shall bring forth judgment unto truth (Isaiah 42:3); that is, He does not break
fallacies, nor quench cupidities, but bends them to what is true and good. (Arcana
Coelestia 25; see also ibid. 1874, 1992:4, 2053:2, 2180:5, 6205, 9039; Spiritual
Experiences 2392; Apocalypse Explained 409:2)
That is, “He leads people gently, bending and not breaking, thus leading
away from evils, and leading to good.” (Apocalypse Explained 409:2) He pushes
and prods us – not so forcefully that we feel threatened to fight against Him.
But He nudges our thinking and feeling – a little bit here, a little bit there, over
and over again. Perhaps it is like how a sheep dog manages a herd; he is in
constant motion, nipping at the heels of one sheep and then another, shifting
the direction of a few sheep, and then, through them, the entire herd.
The Lord is particularly gentle yet forceful with what we have embraced
from infancy. We know how difficult it is to change our ideas because, whether
true or false, they are so connected to our affections.
The principles which a person imbibes from infancy the Lord never breaks, bu t
bends. If they are things that the person esteems holy, and are such as are not
contrary to Divine and natural order, but are in themselves matters of indifference,
the Lord lets them alone, and suffers the person to remain in them. (Arcana
Coelestia 1255; see also ibid. 2180:5, 9039; Apocalypse Explained 627:7)
This is especially the case in regard to worship, as seen by the Lord allowing
Himself to be called by one of the names of the many gods worshiped in the
early phases of the Israelitish Church.
The reason why the Lord was willing to be first represented before them by the
name “Shaddai” is that the Lord by no means desires to destroy suddenly (still less
in a single moment) the worship that has been inseminated in anyone from his
infancy; for this would be to tear up the root, and thereby destroy the holy state of
adoration and of worship that has been deeply implanted, and which the Lord never
breaks, but bends. The holy state of worship, that has been rooted in from infancy
is of such a nature that it cannot endure violence, but only a gentle and kindly
bending. (Arcana Coelestia 1992:4)
The reason why the Lord does not suddenly break our affections or ideas
is that the result would be devastating for us, and counterproductive to His
goal of a heaven from the human race. In describing temptations, it is noted
that “if people were broken in the least, they at once tended toward hatred
against the Lord.” (Spiritual Experiences 2196) Also, if someone were broken
“he would be miserably deprived of his life.” (Arcana Coelestia 5854:3; see also
Spiritual Experiences 2490, 3014, 2628)
This is not to say that the Lord’s bending of us does not at times feel
somewhat turbulent. This is depicted in the Word: “The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart; these, O God, You will not despise.”
(Psalm 51:17) “Even so I will break this people and this city, as one breaks a
potter’s vessel, which cannot be made whole again.” (Jeremiah 19:11) And the
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