul is a form of the name Saul, and its
meaning is the same. Shaul symbolizes the will in
individual consciousness, the presonal will.

The name Baalhanan means "Baal is gracious," "possessor of
compassion," "lord of mercy." Metaphysically Baalhanan
represents grace, mercy, and kindliness as belonging to and
being expressed by the outer man ("Baal is gracious," and
so forth). All these God qualities are expressed in a
measure by the outer physical and mental man even before
their true origin is understood to be spiritual. Until man
learns the Truth, he usually takes to himself all the honor
and glory resulting from any good that he does, instead of
ascribing all honor and glory to God, Divine Mind.

The name Hadar, a form of the name Hadad, means "where one
returns for rest," "concealed inner chamber," "hidden
principle." While Hadad represents the setting up as
all-powerful of the intellect in its spiritually unawakened
state, Hadar, in addition to that, represents the "hidden
principle" of all light, all wisdom, all knowledge (God,
Spirit) that exists back of the intellect, back of every
expression of intelligence or understanding.

Matred ("a short spear") and Mehetabel ("God benefits"),
women of Edom, represent activities in the soul's progress
toward spiritual perfection. Even the phase of the soul
represented by Edom, the outer physical man, has impulses
that are uplifting and that are ever moving toward the more
perfect understanding and expression of Being.

Me-zahab, the name of Matred's father, means "water of
gold," "emanations of the shining one." Me-zahab

//page 291

represents a wisdom that is of the one light or sun,
Spirit, though it may be somewhat negative, as suggested by
"water," "water of gold." Matred represents a pushing or
urging forward of the soul ("thrusting forward"), by means
of the wisdom symbolized by Me-zahab, to still higher and
clearer light and dominion ("a scepter"). Mehetabel, the
daughter of Matred ("to whom God does good," "God is the
greatest good") represents the further awakening of the
human soul to the goodness of God.

//quote

Gen. 36:40-43. And these are the names of the chiefs that
came to Esau, according to their families, after their
places, by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief
Jetheth, chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, chief
Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, chief Magdiel, chief
Iram: these are the chiefs of Edom, according to their
habitations in the land of their possession. This is Esau,
the father of the Edomites.

//text

(For Timna see the interpretation of Gen. 36:12.)

The name Alvah means "sublimation (of evil)," "sublimity,"
"wicked." Metaphysically Alvah represents the animal nature
exalting itself--"sublimation (of evil)." This is evil in
the sight of Truth, since true sublimity and exaltation
come only from the unifying of the entire being with the
spiritual or Christ consciousness.

The name Jetheth means "securing," "stability,"
"subjection," Metaphysically Jetheth represents in the
outer, material consciousness of man a ruling belief in the
use of force to compel, drive, suppress in order to keep
the individual steadfast. This of course is error and leads
to bondage instead of true freedom.

//page 292

The name Elah means "terebinth," "oak," a name implying
strength, hardiness, and size. Metaphysically Elah
represents the consciousness of strength and protection
that is based on material beliefs; hence a limited
consciousness, one likely to fail at the very time when
most needed.

The name Pinon means "darkness," "perplexity,"
"hopelessness." Metaphysically Pinon represents the great
anxiety, confusion, and hopelessness that often come over
the purely mortal, darkened consciousness of man in times
of error reaping.

The name Kenaz means "possessor," "lancer," "hunter,"
"flank." The name Teman means "abundance," "good faith,"
"firm." (For further comment see interpretation of Gen.
36:11.)

The name Mibzar means "inaccessible," "lofty,"
"impervious." Metaphysically Mibzar represents ruling
belief of the carnal mind in man that the things of Spirit,
of God, are hard to understand, that they are so far
removed from the apparently finite mind of man that they
are unattainable.

The name Magdiel means "most precious fruits of God,"
"praise of God," "God is renowned." Metaphysically Magdiel
represents the truth about the outer and seemingly material
phase of man's being Esau and Edom). This truth is that
even man's physical body is the precious fruit of God. It
has its origin in Spirit and is innately spiritual. It must
eventually express and manifest God, Spirit, thus giving
all praise, honor, and glory to the Father-Mind, through
which it came into existence ("God is renowned").

//page 293

//section Chapter 11

Chapter XI

Joseph a Type of the Christ

Genesis 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41

//text

MAN, AN IDEA in Divine Mind, is manifested in various
states of consciousness. These appear outwardly as
personalities and take form as bodies. In describing states
of consciousness the Bible uses the personality in a
representative sense, with the meaning of the name as a key
to the state of being explained.

The meaning of the name Joseph is "whom Jehovah will add
to." He represents the "increasing" faculty of the mind,
that state of consciousness in which we increase in all
phases of our character. This is especially true of
substance; for Joseph as imagination molds mind substance
in the realm of forms. He had a coat of many colors; his
dreams were always of forms and shapes--the sheaves of
wheat, the stars and moon. An interpreter of dreams, the
phenomenal was his field of action. This formative power is
characteristic of the imagination, and among the twelve
primal faculties of mind we find that this faculty of the
imagination is represented by Joseph.

The Joseph faculty is the dreamer of dreams and the seer of
visions, which are expressed always in forms and symbols.
If you are a vivid dreamer and can correctly interpret your
own dreams, you may know that you are developing your
Joseph faculty. However, it is one thing to dream and quite
another to interpret

//page 294

dreams correctly. All people dream more or less, but few
can interpret dreams. Visions come under the same head, for
dreams are not necessarily the sole concomitant of sleep.

//quote

Gen. 37:1-8. And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's
sojournings, in the land of Canaan. These are the
generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old,
was feeding the flock with his brethren; and he was a lad
with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his
father's wives: and Joseph brought the evil report of them
unto his father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his
children, because he was the son of his old age: and he
made him a coat of many colors. And his brethren saw that
their father loved him more than all his brethren; and they
hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren:
and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them,
Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: for,
behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my
sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your
sheaves came round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over
us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they
hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

//text

Joseph represents the faculty of imagination. This faculty
produces the pictures or images that make visible every
idea that the mind can conceive and reveals to the
illumined intellect (Jacob) the activities of the other
faculties (Joseph's brothers; in this case the sons of
Bilhah and Zilpah).

Joseph was the proud owner of a coat of many colors, a gift
from his father. The coat is the symbol

//page 295

of the Truth given to us by the Father. Truth in its
entirety is symbolized by the seamless garment that Jesus
wore, for it cannot be separated into divisions or parts.
All truth is one Truth. Joseph's coat being of many colors
indicates that when we open up this new realm of
consciousness and begin to use the imagination, our
conception of Truth is colored by the many previous mental
states that have so long herded our flocks of thoughts. At
this stage we have not yet come into the understanding,
into the pure white light of unqualified Truth, that is
symbolized by the seamless robe of unity.

The home of the imagination is in the realm of ideas, where
another dimension of mind is opened to it, even the kingdom
of the heavens. The imaging faculty gives man the ability
to project himself through time and space and thus rise
above these limitations as well as all other limitations.
Even when the conscious mind is asleep the imagination
continues its activity and we have dreams.

As we have learned, we cannot take our dreams literally but
must interpret them by means of the symbols given us. For
instance, Joseph's dream about the sheaves was a dream
about substance and a prophecy of his attainment of a
superior consciousness of universal substance. That
consciousness of substance afterward brought forth fruit
when he supervised the storage of grain in Egypt, and this
grain furnished needed supply to his father and brothers
and brought them to him. Imagination uses ideas to increase
its store of universal substance and clothes ideas in form;
for it is both a formative and an increasing faculty.

An uncontrolled imagination will often exaggerate

//page 296

and increase one's consciousness of trivial or even unreal
things until both mind and body are affected. (Joseph
carried tales about his brothers to his father.) The
imagination is a very powerful faculty, and we must learn
to discipline it if we would make it practical in serving
our highest good. By following the inspiration of the
supermind or Jehovah consciousness we can control the
imagination and direct its work to practical ends.

//quote

Gen. 37:9-22. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it
to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed yet a
dream; and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars
made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to
his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto
him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and
thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down
ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied
him; but his father kept the saying in mind.

And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in
Shechem. And Israel said unto Joseph, Are not thy brethren
feeding the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee
unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. And he said to
him, Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and
well with the flock; and bring me word again. So he sent
him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. And
a certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in
the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest
thou? And he said, I am seeking my brethren: tell me, I
pray thee, where they are feeding the flock. And the man
said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us
go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found
them in Dothan.

And they saw him afar off, and before he came

//page 297

near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And
they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come
now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into one
of the pits, and we will say, An evil beast hath devoured
him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. And
Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and
said, Let us not take his life. And Reuben said unto them,
Shed no blood; cast him into this pit that is in the
wilderness, but lay no hand upon him: that he might deliver
him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.

//text

In the foregoing Scripture Joseph's dream is very
significant. Jacob's words "Shall I and thy mother and thy
brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the
earth?" are self-explanatory.

Shechem denotes a thought of burdens, which reveals that
the brothers took to heart Joseph's superior attitude.
Joseph's talebearing propensity and the fact that their
father loved Joseph better than he did his brothers served
to stir up the antagonism of the other sons toward Joseph.
Jacob (the I AM) (functioning in Hebron, which means
"united," "bound by a common bond") sent Joseph (the
imagination) down into Shechem ("bending down," "a burden")
to see how his brothers (the other faculties) fared. Jacob
(the I AM) operating in the consciousness of friendship and
unity did not take seriously the contention that Joseph
(the boasting imagination) had brought about.

The name Dothan means "two wells," "edicts," "customs."
Dothan symbolizes the double standard of thought that man
holds regarding his life and substance, the law of Being on
the one hand, custom on the other. His customary beliefs
lead to limited, warped

//page 298

experiences, while an understanding of the true law of
Being increases the activity of the power of God in his
life and also makes him conscious of that activity. (Dothan
is the place where Joseph found his brethren.)

Reuben, symbolizing the faculty of discernment in the
outer, suggested the pit (which represents a pitfall or
trap), intending later to deliver Joseph and thus restore
him to the arms of his father.

//quote

Gen. 37:23-28. And it came to pass, when Joseph was come
unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat,
the coat of many colors that was on him; and they took him,
and cast him into the pit: and the pit was empty, there was
no water in it.

And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their
eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was
coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and
balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah
said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our
brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to
the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he
is our brother, our flesh. And his brethren hearkened unto
him. And there passed by Midianites, merchantmen; and they
drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph
to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they
brought Joseph into Egypt.

//text

Gilead represents the high place in consciousness where
Spirit discerns and witnesses to what is true and to all
man's thoughts and acts so that an adjustment may be made
throughout mind and body. The Ishmaelites represent the
fruit of the thought of the natural man at work in the
flesh; also the consciousness that recognizes God but that,
because of the seeming opposition of the outer world, does
not find expression

//page 299

according to the highest standard.

The Midianites were enemies of the Israelites. The
Midianites represent discrimination or judgment employed
according to human standards. Judging according to outer
appearances produces discordant thoughts and jealousies and
their kin.

The fact that Joseph was sold as a slave into Egypt by his
brothers signifies that at a certain stage of his
unfoldment man will barter away his high ideals of Truth in
order to go on living in sense consciousness. He will even
debase his imagination (Joseph) and send it down into his
body consciousness to stir up his emotions and get the
thrill of sensation. However the faculty of imagination, if
it has been trained and disciplined, will work for the good
of man even in the darkened realm of sense (Egypt). Though
the purpose in selling Joseph into Egypt was error, the
result proved to be good. This shows the outworking of the
law stated in Romans 8:28: "To them that love God all
things work together for good." Even when error seems to be
in the ascendancy there is that in us which remains true to
God and finally brings about our deliverance. "The wrath of
man shall praise thee."

The great point in the story is that Joseph, even when
overcome by error from without and sold into Egyptian
slavery, still remained true to the divine ideas of his
Father. In any department of life the imagination will work
for the development and perfection of the individual or for
the direct opposite of this, depending on how it has been
trained. It is a powerful faculty, for it forms ideas in
substance and brings desire into manifestation. If the
desires are allowed to run riot on the sense plane, the
imagination will proceed directly

//page 300

to bring them into manifestation as inharmony or disease.
On the other hand, when the imagination is kept busy with
high ideas, ideas originally inspired in it by the I AM, it
is the most effective of all the faculties for the work of
spiritual development. Faithfulness to high ideas, when
coupled with an unshaken confidence in the I AM, cannot be
wholly overcome by error, nor can anyone who exercises
these faculties be kept for long in the background.

Judah (representing prayer and praise), the fourth son of
Jacob and Leah, suggested the idea of selling Joseph into
Egypt rather than taking his life.

//quote

Gen. 37:29-36. And Reuben returned unto the pit; and,
behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is
not; and I, whither shall I go? And they took Joseph's
coat, and killed a he-goat, and dipped the coat in the
blood; and they sent the coat of many colors, and they
brought it to their father, and said, This have we found:
know now whether it is thy son's coat or not. And he knew
it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath
devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces. And
Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins,
and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all
his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be
comforted; and he said, For I will go down to Sheol to my
son mourning. And his father wept for him. And the
Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of
Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard.

//text

Jacob represents intellectual illumination. However
illumination on the intellectual plane often lacks
discernment; it has not attained the power to express the
sure, steady, revealing light of Spirit. Jacob was in the

//page 301

dark as regards the fate of his son Joseph (symbolical of
the imagination). Hence Jacob was deceived by blood on the
coat and mourned with the crowd.

Among the twelve faculties the imagination is least
understood in its evolution from sense to soul
consciousness. To this day those who function in sense echo
the brothers of Joseph in their slighting exclamation,
"Here comes that dreamer." Yet in art, science, literature,
religion, and even business the cry is "Give us men of
imagination!" The fact is there is no progress of man or
the race without expansion of the imagination. The history
of Joseph, the attempts of those nearest and dearest to him
to thwart the unfoldment of his innate ability, and his
final victory in attaining the exalted office of prime
minister of Egypt, shows us in symbols how the whole man
will eventually be glorified in Spirit.

However in the early stages of the Joseph quickening all
the other faculties combine to destroy it; they think it
visionary and impractical.

The blood-drenched coat represents the futile attempt of
the outer realm of sense to kill out the inner Spirit life.
Life marches on and the vision of the soul finds new
expression in other states of consciousness.

Pharaoh represents the ego or will that rules the body
under the natural law. Potiphar symbolizes the executive
arm of the will.

Sheol is the abode of the dead conceived by the Hebrews as
a subterranean region clothed in thick darkness. It
represents the mental gloom into which the personal man is
plunged when he gives himself over to thoughts of death and
grief.

//page 302

//quote

Gen. 38:1-11. And it came to pass at that time, that Judah
went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain
Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. And Judah saw there a
daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he
took her, and went in unto her. And she conceived, and bare
a son; and he called his name Er. And she conceived again,
and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. And she yet
again bare a son, and called his name Shelah: and he was at
Chezib, when she bare him. And Judah took a wife for Er his
first-born, and her name was Tamar. And Er, Judah's
first-born, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah
slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy
brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husbands' brother
unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew
that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass, when
he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on
the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. And
the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah:
and he slew him also. Then said Judah to Tamar his
daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in thy father's house, till
Shelah my son be grown up; for he said, Lest he also die,
like his brethren. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's
house.

//text

The predominant thought in the minds of the people at that
time was to produce progeny (seed), and they restored to
every device in order to attain their end.

Hirah was an Adullamite, a friend of Judah. The name Hirah
means "splendid," "noble," "pure," "liberty." An Adullamite
was a native of the city of Addullam, which represents a
state of poise in prayer in which spiritual ideas flow into
consciousness without obstruction. Being in the valley, it
would not refer to a

//page 303

high, exalted state of mind in prayer but rather to an
established equilibrium and adjustment in the body
consciousness. But even if at first it seems to be only in
the material consciousness, it imparts a "splendid,"
"noble" quality to the man and leads toward true "liberty."
Such a state of consciousness is represented by Hirah.

Shua ("broad," "ample," "riches") represents the broad,
rich thoughts of abundant substance in the depths of the
subconscious mind. Judah united with a daughter of Shua,
who symbolizes the feminine element in the rich
subconsciousness. Three sons were born to this union:

Er represents observant, vigilant thoughts. It matters a
great deal what one watches or gives attention to. If one
persists in recognizing that which appears to be evil, one
cannot obtain abiding life and good. (Er was wicked in the
sight of Jehovah.)

Onan symbolizes thoughts pertaining to strength and vigor,
yet thoughts that are not spiritual but of the intellect.
They are influenced too by the lower emotions and
tendencies of the carnal soul (Onan's mother was a
Canaanitish woman); therefore they are likely to bring
about inharmony and error because of the misdirection of
energy. Yet in themselves these thoughts are good and if
directed by spiritual understanding yield great blessings.

Shelah represents a sense of peace, harmony, and security
that has come about through prayer, affirmation, and
desire. However Shelah was born in Chezib, which symbolizes
a deceptive state of mind that lies deep within the
elemental life forces of the individual. This deceptive
state of consciousness must be cleansed

//page 304

thoroughly of its error, its double-minded, idolatrous
belief in a power of evil as well as a power of good, so
that the truth of the one life and the one God, good, may
be established within its depths.

//quote

Gen. 38:12-30. And in process of time Shua's daughter, the
wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up
unto his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah
the Adullamite. And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, thy
father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his sheep. And
she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and
covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat
in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for
she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given
unto him to wife. When Judah saw her, he thought her to be
a harlot; for she had covered her face. And he turned unto
her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me come in
unto thee: for he knew not that she was his
daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that
thou mayest come in unto me? And he said, I will send thee
a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou
give me a pledge, till thou send it? And he said, What
pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet and thy
cord, and thy staff that is in thy hand. And he gave them
to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. And
she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her,
and put on the garments of her widowhood. And Judah sent
the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the
Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand:
but he found her not. Then he asked the men of her place,
saying, Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the
wayside? And they said, There hath been no prostitute here.
And he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her;
and also the men of the place said, There hath

//page 305

been no prostitute here. And Judah said, Let her take it to
her, lest we be put to shame: behold, I sent this kid, and
thou hast not found her.

And it came to pass about three months after, that it was
told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played
the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by
whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be
burnt. When she was brought forth, she sent to her
father-in-law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I
with child: and she said; Discern, I pray thee, whose are
these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff. And Judah
acknowledged them, and said, She is more righteous than I,
forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew
her again no more. And it came to pass in the time of her
travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. And it came
to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand: and
the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread,
saying, This came out first. And it came to pass, as he
drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and
she said, Wherefore hast thou made a breach for thyself?
therefore his name was called Perez. And afterward came out
his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and
his name was called Zerah.

//text

The name Judah means "praise Jehovah." Praise is closely
related to prayer; under the law of mind, whatever we
praise we increase. Praise is the key to the increase of
life activity. If you depreciate your life you decrease
your consciousness of life. Thus we find that, besides
symbolizing the place in consciousness where we come in
contact with the highest activities of Divine Mind, Judah
also represents the central faculty of consciousness.

This faculty operates in the body consciousness

//page 306

through the spinal cord, as well as in the top head, and
finds its outer expression through the life center, which,
unregenerated, is Judas, who hath a devil. When life is
separated from the inner faculties and endeavors to find
expression without their co-operation, man gives himself
over to his animal nature and inclinations.

The name Tamar means "palm," "erect," "upright." Tamar
represents victory and conquest through uprightness. "And
Judah . . . said, She is more righteous than I, forasmuch
as I gave her not to Shelah my son." This consciousness of
victory or conquest and overcoming power is of the soul in
the individual.

Timnah symbolizes the error race belief that a share of the
life forces in man rightly belongs to the purely animal,
physical, and sense part of his being. Judah kept his sheep
in this Canaanitish city. Sheep represent the pure, natural
life of the organism and Canaanites the elemental life
forces in man.

Enaim, in whose gate Tamar sat, is supposed to be one with
the city of Enam. The name means "two eyes," "double
springs." It signifies the fountain of understanding in
man, which because of his belief in good and evil, in
materiality as well as spirituality, is dedicated to both
generation and regeneration, both sense and Spirit.
Double-mindedness causes instability. Stability is needed
if one is to grow and develop spiritually. One establishes
stability of character by giving oneself up wholly, with
singleness of purpose, to the regenerative law.

The name Perez means "broken through," "torn asunder."
Perez represents victory through praise, or making a way
out of apparent limitation and error and prevailing over
them by means of prayer and praise.

//page 307

(Tamar said, "Wherefore hast thou made a breach for
thyself? therefore his name was called Perez.")

Zerah ("sunrise," "birth of a child," "germination of a
seed") represents awakening to new light, new
understanding, in consciousness; the first conscious
awakening to the presence of this new inner light or
understanding. (The sun rises in the east, and the east
denotes the within.)

In the journey from sense to Spirit the soul passes through
many phases, misdirects its faculties, and practices
multitudinous forms of dissipation or waste. (These verses
in Genesis illustrate this fact.) But as man follows the
light as it is given him to see the light, he gradually
learns to understand himself and his soul activities. Then
he begins to conform to spiritual law and to conserve his
energies, forces, and substance, which in turn results in
lifting up the whole man, spirit, soul, and body, out of
the mire of materiality and sense into the new estate of
the regenerate man, the Jesus Christ man.

//quote

Gen. 39:1-3. And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and
Potiphar, an Officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the
guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the
Ishmaelites, that had brought him down thither. And Jehovah
was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in
the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw
that Jehovah was with him, and that Jehovah made all that
he did to prosper in his hand.

//text

Joseph's being brought down into Egypt signifies the
imagination's becoming active in the body consciousness and
in the subconsciousness. Imagination usually reaches out
into the unseen world about us

//page 308

and forms substance according to the pattern of our
thoughts. But its first duty is to go down into the
Egyptian darkness of our material and sense thoughts and,
under the law, lift the body consciousness to a higher
plane. Body, soul, and spirit are unified as one, and the
Truth student cannot afford to lose sight of the fact that
all three are to be lifted up. Unless he is careful in this
regard, the body consciousness may be left far behind the
soul and spirit and some unfavorable reaction become
manifest in the body or affairs.

The word Pharaoh means "the sun," "the Ra." Joseph was sold
to Potiphar, an executive officer of Pharaoh's court, who
represents one of the ruling ideas in the state of
consciousness symbolized by Pharaoh, "the sun." Egypt
symbolizes the material body consciousness ruled by the
"sun" or solar plexus, which is the center in the
subconsciousness. Pharaoh rules in obscurity or darkness
because the great sun of the body, the solar plexus, is
obscured or unknown to the conscious mind. The light of the
sun of righteousness is veiled by our conscious living on
the low plane of sense.

God prospers us when we give the best that is in us and do
all things unto Him, acknowledging Him in all our affairs.
This is a sure way to success, and when success does come
we should realize that it resulted from the work of Spirit
in us, because we made ourselves channels through which the
Christ Mind could bring its ideas into manifestation. The
true Christian never boasts that he is a self-made man, for
he well knows that all that he is and has, together with
all that he can ever hope to be or to have, is but God
finding expression through him as life.

//page 309

/quote

Gen. 39:4-6. And Joseph found favor in his sight, and he
ministered unto him: and he made him overseer over his
house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And it
came to pass from the time that he made him overseer in his
house, and over all that he had, that Jehovah blessed the
Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of
Jehovah was upon all that he had, in the house and in the
field. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he
knew not aught that was with him, save the bread which he
did eat. And Joseph was comely, and well favored.

//text

Joseph was a spiritual character and worked from principle,
hence he found favor in Potiphar's house and brought added
blessings to it. This Scripture proves the simple
outworking of the law. "And Joseph was comely, and well
favored."

//quote

Gen. 39:7-23. And it came to pass after these things, that
his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said,
Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master's
wife, Behold, my master knoweth not what is with me in the
house, and he hath put all that he hath into my hand: he is
not greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back
anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how
then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day,
that he hearkened not unto her, to lie with her, or to be
with her. And it came to pass about this time, that he went
into the house to do his work; and there was none of the
men of the house there within. And she caught him by his
garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in
her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass,
when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and
was fled forth, that she called unto the men of her house,
and spake

//page 310

unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us
to mock us: he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried
with a loud voice: and it came to pass, when he heard that
I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by
me, and fled, and got him out. And she laid up his garment
by her, until his master came home. And she spake unto him
according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, whom
thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: and
it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he
left his garment by me, and fled out.

And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his
wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner
did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. And
Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, the
place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was
there in the prison. But Jehovah was with Joseph, and
showed kindness unto him, and gave him favor in the sight
of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison
committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in
the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer
of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that
was under his hand, because Jehovah was with him; and that
which he did, Jehovah made it to prosper.

//text

The imagination is liable to get into trouble because it is
so little understood. The sense consciousness of the animal
soul (Potiphar's wife) tempts us through the imagination to
gratify its sense desires. When we refuse it expression
there is a reaction, and we seem for a time to be
imprisoned or limited in making progress. But if we
patiently bide our time, knowing that only good can come to
us, the seemingly imprisoned faculty (Joseph) will prove
its God-given

//page 311

power. Although physically imprisoned, Joseph (the
imagination) expresses himself spiritually, for the Lord
(law) is with him, and in due time he will come into his
rightful place as one of the important faculties in the
consciousness. (Jehovah, the law, was with Joseph.)

By faithfully performing the routine duties intrusted to
one, even in a prison, one is certain to be advanced to a
better and more remunerative position. However faithfulness
has an even greater reward than this, for all the while the
faithful one is building a firmer, truer, and more Godlike
character in himself, which is an enduring recompense; for
thus he enters into the possession of the true riches, the
spiritual consciousness. Joseph was made the overseer of
all the prisoners and later was released and given the
highest position in the land as prime minister or adviser
to Pharaoh.

//quote

Gen. 40:1-23. And it came to pass after these things, that
the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended
their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was wroth against
his two officers, against the chief of the butlers, and
against the chief of the bakers. And he put them in ward in
the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the
place where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard
charged Joseph with them, and he ministered unto them: and
they continued a season in ward. And they dreamed a dream
both of them, each man his dream, in one night, each man
according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler
and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the
prison. And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and
saw them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked
Pharaoh's officers that were with

//page 312

him in ward in his master's house, saying, Wherefore look
ye so sad today? And they said unto him, We have dreamed a
dream, and there is none that can interpret it. And Joseph
said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell
it me, I pray you.

And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to
him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; and in the
vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded,
and its blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof
brought forth ripe grapes: and Pharaoh's cup was in my
hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into
Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. And
Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: the
three branches are three days; within yet three days shall
Pharaoh lift up thy head, and restore thee unto thine
office: and thou shalt give Pharaoh's cup into his hand,
after the former manner when thou wast his butler. But have
me in thy remembrance when it shall be well with thee, and
show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me
unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: for indeed I
was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here
also have I done nothing that they should put me into the
dungeon.

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good,
he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold,
three baskets of white bread were on my head: and in the
uppermost basket there was of all manner of baked food for
Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon
my head. And Joseph answered and said, This is the
interpretation thereof: the three baskets are three days;
within yet three days shall Pharaoh life up thy head from
off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds
shall eat thy flesh from off thee. And it came to pass the
third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a
feast unto all his servants:

//page 313

and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and the head
of the chief baker among his servants. And he restored the
chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup
into Pharaoh's hand: but he hanged the chief baker: as
Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet did not the chief
butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.

//text

The chief butler and the chief baker were also in prison
(the subconsciousness). This shows how we put the Spirit of
life (the butler's wine) and of substance (the baker's
bread) in bondage to or under the dominion of the sense
man. By this time Joseph had become the warden in charge of
all the prisoners, so that life and substance were under
his control. When imagination controls these it exercises a
powerful influence in the subconsciousness, bringing into
manifestation many things that are so foreign and strange
to us that they seem to come from without.

Joseph's interpretation of the dreams and the coming to
pass of events exactly as he had predicted them gave him
prestige as an interpreter of dreams and later brought him
to the attention of the king.

What is the significance of dreams? The time of dreaming is
either when we are losing consciousness in the process of
going to sleep or when we are regaining it during
awakening. When we are in deep sleep we live in the
subconsciousness, a life of which the conscious mind knows
nothing. This mind catches glimpses of it when we are
making the transition from one state to the other. However
we are in close touch with the superconscious, the mind of
Spirit, when we are in the borderland state between
sleeping and waking. At such times one who is
spiritual-minded and

//page 314

who at all times seeks to know what infinite wisdom has to
reveal, receives his message. Spirit speaks in symbols such
as the butler's cup of wine and the baker's loaf of bread,
and the trained faculty of imagination (Joseph) interprets
the symbols to the conscious mind.

//quote

Gen. 41:1-44. And it came to pass at the end of two full
years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the
river. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven
kine, well-favored and fat-fleshed: and they fed in the
reed-grass. And, behold, seven other kine came up after
them out of the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed, and
stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And
the ill-favored and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven
well-favored and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. And he slept
and dreamed a second time: and, behold, seven ears of grain
came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And, behold, seven
ears, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprang up after
them. And the thin ears swallowed up the seven rank and
full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was
troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of
Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them
his dream; but there was none that could interpret them
unto Pharaoh.

Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do
remember my faults this day: Pharaoh was wroth with his
servants, and put me in ward in the house of the captain of
the guard, me and the chief baker: and we dreamed a dream
in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to
the interpretation of his dream. And there was with us
there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the
guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our
dreams; to each man according to his dream he did
interpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted

//page 315

to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him
he hanged.

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him
hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and
changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh
said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none
that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that
when thou hearest a dream thou canst interpret it. And
Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God will
give Pharaoh an answer of peace. And Pharaoh spake unto
Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the
river: and, behold, there came up out of the river seven
kine, fat-fleshed and well-favored; and they fed in the
reed-grass: and, behold, seven other kine came up after
them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as I
never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: and the
lean and ill-favored kine did eat up the first seven fat
kine: and when they had eaten them up, it could not be
known that they had eaten them; but they were still
ill-favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke. And I saw in
my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up upon one stalk,
full and good: and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and
blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: and the
thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears: and I told it
unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare
it to me.

And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one:
what God is about to do he hath declared unto Pharaoh. The
seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears
are seven years: the dream is one. And the seven lean and
ill-favored kine that came up after them are seven years,
and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind;
they shall be seven years of famine. That is the thing
which I spake unto Pharaoh: what God is about to do he hath
showed unto Pharaoh. Behold, there

//page 316

come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of
Egypt: and there shall arise after them seven years of
famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land
of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; and the
plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that
famine which followeth; for it shall be very grievous. And
for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh, it is because
the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring
it to pass. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man
discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let
Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the
land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in
the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food
of these good years that come, and lay up grain under the
hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep
it. And the food shall be for a store to the land against
the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of
Egypt; and the land perish not through the famine.

And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the
eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his
servants, Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the
spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch
as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet
and wise as thou: thou shalt be over my house, and
according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only
in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said
unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of
Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand,
and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in ventures
of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; and he
made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and
they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he set him over
all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am
Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift

//page 317

up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.

//text

When a person has developed the Joseph state of
consciousness and can give vivid form of his ideas by using
his imaginative faculty, he does not take his dreams or
visions in a literal sense. He rather unclothes the dream
of its form by using the same power that he has of clothing
ideas with form. Then he clearly sees the idea hidden
behind the forms and symbols of his dream. He knows that
all forms represent ideas and is able to resolve the form
back into the primal idea of Divine Mind. Thus he is taught
by Spirit more directly than is the ordinary individual.
Spiritual Truth comes to him directly through an always
open channel.

One of the surest proofs that you have opened yourself to
Spirit is that you have symbolical dreams and can
spiritually interpret them. Divine ideas are imaged in your
placid soul like shadows on a quiet pool. You see them
mentally and you may catch their import if you meditate
patiently and persistently on the relation that each image
or symbol bears to thought. Things are first ideas, then
thoughts reduced in radiation to the plane of sense
perception. When you still the senses you will begin to
perceive the thoughts that are back of things. This may be
a slow way, but it is a sure way to learn the language of
mind, and in time it will enable you to translate all the
shapes and forms you see on any plane of consciousness,
into their corresponding thoughts. When this is
accomplished you have become a Joseph and stand next to
Jesus.

Joseph correctly interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh that
later came to pass. The name Pharaoh means "the sun," "the
king"; he is the king of the subconscious

//page 318

realm whose throne is located in the solar plexus. This
brain of the body, plays an important role in directing the
circulation, the digestion and assimilation of food, and so
forth. Students of mind have discovered that the solar
plexus is but the organ through which the ruling ego,
Pharaoh, acts.

The signet ring that Pharaoh placed upon Joseph's hand
represents authority, and the fine raiment with which he
clothed Joseph symbolizes approval; that is, the ruling
power of the body gives to the imagination authority and
approval in both the within and the without.

//quote

Gen. 41:45-57. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name
Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath, the
daughter of Potiphera priest of On. And Joseph went out
over the land of Egypt.

And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before
Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the
presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of
Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought
forth by handfuls. And he gathered up all the food of the
seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up
the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was
round about every city, he up in the same. And Joseph laid
up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left
off numbering; for it was without number. And unto Joseph
were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom
Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On, bare unto
him. And Joseph called the name of the first-born Manasseh:
For, said he, God hath made me forget all my toil, and all
my father's house. And the name of the second called he
Ephraim: For God hath made me fruitful in the land of my
affliction. And the seven years of plenty, that was in the
land of Egypt,

//page 319

came to an end. And the seven years of famine began to
come, according as Joseph had said: and there was famine in
all the lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was
bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the
people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto
all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you,
do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and
Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the
Egyptians; and the famine was sore in the land of Egypt.
And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain,
because the famine was sore in all the earth.

//text

In lower Egypt during the time of Joseph was the city of
On, one of the world's oldest cities. Here was located one
of the great temples of Egypt, whose high priest was
Potiphera. The daughter of the high priest was Asenath, who
became Joseph's wife.

Asenath represents the feminine or love side of the natural
man. Two sons were born of this union, Manasseh
(understanding) and Ephraim (will), and they inherited
Joseph's allotment in the Promised Land (regenerated
perfect body). Understanding and will are dominant forces
in the race because they are necessary in the development
of the soul. If the imagination (Joseph) were wholly free
(unmarried or without responsibility), it would indulge in
daydreams and fanciful schemes that could not be worked out
in a practical world governed by inexorable law. If in this
dreamy state the mind is given a definite thought of Truth
(such as monotheism, taught at the school of On) and is
joined with the natural soul (Asenath), it brings forth the
two stabilizing mental qualities will and understanding,
symbolized by Joseph's sons

//page 320

Ephraim and Manasseh.

The name Manasseh means "who makes to forget." Manasseh was
the first son born to Joseph, who had a great deal to
forget. Joseph needed to forget the wrong done him by his
brothers, the temptation of Potiphar's wife, and the error
of long imprisonment. Thus Manasseh represents the
understanding of how to use one's ability to forget or deny
that which is no longer profitable to the man.

The name Ephraim means "very fruitful." Ephraim represents
the ability of man to add to his consciousness through the
action of his will whatever he may choose to affirm and to
become fruitful in his thoughts even in the land of
affliction.

The first step for the beginner in Truth is to set up a new
and better state of consciousness based on the absolute. He
must develop the Manasseh quality of forgetting the
not-good by denial and the Ephraim quality of increasing
the good by affirming it to be the real. The understanding
and the will must be especially active in one who would
overcome and master the sensations of the body, which is
one of the first steps in its regeneration.

Joseph was thirty years old when he began his great work in
Egypt. At about that age a man completes a natural cycle in
the evolution of his soul and is ready for an adventure
into the spiritual. When the spiritually awakening man has
reached this stage of development there is an increase of
energy throughout the body. As we have previously noted,
the imagination is the "increasing faculty" as well as the
formative faculty. The Hebrew meaning of the name Joseph is
"Jehovah shall increase." The great increase

//page 321

that comes at this period in his unfoldment lasts about
seven years, or passes through seven stages of activity,
symbolized in Pharaoh's dream by the seven fat kine and the
seven full ears of corn.

Those who are wise will conserve this energy in the
storehouse of subconsciousness, because there is certain to
be a reaction proportionate to action. The law holds good
for every form of energy. When this generated force is
properly conserved, the reaction is not felt. When we exalt
the Joseph state of consciousness (as did Pharaoh) and let
it rule in our body, Spirit will show us how to handle the
situation. Then we shall make storage batteries of our
"cities," which are the ganglionic centers of the body
(Egypt). When Pharaoh gave Joseph the power and authority
to do this conserving work, he changed his name to
Zaphenathpaneah, a compound word meaning "savior of the
universe," "sustainer of the life of the world," "governor
of the district or place of stored-up life." This would
clearly indicate that the body should be ruled over by the
spiritualized imaginative faculty working under the
direction and by the power of Spirit.

The word famine implies extreme scarcity of food, reducing
people to an extremity of hunger, of starvation. Here Egypt
(the subconsciousness), the storehouse of plenty, is the
source from which all the surrounding countries (states of
consciousness) come for sustenance when the outer man has
exhausted his resources.

The seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine
show that the unregenerate man lives in a consciousness of
duality, seeing good and evil, heat and cold, plenty and
poverty, feast and famine; the spiritualized

//page 322

imagination (Joseph) sees the whole of life as one. He sees
no lack but recognizes a coming consciousness of lack and
relates it to the present consciousness of plenty, and by
this unifying work he lays up a store of substance for
future use. The imagination should rank high among all the
faculties of man, for without its magic touch life would
become flat, stale, and meaningless; but once imagination
is awakened, man is filled with health, life, substance,
and abundance.

//page 323

//section Chapter 12

Chapter XII

The I AM and Its Faculties in the Body

Genesis 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46

//text

THE BIRTH of Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, is described
in the 25th chapter of Genesis, and the remainder of the
book, or exactly half of its fifty chapters, tells of the
activities of Jacob and his twelve sons. Such emphasis
shows the importance of Jacob as a symbol of the I AM, that
spiritual man whose creation, manifestation, and
development is the theme of Genesis. This ideal man does
not fully develop in the Jacob symbol but continues to
unfold all through the Bible, coming into full expression
as Christ Jesus. As Jacob however we find man developing
his spiritual faculties (twelve sons) and then taking them
down into Egypt (body consciousness) to begin the great
work of redemption.

Involution always precedes evolution. The I AM and its
spiritual faculties must be sent down into the body
consciousness before the evolution of the spiritual man can
begin. Spirit does not direct the work of regeneration from
a distant heaven, but from its center in the crown of the
head directs and transforms the very heart of each atom of
the body.

//quote

Gen. 42:1-5. Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt,
and Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon
another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is
grain in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from
thence; that we

//page 324

may live, and not die. And Joseph's ten brethren went down
to buy grain from Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother,
Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest
peradventure harm befall him. And the sons of Israel came
to buy among those that came: for the famine was in the
land of Canaan.

//text

Many workers in Truth think it is useless to go down into
this obscure kingdom of Egypt within each man. They are not
willing for Joseph to spend a part of his time in that
country making ready the storehouses and filling them with
the vitality that will be needed when the outer man has
used up his resources. These persons will find that they
cannot have that joyous reunion of mind and body with all
the faculties unless they are willing to let the higher
thought go consciously down into the body (Egypt) and rule
there, as Joseph ruled second only to Pharaoh himself.

We must not forget that it is down in Egypt (the body) that
we find the "grain" or substance that is required to
sustain the whole man. The several visits of Joseph's
brothers to Egypt for grain and their final reconciliation
with him are a symbolical representation of the manner in
which we make connection with the obscured vitality center
within the organism, eventually bringing all our faculties
into conjunction with it, that it may in due course be
lifted up to a spiritual manifestation.

Canaan, from which Jacob and his sons migrated, means
"lowland," while Egypt means "tribulation." To the
metaphysician these names represent the two phases of
substance. Canaan represents the invisible substance that
surrounds and interpenetrates all bodies, while Egypt
represents substance that has been formed

//page 325

as material and is perceived by the senses. The faculties
of mind, represented by Jacob's sons, first inhabit the
realm of invisible substance and are sustained by it; then
they pass into the realm of the visible or formed
substance--from Canaan to Egypt. This is the way in which
the mind forms the soul and its vehicle, the physical body.
Thoughts are first expressed as ideas in the invisible
substance, then they enter into visibility as things.

When man is ignorant of the creative power of his mind, he
gravitates to a material basis in all his thinking and
acting. Among the sons of Jacob only Joseph (imagination)
had knowledge of the reality of the invisible. The others
scoffed at him as a visionary. They refused to plant their
seed thoughts in the soil of the invisible substance, and
the result was a famine--there was no grain in Canaan.

When we refuse to observe the law of creative mind, we
oppose the working out of life's problems in the divine
way, according to principle, and are compelled to work them
out in a harder way. This is why the "way of the
transgressor is hard." Thousands go down into Egypt and
suffer the trials and limitations of materiality when, if
they were more observant of the law and obedient to their
spiritual leadings, they might remain in the joy and
freedom of Christ. Yet even in the world of materiality
(Egypt) the chosen of the Lord (Israelites) prosper and
multiply. The children of Jacob increased from a few score
to over two million during their sojourn in Egypt. No
matter how great your trials or how dark your way may seem,
if you hold to your belief in the omnipresence,
omnipotence, and goodness of God, you will succeed, and

//page 326

no material oppression can hold you down.

//quote

Gen. 42:6-24. And Joseph was the governor over the land; he
it was that sold to all the people of the land. And
Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him
with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren,
and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and
spake roughly with them; and he said unto them, Whence came
ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. And
Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. And Joseph
remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said
unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land
ye are come. And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to
buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man's sons;
we are true men, thy servants are no spies. And he said
unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are
come. And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren,
the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the
youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. And
Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you,
saying, Ye are spies: hereby ye shall be proved: by the
life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your
youngest brother come hither. Send one of you, and let him
fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words
may be proved, whether there be truth in you: or else by
the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. And he put them
all together into ward three days.

And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live;
for I fear God: if ye be true men, let one of your brethren
be bound in your prisonhouse; but go ye, carry grain for
the famine of your houses: and bring your youngest brother
unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not
die. And they did so. And they said one to another, We are
verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw

//page 327

the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would
not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. And
Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying,
Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear?
therefore also, behold, his blood is required. And they
knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an
interpreter between them. And he turned himself about from
them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spake to them,
and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their
eyes.

//text

A spy is one who seeks to discover certain facts by
stealthy observation. Joseph was testing out his brothers
in his endeavor to ascertain where they stood in
consciousness; also whether his beloved father Jacob (the I
AM) was still alive (functioning in the conscious mind) and
how it was with him. He also desired to see again his own
brother Benjamin (faith). All in all Joseph was yearning to
see his kindred and to be reunited with them.

The brothers were greatly troubled when Joseph insisted
that they bring Benjamin, their youngest brother, down into
Egypt. Benjamin, among the twelve faculties, represents
faith. Imagination (Joseph) needs faith (Benjamin) to
complete its work and to hold fast the gains it has made.
Like Joseph's brothers, we think that faith is too pure,
too lofty and holy to risk contaminating it with the things
of material sense. We like to hold it on the high plane of
spiritual consciousness rather than send it down into the
body consciousness. Yet this we must do if we are to save
the other faculties and the whole man. The brothers were in
grave danger of being held prisoners, or so it seemed to
them, unless Benjamin were brought down into

//page 328

Egypt. They remembered their father's great grief over the
loss of Joseph and they felt that the sacrifice of parting
with Benjamin, the other son of his beloved Rachel, would
be too much for him.

During these trying moments their minds recalled Joseph and
his cries for mercy, to which they had turned a deaf ear
when they sold him into slavery. Joseph's immediate
presence may have had something to do with suggesting this
memory even though they did not recognize him. Conscience
stricken, they said one to another, "We are verily guilty
concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his
soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore
is this distress come upon us." They evidently understood
something of the law of sowing and reaping in those days,
for at least they did not lay their troubles to charge of
Providence, as is done so much now. They thought they were
about to reap what they had sown years before.

Simeon ("one who listens and obeys") was held in bondage by
Joseph, which reveals that soul receptivity and obedience
are necessary adjuncts to the imagination.

//quote

Gen. 42:25-38. Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels
with grain, and to restore every man's money into his sack,
and to give them provision for the way: and thus was it
done unto them.

And they laded their asses with their grain, and departed
thence. And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass
provender in the lodging-place, he espied his money; and,
behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. And he said unto
his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in
my sack: and their heart failed them, and they turned
trembling one to another, saying, What is this that God
hath done unto us? And they came unto Jacob

//page 329

their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that
had befallen them, saying, The man, the lord of the land,
spake roughly with us, and took us for spies of the
country. And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no
spies; we are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is
not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the
land of Canaan. And the man, the lord of the land, said
unto us, Hereby shall I know ye are true men: leave one of
your brethren with me, and take grain for the famine of
your houses, and go your way; and bring your youngest
brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies,
but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your
brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that,
behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and
when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they
were afraid. And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have
ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is
not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are
against me. And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay
my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into
my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. And he said,
My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead,
and he only is left: if harm befall him by the way in which
ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to
Sheol.

//text

Joseph (the imaging power of the mind) has access to
unlimited supply (all the substance in Egypt). Joseph knew
that his brothers possessed the same capacities that he
himself did, but they were not consciously aware of this.
Through Joseph they (the other faculties) are being
educated; the famine in their land means that they lack
understanding of their

//page 330

spiritual resources. Joseph (imagination) is the avenue
through which these resources are brought to them, and one
of the lessons here presented under the guise of restoring
to them their purchase money is "Give, and it shall be
given unto you." They are treated as spies or aliens in
this land of omnipresent divine resources because they are
ignorant of the fact that they belong in the family of God
and that Joseph is their kin.

Jacob, grieving over the loss of two sons and fearful at
the prospect of losing the third and dearest son next to
Joseph (Benjamin), represents the personal man who is still
in bondage to personal thoughts. But Reuben (spiritual
perception) is launching out and is beginning to realize
that all is well (in divine order) and is willing to offer
up his most valuable possessions as surety for the safe
return of his brother Benjamin: "Slay my two sons, if I
bring him not to thee."

"If harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye
bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol" is
indicative of the grief, sorrow, and darkened state of mind
that result when the human consciousness sees death or the
loss of loved ones as reality.

//quote

Gen. 43:1-15. And the famine was sore in the land. And it
came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they
had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go
again, buy us a little food. And Judah spake unto him,
saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye
shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. If
thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy
thee food: but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go
down; for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face,
except your brother be

//page 331

with you. And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with
me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? And
they said, The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and
concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive?
have ye another brother? and we told him according to the
tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he
would say, Bring your brother down? And Judah said unto
Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise
and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou,
and also our little ones. I will be surety for him; of my
hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee,
and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for
ever: for except we had lingered, surely we had now
returned a second time. And their father Israel said unto
them, If it be so now, do this: take the choice fruits of
the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present,
a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts,
and almonds; and take double money in your hand; and the
money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry
again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: take
also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: and
God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may
release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And if I
be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. And the man took
that present, and they took double money in their hand, and
Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood
before Joseph.

//text

Here again the outer man has appropriated all his substance
and must go down into Egypt to replenish his store. Judah
(the prayer faculty) calls the attention of Jacob (the I
AM) to the fact that the journey would be fruitless unless
they were accompanied by Benjamin (awakening faith). It
really requires awakening

//page 332

faith to open the door into the storehouse of substance
over which the imagination (Joseph) rules.

With great bitterness of heart Jacob finally consents. He
directs his sons (the faculties) to take with them
presents--"a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and
myrrh, nuts, and almonds; and take double money in your
hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your
sacks carry again in your hand"--which represent the
limited substance ideas of the personal man. His sons go
forth into Egypt with Jacob's blessing, which Jacob has
poured out upon his idea of substance, though it be meager.
By so doing he has opened the way for a larger spiritual
inflow. "The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich."

//quote

Gen. 43:16-34. And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he
said to the steward of his house, Bring the men into the
house, and slay, and make ready; for the men shall dine
with me at noon. And the man did as Joseph bade; and the
man brought the men to Joseph's house. And the men were
afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and
they said, Because of the money that was returned in our
sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek
occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for
bondmen, and our asses. And they came near to the steward
of Joseph's house, and they spake unto him at the door of
the house, and said, Oh, my lord, we came indeed down at
the first time to buy food: and it came to pass, when we
came to the lodging-place, that we opened our sacks, and,
behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our
money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our
hand. And other money have we brought down in our hand to
buy food: we know not who put our money in our sacks. And
he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God,

//page 333

and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your
sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto
them. And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and
gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave
their asses provender. And they made ready the present
against Joseph's coming at noon: for they heard that they
should eat bread there.

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present
which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down
themselves to him to the earth. And he asked them of their
welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom
ye spake? Is he yet alive? And they said, Thy servant our
father is well, he is yet alive. And they bowed the head,
and made obeisance. And he lifted his eyes, and saw
Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and said, Is this
your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he
said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. And Joseph made
haste; for his heart yearned over his brother: and he
sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and
wept there. And he washed his face, and came out; and he
refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. And they set on
for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the
Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves: because
the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for
that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. And they sat
before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and
the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled
one with another. And he took and sent messes unto them
from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much
as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

//text

It seems almost sacrilegious to give an interpretation of
this Scripture, because it is so beautiful as literature
and so true on the natural plane. However it

//page 334

is symbolical of the consummation or final union of the
imagination (Joseph) with its brother faculty faith
(Benjamin). Substance (represented by the feast set before
them) also plays an important part. This is the fulfillment
of the law through faith and imagination and their
auxiliary powers.

The Egyptians and Hebrews sat apart from Joseph. The
Egyptians represent substance on the formed or physical
plane, and the Hebrews represent substance in the spiritual
or invisible realm. Joseph represents the directive or
molding power of Spirit.

The movements of mind just described also presage a new
cycle or round in soul unfoldment.

//quote

Gen. 44:1-13. And he commanded the steward of his house,
saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can
carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. And
put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the
youngest, and his grain money. And he did according to the
word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning was
light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. And
when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far
off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the
men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them,
Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? Is not this that
in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth?
ye have done evil in so doing. And he overtook them, and he
spake unto them these words. And they said unto him,
Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it
from thy servants that they should do such a thing. Behold,
the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought
again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should
we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? With
whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we
also will be

//page 335

my lord's bondmen. And he said, Now also let it be
according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall
be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless. Then they hasted,
and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened
every man his sack. And he searched, and began at the
eldest, and left off at the youngest: and the cup was found
in Benjamin's sack. Then they rent their clothes, and laded
every man his ass, and returned to the city.

//text

Joseph in Egypt symbolizes the word of the imagination in
subconsciousness, or the involution of a high spiritual
idea. In this Scripture the imagination is given the
opportunity to try out the strength of the other faculties
(Joseph's brothers) in an endeavor to discover if they have
come to that place in consciousness where they can work
from the viewpoint of Truth, regardless of all else.

Joseph's having the cup put into Benjamin's sack represents
one of the subtle ways in which the Lord imparts Truth to
man's consciousness. The cup symbolizes the word or measure
in which Truth is realized, and although the recipient is
not aware of it, it does its work and finally comes to
consciousness in the presence of Jehovah's representative
(Joseph) and all the other faculties (brothers).

This cup, the Scripture relates, was used by Joseph to
"divine" with, which shows its mystical quality. It is also
related to the cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper.

//quote

Gen. 44:14-34. And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's
house; and he was yet there: and they fell before him on
the ground. And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this
that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I can
indeed divine? And

//page 336

Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we
speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out
the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's
bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is
found. And he said, Far be it from me that I should do so:
the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my
bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your
father.

Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh, my lord, let
thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears,
and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou
are even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying,
Have ye a father, or a brother? And we said unto my lord,
We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a
little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left
of his mother; and his father loveth him. And thou saidst
unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set
mine eyes upon him. And we said unto my lord, The lad
cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father,
his father would die. And thou saidst unto thy servants,
Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall
see my face no more. And it came to pass when we came up
unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my
lord. And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food.
And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be
with us, then will we go down; for we may not see the man's
face, except our youngest brother be with us. And thy
servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare
me two sons: and the one went out from me, and I said,
Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since:
and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him,
ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. Now
therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad
is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the
lad's life; it will come to pass, when he seeth that the
lad is not with us, that he

//page 337

will die: and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs
of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. For thy
servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying,
If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame
to my father for ever. Now therefore, let thy servant, I
pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord;
and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go
up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I see the
evil that shall come on my father.

//text

Judah made an effective plea for Benjamin and his father.
This is one of the most excellent things of its kind in all
literature. It shows a complete change of mind and heart,
which is true repentance. Judah had proposed to sell Joseph
into slavery. The praise faculty represented by Judah had
been on a low plane of expression at that time. But Judah
had grown with the years (as the praise faculty grows with
use) and had become most unselfish, even to the point of
offering himself as a hostage for his youngest brother.
Where selfishness, jealousy, and hardness had ruled him
before, there was now unselfish love, humility, devotion to
principle, and willingness to serve even to the extent of
giving up his liberty or his life, if need be, for the sake
of his father (the I AM).

True repentance is always followed by forgiveness, which is
a complete wiping out of the error thought from
consciousness and a full deliverance from the inharmony
that the error thought has produced.

//quote

Gen. 45:1-15. Then Joseph could not refrain himself before
all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man
to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while
Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept
aloud: and

//page 338

the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard. And
Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father
yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they
were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his
brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near.
And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold unto
Egypt. And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves,
that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to
preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in
the land: and there are yet five years, in which there
shall be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me
before you to preserve you a remnant in the earth, and to
save you alive by a great deliverance. So now it was not
you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a
father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler
over all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my
father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God
hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry
not; and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou
shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy
children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all
that thou hast: and there will I nourish thee; for there
are yet five years of famine; lest thou come to poverty,
thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast. And,
behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin,
that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall
tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye
have seen: and ye shall haste and bring down my father
hither. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and
wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all
his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his
brethren talked with him.

//text

After hearing Judah's plea Joseph could restrain himself no
longer. He made himself known to his brothers, and there
was a happy reunion. This whole

//page 339

Scripture proves that back of all the Spirit of the Lord is
working to bring forth the perfect world. "To them that
love God all things work together for good."

Joseph was the chosen servant of the Lord to preserve not
only the Egyptians but also those who dwelt in the
surrounding countries. Out of a seemingly unbearable
jealous condition the lives of thousands were preserved,
and most important, a wonderful soul unfoldment took place
in the whole Israelitish race. Joseph symbolizes the
sublime idea of Truth's going down into the darkened sense
consciousness and under the law raising it up and out of
sense into Spirit. Joseph was seemingly forced to go to
Egypt by his brothers, yet he was sent by the Lord to
prepare for the maintenance of Jacob's family through the
period of dearth that later came to Canaan. The Truth idea
he represents, when taken down into the sense
consciousness, establishes there a new realization of life
that results in the regeneration of the entire man. We must
often go consciously into every part of our body and build
it up in Truth with new ideas of life and substance.

The name Goshen means "drawing near." Metaphysically it
represents a state of unity.

//quote

Gen. 45:16-28. And the report thereof was heard in
Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it
pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. And Pharaoh said
unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye: lade your
beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; and take
your father and your households, and come unto me: and I
will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall
eat the fat of the land. Now thou art commanded, this do
ye: take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your
little ones, and for your wives, and bring your

//page 340

father, and come. Also regard not your stuff; for the good
of all the land of Egypt is yours.

And the sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons,
according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them
provisions for the way. To all of them he gave each man
changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred
pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. And to his
father he sent after this manner: ten asses laden with the
good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with grain
and bread and provision for his father by the way. So he
sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto
them, See that ye fall not out by the way. And they went up
out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob
their father. And they told him, saying, Joseph is yet
alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt. And his
heart fainted, for he believed them not. And they told him
all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and
when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him,
the spirit of Jacob their father revived: and Israel said,
It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see
him before I die.

//text

Joseph sent his brothers home rejoicing, laden with
presents for their father, and there was no longer any
regret that they had brought Benjamin down into Egypt. True
repentance means the changing of the mind and all its
contents of error belief. When we have done this we can
unify ourselves with Truth, and then we are blessed in both
mind and body with the true riches of Spirit.

Pharaoh, the ruling ego of the subconsciousness, joyfully
welcomes Joseph's kindred. This reveals that the
constructive imagination (Joseph) not only mirrors forth
plenty that becomes manifest as substantial supply

//page 341

but also brings peace and harmony to the whole man. Every
form and thing, whether in the ether or on the earth,
represents some idea or mental attitude. The idea is first
projected into mind substance and afterward formed in
consciousness through the imagining faculty of the mind.

//quote

Gen. 46:1-7. And Israel took his journey with all that he
had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto
the God of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in
the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he
said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy
father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there
make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into
Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and
Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. And Jacob rose
up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob
their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in
the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. And they
took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten
in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all
his seed with him: his sons, and his sons' sons with him,
his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed
brought he with him into Egypt.

//text

Beer-sheba here represents spiritual inspiration (wells of
water, reservoir) within man's consciousness that he has
received and is acting on. The amazing activity and success
of the imagination has opened up a larger substance source
in body, and the whole thought family (Jacob's) is moving
in and taking conscious possession of it.

God spoke to Jacob and told him not to fear to go down into
Egypt, because He (God) would go with him and bring him out
again after he had become a

//page 342

great nation. The descent into the land of Egypt of Jacob
and his sons, together with the possessions that they had
accumulated in Canaan, their wives, children, goods,
flocks, and herds, symbolizes to us the unification of the
I AM with all the faculties of the mind and of the life
energy and substance of the whole man with the body. This
happy result is brought about by the action of the faculty
of imagination (all dwelt together "in the land of Goshen,"
which signifies unity). This new state of mind becomes a
part of the permanent consciousness in the new land.

"And Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes" means that
through the faculty of imagination the perception of the
other faculties is quickened and increased.

//quote

Gen. 46:8-27. And these are the names of the children of
Israel, who come into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben,
Jacob's first-born. And the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, and
Pallu, and Hezron, and Carmi. And the sons of Simeon:
Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and
Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman. And the sons of Levi:
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And the sons of Judah: Er, and
Onan, and Shelah, and Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan
died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were
Hezron and Hamul. And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and
Puvah, and Iob, and Shimron. And the sons of Zebulun:
Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel. These are the sons of Leah,
whom she bare unto Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter
Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were
thirty and three. And the sons of Gad: Ziphion, and Haggi,
Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli. And the sons
of Asher: Imnah, and Ishvah, and Ishvi, and Beriah, and
Serah their sister; and the sons of Beriah: Heber, and
Malchiel. These are the sons of

//page 343

Zilpah whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she
bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls. The sons of Rachel
Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin. And unto Joseph in the
land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath,
the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On, bare unto him. And
the sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera,
and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.
These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: All
the souls were fourteen. And the sons of Dan: Hushim. And
the sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and
Shillem. These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave unto
Rachel his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob: all the
souls were seven. All the souls that came with Jacob into
Egypt, that came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons'
wives, all the souls were threescore and six; and the sons
of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls:
all the souls of the house of Jacob, that came into Egypt,
were threescore and ten.

//text

(For the symbology of Jacob's twelve sons, his wives Leah
and Rachel, and the two handmaids Bilhah and Zilpah see the
interpretation of Gen. 35: 23-26.)

Hanoch ("instructed," "dedicated") represents entrance into
a higher consciousness than has been known and experienced
before.

Pallu ("marvelous," "extraordinary") represents the great
general uplift that comes to the consciousness that has
begun to awaken out of the purely animal phase of thought
to a higher and truer conception of God and of life.

Hezron ("inclosed," "green pasture") represents thoughts
that belong to the perceiving faculty (Reuben) and the
praise of life in its activity (Judah).

//page 344

These thoughts are not yet free in their expression in the
consciousness and the organism. They are "inclosed" by the
subconscious limiting error belief of man that all his
faculties and powers are material and transient instead of
spiritual and abiding. (There were two men named Hezron,
one the son of Reuben and the other the grandson of Judah.)

Carmi ("fruitful," "generous") symbolizes a vital,
prosperous, and fruitful attitude of mind.

Jemuel ("God is light," "day of God") represents the stage
of individual unfoldment when the light of Truth is
accepted into consciousness and realized.

Jamin ("right hand," "right place") represents thoughts
pertaining to divine order.

The name Ohad means "one," "unity." Ohad was the son of
Simeon. The name Simeon means "one who listens and obeys."
Simeon represents the spiritually receptive and obedient
attitude in man. Ohad symbolizes unity with God and the
conscious increase of the Christly attributes that is the
result of this union between the divine and the individual.

Jachin ("whom He [God] makes firm") represents the
firmness, steadfastness, and strength of character that
result from the establishment of the consciousness in Truth.

Zohar ("whiteness," "nobility") represents thoughts of a
pure, lofty, discriminating character.

Shaul is a form of the name Saul, and its meaning is the
same as that of Saul ("desired," "demanded"). Shaul
represents the personal will in individual consciousness.
He was the son of a Canaanitish woman (body consciousness).

Gershon was a son of Levi. The name means "expulsion,"

//page 345

"exile." The natural law of love is to express itself, but
there are conditions under which the love thought (Gershon)
is exiled from its native element and for a time retarded
or unexpressed.

Kohath ("called together," "assembly") represents the
attracting, unifying element in love, and the power of love.

Merari ("galling," "rebellious") symbolizes love directed
by the ignorance and selfishness of the personal man.

Er ("awake," "watchful") represents observant, attentive,
vigilant thoughts.

Onan ("able-bodied," "strong") represents thoughts
pertaining to strength and vigor yet with a tendency toward
materiality. (Onan's mother was a Canaanitish woman.)

Shelah ("security," "rest," "peace") represents a sense of
peace, harmony, and security that has come about through
prayer.

Perez ("breached," "torn asunder") represents victory
gained through praise or by making one's way out of
apparent limitation and error by means of prayer and praise.

The name Zerah means "rising of light." Zerah represents
the rise of new light, new understanding, in the
consciousness.

The name Hamul means "spared," "gentleness," "compassion";
it also signifies "forgiveness." The attitudes of mind thus
implied are Godlike, and they have to do with the salvation
of the individual who entertains them.

The name Tola means "crimson," "scarlet," "coccus worm."
Tola represents life activity on a seemingly

//page 346

low plane but in process of unfoldment to higher and
greater expressions.

Puvah is the same name as Puah, which means "mouth,"
"blast," "utterance." Puvah symbolizes the giving of one's
true thoughts, one's zeal, to establishing the activity of
Truth throughout the consciousness so that it may be
declared aloud and expressed. (Puvah was the son of
Issachar, zeal.)

Shimron ("watch," "careful keeping") represents a watchful,
observant, attentive attitude, which raises to a high plane
the faculties of mind represented by Issachar (zeal) and
Zebulun (order).

Sered ("fear," "trembling," "flight," "escape") represents
fearfulness, extreme unrest, in the order faculty in the
individual consciousness.

Elon ("strong man," "an oak") represents thoughts of
strength and power.

The name Jahleel means "waiting on God," "hoping in God."
Jahleel represents waiting in the silence upon God in an
expectant attitude of mind.

"My soul, wait thou in silence for God only; For my
expectation is from him."

Dinah ("judged," "justified") symbolizes the soul or
feminine side of the judgment faculty, which may be called
intuition, the intuition of the natural man.

Ziphion is the same name as Zephon, which means "watchman,"
"observer," "keeper of the high watch." Ziphion represents
the realization of power (Gad symbolizes power) that is the
result of a desire for and a seeking after power. This
suggests prayer and an earnest desire for and expectation
of something higher and better than the purely mental and
physical aspects of power and might.

//page 347

The name Haggi means "feast," "rejoicing," "festival."
Haggi symbolizes a realization of good as taking the place
of seeming evil.

Shuni ("rest," "quiet," "calm," "peace") represents a
tranquil, poised, peaceful state of thought.

Ezbon ("hastening to understand," "splendor," "bright")
represents thoughts that come into the light, into the
brightness and glory of Truth, because they are concerned
with the things of Spirit.

Eri ("my watcher," "worshiping Jah") represents an
unfolding of the power faculty.

Arodi is the same name as Arod and means "fleeing," "a wild
ass." Arod and his descendants represent those traits of
the animal nature in man which are characteristic of the
ass: meekness, stubbornness, persistence, and endurance.
These qualities are good when directed by the true I AM but
are destructive when given over to sense rule.

Areli ("lionlike," "valiant," "heroic") represents the
courage to abide by that which one believes to be right and
best; also boldness and fearlessness in applying one's
ideas practically.

Imnah ("good fortune," "prosperity") represents a strong
belief in and realization of prosperity as being man's
inheritance and the Father's will for him.

Asher had three sons. The first two, Imnah and Ishvah,
represent thoughts of the higher order, but the name of the
third son, Beriah, means "evil," "calamity," "misfortune,"
indicating a negative tendency to evil that sometimes runs
parallel with the good in human consciousness. However the
good tendencies are so much in the ascendant that they
overcome the weaker evil thoughts that belittle man and
cause him

//page 348

to develop an inferiority complex.

Ishvah means "equality," "even," "smooth," "resembling
(another)," "self-answering." On the highest plane Ishvah
represents that true poise, peace, and equableness that
come from within man's own true spiritual self when he
realizes that he is made in the likeness of God and is
certain that he will manifest this in the outer in due
time. The thought of "self-satisfying" is also brought out
in this name. This suggests the truth that as we become
conscious of the source of all understanding within us,
namely Spirit, we find within ourselves the answer to all
our questionings, the satisfaction of all our desires.

Serah ("extension," "abundance," "poured forth,"
"diffused") represents a rich, broad, extensive group of
soul qualities, but there is also a strong suggestion of
waste of substance; lack of conservation.

The name Heber means "a passing over" from the purely
sensate, physical, earthly thought to a higher conception
of religious Truth.

Malchiel ("rule of God," "God is king") symbolizes man's
acknowledgment of the supremacy of divine power and
rulership; in other words, the exalting of God in
consciousness, giving Him dominion; bowing to and obeying
Truth.

Manasseh ("who makes to forget") represents understanding;
understanding here denoting denial, the negative activity
of mind. (See Gen. 41:45-47.)

Ephraim ("doubly fruitful") symbolizes the will, which is
the positive or affirmative quality of mind.

The name Asenath means "dedicated to Neith," "favorite of
Neith." Asenath represents the feminine or love side of the
natural man.

//page 349

The name Poti-phera means "belonging to Ra." Poti-phera
represents a natural religious tendency in the individual
that gives the force of its influence to the worship and
building up of that for which On stands.

The name On means "city of the sun." In its purity On is a
symbol of Spirit and of true spiritual understanding,
substance, and power. As it appears in our Bible, however,
it represents the worship of the outer sun, and the truth
back of the symbol has been lost sight of to a great degree.

The name Bela means "swallow up," "destroy." Bela, the
eldest son of Benjamin, represents the destroying or
letting go of error by denial, an absorption (swallowing
up) of error by Truth.

The name Becher means "early," "first fruits,"
"first-born." Becher represents the first-born or first
fruits of faith, or the first bringing forth of positive,
upbuilding thoughts. (Benjamin represents faith.)

The name Ashbel means "reproof of God," "man of Baal,"
"judgment of God." Ashbel denotes the admonition of Spirit
("reproof of God") in consciousness against man's looking
upon as real the material thought about formed things ("man
of Baal"). The inharmonious result of looking upon the
outer world as real and as the source of life,
understanding, and existence, instead of seeing formless
Spirit (Divine Mind) as the true God and as the one reality
standing back of all manifestation--this is what is
suggested in the phrase "judgment of God."

Gera ("grain," "kernel") symbolizes faith's taking on of,
or working in, substance.

Naaman ("sweet," "pleasant," "good") denotes

//page 350

the joy, and pleasant, agreeable, harmonious, unifying
result that ensues in consciousness when one's faith and
will act in accord with one's highest Truth ideals.

Ehi is the name of a son of Benjamin also called Aharah,
which means "brother." Ehi represents that in man's
spiritually awakening consciousness which follows after
lofty, kindly, brotherly, constructive ideals. The name Ehi
also carries with it the thought of unity.

The name Rosh means "inclination," "will," "head." Rosh
represents the will. Since Rosh was a son of Benjamin
(faith) the significance is that the will, having been
given first place in the consciousness of the individual,
is acting through faith or in conjunction with it.

The name Muppim means "serpents," "glidings,"
"obscurities," "darkenings." Muppim represents human or
sense knowledge that is very subtle but that is unsteady
and unsettled in its reasonings and deductions. Muppim
represents that knowledge which does not reveal the true
light, and therefore it does not lead the individual into
spiritual understanding.

The name Huppim is the same as that of Hupham, which means
"coastman," "seashore," "bank." In all likelihood a
coastman is a fisherman. Huppim thus symbolizes a gatherer
of ideas, especially ideas of increase.

The name Ard means "fugitive," "to flee," "wild ass." The
thought that Ard represents belongs to the outer or animal
phase of consciousness, where fear enters and one runs away
from seeming evil or resists it wildly and stubbornly, as
the case may be, because one fears it. In this phase of
consciousness one does not understand that evil is unreal
and has no power of itself. When one realizes the truth
about seeming evil,

//page 351

one no longer fears it, and it is dissolved from one's
world.

The name Hushim means "people of haste," "vehement people."
Hushim represents an acceleration of activity in connection
with thoughts of judgment in man (one Hushim was the son of
Dan, who represents judgment) and in connection with
thoughts of active faith (another Hushim was a Benjamite).

Jahzeel, the name of a son of Naphtali (strength), means
"whom God apportions." Jahzeel represents the realization
that strength is from God and that one receives it
according to one's need or to the extent that one makes use
of it.

The name Guni means "colored," "tinted," "painted," which
suggests the taking on of some foreign idea or substance.
In this case Naphtali (strength) and Gad (power) are
involved. These qualities represented by Naphtali and Gad
are inherently spiritual, divine, but in coming into
expression in the outer, physical, sense man they become
tinged with and colored by material ideas.

Jazer ("formation") represents the formative faculty of
mind, the imagination, established in strength (Naphtali).

The name Shillem means "restoration," "salvation," "peace."
Shillem represents the thought that restoration, salvation,
peace, and perfection are the result of sowing to Spirit.
This restorative, peace-giving thought force is
particularly active in connection with strength and thus
gives its substance to the working out of the law of cause
and effect in consciousness.

//quote

Gen. 46:28-34. And he sent Judah before him

//page 352

unto Joseph, to show the way before him unto Goshen; and
they came into the land of Goshen. And Joseph made ready
his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to
Goshen; and he presented himself unto him, and fell on his
neck, and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said
unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face,
that thou art yet alive. And Joseph said unto his brethren,
and unto his father's house, I will go up, and tell
Pharaoh, and will say unto him, My brethren, and my
father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, are come
unto me; and the men are shepherds, for they have been
keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and
their herds, and all that they have. And it shall come to
pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is
your occupation? that ye shall say, Thy servants have been
keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we,
and our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen;
for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

//text

The Israelites represent radiant or unformed substance and
life, and the Egyptians represent conservators of formed
substance. Jacob (I AM) sent Judah (praise) before him unto
Joseph (imagination) so that the Israelites might be guided
to Goshen, thus forming a perfect union of life (Israel)
and substance (Egypt). The sheep represent the
uncontaminated animal or life forces that are to be
expressed more fully through union with materiality (the
Egyptians). The conservators of formed substance
(Egyptians) have no appreciation of this life ("for every
shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians").

//page 353

//section Chapter 13

Chapter XIII

The Blessing of the Faculties

Genesis 47, 48, 49, and 50

//text

JOSEPH IS A SUBLIME IDEA of Truth that goes down into the
darkened sense consciousness, and under the law finally
raises it up and out of sense and into Spirit. He was
seemingly forced there by his brothers, yet he was sent by
the Lord to prepare for the maintenance of Jacob's family
through the period of dearth that later came to Canaan. The
Truth he represents, when taken down into the sense
consciousness, establishes there a new realization of life
that will result in the regeneration of the entire man. We
must often go consciously into every part of our body and
build it up in Truth with new ideas of life and substance.

//quote

Gen. 47:1-12. Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and
said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and
their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the
land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of
Goshen. And from among his brethren he took five men, and
presented them unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto his
brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto
Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our
fathers. And they said unto Pharaoh, To sojourn in the land
are we come; for there is no pasture for thy servants'
flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now
therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land
of Goshen. And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy
father and thy brethren are come

//page 354

unto thee: the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of
the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell; in the
land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any able
men among them, then make them rulers over my cattle. And
Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before
Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto
Jacob, How many are the days of the years of thy life? And
Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my
pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years: few and evil
have been the days of the years of my life, and they have
not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my
fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. And Jacob blessed
Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. And
Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a
possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land,
in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And
Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his
father's household, with bread, according to their families.

//text

Joseph's brothers had been shepherds in Canaan. It is the
business of our mind faculties (Jacob's sons) to tend those
thought aggregations (flocks, herds) that pertain to our
vitality. There were no sheep in Egypt, but Pharaoh made
them "rulers" over his cattle. Cattle represent physical
strength, which like all the powers of man on the natural
plane, must be spiritualized. The faculties, having come
down into a more material state of consciousness (Egypt),
take dominion over and lift up the animal thoughts and
tendencies in the body and unify them with Spirit. This is
done by a transmutation of quality and is attained by right
thinking, by putting the "cattle" under the control of the
thoughts of reality or Spirit, represented by the
Israelites.

//page 355

Joseph brought his father to the ruler, and Jacob blessed
Pharaoh. This shows that the power that rules the body,
under the material regime, rules in obscurity or is without
spiritual understanding. When imagination (Joseph) brings
the higher understanding (Jacob) to the body consciousness
(Pharaoh), the higher blesses the lower.

Thus, the father and the brothers of Joseph took up their
abode in the land of Egypt, and Joseph nourished them
there. The imagination, which is our faculty of increase,
when established in Truth, prepares the way for us. It
inspires, encourages, and sustains the other faculties in
us when they fall into a seemingly material phase of being,
and ultimately brings about the spiritualization of the
whole organism, mind, soul, and body.

It is thought that Rameses is the same name as Raamses,
which means "son of Ra," "son of the sun," "sun's
emanation." Rameses represents a consciousness of substance
in the domain of the physical ego (Pharaoh). This "sun" or
"light" consciousness, which in Pharaoh and Egypt is
obscured or veiled by the life on the lower sense plane,
works in conjunction with the higher religious thoughts
(Hebrews) that are in servitude to the darkened sense
consciousness symbolized by Egypt, and so this reserve
substance (Rameses) is built up in Egypt.

//quote

Gen. 47:13-26. And there was no bread in all the land; for
the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and the
land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. And Joseph
gathered up all the money that was found in the land of
Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they

//page 356

bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and
in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph,
and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy
presence? for our money faileth. And Joseph said, Give your
cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
And they brought their cattle unto Joseph; and Joseph gave
them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks,
and for the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with
bread in exchange for all their cattle for that year. And
when that year was ended, they came unto him the second
year, and said unto him, We will not hide from my lord, how
that our money is all spent; and the herds of cattle are my
lord's; there is nought left in the sight of my lord, but
our bodies, and our lands: wherefore should we die before
thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for
bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh:
and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that
the land be not desolate.

So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the
Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was
sore upon them: and the land became Pharaoh's. And as for
the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of
the border of Egypt even to the other end thereof. Only the
land of the priests bought he not: for the priests had a
portion from Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which
Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their land. Then
Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this
day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you,
and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass at the
ingatherings, that ye shall give a fifth unto Pharaoh, and
four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and
for your food, and for them of your households, and for
food for your little ones. And they said, Thou

//page 357

hast saved our lives: let us find favor in the sight of my
lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants. And Joseph made it
a statute concerning the land of Egypt unto this day, that
Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests
alone became not Pharaoh's.

//text

In the early stages of regeneration there are times when
the developing soul has exhausted its resources and the
outer world no longer satisfies. When it reaches this point
man has to turn within and appropriate from the higher
principles that which they have to give. The center of the
great solar plexus (Pharaoh) is also the conservator of
substance and life in the organism. When man is spiritually
famished and feels the lack he is eager regardless of cost
to go to the inner reservoirs of stored-up substance for
sustenance. First he gives up to the higher principles the
power and strength of the natural man (symbolized by money
and cattle), then he draws on the fixed forces, the land
(representing the body), until it is finally realized that
the higher principles really are in authority. In the last
analysis the "sun" (solar plexus) consciousness is actually
the great distributor. The men (thought forces) were given
seed to sow the land, and Pharaoh (the great distributing
ego) permitted them to have four fifths of the harvest for
sustenance, while retaining one fifth (in the subconscious)
to meet any usual demands. The man now becomes aware of the
presence of this subconscious ego that, when spiritually
instructed by the imagination (Joseph), will handle all the
processes of rebuilding the body. Finally this becomes an
established law. The priests, representing the higher
spiritual life, are not subject to this law.

//page 358

//quote

Gen. 47:27-31. And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in
the land of Goshen; and they gat them possessions therein,
and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob
lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the days of
Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred forty and
seven years. And the time drew near that Israel must die:
and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I
have found favor in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand
under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me: bury me
not, I pray thee, in Egypt; but when I sleep with my
fathers, thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in
their burying-place. And he said, I will do as thou hast
said. And he said, Swear unto me: and he sware unto him.
And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.

//text

The central thought in this Scripture is that Jacob is
giving up old ideas and taking on new. The life of Jacob in
a certain unfoldment was drawing to a close, and his desire
was that his body be buried with his fathers in the cave of
Machpelah. This indicates that a certain phase of the
illumined intellect is sinking back into the
subconsciousness (Macpelah). All experiences in life that
have spiritual qualities and all realities gained in the
land of unity (Goshen) are preserved in the
subconsciousness. Joseph's placing his hand under the thigh
of Jacob symbolizes the truth that the illumined intellect
needs the encouragement and support and power of the
imagination in order to effect spiritually the change that
is about to take place. When this is granted, Jacob bows
down in gratitude and thanksgiving to the Holy One and
rests in the realization that all is well. "And Israel
bowed himself upon the bed's head."

Jacob's age is significant. The number seven symbolizes

//page 359

fullness in the world of phenomena. It is so universally
used as a mystical number that its basis must be in some
fundamental arrangement of the natural world.

(For significance of the oath see interpretation of Gen.
24:9.)

//quote

Gen. 48:1-4. And it came to pass after these things, that
one said to Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took
with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And one told
Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee:
and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. And
Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at
Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and said unto
me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee,
and I will make of thee a company of peoples, and will give
this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting
possession.

//text

In this Scripture the I AM functioning in the illumined
intellect (Jacob) is taking cognizance of its abilities and
possessions before it sinks back into the subconsciousness
for a season of rest. The I AM faculty of imagination
(Joseph) is quick to discern what is taking place and
brings the will and the understanding, the yes and the no
of the mind (Ephraim and Manasseh), to the I AM for a final
blessing. (The will and the understanding are the powers
that say yes and no to your thoughts.)

The Lord had blessed Jacob (the I AM) at Luz. One
interpretation of Luz is "separation," but under the light
of Spirit we find that that which we conceive to be apart
from God (Luz) is in truth His abode (Bethel, house of
God). Therefore this Luz state of consciousness belongs
eternally to the I AM and its

//page 360

faculties will (Ephraim) and understanding (Manasseh),
which faculties are to multiply and bring forth fruit
exceedingly.

//quote

Gen. 48:5, 6. And now thy two sons, who were born unto thee
in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt,
are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon,
shall be mine. And thy issue, that thou begettest after
them, shall be thine; they shall be called after the name
of their brethren in their inheritance.

//text

The I AM (Jacob) here claims Joseph's two sons Ephraim and
Manasseh (fruit of the imagination) as his own. The primal
faculties of will (Ephraim) and understanding (Manasseh) or
of affirmation and denial now come under the dominion of
the I AM, symbolized by Jacob. The secondary issues come
under the imagination (Joseph).

//quote

Gen. 48:7. And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel
died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was
still some distance to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her
there in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem).

//text

When an important ego is about to change its plane of
expression, a memory of past experiences, especially of
those which are dear to the heart, flashes into the mind.
Spiritually that which is good in the experiences is
retained and that which is not good is cast aside. In soul
consciousness the soul intuitively rejects the error and
claims the good. It is an occasion where denial and
affirmation play an important part.

Jacob had been on his way from Paddan (a place of substance
in the consciousness and body organism of the individual)
and was yet some distance from Ephrath

//page 361

(realization of abundance); that is, the illumined I AM
(Jacob) had been passing from a lower plane of substance to
a higher plane. During this period of transition the
consciousness of love for material substance (Rachel) died,
or sank back into the subconscious, there to become the
foundation of a more spiritual love. Now through
introspection Jacob was eliminating the error and affirming
the good.

//quote

Gen. 48:8-22. And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said,
Who are these? And Joseph said unto his father, They are my
sons, whom God hath given me here. And he said, Bring them,
I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. Now the eyes
of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And
he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and
embraced them. And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not
thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath let me see thy
seed also. And Joseph brought them out from between his
knees; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. And
Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward
Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward
Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. And
Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon
Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon
Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh
was the first-born. And he blessed Joseph, and said, The
God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the
God who hath fed me all my life long unto this day, the
angel who hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads;
and let my name be named on them, and the name of my
fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a
multitude in the midst of the earth. And when Joseph saw
that his father laid his right hand upon the head of
Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's
hand, to remove it from

//page 362

Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. And Joseph said unto
his father, Not so, my father; for this is the first-born;
put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused,
and said, I know it, my son, I know it; he also shall
become a people, and he also shall be great; howbeit his
younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed
shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them
that day, saying, In thee will Israel bless, saying, God
make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim
before Manasseh. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I
die: but God will be with you, and bring you again unto the
land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to thee one
portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of
the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.

//text

When Joseph came to visit his father in the land of Goshen,
he brought his two sons with him. Hearing that they were
coming, "Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the
bed." Thus understanding (Manasseh) and will (Ephraim)
bring strength when weakness appears. Job says, "When they
cast thee down, thou shalt say, There is lifting up."

Jacob blessed his grandsons, and his blessing is
significant. Manasseh, being the first-born (under divine
law understanding precedes will), would be entitled to the
chief blessing, but Jacob laid his right hand upon the head
of Ephraim and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh
instead of the reverse, which was the customary way of
blessing. Joseph, thinking his aged father's dim eyesight
responsible for this seeming error, called his attention to
it. Jacob replied that he knew what he was doing and that
although the older son was to become great and important,
Ephraim (will) would take precedence under the natural law
to which

//page 363

they were both to be subjected.

That certain laws in race evolution are involved in the
blessing by Jacob of Joseph's two sons, also that a special
spiritual dispensation to the Hebrews, to Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, and Joseph, was instituted must be admitted by those
who believe that this Scripture is inspired. But this
dependence on the Lord for guidance could not go on
forever; the highest test of character is the self-made
man. Man must develop from within, and the time comes to
every soul when it must glow with its own inner light,
regardless of the mistakes it may make.

Jacob saw that the time had come for Ephraim and Manasseh
to act on their own initiative, and he knew what he was
doing when he gave Ephraim (the will) first place. In the
free, full development of man the will and ambition to
achieve leap ahead of the understanding. This has been and
still is the experience of the human race, and it will
continue to be until man in his freedom willingly accepts
divine guidance. Then Manasseh (the understanding) will
come into his own and assume first place in consciousness.
The blunders of man will then be corrected and a mutual
understanding be restored to the whole world.

Up to this time the faculties symbolized by Ephraim and
Manasseh had been under the inspiration of the imagination
(Joseph). Joseph's taking his sons from between his knees
and handing them over to Jacob for the final blessing
symbolizes the restoration of the faculties to their
natural estate. The dying of Jacob represents the
withdrawal of the activity of this special spiritual
inspiration imparted through the I AM.

The final blessing of the I AM on the imagination

//page 364

(Joseph) promised that it would be taken back or
"reincarnated" in the land of the fathers. The one extra
portion that Jacob gave to Joseph, which he "took out of
the hand of the Amorite" (a race inheritance) with his
sword (power of the word) and bow (directive power), is an
amorous force that finds expression on the generative plane
but which eventually must be elevated to spiritual
consciousness. The exercise of any faculty to the best of
one's ability is appreciated by the Lord (law), and we get
an extra portion, a "free gift of God." We receive a
certain return for our mental effort although we may not
always directly recognize God as the source.

//quote

Gen. 49:1, 2. And Jacob called unto his sons, and said:
Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which
shall befall you in the latter days.

Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob;

And hearken unto Israel your father.

//text

A blessing signifies the imparting of spiritual good, which
the recipient may receive or reject according to his mental
attitude. The blessing by Jacob of his twelve sons
symbolizes the sowing of seed in consciousness for a future
harvest. Through the power of his word Jacob was raising
the consciousness of his primal ideas. In effect he was
proclaiming: "You represent the A B C of man's life, and I
am revealing to you in symbols the foundation you have
laid, what you will have to contend with in the future, and
what you can attain. You stand for the foundation faculties
that constitute the coming ideal man. The true seed idea of
this ideal man is implanted within each of you and will
eventually become manifest. This process of manifestation
covers your history up to the time of the appearance of the

//page 365

man that God imaged in the beginning, even Jesus Christ."

//quote

Gen. 49:3, 4.

Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the

beginning of my strength;

The pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence

of power.

Boiling over as water, thou shalt not have the pre-eminence;

Because thou wentest up to thy father's bed;

Then defilest thou it; he went up to my couch.

//text

Reuben, the first-born, symbolizes the faith of man in his
ability as expressed through his animal nature. Here we see
the vigor and vitality of the functioning of man's
elemental life, which boils over "as water," loses command.
Reuben is represented as the natural man giving way to his
passions and appetites before he has developed spiritual
mastery.

//quote

Gen. 49:5, 7.

Simeon and Levi are brethren;

Weapons of violence are their swords.

O my soul, come not thou into their council;

Unto their assembly, my glory, be not thou united;

For in their anger they slew a man,

And in their self-will they hocked an ox.

Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce;

And their wrath, for it was cruel:

I will divide them in Jacob,

And scatter them in Israel.

//text

Simeon represents receptivity (feeling) and Levi love
(sensation). The faculties of feeling and sensation in
human consciousness have been debased on the mortal plane.
Simeon, the obedient one, one who is easily influenced,
falls under the sway of physical sensation.

//page 366

In Simeon and Levi we also have an exhibition of animal
love and of its vengefulness as exemplified in their
treacherous attempt to right the wrong committed against
their sister Dinah.

//quote

Gen. 49:8-12.

Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise:

Thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies;

Thy father's sons shall bow down before thee.

Judah is a lion's whelp;

From the prey, my son, thou art gone up:

He stooped down, he couched as a lion,

And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,

Until Shiloh come;

And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.

Binding his foal unto the vine,

And his ass's colt unto the choice vine;

He hath washed his garments in wine,

And his vesture in the blood of the grapes:

His eyes shall be red with wine,

And his teeth white with milk.

//text

Jacob's blessing on Judah was the most significant. Judah
was to conquer all his enemies:

//quote

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,

Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,

Until Shiloh come;

And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.

//text

Shiloh signifies peace of mind, wholeness, completion or
fullness, and represents the Prince of Peace, the Messiah
or Savior. Jesus was a direct descendant of Judah, as is
shown in the 1st chapter of Matthew. The name Judah applies
to only one of the twelve tribes, but is often used to
designate the Jewish nation as a whole. This would indicate
that praise is

//page 367

such an active principle in spiritual thought that it is
deserving of first place. The power of the word of praise
shall be felt until the coming of the Prince of Peace.

//quote

Gen. 49:13.

Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea;

And he shall be for a haven of ships;

And his border shall be upon Sidon.

//text

Zebulun represents the law that relates man to the
universal cosmos. He dwells under the law of protection and
safety (refuge), yet has a realization of the universal
Mind (sea). Zebulun is that in us which is concerned with
the maintenance of our individual importance regardless of
the immensity of the universal. Those who are in
personality will find refuge in this state of
consciousness. We lose consciousness of our spiritual
importance by looking out into the universe but can retain
our identity as children of God through realizing that
Spirit is individualized in us.

//quote

Gen. 49:14, 15.

Issachar is a strong ass,

Couching down between the sheepfolds:

And he saw a resting-place that it was good,

And the land that it was pleasant;

And he bowed his shoulder to bear,

And became a servant under taskwork.

//text

Issachar symbolizes the inner latent powers in man. He
represents that side of the natural man which accepts
conditions as they appear to be and bears the burdens of
life without question, as exemplified by the patient ass.

//page 368

//quote

Gen. 49:16-18.

Dan shall judge his people,

As one of the tribes of Israel.

Dan shall be a serpent in the way,

An adder in the path,

That biteth the horse's heels,

So that his rider falleth backward.

I have waited for thy salvation, O Jehovah.

//text

Dan represents discrimination or judgment, a choosing
between good and evil. The serpent is used as a symbol of
subtlety. "Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast
of the field." Jesus advised His followers to be "wise as
serpents, and harmless as doves." Sensation rushes through
the organism like a race horse, but judgment "bites at the
heels" to restrain the headlong flight.

//quote

Gen. 49:19.

Gad, a troop shall press upon him;

But he shall press upon their heel.

//text

Gad represents latent spiritual power, which like an army
is always ready to do a mighty work. Science tells of an
omnipresent ether that presses upon us in the invisible
from every direction. One scientist says that the atomic
energy in a pea would propel a large seagoing vessel from
America to England and return. This ether has its analogy
in Spirit, which continually inspires us when we give it
our attention. Our mind is in direct contact with this
spiritual power, and our word puts it into action.

//quote

Gen. 49:20.

Out of Asher his bread shall be fat,

And he shall yield royal dainties.

//page 369

Asher represents the understanding mind and its ability to
manipulate universal substance (bread) and make it manifest
richly. The bread or divine substance is susceptible of
infinite adaptation. Those who think about it as limited in
its expression manifest limited supply, while those who
follow Jesus and realize the richness of this substance
manifest it abundantly, being able even to transform it
into loaves and fishes to feed the multitude.

//quote

Gen. 49:21.

Naphtali is a hind let loose:

He giveth goodly words.

//text

The Hebrew meaning of the name Naphtali is "my wrestling,"
"wrestling of Jehovah." Naphtali represents the activity of
strength in man's consciousness. Jacob's blessing on
Naphtali was that he might have the strength and speed of
the deer and the power of the word to increase strength.

//quote

Gen. 49:22-26.

Joseph is a fruitful bough,

A fruitful bough by a fountain;

His branches run over the wall.

The archers have sorely grieved him,

And shot at him, and persecuted him:

But his bow abode in strength,

And the arms of his hands were made strong,

By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob

(From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),

Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee,

And by the Almighty, who shall bless thee,

With blessings of heaven above,

Blessings of the deep that coucheth beneath,

Blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.

The blessings of thy father

Have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors

//page 370

Unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills:

They shall be on the head of Joseph,

And on the crown of the head of him that was separated from
his brethren.

//text

Joseph, representing the imagination, is at all times very
close to divine inspiration. If man would curb his will and
keep it in abeyance he would not "imagine vain things."
Notwithstanding the destructive power of the personal will
("archers") with which he is associated his directive power
is victorious. Joseph's persecution and sale into Egypt by
his willful brothers and his demonstration of superiority
to his fate illustrate the victory of an inspired
imagination. The whole story of Joseph is an example of the
successful functioning of man's imaging faculty when he
keeps contact with Jehovah.

//quote

Gen. 49:27, 28.

Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth:

In the morning he shall devour the prey,

And at even he shall divide the spoil.

All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it
that their father spake unto them and blessed them; every
one according to his blessing he blessed them.

//text

Benjamin (faith) in his hunger after righteousness is
compared to a famished wolf. In the morning or beginning he
appropriates understanding to the full, which he divides or
imparts freely at the evening or end of the period.

//quote

Gen. 49:29-33. And he charged them, and said unto them, I
am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers
in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in
the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before
Mamre, in the land of

//page 371

Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the
Hittite for a possession of a burying-place. There they
buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac
and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah--the field
and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the
children of Heth. And when Jacob made an end of charging
his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded
up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

//text

In the Scripture allegories the various individuals
represent the different phases of character through which
one man passes in his spiritual unfoldment. As these follow
in a series, gradually reaching greater heights, the old
phases of character are left behind to be replaced by new
ones. Thus the Biblical characters are said to "die" and to
be "gathered unto their fathers." Tennyson was inspired to
express a great truth, as poets often are, when he wrote,

//quote

"Men may rise on steppingstones

Of their dead selves to higher things."

//text

So each of the great Bible personalities is gradually
replaced in the mind of him who is in the narrow way. When
a great change takes place, some old phase of consciousness
has lost its hold, and we read that Jacob or Joseph or
another character "dies." This does not mean that there has
been any loss or that anything has "gone away" but that
certain states of mind have fulfilled their regenerative
work and have been succeeded by others.

(For Ephron, Machpelah, and Mamre see interpretation of
Gen. 23:3-20.)

//quote

Gen. 50:1-13. And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and
wept upon him, and kissed him. And

//page 372

Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his
father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. And forty days
were fulfilled for him, for so are fulfilled the days of
embalming: and the Egyptians wept for him threescore and
ten days.

And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph
spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have
found favor in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of
Pharaoh, saying, My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I
die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of
Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go
up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.
And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as
he made thee swear. And Joseph went up to bury his father;
and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the
elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of
Egypt, and all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and
his father's house: only their little ones, and their
flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.
And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and
it was a very great company. And they came to the
threshing-floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and
there they lamented with a very great and sore lamentation:
and he made a mourning for his father seven days. And when
the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the
mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a
grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of
it was called Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan. And
his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: for
his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried
him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham
bought with the field, for a possession of a burying place,
of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.

//text

Whenever the I AM withdraws, no matter in what state of
consciousness it has been functioning, there is a

//page 373

great shock to the soul, and all the forces of the natural
man are filled with grief and consternation. "And he made a
mourning for his father seven days." The imagination
(Joseph), favorite faculty (son) of the illumined intellect
(Jacob), mourned greatly, not fully understanding that the
withdrawal of the I AM eventually would culminate in good.

The name Atad means "bramble," "thornbush," "a thorn." It
was on the threshing floor of Atad that Joseph and his
brethren mourned seven days for their father Jacob. A
threshing floor may be thought of as a place of judgment or
separation, of letting go of that which is no longer
needful to be expressed in consciousness. Atad represents
the belief that vexations, trials, and sorrows are real. It
is this unredeemed thought or belief in man that causes him
to experience deep grief and tribulation at giving up his
personal hold on old ideas and objects which are due to be
released from his mind and affairs. This unredeemed belief
is concerned with and dwells on the trial side of the
process rather than on the blessing side of it.

The Canaanites symbolize the semispiritual in man. They
changed the name (or character) of Atad. "And when the
inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning
on the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous
mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was
called Abel-mizraim." The Egyptians symbolize materiality.

Abel-mizraim ("mourning of Egypt or Egyptians," "mourning
or meadow of distress") represents the feeling of sorrow
and loss in the sense man that often accompanies the
letting go of some good idea in consciousness after it has
finished its work. Man's tendency

//page 374

is to cling to the old ideas that have been helpful to him.
But when their work is done in the individual for the time
being, these old ideas, no matter how well they have
served, must be released from consciousness so that other
and higher ideas may take their place. This is a process of
judgment, a sifting of ideas and thoughts, a letting go of
the chaff and a laying hold of the wheat (on the threshing
floor).

The Jordan represents a stream of thought, good, bad, and
indifferent, flowing through the subconscious.

Machpelah refers to the subconscious body substance.

Ephron the Hittite symbolizes a phase of thought that is
quick to change its thinking base. The word Hittite denotes
thoughts belonging to the carnal consciousness of man.

Mamre suggests strength, vigor; it also represents the seat
of the conscious mind.

(For further discussion of these names see interpretation
of Gen. 23:3-20.)

This closing chapter of Genesis is an allegorical account
of the end of the work of Jacob and his family in Egypt.
The descent of Joseph (the illumined imagination) into
Egypt paved the way for Jacob (the spiritually illumined
ego) and his kin to make contact with subconscious
substance. These pioneers of Jehovah accomplished their
work, and their leader Jacob "died" or withdrew from
consciousness. That the whole man, including the physical,
was helped by Jacob is evidenced by the interest the
Egyptians took in the funeral of Jacob and the great
company that went up to Canaan with the Children of Israel.

//quote

Gen. 50:14-21. And Joseph returned into Egypt,

//page 375

he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury
his father, after he had buried his father.

And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead,
they said, It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will
fully requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And
they sent a message unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did
command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto
Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the transgression of thy
brethren, and their sin, for that they did unto thee evil.
And now, we pray thee, forgive the transgression of the
servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when
they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell
down before his face; and they said, Behold, we are thy
servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in
the place of God? And as for you, ye meant evil against me;
but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this
day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not:
I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted
them, and spake kindly unto them.

//text

The imagination returning to the body consciousness (Egypt)
again takes up the work of redeeming it.

The confession of the brothers of Joseph to their crime
against him and his loving forgiveness both point to the
spiritual uplift that has taken place in soul evolution.

"Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your
little ones" signifies that the imagination in its divine
purity and holiness is one of the sources of good to the
whole man. What you mold in your mind under the spiritual
law is formed in your affairs and thus is the source of
prosperity.

//quote

Gen. 50:22-26. And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his
father's house: and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.
And Joseph saw Ephraim's children

//page 376

of the third generation: the children also of Machir the
son of Manasseh were born upon Joseph's knees. And Joseph
said unto his brethren, I die; but God will surely visit
you, and bring you up out of this land unto the land which
he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph
took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will
surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from
hence. And Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old:
and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

//text

Joseph also died in Egypt but not until he had lived among
the children of Ephraim unto "the third generation." This
means that the Joseph qualities of mind are developing a
deeper understanding of spiritual things. Machir, the name
of a son of Manasseh (understanding), means "acquired,"
"purchased." The children of Machir that were "born upon
Joseph's knees" represent the balance and poise that must
actively exist in us if we are abidingly to possess true
understanding. The Joseph characteristics gradually become
a part of the whole body consciousness.

The insistence by all these patriarchs that their bones be
taken to Canaan for burial is emblematic of the truth that
the substance of them and what they represent is to be
restored to its source, Spirit. Although Joseph died and
was embalmed and put in a coffin in Egypt, his bones were
finally brought to Canaan, as stated in the last chapter of
the Book of Joshua.

//page 377

//section Question Helps

For Students of Mysteries of Genesis

//page 379

Chapter I

Spiritual Man

//text

1. Give the metaphysical interpretation of the name Genesis.

2. What is the one and only logical key to the beginning of
man and the universe?

3. Why has the Bible been preserved and prized beyond all
other books?

4. Explain the threefold character and purpose of the Bible.

5. With what three phases of man's development do the Bible
allegories deal?

6. What is the key to an interpretation of these allegories?

7. Explain the real purpose of these allegories.

8. What is a "day," as the term is used in Genesis 1?

9. How are numbers or figures used in allegories?

10. What is the "heaven" mentioned in the first creation?
The "earth"?

11. Describe the nature and character of the first man God
created.

12. Explain God as Divine Mind.

13. How does Divine Mind create?

14. What is the first step in the awakening of man to
spiritual consciousness?

15. Did God create man and the earth as they appear today?

16. What is meant by "The Spirit of God moved upon the face
of the waters"?

17. What, in terms of mind, is "darkness"? "Light"?

18. What is the central idea in the second day's creation?

19. Why is the word heaven capitalized in Genesis 1:8?

20. What is the third step in the creative process?

21. Does Divine Mind deal directly with things or ideas?
Explain.

22. How does man form his world?

//page 380

23. Explain the symbology of the development of the "two
great lights."

24. What qualities were developed on the fifth day?

25. What kind of ideas are "creatures" and "sea-monsters"?
Compare them with fishes and fowls.

26. What is the sixth step in the creative process of which
man is the grand culmination?

27. Explain the cause of which sensation is the result.

28. In what sense is man the "image" of God?

29. When is man the master of ideas and their expression?

30. In what attitude of mind can man truly call his
creation "very good?"

Chapter II

Manifest Man

1. What is your conception of Elohim God?

2. Explain the relationship between Jehovah God and Elohim
God.

3. What is meant by "I in them, and thou in me, that they
may be perfected into one"?

4. What is the true body of Christ?

5. How is the temple or body of Spirit formed?

6. How do we "keep" the Sabbath?

7. Explain something of the Jesus Christ man.

8. Is there a difference between "creating" and "forming"?
If so, what is it?

9. How was the breath of life "breathed into" man's
nostrils?

10. Was the giving of life a single, complete act, or is it
a continuous process?

11. Metaphysically what does the Garden of Eden represent?

12. Symbolically what does "eastward" mean?

13. What is the "tree of life . . . in the midst of the
garden"?

//page 381

14. What is the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil"?

15. Give the metaphysical interpretation of "river."

16. Give the source and course of the river Pishon.

17. The river Pishon is described as encompassing "the

whole land of Havilah." Explain.

18. What is the office of the river Gihon?

19. The river Gihon "compasseth the whole land of Cush."

Explain.

20. What is the function of the river Hiddekel in man's

being?

21. The river Hiddekel "goeth in front of Assyria." Explain.

22. Explain how the Euphrates keeps the garden fruitful.

23. Explain the relationship between the Garden of Eden

and the human body.

24. How may one "dress" and "keep" the Garden of Eden?

25. In what way does man "eat" of the substance of ideas?

26. How was materiality as the obverse of spirituality set
up?

27. How are soul and body the "help meet" of man?

28. How does man "name" "every living creature"?

29. How does man attain consciousness in mind and body?

Chapter III

The Fall of Man

1. From what estate and into what condition did man fall?

2. Does time or states of mind bring about events?

3. Give the symbology of the man and woman and the

serpent in the Garden of Eden.

4. What three fundamental factors are the basis of all

manifestation?

5. What does the serpent represent?

6. What is the result if man fails to exercise mastery and
dominion over the forces of his being?

//page 382

7. What is the remedy for this condition?

8. Is it necessary for man to experience "evil" in order to
understand life and appreciate the good?

9. Metaphysically what does woman symbolize?

10. What is represented by the "nakedness" of Adam?

11. Jehovah spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden "in the
cool of the day." What does this mean?

12. How is the "holy marriage" consummated, and what are
its fruits?

13. When and how may sensation be pronounced "good"?

14. Explain the meaning of Jehovah God's curse on the
serpent.

15. What do the "seed" of the woman and the "seed" of the
serpent represent?

16. What is the "promise" of redemption? How is it
fulfilled?

17. In what sense is Eve the "mother of all living"?

18. What is the "coat of skins," and by what is it
supplanted?

19. Explain "good and evil" as opposite poles of being.

20. How does man unite with the inner word or sacred life?

21. What in consciousness is represented by Abel? By Cain?

22. How do we offer up sacrifices?

23. What action is indicated by Cain's slaying of Abel?

24. How may every man be said to be his brother's keeper?

25. What action is represented by Cain's going out from the
presence of Jehovah and dwelling in the land of Nod?

26. What does the birth of Seth denote?

27. What state of consciousness is represented by Enosh?

28. When does man begin to "call upon Jehovah?"

29. What was the original state of Adam? How did he "fall"
from this estate?

30. How does man form an Adamic consciousness?

31. Give the method used to lift up the Adam man.

//page 383

Chapter IV

The Reaction to Sense Living

1. Explain the reaction called "chemicalization."

2. In what mental attitude should one receive the new ideas
of Spirit?

3. What is the real cause of trials and reverses in the
life of the individual?

4. Is there any good to be found in such conditions? If so,
what is it?

5. How do the "sons of God" wed the "daughters of men," and
what is the fruit of such a union?

6. What is the reaction to living in sense consciousness?

7. What is represented by Lamech and by Noah, and what is
their metaphysical relationship?

8. What are the causes and results of crosscurrents in the
body consciousness?

9. How is a balance maintained between the positive and
negative conditions in the body?

10. Discuss experimentation versus spiritual revelation.

11. What and where in consciousness is the "ark" of Jehovah?

12. What is the significance of the dimensions of the ark?

13. What are the animals, why "two of every sort," and how
are they fed?

14. Discuss the symbolism of Noah and the Flood in relation
to the unfoldment of a certain faculty of being.

15. What do "day" and "night" and the number 40 in the 7th
chapter represent?

16. What is the general theme of Genesis 8:1-3?

17. What does Mount Ararat symbolize?

18. Noah first sent out the raven, then the dove, in search
of dry land. Explain.

19. What is the metaphysical significance of the altar as
used by Noah in Genesis 8:20? What and how do we sacrifice?

//page 384

20. Of what does "the flood" cleanse man?

21. Explain the statement "Flesh with the life thereof,
which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat."

22. Once the consciousness has been cleansed and man has
awakened to his spiritual nature how is he saved?

23. Of what is the rainbow a symbol?

24. What do the three sons of Noah represent?

25. What does the drunkenness of Noah symbolize?

26. What state is denoted by the nakedness of Noah?

27. What is meant by the "curse of Canaan"?

28. How do we get the most from physical man?

29. To what is the 10th chapter of Genesis devoted?

30. What does the building of the tower of Babel and the
scattering of its people symbolize?

Chapter V

The Initial Step toward Redemption

1. What do we mean by going into a new "country"? What

is the first step in this process?

2. Why is the call of Abraham significant for us today?

3. Why is Abraham taken as a symbol of faith?

4. What is meant by a plane of consciousness?

5. Describe three planes of consciousness.

6. By what was Abraham characterized before he was
"called," and how did he resemble the individual today?

7. What place does the state of consciousness represented
by Terah occupy in man's unfoldment?

8. How does the Lord "call" the various faculties into
activity?

9. What is the result of this "call"?

10. What quality does Lot represent?

11. What does Canaan symbolize?

12. What is the inner meaning of Abraham's journey down
into Egypt?

13. What causes the plagues of bodily disorder and death?

//page 385

14. Explain the relationship of Abraham and Lot
metaphysically.

15. Symbolically what relationship does Beth-el bear to Ai?

16. Of what is the return from Egypt representative?

17. Why must we separate Lot from Abraham in our
consciousness?

18. In what way does the inner meaning of the name Canaan
suggest the immortality of the body?

19. Explain the statement "Lot chose him all the Plain of
the Jordan"?

20. Is it necessary to change one's residence in order to
enter a new country? To what does the "land which thou
seest" refer?

21. What is signified by Lot's captivity?

22. When may Lot and his possessions be said to be carried
away by Chedorlaomer and the other kings?

23. Abraham and his confederates rescued Lot. Explain.

24. What is the error belief that man must put aside before
he can overcome sensuality?

25. How do we sow "according to belief in the flesh" or
"according to Spirit?" What is the harvest in each case?

26. What is the result when the Christ consciousness rules
in both mind and body?

27. What is the lesson taught by Abraham's refusal to
accept the gifts of the king of Sodom?

28. How may we fully realize our sonship?

29. Does God ever grant man a degree of immunity from the
effects of his transgression of the divine law?

Chapter VI

The Promise of Salvation

1. For whom is the promise of salvation?

2. What avenues does Spirit use in imparting real
understanding?

3. When and how do we attain the kingdom of the heavens?

//page 386

4. Why is the history' of Abraham and his experiences
significant for us?

5. What is symbolized by the nomadic life of Abraham's time?

6. What is the deeper import of God's promise of a son to
Abraham?

7. How is Christ, the Son, formed in the individual?

8. How is the seemingly barren soul (Sarah) made to bring
forth fruit?

9. What is the one sure method of protection?

10. What causes delay in the manifestation of desire?

11. How may one bring about fulfillment of one's faith?

12. What is man's greatest desire?

13. Why do God's promises sometimes seem vague to us?

14. In what way can we co-operate with God in bringing
about their fulfillment?

15. Why is the power of the will important in the
management of one's body?

16. Give a brief interpretation of Abraham's vision when he
fell into "a deep sleep."

17. What does Hagar represent in man?

18. What is the significance of the contention between
Sarah and Hagar?

19. Why was Ishmael not recognized by Jehovah as an heir of
the promise?

20. What does Beer-lahai-roi represent?

21. Explain God as El Shaddai.

22. What new name is given to one who overcomes sense
consciousness; that is, what name is on your "white stone"?

23.Does the second appearance of Jehovah to Abraham have
any spiritual import for us? The third appearance?

24. What does the Promised Land symbolize?

25. Metaphysically explain circumcision. Toward what is it
the first step?

//page 387

26. What does Sarah represent?

27. Does God hear the outer man of flesh as well as the
inner man of Spirit? Explain.

28. In what way is our religion based on practical
principles?

29. When did God's triune nature become known to Abraham?

30. How is a new state of consciousness produced?

31. Why does the Abraham of our consciousness plead for
Sodom and Gomorrah?

32. What do the incidents, men, and places in Abraham's
life represent?

Chapter VII

The Fruits of Faith

1. Why did Jehovah appear to Lot as two angels instead of
three, as He had appeared to Abraham?

2. Lot escaped to the little city of Zoar. What does this
mean?

3. Metaphysically how do you account for the destruction of
Sodom and Gomorrah?

4. Is anything ever really destroyed? What is the change
that takes place in it?

5. What states of consciousness are represented by Moab and
Ben-ammi?

6. How is faith developed in the spiritually awakening
individual?

7. When faith makes union with the unregenerate will what
is the result?

8. How is one to avoid plagues during the process of
transmutation?

9. Why was the birth of Isaac delayed so long?

10. How is Christ "formed" in the individual?

11. In what way are joy and laughter helpful in soul
unfoldment?

//page 388

12.How is the conviction established of the presence of
divine substance within?

13. In what way are Ishmael and Isaac opposed to each other?

14. How are these two phases of mind harmonized?

15. What is the result of disregard of divine law?

16. What is denoted by the banishment of Hagar and her son?

17. Explain the relationship between faith and will as
illustrated by Abraham and Abimelech.

18. Abimelech's servants had taken Abraham's well by force.
How does this apply metaphysically to soul unfoldment?

19. Must there eventually be agreement in consciousness
between the spiritual and the so-called material?

20. What do we really lose and what do we gain when we give
up sense pleasures?

21. What in consciousness is represented by the "land of
Moriah," and how may it be productive of good?

22. What is the fruit of faith and obedience to divine law?

23. What or who is the real source of prosperity?

24. What state of mind results in a demonstration of
prosperity?

25. What characterizes the soul of man on its feminine side?

26. What attitude of mind is productive of a new line of
thought?

Chapter VIII

The Mental Supplants the Physical

1. Do the higher activities of the soul ever die?

2. What is denoted by Sarah's death at Kiriath-arba?

3. What do we mean by saying that our spiritual ideals are
"buried" in the cave of Macpelah?

//page 389

4. What is the reaction of the human mind to the letting go
of states of consciousness that have fulfilled their
usefulness?

5. What attitude of mind is helpful in overcoming this
tendency?

6. Is is wise to insist on giving value received for
everything?

7. Explain the symbology of putting the hand "under my
thigh" and swearing.

8. Spiritually interpreted, why did Abraham want Isaac to
marry a daughter of his own people?

9. Is a declaration of Truth always demonstrated? What
quality of mind serves as a complement to this
demonstration?

10. Is there any inner significance in the state of
consciousness represented by Mesopotamia?

11. What soul phase does Rebekah symbolize?

12. What is represented by Rebekah's journey to the house

of Abraham and her union with Isaac?

13. "Let thy seed possess the gate of those that hate
them." Explain.

14. Explain the Scripture "And Isaac went out to meditate .
. . and he lifted up his eyes, and saw . . . And Rebekah
lifted up her eyes . . . and he loved her."

15. Why did Isaac take precedence over the sons of
Abraham's concubines?

16. How does the individual lay the foundation for the
manifestation of life throughout mind, soul, and body?

17. What phases of life are symbolized by Jacob and Esau?

18. Was the union of mind and body perfectly expressed in
Jacob and Esau?

19. Is age a just claim to superiority?

20. Why did Isaac love Esau more than he loved Jacob?

21. Why did Rebekah love Jacob more than she loved Esau?

22. What is the order of development in the natural world?

//page 390

23. How does the intellect gain precedence over the body?

24. What is represented by the mess of "pottage"?

25. What is meant by the birthright that Esau bartered away?

26. Why did Jacob take advantage of Esau?

27. How does man become a citizen of the inner kingdom?

28. What is the result when personal will rules? How is
such a condition corrected?

29. In what way do the "Philistines" of one's consciousness
strive for Abraham's "wells"?

30. Must one be willing to give up the lower for the
higher? Explain.

31. What is the predominant impulse of the will as
represented by Abimelech?

32. What does the opening up of the seven wells symbolize?

33. Why is it necessary to regard Scripture as the history
of soul unfoldment?

34. Why must spiritual understanding determine whether we
should follow our dreams and visions or not?

35. Does the physical body have equal rights with the
intellect to the benefits of Spirit?

36. Against whom or what were the denunciations of the
prophets directed?

37. Can Jacob be said to represent the spiritual man?
Explain.

38. What is signified, in the realm of individual
unfoldment, by Isaac's blessing upon Jacob?

39. Explain metaphysically the meaning of Esau's threat
against the life of Jacob.

40. Compare the results of Jacob's marriage to Rebekah and
of Esau's union with the daughter of Ishmael.

41. What does Jacob's experience at Beth-el denote?

42. Explain God as omnipresence.

43. How can common things and the hardness of one's
experience be made to bless?

44. Explain God as the all-providing One.

45. How does one begin the ascent from self to selflessness?

//page 391

Chapter IX

Man Develops Spiritual Faculties

1. Metaphysically what does Jacob's journeying toward the

east represent? How do we "put the stone again upon

the well's mouth"?

2. What effect does unselfish love have on soul unfoldment?

3. What relationship among certain phases of the soul is
symbolized by Jacob's love for Rachel and Leah?

4. What is the first faculty brought forth in man's
spiritual development?

5. What must be our attitude of mind before our good can
come to us?

6. What office does the love faculty perform?

7. Why do we regard praise as an "increasing" faculty?

8. Explain the relationship between Rachel and Bilhah. What
is the fruit of receptivity?

9. What plane of mental evolution is especially portrayed
by Jacob's sons?

10. On what planes do the faculties of man evolve? How is
the divine man developed?

11. How does man attain power over his thoughts and ideas?

12. Explain the difference between knowledge and wisdom.

13. To what faculty is zeal most closely related?

14. What phases of soul do Leah and Rachel represent?

15. Why is it profitable to cultivate the faculty of order?

16. Is the state of consciousness represented by Haran one
to be desired? If so, why?

17. To what quality do we attribute Jacob's rapid increase
in possessions? How can we use this quality in our own
unfoldment?

18. Under what circumstances does the law of equilibrium
adjust all conditions?

//page 392

19.In what way was Jacob superior to others of the same
stock, and what effect did this superiority have on his
associates?

20. Jehovah appeared to Jacob in a dream and told him to
leave Haran. What does this reveal when considered in
relation to spiritual growth?

21. Explain the statement "I am the God of Beth-el, where
thou anointedst a pillar, where thou vowedst a vow unto me."

22. When permitted, what effect does Spirit have on one's
power of judgment?

23. Is there a higher source of supply than that symbolized
by the teraphim? Explain.

24. What is the true bread of life?

25. Give the meaning of the name Mizpah and its
metaphysical interpretation.

26. What does the name Galeed mean, and what does it
signify?

Chapter X

The Spiritual Gains Precedence of the Mental

1. What was the "host" after which Jacob named the place
called Mahanaim?

2. Does the river Jordan perform an important work in
consciousness?

3. Explain something of the equalizing process that takes
place between soul and body. Why is such a process
necessary?

4. What is symbolized by Jacob's fear of meeting Esau?

5. What is the "strong man" with which the intellect must
struggle for control of the body?

6. Through what physical avenue does the mind control the
body?

7. Explain the reaction that is indicated by Jacob's thigh
being out of joint.

//page 393

8. Why was Jacob's name changed to Israel?

9. Under what circumstances is the intellect willing to
make amends to the body?

10. How can one change the body? Explain.

11. Explain the statement "I have seen God face to face."

12. In what order does the mind project its thoughts toward
the body?

13. Why must man give his body place as a divine creation?

14. What benefit does man derive when mind and body work in
unison? What are the children of the mind?

15. Why must the mind penetrate into body consciousness?

16. What do booths or tents represent as compared with
permanent houses? When will the abiding spiritual body come
into manifestation?

17. Explain the effect of the power of love on the
overcoming of self.

18. Is the "battle" of Jehovah a war? Does the Lord fight
ignorance or evil?

19. When the "mind of the flesh" is given up what replaces
it?

20. Is the intuition of the natural man a true guide to
spirituality? Why?

21. What is the purpose of the illumined intellect's
penetrating into materiality?

22. What is the result when intuitional natural judgment is
united with sense?

23. How can the individual erase thoughts of revenge from
his consciousness? What state of mind supersedes it?

24. God commanded Jacob to arise and go unto Beth-el. What
does this mean?

25. Why did Jacob change the name of Beth-el to El-beth-el?

26. What does the death of Deborah represent?

27. What state of consciousness does Ephrath symbolize?

28. Explain metaphysically the death of Rachel and the
birth of Benjamin.

29. What soul activity is indicated by Jacob's spreading
his tent "beyond . . . Eder"?

30. What does Reuben's union with Bilhah denote?

//page 394

Chapter XI

Joseph a Type of the Christ

1. Explain the part imagination plays in manifestation.

2. Compare Joseph's coat with the seamless garment of Jesus.

3. Where is the home of the imagination?

4. Should one take one's dreams literally? Explain.

5. What may result from uncontrolled activity of the
imagination? How is control obtained?

6. Why did Jacob send Joseph down into Shechem?

7. What is represented by Gilead? By the Ishmaelites? By
the Midianites?

8. What is symbolized by Joseph's being sold as a slave
down in Egypt by his brothers?

9. How can such a situation be made to bless one?

10. What is the secret of Joseph's success even in slavery?

11. Can the imagination ever be wholly overcome by error if
one is faithful to high ideals?

12. What is the status of the imagination on the
intellectual plane?

13. Has modern civilization profited by the imagination?

14. What is the significance of the dipping of Joseph's
coat in blood?

15. Why is an attitude of praise helpful?

16. Through what part of the physical organism is praise
expressed?

17. Explain some of the phases through which man passes on
his journey from sense to Spirit.

18. How does one come into the estate of the Jesus Christ
man?

19. What pattern does the imagination follow in forming
substance?

20. What is the first duty of the imagination?

21. Why is it so important to realize and be always
conscious of the unity of spirit, soul, and body?

//page 395

22. What is the true nature and function of the solar
plexus?

23. How does Joseph's experience and conduct reveal a sure
way to success?

24. Explain the statement "Joseph was comely, and well
favored."

25. What is the symbology of Joseph's imprisonment?

26. What is the fruit of faithfulness?

27. What subconscious activities are represented by the
chief baker and chief butler?

28. Explain the influence imagination has upon life and
substance.

29. Why is Truth revealed in dreams and visions?

30. How does one "unclothe" dreams of their forms?

31. What lies back of the forms in visions and dreams?

32. What is one sure proof that one is receptive to Spirit?

33. Explain what "things" are.

34. Why must will and understanding be dominant factors in
soul development?

35. In what way was Asenath a complement to Joseph?

36. Why is Manasseh said to represent the faculty of
understanding?

37. Why is Ephraim said to represent the will?

38. Describe the benefits derived from the use of denial
and affirmation.

39. When does the spiritually awakening man experience an
increase of physical vitality?

40. Explain the seven fat and seven lean years in terms of
the increase and decrease in physical vitality.

41. How can the life energy be conserved?

Chapter XII

The I AM and Its Faculties in the Body

1. How does one effect a reunion of mind and body with the
faculties?

2. Where does one find the substance required to sustain
the whole man?

//page 396

3. Explain substance as symbolized by Canaan and Egypt.

4. How does the mind form soul and body?

5. What causes "famine" in the body consciousness?

6. Why is the way of the transgressor hard?

7. What is meant by the Israelites being the chosen of God?

8. Why did the Israelites prosper in Egyptian slavery?

9. What is symbolized by Joseph's concern as to whether his
father still lived?

10. Joseph could not save his people unless Benjamin was
brought down into Egypt. Explain.

11. What other faculty is a necessary adjunct to the
imagination?

12. Explain the command "Give, and it shall be given unto
you.

13. Why are the other faculties treated as "spies"?

14. What does Jacob's grieving at the loss of his sons
represent?

15. Explain the statement "If harm befall him . . . then
will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol."

16. What is the key that opens the door to the storehouse
of substance?

17. What is meant by "The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh
rich"?

18. Should Joseph's reunion with Benjamin be regarded as
purely historical? Explain.

19. What significance do we attribute to the movements of
mind described in Genesis 43:16-34?

20. What is the significance of Joseph's having his cup put
into Benjamin's sack?

21. What is true repentance, and what follows it?

22. Do all things work together for good to them that love
God? Explain.

23. Joseph's people dwelt in the land of Goshen. What does
this mean?

24. What change must take place before we can truly unify
ourselves with Truth?

//page 397

25. Pharaoh joyfully welcomed Joseph's kindred. Interpret.

26. What activity is represented by Jacob's journey to
Beersheba?

27. What is symbolized by the wives, children, goods, and
flocks of the Israelites, and by their descending in a body
into Egypt?

Chapter XIII

The Blessing of the Faculties

1. Explain some of the duties of our mind faculties toward
our vital forces.

2. How are these duties fulfilled?

3. Why is Jacob's blessing on Pharoah significant?

4. How does the Joseph of our consciousness nourish the
other faculties?

5. What is the next step after the developing soul has
exhausted its resources?

6. What is the routine followed when man taps the inner
reservoir of stored-up substance?

7. What is the central thought in Genesis 47:27-31?

8. Metaphysically interpreted, what does Jacob's desire at
this time represent?

9. Explain the statement "And Israel bowed himself upon the
bed's head."

l0. Describe the yes and no powers of the mind.

11. What is implied by Jacob's action in claiming Joseph's
two sons as his own?

12. Why are denial and affirmation so important in our
choice of thoughts to entertain?

13. Explain the transition of love from a lower to a higher
plane.

14. In what way are understanding and will useful when
weakness appears?

//page 398

15.Under divine law what is the order of development of
understanding and will?

16. What is the order of development under natural law?
Explain.

17. Unless man accepts divine guidance in unfolding his
faculties what is the result?

18. How does understanding as represented by Manasseh come
into its rightful heritage?

19. What is the final blessing of the I AM upon the
imagination?

20. In what way does the Lord reward a person for
exercising his faculties to the best of his ability?

2l. What does a blessing signify?

22. Does the blessing by Jacob of his twelve sons have any
significance for our own unfoldment?

23. Why did Jacob give his highest blessing to Judah?

24. How can we retain our identity as children of God?

25. Through what means does one put one's latent spiritual
powers into action?

26. Does loss occur to the individual when his thought
forces are said to "die"?

27. What causes man to grieve at giving up his personal
hold on old ideas and objects?

28. Explain how one sifts ideas and thoughts.

29. In what way is the descent of imagination into the
subconscious helpful to the illumined ego? Is the physical
man also blessed?

30. Explain the promise "Fear ye not: I will nourish you,
and your little ones."

31. What is meant by Joseph's seeing Ephraim's children of
the third generation?

32. What does the removal of the patriarch's bones from
Egypt to Canaan represent?

//page 399

//section Index

//page I

//section Index

//text

Abel (mind), 60-62, 65, 70

Abel-mizraim (meadow), 273, 374

Abida, 203

Abimael, 107

Abimelech (will), 172-174, 180, 181, 213, 216

Abraham, 11, 113, 120, 122, 128, 130, 136, 138, 143, 144,
155, 156, 160, 164, 167, 189, 191, 200, 211; as
demonstrator of Christ in man, 116; call of, first step in
redemption of Adam race, 115, 116; (faith), 116-119, 123,
124, 127, 134, 135, 140-144, 148, 151-152, 157-159, 161,
162, 165, 168, 169, 171-187, 192-195, 199, 201, 202, 204,
214, 216; (spiritual ego), 137

Abram ("exalted father"), 118, 122 (see Abraham)

Accad (city), 98

acquisitiveness, represented by Judas, 237

Adah (daughter of Elon), 277

Adah (wife of Lamech), 63, 64

Adam, 28, 33, 34, 41, 70; and Eve, 42, 55, 56, 65; as
co-creator with Jehovah God, 30; as generic man, 67, 68; as
personal man, 3, 4, 12, 78; (life), 52

Adam man, awakening of, 41

Adbeel, 206

Admah (city of the Plain), 102, 130

Adullam (city), 302, 303

adultery, spiritual, 220

Adversary (personal ego), 109

affirmation, 158, 360; for body regeneration, 122; value
of, 77, 78, 320

Aharah (or Ehi), 350

Ahuzzath, 216

Ai (place), 120, 123

Aiah, 286

Akan, 287

allegory, definition of, 231

Allon-bacuth (burial place), 271, 272

Almodad, 105

Alvah, 291

//page II

Alvan, 285

Amalek, 280

ambition, 98

Ammonites, 170

Amorites, 101, 135, 364

Anah, 284, 286

Anamim, 99, 100

Andrew (strength), 238

Aner, 135

angels (spiritual thoughts), 165-167, 228, 255

Aram, 103, 104

Aran, 288

Ararat (mountain), 81, 82

Ard, 350

Areli, 347

Arioch, King of Ellasar, 129

ark, as saving state of consciousness, 77, 78

Arkite, 101

Arodi, 347

Arpachshad, 103

Arvadite, 101, 102

ascension, 71

Asenath, 319, 348

Ashbel, 349

Asher (understanding), 239, 240, 276, 347, 369

Ashkenaz, 94

Ashteroth-karnaim (city), 131, 132

Asshur, 103

Asshurim, 202, 203

Assyria, 37, 38, 98

astrology, 103

Atad (threshing floor), 373

attention, 116, 117 (see "I")

awakening, spiritual, 41

Baal, 349

Baalhanan, 290

Babel (city and tower), 98; exemplifies ephemeral character
of man's work, 108-111

//page III

Basemath, 217, 218, 277

beauty, soul's delight in, 200, 208, 271

Becher, 349

Beeri, 217, 218

Beer-lahai-roi, 149, 200, 205

Beer-sheba (place), 179-181, 185, 217, 341

Being, spiritual man and law of, 117; wisdom and love as
expressive and receptive side of, 27

Bela (King of Edom), 289

Bela (son of Benjamin), 349

Bela (or Zoar) (city of the Plain), 126, 131

Ben-ammi, 170

Benjamin, 335-337, 340; (faith), 236, 273, 275, 327, 328,
331-334, 349, 350, 370

Bera, King of Sodom (sense man, physical ego), 130, 136, 137

Bered (place), 149

Beriah, 347

Beth-el (house of God), city, 120, 123, 229, 248, 270, 271,
359, 360

Bethlehem (or Ephrath), 273

Bethuel, 186, 199, 208, 226

Bible, an allegory, 231; as guide to spiritual unfoldment,
10, 11; as history of man, 4, 5, 10, 159

Bilhah, 235, 237, 238, 240, 274, 275, 294

Bilhan, 287

Birsha, King of Gomorrah, 130

birth, new, 174, 175, 177

blessing, significance of Jacob's, 362-365; value of, 223,
229, 258, 259

blood, importance of living element in, 85; stream, 37, 38

body, and soul, 60, 61, 257, 258; bringing forth ideal, 33,
34; co-operation between mind and, 263; danger from
intellect's neglect of, 259; elemental life forces of, 47,
48; importance of attitude toward, 260; innately spiritual,
292; obedience of, to conscious or subconscious mind, 262;
psychical and spiritual attributes of human, 38; saving,
179; treasures of Spirit locked up in man's, 36, 37; vs.
mind, 224, 225 (see Spirit)

//page IV

breath, 34, 37

Buz, 185

Byron, Lord George Gordon (quoted), 85

Cain (body), 60-65, 70

Calah (city), 99

Calneh (city), 98

Canaan (son of Ham), 84, 85, 89, 90, 96, 266, 284

Canaan, land of, 103, 144, 146, 152, 153, 248, 264, 265,
269, 273, 276, 277, 324, 325, 339, 341, 342, 353, 354, 374,
376

Canaanites, 269, 306, 373

Caphtorim, 100

Carmi, 344

Casluhim, 100

cause and effect, 351

Chaldea, and history of creation, 3

character, instability vs. stability of, 306

chastity, 269

Chedorlaomer, King of Elam, 129, 133, 134

chemicalization, 71

Cheran, 286, 287

Chesed, 186

Chezib (town), 303, 304

Children of Israel, 145, 178, 374

"chosen people," 151

Christ, 12, 26, 33; as subconscious inspiration, 77;
indwelling (Saviour), 82; Jesus' demonstration of, 140; joy
and freedom of, 325, 326; man's desire to bring forth, 116,
141, 144; man's true inner self, 207, 208; state of
consciousness in man as true body of, 30

Christ man, 25, 26; and seven creative centers in man, 217;
Jehovah God co-operating with Elohim God to develop, 34

Christ Mind, 57, 58, 123, 127, 308 (see Jehovah God)

Christlikeness, man's growth in, 65

circumcision, 153, 154, 156

civilization, breakdown of man-made, 109, 110

coat of many colors, 293-295

//page V

communion, 253

conscious mind, 40, 51, 52, 121, 122; and fear, 259; and
subconscious mind, 189-192, 204, 308; faith in relation to,
17, 116

consciousness, 107, 108, 128, 155, 156; Adamic, 68, 82; and
soul, 157, 158, 165; body, 209, 210, 217, 218, 233,
276-279; Christ, 24, 136, 149; emotional states of, 219,
220; faith, 175; fears in, 132; forming ideas into states
of, 116, 117; giving up "mind of the flesh" in, 256; high
state of, 82, 83, 167, 195, 248; ideas and thought forms as
God's two planes of, 26, 27; in a "new country" a new, 115,
127; intuitive judgment in, 360; man a manifestation of
various states of, 293; sense, 24, 25, 45, 46, 49, 54, 63,
71, 97, 113, 124, 125, 131-133, 161, 162, 213, 258, 299,
339, 353; sense vs. spiritual, 88, 89, 115, 211; Spirit in
man's, 36, 173; spiritual, 55, 69, 101, 204, 215, 227, 228,
233; three planes of, 84, 85; transmutation of body, 173,
174 (see Malchizedek)

courage, vs. fear, 257, 258

covenant, 85, 86, 123, 124, 155, 211

creation, and time, 44, 45; as evolution of ideas in mind,
45; God as inseparable part of, 13; spiritual, as ideation
in Truth, 32, 33; stories of, found in legends of Egypt and
Chaldea, 3

Crucifixion, 71

cup, Joseph's, 335

Cush (son of Ham), 95-97

Cush, land of, 37

Damascus, 135, 136

Dan (judgment), 135, 238, 275, 351, 368

Daniel, 188

David, 41, 220, 221

death, 130, 154, 206; as result of separation from God, 39;
belief in, 106; good experiences preserved in subconscious
after, 358, 360

Deborah, 271

Dedan (son of Jokshan), 202, 203

//page VI

Dedan (son of Raamah), 97

demonstration, 143, 144; affirmation and, 199; and
obedience to God's guidance, 87; spiritual, 148, 149, (see
God)

denial, 78, 158, 320, 360

Diklah, 106

Dinah, 242, 266, 269, 346, 365, 366

Dinhabah, 289

Dishan, 284, 288

Dishon, 284, 286

Divine Mind, 22, 23, 177, 178, 349; all is good to, 19, 28;
and ideas, 11, 17-19, 38, 39, 57, 85, 86; co-operating
with, 20, 21, 28; lifting man's consciousness to allness
of, 209, 210; man as offspring (idea) of, 12, 13; order in,
241; soul's evolution under guidance of, 218; two phases of
mental activity in, 27

divine sonship, represented by Isaac, 141, 144, 148, 149,
204, 205, 214, 216

Dodanim, 95

dominion, 185, 274

dreams, 139, 144, 145, 173, 219, 220, 227, 228, 247, 313,
314; imagination and, 295; interpreting, 293-295, 317

duality, consciousness of, 321, 322

Dumah, 206

Ebal, 285

Eber, 103, 105

Eden (see Garden of Eden)

Eder (tower), 274

Edom (Esau), 210, 211, 279, 290, 292 (see Esau)

Edom, land of, 257, 289

Edomites, 283

egotism, 120, 144, 170

Egypt, 144, 152, 295, 301, 320, 352, 370, 373, 374; and
history of creation, 3; as the subconscious realm, 145,
321, 335; plagues of, 122, 172, (seat of the vital
processes; sense--body--consciousness), 120-124, 134, 299,
307, 308, 323-325, 327-330, 332, 339-342, 354, 355, 375;
(substance), 329, 352

//page VII

Ehi (or Aharah), 350

Elah, 292

Elam, 103

Elam (country), 129

El-beth-el (holy place), 271

Eldaah, 203

El-Elohe-Israel, 265

Eliezer (of Damascus), 144

elimination, represented by Naphtali, 275

Eliphaz, 277, 279, 280

Elishah, 95

Elohim, Elohim God, 192, 193; as creator (or ideator), 15,
78; as creator (ideator) and Jehovah God as executor
(former), 28, 29, 32-34

Elon (son of Zebulun), 346

Elon (the Hittite), 217, 218

El-paran (region), 132, 133

El Shaddai ("Almighty"), the nourisher, 150

Emim (race of giants), 132

Enaim (or Enam) (city), 306

En-mishpat (or Kadesh) (place), 133

Enoch (son of Cain), 62

Enoch (son of Jared), 67, 69

Enosh, 65, 66, 68

Ephah, 203

Epher, 203

Ephraim (will), 319, 320, 348, 359, 360, 362, 363, 376

Ephrath (or Bethlehem), 273, 360, 361

Ephron, 191-193, 204

Er, 303, 345

Erech (city), 98

Eri, 347

error, brings its own destruction, 217; faithfulness to
high ideas defeats, 299, 300

Esau (body consciousness), 209-212, 217, 218, 220, 221,
223, 227, 232, 252, 254, 257-259, 261-263, 276-279, 283, 292

Esek (well), 215

Eshban, 286, 287

//page VIII

Eshcol, 135

ether, 34, 35, 368

Euphrates (river), 38, 146

Eve, as soul of man and mother principle of God, 55, 56
(see Adam)

evil, 35, 36, 39, 43, 45, 46, 48, 57, 68, 123, 129, 265;
fear of, 350; sublimation of, 291

evolution, 25, 26, 323; man's 171, 223, 224; mind, ideas
and, 13, 14; soul, 140, 218, 299, 301, 320

experience, good out of bitter, 183

Ezbon, 347

Ezer, 284, 287

faculties, development of spiritual, 177, 178, 254, 323,
354; evolved on three planes, 238, 239; (ideas),
represented by sons of Jacob: 323-352, and by apostles of
Jesus: 11, 12, 232, 243; interrelation of spiritual, 325,
341, 342, 355

faith, 73, 74, 148, 181; has stages of growth, 140; in
spiritual reality, 125, 126; negative, 119, 134, 165, 167;
Paul on, 116; productive results of active, 142, 143;
represented by Abraham, 116-119, 123, 124, 127, 134, 135,
140-144, 148, 151, 152, 157-159, 161, 162, 165, 168, 169,
171-187, 192-195, 199, 201, 202, 204, 214, 216; represented
by Benjamin, 236, 275, 327, 328, 331-334, 349, 350, 370;
strengthened with each trial, 177, 178

faithfulness, rewards of, 311

Father-Mind, 292

fear, 101, 132, 148, 257-259, 281; vs. love, 281

Fenton, Ferrar, 3, 15, 21, 109

flesh, animal tendencies (soul) acquired by eating animal,
85 "Flood," 72, 74-84, 87, 90

food, 85

forgiveness, true repentance followed by, 337

friendship, 113, 127

front brain, as seat of conscious thought, 127

fulfillment, 143, 144

//page IX

Gad (power), 239, 275, 276, 346, 351, 368

Gaham, 187

Galeed (cairn), 252 (see Jegar)--sahadutha

ganglionic centers, 321

Garden of Eden, as allegory, 25, 45; as divine
consciousness, 57, 58; as etheric universe (cosmic ether),
34, 35, 38; in man, 34, 35, 38, 39

Gatam, 279

Gaza (Philistine city), 102

generation, 177, 178, 183; vs. regeneration, 306

Genesis, six days of creation and day of "rest" in,
interpreted, 11, 14-28, 31; spiritual man as theme of, 323

Gera, 349

Gerar (Philistine town), 102, 171, 213

Gershon, 344, 345

Gether, 104

Gihon (river), 37

Gilead (mountain), 248, 298

Girgashite, 101

God, as guiding light, 149; as intelligence, understanding,
131, 203, 206, 207; as mind, 3, 4, 13, 14, 18, 25; as
partner in financial affairs, 229, 230; as saving power in
man, 95; as source of all, 138, 229, 230; as Spirit, 290;
body (man) as house (temple) of, 228-230, 260, 262, 271;
character of, 13; indwelling power of, 264; joy in serving,
175; man as the image and likeness of, 12, 24-26, 30, 33,
65, 75, 76, 347; man "refracts," 87; presence of, 86, 260;
thoughts from, 107; wisdom and love as father and mother
(male and female) qualities of, 27 (see demonstration; man)

God-Mind, 29, 30

Goiim (nations), 130

Goliath, 220-221

Gomer, 92-94

Gomorrah (city of the Plain), 102, 115, 130, 161-163, 168,
177, 178

good, vs. evil, 35, 36, 39, 43, 45, 46, 48, 57, 68, 123,
129, 137, 138, 264, 265, 306, 348, 368

Goshen, land of, 339, 341, 342, 352, 358, 362

//page X

grace (mercy), 290

grain, 324, 325

growth, spiritual, 169, 179, 183

Guni, 351

habit, necessity of struggle in overcoming, 258

Hadad (son of Bedad), 289

Hadad (son of Ishmael), 206

Hadar, 290

Hadoram, 106

Hagar, 148, 149, 174, 175, 177-179

Haggi, 347

Ham, 70, 84, 85, 89, 90, 92, 95, 97

Ham (district), 132

Hamathite, 102

Hamor, 265, 266, 269

Hamul, 345

Hanoch (son of Midian), 203

Hanoch (son of Reuben), 343

happiness, serving God in spirit of, 175

Haran, 113

Haran, land of, 194, 195, 225, 227, 228, 233, 242, 247,
248, 254

Havilah (son of Cush), 96

Havilah, land of, 36, 37

Hazarmaveth, 106

Hazazon-tamar (place), 133

Hazo, 186

head, top of, and faculty of praise, 305, 306

hearing (receptivity), represented by Simeon, 236, 275,
365, 366

Heber, 348

Hebron (or Kiriath-arba), city, 127, 189, 190, 192, 276, 297

Heman, 285

Hemdan, 286

Heth (son of Canaan), 100

Heth, children of, 189, 191, 204

Hezron (son of Perez), 343, 344

Hezron (son of Reuben), 343, 344

//page XI

Hiddekel (river), 37

Hirah, the Adullamite, 302, 303

Hittites, 146, 374

Hivites, 101, 266, 277, 284

Hobah (place), 135, 136

Holy Spirit, 37; as teacher, 139; man as temple of, 178

Hori, 284, 285

Horites, 132, 283-285, 287

Hul, 104

Hupham (or Huppim), 350

Husham, 289

Hushim, 351

"I," as spiritual man (attention), 116, 117, 264

I AM, 12, 19, 26-30, 32-34, 40, 90, 126, 155, 158, 262,
299, 300, 347; and body consciousness, 323; as provider,
184; divine will in man expressed as, 20; represented by
Jacob, 211, 212, 297, 323, 327, 331, 332, 337, 341, 342,
352, 359-364; soul and, 226, 227; symbolized by Adam and
Eve, 55, 56; withdrawal of, 372, 373

ideas, all things exist as, 32, 33; as directing and
controlling power, 21; bring forth after their kind, 19,
24; Divine Mind deals only with, 17, 18; Genesis as
allegory reduced to, 9, 10; involution of spiritual, 335;
man's sin as misappropriation of, 51; man's tendency to
cling to old, 373, 374 (see faculties)

ills, bodily, 122, 172

imagination, 73, 74, 94, 244-247; and Progress, 301; and
sense consciousness, 310, 311; as "increasing" and molding
faculty, 293, 320, 321, 355; boasting, 297; constructive
vs. destructive use of, 299, 300; I AM and, 299, 300;
represented by Joseph, 242, 243, 275, 293-301, 307-322,
324-337, 340-342, 352, 355-360, 363, 364, 370, 372-375;
rising above limitation through, 295; uncontrolled vs.
controlled, 295, 296

immortality, 263, 264 (see life, eternal)

Imnah, 347, 348

Ingersoll, Robert Green ("Some Mistakes of Moses"), 22

inspiration, spiritual, 34, 37, 76, 77, 139, 223, 241

//page XII

instinct, 271

intellect, 93, 103, 105, 106, 131, 202, 203, 206, 207,
210-212, 218-221, 223, 232-233, 244-247, 258, 259, 261,
262, 265, 267, 269, 273, 294, 300, 301, 358, 372, 373

intelligence, 45, 46, 114, 115, 131, 206, 207

intuition, 266, 269

involution, precedes evolution, 14, 25, 26, 323

Irad, 62

Isaac (divine sonship; joy), 141, 144, 148, 149, 151, 152,
155, 160, 174, 175, 177, 178, 189, 194, 195, 199, 200, 201,
204, 205, 208, 209, 211, 213-216, 218, 223, 224, 276, 323;
(divine sonship) as connecting link between Abraham (faith)
and Israel (manifestation), 214; giving up pleasures of
sense symbolized by Abraham's sacrifices of, 183, 184

Iscah, 114

Ishbak, 201, 202

Ishmael, 149, 155, 177-179, 205, 207, 208, 226, 227

Ishmaelites, 226, 227, 298, 299

Ishvah, 347, 348

Israel(Jacob), 151, 259, 261, 262, 265, 274, 362

Israel, nation of, 123, 124, 352

Israelites, 170, 202, 217, 249, 284, 287, 299, 325, 326,
352, 354

Issachar (zeal), 240, 241, 275, 346, 367

Ithran, 286, 287

Jabal, 63, 64

Jabbok (river), 261

Jachin, 344

Jacob, 189, 226-229, 248, 252, 253, 260, 270, 271, 275,
276, 353, 355, 371; as representative of I AM, 237, 238,
297, 323-327, 330-332, 337, 339, 341, 342, 352, 359-363;
(intellect), 209-212, 218-221, 223, 225, 230, 232, 233,
244-247, 254-259, 261, 262, 264, 265, 267, 269, 272, 278,
279, 294, 300, 301, 358, 372-374; (supplanter), 211, 231;
twelve sons of, as twelve faculties of man, 231-243, 354,
364-370; "wrestling" of, with angel symbolic of soul's
struggle, 258 (see Israel)

//page XIII

Jah, 347

Jahleel, 346

Jahzeel, 351

Jalam, 277, 278

James, 16

James (son of Alphaeus) (order), 241, 242

Jamin, 344

Japheth, 70, 84, 85, 89, 90, 92

Jared, 69

Javan, 93, 95

Jazer, 351

Jebusite, 101

Jegar-sahadutha (or Galeed or Mispah), cairn, 252

Jehovah, Jehovah God, 41, 49, 50, 54, 56, 62, 148, 155,
160-162, 167, 228; ark of, 77; as active representative of
Divine Mind, 38, 39; as I AM (Christ Mind, spiritual man),
3, 4, 12, 28-30, 32-34; as law, 60, 61, 310, 311; as the
image-and-likeness man, 78; as universal Mind (oversoul of
the race), 58, 59; calling on the name of, 65, 66;
conscience as voice of, 51, 52; promises of, 151-153;
triune aspect of, 157-159, 165

Jehovah-jireh, 184

Jemuel, 344

Jerah, 106

Jeremiah, 170, 221

Jesus, and regeneration, 35, 48, 49, 71, 154; and the
Father (inner spiritual entity), 4; and the seamless
garment of Truth, 294, 295; and universal substance, 369;
as direct descendant of Judah, 366, 367; as restorer of
life current between God and man, 39; as the Word
demonstrated (perfect man), 44; communing with, 139; inward
happiness of, 184; on consciousness and faith, 115; on
man's struggle, 36, 37; overcoming of, 258

Jesus Christ (see Christ; Jesus)

Jetheth, 291

Jetur, 207

Jeush, 277, 278

Jidlaph, 186

//page XIV

Job, 37, 362

Jobab (son of Joktan) 107

Jobab (son of Zerah of Bozrah), 289

John, 16; (Spirit), 236, 237

Jokshan, 202

Joktan, 105, 108

Jordan, plain (valley) of, 124, 126

Jordan (river), 126, 255, 274

Joseph, 11, 261, 262, 338, 339, 362, 371, 376; and his
brethren, representing twelve faculties of mind, 323-352,
354; (dreams), 293, 294; (imagination), 242, 243, 275,
293-301, 307-322, 324-337, 340-342, 352, 355-360, 363, 364,
370, 372-375; (Truth idea), 339, 353

Joshua, Book of, 376

joy, 175-179, 183, 201, 208, 209, 213, 216

Jubal, 64

Judah, 302, 303, 306, 338, 339; (Jewish nation), 366, 367;
(praise, prayer), 237, 275, 300, 305, 331, 332, 337, 343,
344, 352, 366, 367

Judas (acquisitiveness), 237; (life center), 305, 306

Judgment (discrimination), 23, 146, 185, 199, 299;
represented by Dan, 135, 238, 275, 351, 368; (vengeance),
266, 269

Judith, 217, 218

Kadesh (or En-mishpat) (place), 133, 171

Kadmonites, 146

Kain (city), 145, 146

Kedar, 205

Kedemah, 207, 208

Kemuel, 186

Kenan, 68, 69

Kenaz, 279, 280, 292

Kenites, 145, 146

Kenizzites, 146

Keturah, 201, 202

kingdom of the heavens, attaining, 139, 140; imagination
and, 295

//page XV

Kiriath-arba (or Hebron) (city), 127, 189, 190, 192, 276

Kittim, 95

Kohath, 345

Korah, 277, 278

Laban, 199, 208, 225, 226, 233, 242-245, 247, 252, 253

Lamech (son of Methuselah), 69, 74, 75

Lamech (son of Methushael), 63

Lasha (city of the Plain), 102

law, obedience to divine law, 184; transgression of divine,
46, 47, 65, 76, 77, 138, 325, 326

Leah, 189, 233-237, 239-242, 244-245, 261, 262, 274, 300

Lehabim, 99

Letushim, 202, 203

Leummim, 202, 203

Levi (love, union), 236, 237, 269, 275, 344, 345, 365, 366

life, 45, 46; and substance, 352; as omnipresent and
eternal, 205; compared to battle, 265; eternal, 60, 61,
149, 263, 264; love and wisdom in relation to, 24, 25;
mental and physical phases of, 209; represented by Judas,
305, 306; sense vs. divine ideas of, 24, 25; struggle of
elemental, 36, 37, 56, 96

life forces, and faith, 181, 182; error tendencies within
subjective, 284

Logos (God as creative power), 16, 17

Lord, Lord God, 12, 26; (law), 364; (perfect-man pattern),
4, 5

Lot, 119, 122-126, 134, 135, 152, 164-170

Lotan, 283, 284

love, 46, 63, 226, 277, 344, 345; and faith, 126; and
wisdom, 25, 27, 32, 33, 41, 42; as unifying principle in
consciousness, 236, 237; physical (animal), 97, 202, 365,
366; represented by woman, 41, 42, 49-53; transforming
power of, 264, 265; unselfish, 234, 235; vs. fear, 257, 258

Lud, 103

Ludim, 99

Luz (or Bethel), city, 271, 359, 360

//page XVI

Maacah, 187

Machir, 376

Machpelah, cave of (burial place), 189-193, 204, 358, 374

Madai, 93

Magdiel, 292

Magog, 93

Mahalalel, 68, 69

Mahalath, 226, 227

Mahanaim (city), 255

Malachi, 221

Malchiel, 348

Mamre, 127, 135, 157, 192, 204, 276, 374

man, as epitome of Being, 75, 76; as free agent, 76, 77; as
offspring of God, 103; as spirit, soul, and body, 99, 231,
307; as spiritual, 62, 63, 68, 263, 264, 271; as the image
and likeness (son of God), 12, 24-26, 30, 33, 65, 75, 76,
231, 232, 347; as threefold being, 10-12; desire vs.
rational thinking in, 254; divine spark within, 106;
establishing the kingdom of the heavens within, 78, 79;
fellowship between God and, 277; ideal vs. intellectual,
26; Jesus Christ as perfection made manifest in, 32, 33;
lives not by bread alone, 251; must act on own initiative,
363; natural (animal), represented by Lot, 119, 122-126;
soul and body as helpmeets to, 40; spiritual, theme of
Genesis, 323; spiritual vs. physical, 137; subconscious
substance and life in, 103; tendency of, to go to extremes,
281; twelve stages in development of, 231, 232; (wisdom),
41, 42, 49-53 (see God)

Manahath, 285

Manasseh (understanding), 319, 320, 348, 359, 360, 362,
363, 376

manifestation, 242; intelligence, life, and substance as
basis of all, 45, 46

marriage, holy (generation of divine ideas), 51-53

Mash, 104

Massa, 206

Matred, 290, 291

matter, soul quality impressed on, 188

//page XVII

Medan, 201, 202

meditation, 254; and ideas of Truth, 228

Mehetabel, 290, 291

Mehujael, 62

Melchizedek, King of Salem (Christ consciousness), 136

Merari, 345

Mesha (place or tribe), 107

Meshech, 93

Mesopotamia, 199

Messiah, 366, 367

Methuselah, 69

Methushael, 62

Me-zahab, 290, 291

Mibsam, 206

Mibzar, 292

Midian, 201-203

Midianites, 145, 146, 299

Milcah, 114, 185, 199

millennium, federation of nations to usher in, 111

Miller, Hugh, 3

mind, active and passive side of, 126; divided, 98, 133;
formative power of, 18; how soul and body are formed by,
324, 325; idea, and manifestation, 12-15, 241, 242, 340,
341; learning language of, 317, 318; manifesting itself as
trinity of spirit, soul, and body, 157, 158; union
(reunion) of body and, 262, 263, 324; vs. body, 224, 225

Mishma, 206

Mizpah (cairn), 252 (see Jegar-sahadutha)

Mizraim, 96

Mizzah, 281

Moab, 170

Moab, land of, 131

Moabites, 170

Monotheism, 319, 320

Moreh (place), 120, 152

Moriah, land of, 183

Moses, and Genesis, 3, 22, 25; doubtful authorship of, 3

Muppim, 350

//page XVIII

Naamah, 64

Naaman, 349, 350

Nahath, 280, 281

Nahor, 113, 185-187, 199

Name, meaning of, 65; relation of character and, 151

Naming, 40

Naphish, 207

Naphtali (elimination), 275; (strength), 238, 351, 369

Naphtuhim, 100

Nebaioth, 205, 226

Neith, 348

Nephilim, 73, 74

nerves, mind controls body through, 258, 259

Nimrod, 97, 98

Nineveh (city), 98, 99

Noah, 108, 109; and the "flood," 74-84, 87, 90; symbolism
of (rest), 69, 70, 80, 82; drunkenness of, 88, 89

Nod (east of Eden), 61, 62

numbers, meaning of, 11, 12, 80, 81, 83, 181, 358, 359

Obadiah, 221

Obal, 106

Ohad, 344

Oholibamah, 277

Omar, 279

omnipresence, 229, 230, 244, 245

On (Heliopolis), city, 319, 320, 349

Onam, 286

Onan, 303, 345

Ophir, 107

order, 207; represented by James, son of Aphaeus, 241, 242;
represented by Zebulun, 241, 242, 275, 346

Paddan, Paddan-aram (tableland), 226, 248, 272

pain, 178

Pallu, 343

Paran, wilderness of, 179

Pathrusim, 100

Paul, 30, 41, 56, 58, 115, 116, 149, 151, 174, 175, 199,
207,

//page XIX

220, 260

peace, 105, 208, 212-213, 216

Peleg, 105

Peniel (or Penuel) (place), 260

Perez, 306, 307, 345

Perizzites, 146, 269

personality, as representative of states of consciousness,
293

Peter (Simeon), 151

Phallicism, 194

Pharaoh, 301 311, 324, 340, 354, 355; as ruler of solar
plexus, 121, 122, 308, 317, 318, 357 (see Solar) plexus

Phicol, 216

Philip (power), 239

Philistines, 100, 102, 214, 215, 217

Pildash, 186

Pinon, 292

Pishon (river), 36, 37

plenty, 321, 322, 340

Potiphar, 301, 308-311, 320

Potiphera, 319, 349

power, 274; represented by Gad, 239, 275, 276, 346, 351,
368; represented by Philip, 239

praise, 237, 275, 300, 305, 337, 343, 344, 352, 366, 367
(see Judah)

prayer 84, 139, 260, 346; man's access to Divine Mind's
ideas through, 27; peace as result of, 105; poise in, 302,
303; praise closely related to, 305; (praise) represented
by Judah, 237, 275, 300, 305, 331, 332, 337; unanswered, 175

Prince of Peace, 366, 367

principle, divine, 207

Promised Land, 122, 123, 126, 153, 217, 284, 319, 320

prosperity, 230; imagination as source of, 375

psychic realm 37, 38, 93

purification, Christ Spirit, 107

Put (Phut) (people or country), 96

Puvah, 346

//page XX

Raamah, 97

Raamses (or Rameses), 355

race consciousness, 72, 73, 140

Rachel, 233, 235, 237, 238, 240-242, 244, 245, 252, 261,
262, 273, 275, 327, 328, 360, 361

Rameses (or Raamses), 355

Rebekah, 186, 189, 225, 271, 323; (beauty), 199-201, 208,
209, 213, 217-220; (high ideals), 194

redemption, 115, 116, 151, 152, 323

regeneration, 154, 184, 306, 320, 353, 357; method of, 323,
339

Rehoboth (well), 215

Rehoboth-Ir (city), 99

reincarnation, 90, 189, 191, 192

religion, not dolorous thing, 175; teachings of Jesus and,
156 renunciation, 78; dissolving memory through, 168

repentance, and forgiveness, 337; meaning of, 340

Rephaim (pre-Israelitish people), 131

reproduction, physical, 129, 162

Resen (city), 99

resources, imagination as avenue to spiritual, 329, 330

rest, 74-78, 81, 82

resurrection, 71

Reu, 113

Reuben, 240, 241, 365; (discernment), 298; (sight, vision),
236, 274, 330, 343, 344

Reuel, 277, 280

Reumah, 186, 187

Riphath, 94

Rosh, 350

Sabbath, 31, 32

Sabtah, 97

Sabteca, 97

sacrifices, 143, 144, 178, 183, 184, 253; unto Jehovah, 58,
59, (see Jehovah)

Salem (place), 136

salvation, 139, 146

//page XXI

Samlah, 289

Sarah, 158-160, 201; (soul), 140, 141, 148, 149, 151-153,
155, 172-174; 178, 179, 189; submergence of spiritual
ideals symbolized by burial of, 191, 192, 204

Sarai (unregenerated soul), 122, 155 (see Sarah)

Satan's way, vs. God's way, 48, 49

Saul, 151 (see Paul)

Saviour, 366, 367

Scofield, Rev. C. I., 150

Seba, 96

Seir, the Horite, 283

Seir (mount), 132, 257, 263, 278, 279, 283

selfishness, 216; vs. unselfishness, 211

sensation, 24, 25, 35, 36, 39, 45-56, 365, 366, 368

sensuality, 129, 130, 135, 136, 161, 162

Sephar (mountain), 107, 108

Serah, 348

Sered, 346

serenity, 208, 213

serpent (life; sense consciousness; subtlety), 45-47, 49,
50, 53-55

Serug, 113

Seth, 65, 66, 68

sex, 101, 129, 133, 134; and the tree of life, 47-50

Shakespeare, 45, 188

Shammah, 281

Shaul, king of Edom, 290

Shaul (son of Simeon), 344

Shaveh, vale of (or King's Vale), 136

Shaveh-kiriathaim (place), 132

Sheba (son of Jokshan), 202, 203

Sheba (son of Raamah), 97

Shechem (son of Hamor), 265-269

Shechem (city), 120, 152, 264, 265, 269, 297

Shelah (son of Arpachshad), 105

Shelah (son of Judah), 303, 304, 345

Sheleph, 105, 106

Shem, 70, 84, 85, 89, 90, 92, 97

Shemeber, King of Zeboiim, 130

//page XXII

Sheol, 301, 330

Shepho, 285, 286

Shillem, 351

Shiloh, 366, 367

Shimron, 346

Shinab, King of Admah, 130

Shinar, land of, 98, 129

Shobal, 283, 285

Shua, 303

Shuah, 201, 202

Shuni, 347

Shur (place), 149, 171

Siddim, vale of, 131

Sidon, 100, 101

Simeon, 269; (hearing, receptivity), 236, 275, 328, 344,
365, 366 (see Peter)

Simon the Canaanite (zeal), 241

Sin (see transgression)

Sinite, 101

Sitnah (well), 215

sleep, subconscious mind and superconscious mind in
relation to, 313, 314

sodom, King of (see Bera)

Sodom (city of the Plain), 102, 115, 136, 161-166, 168,
177, 178

solar plexus, as center of subconscious mind, 121, 122,
308, 317, 318, 357; relation of "tree of life" to, 35

Son of God, 12, 26

soul, 114, 185; and its journey from sense to Spirit, 307;
animal vs. spiritual, 148, 217; as progressive, 218; as sum
total of consciousness, 34; evolution of, traced from
Abraham to Jesus, 140; (Hebrew nephesh), 85; represented by
Sarah, 122, 140, 141, 148, 155, 172-174, 178, 179, 189 (see
Spirit)

sowing and reaping, 328

spinal cord, 305, 306

Spirit, 138, 207, 208; as true God, 349; equal right of
body and intellect to influence of, 220; life and substance
of, 214; man not led astray by, 109; man taught

//page XXIII

dreams by, 317; origin of outer man in, 285; represented by
John, 236, 237; soul, and body, 10, 12, 75, 76, 99, 141,
158, 159, 165, 231, 280, 281, 307; subconscious under
guidance of, 172, 173

strength, represented by Andrew, 238; represented by
Naphtali, 238, 351, 369

subconscious mind, 40, 42, 51, 52, 96, 121, 122, 131-133,
145, 146, 191, 192, 200, 204, 215; and bodily functions,
117, 317, 318; and sleep, 313, 314; animal forces of, 280;
as storehouse of energy (substance), 321, 357; as
storehouse of plenty, 213, 321, 322; development of Truth
ideas in, 113; faith in relation to, 17, 116; good in
experiences preserved in, 358, 360; imagination and, 307,
308, 313, 335; represented by Lot, 119, 123; several planes
of action in, 258; undisciplined thoughts of, 179 (see
solar plexus)

substance, 33, 34, 45, 46, 213, 245, 246, 273, 329, 330,
369; and life, 352; faith and, 331, 332; ideas of, 287;
Joseph's superior consciousness of universal, 295; mind,
293; new concept of, 127, 128; two phases of, 324, 325, 334

success, as work of Spirit in man, 308

Succoth (place), 263, 264

superconscious mind, and sleep, 313, 314; faith in relation
to, 116; (Spirit), 93

supplanting, man's power of, 211, 220

tabernacle, 120

Tahash, 187

Tamar, 306, 307

Tarshish, 95

Tebah, 187

Tema, 207

Teman, 279, 292

temptation, meeting, 48, 49

Tennyson, Alfred (quoted), 239, 240, 371

Terah, 118

Teraphim, 248-250

//page XXIV

Thomas (understanding), 239, 240

thought, and expression, 45; bondage to personal, 330;
divided, 202; error, 72, 75, 78, 79, 84, 135, 289; habits
of, 72, 162; man's double standard of, 297, 298; passing
judgment on all, 257; projection of, 261, 262; spiritual
vs. carnal (material), 165, 166, 214, 215

Tidal, King of Goiim, 129, 130

time, relation of creation to, 44, 45

Timna, 280

Timnah (town), 306

Tiras, 94

tithing, 136, 229, 230

Togarmah, 94, 95

Tola, 345, 346

transgression, 46, 47, 65, 76, 77; immunity from effects
of, 138 transmutation, bodily, 173, 174, 178

trinity, as spirit, soul, and body (or spirit,
consciousness, and substance), 157, 158, 165

Truth, creative power of, 129; (idea), represented by
Joseph, 339; practical application of, 105; seamless
garment of Jesus as symbol of, 294, 295

Tubal, 93

Tubal-cain, 64

understanding, 139, 228-230, 245, 246; and will, 20, 319,
320; represented: by Asher, 239, 240, 276, 369; by
Manasseh, 319, 320, 348, 359, 360, 362, 376; by Thomas,
239, 240; spiritual, 104, 105, 189, 193, 218-220, 225, 226,
241, 242

union (love), represented by Levi, 236, 237, 275, 365, 366
universe, resolved back into original essence in God, 59

Ur (of the Chaldees), 113

Uz (son of Aram), 104

Uz (son of Dishan), 288

Uzal, 106

vengeance, 266, 269

vice, unmentionable, 162

//page XXV

vision (sight), represented by Reuben, 236, 274

visions, 139, 219, 220, 228, 293, 294, 317

will, 20, 54, 57, 73, 97, 98, 143, 144, 148, 149, 172, 173,
180, 181, 213, 216, 290, 351; represented by Ephraim, 319,
320, 348, 359, 360, 362, 363 (see understanding)

wisdom, 55-57, 185, 199; and love, 25, 27, 32, 33, 41, 42,

206, 207; represented by man, 40-42, 50-53

woman (love or feeling), 41, 42, 49-53

word, power of the spoken, 94, 122, 364, 365

Word of God, Christ (spiritual man) rather than Bible as,
43, 44

Yahweh, 32, 33

Zaavan, 287

Zaphenath-paneah (Joseph), 321

zeal, represented: by Issachar, 214, 275, 346; by Simon the
Canaanite, 241

Zeboiim (city of the Plain), 102, 130, 131

Zebulun (order), 241, 242, 275, 346, 367

Zemarite, 101

Zepho, 279

Zerah (son of Judah), 307, 345

Zerah (son of Reuel), 281

Zibeon, 277, 283, 284, 286

Zillah, 63

Zilpah, 235, 239, 240, 275, 294

Zimran, 201, 202

Ziphion, 346

Zoar (or Bela) (city of the Plain), 126, 131, 167

Zohar (father of Ephron), 191

Zohar (son of Simeon), 344

Zuzim (people), 132