Chapter 6
THE PROMISE
OF SALVATION
GENESIS 15, 16, 17 and 18
Charles Fillmore
Mysteries of Genesis
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 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 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).
Gen. 15:1-11. After
these things the word of Jehovah
came unto Abram in a vision,
saying, Fear 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.
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 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 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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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 to act on them
consciously and make them
fruitful.
(For Shur and Kadesh see
interpretation of Gen.
20:1.)
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.
"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."
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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."
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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,
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 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.
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, 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.
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.
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 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.
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"
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.
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.
