6138.“我们和我们的土地作法老的奴仆，就可以存活”表完全顺服。这从“我们和我们的土地”，以及“奴仆”的含义清楚可知：“我们和我们的土地”是指良善与真理的容器，如刚才所述（6135-6137节）；“奴仆”是指没有人自己的自由（参看5760，5763节），因而是指完全顺服。容器是指人的形式本身。因为人无非是接受来自主的生命的形式；然而，这些形式因着人们的遗传和自己的实际生活或行为而具有这样的性质：他们拒绝接受来自主的属灵生命。不过，一旦这些容器被完全抛弃，以致它们不再有任何人自己的自由，就会有完全的顺服。一个正在重生的人通过反复荒凉和维持的经历最终被带入这个地步：他不再想成为他自己的人，而是想成为主的。一旦成了主的，他便进入一种状态，这种状态具有这样的性质：只剩下他自己时，他就会感到沮丧和焦虑。但是，当他被带出这种状态时，就会回到他的幸福和快乐中，回到所有天使都经历的那种状态中。
主渴望人人都完全顺服，好使他幸福、快乐。也就是说，主不希望他部分是他自己的，部分是主的，因为那样的话，就会有两个主人，而一个人不能同时事奉两个主（马太福音6:24）。主在马太福音中的话也表示完全顺服：
爱父亲或母亲过于爱我的，不配是我的；爱儿子或女儿过于爱我的，不配是我的。（马太福音10:37）
此处“父亲和母亲”表示总体上那些因着遗传而为人自己的事物，“儿子和女儿”表示那些因着实际的生活或行为而为人自己的事物。在约翰福音中，“性命”（soul，即灵魂）表示人自己的东西：
爱惜自己性命的，就失丧性命；在这世上恨恶自己性命的，就要保守性命到永生。若有人服事我，就当跟从我；我在哪里，我的仆人也要在那里。（约翰福音12:25，26）
主在马太福音中的话也表示完全的顺服：
又有一个门徒说，主啊，容我先回去埋葬我的父亲。耶稣对他说，任凭死人埋葬他们的死人，你跟从我吧！（马太福音8:21，22）
顺服必须是完全的，这一点从教会的第一条诫命很明显地看出来：
你要尽心、尽性、尽意、尽力爱主你的神。这是第一条诫命。（马可福音12:30）
因此，由于对主的爱并非来自人，而是来自主自己，所以尽心、尽性、尽意、尽力，也就是接受者，必是主的；因而它们必完全顺服于祂。这就是此处“我们和我们的土地作法老的奴仆，就可以存活”所表示的顺服；因为“法老”代表总体的属世层，这属世层受内在属天层的掌控，在至高意义上受“约瑟”在至高意义上所表示的主的掌控。
Potts(1905-1910) 6138
6138. And we shall live, and our ground, servants to Pharaoh. That this signifies total submission, is evident from the signification of "we and our ground," as being the receptacles of good and of truth (as just above, see n. 6135-6137); and from the signification of "servants," as being to be without freedom from man's own (see n. 5760, 5763), thus total submission. By receptacles are meant the very forms of men; for men are nothing else than forms receptive of life from the Lord, and these forms are such by inheritance and by actual life that they refuse to admit the spiritual life which is from the Lord. But when these receptacles have been so far renounced that they no longer have any freedom from the man's own, there is total submission. A man who is being regenerated is at last so far reduced by repeated alternations of desolation and sustenance that he no longer wills to be his own, but the Lord's; and when he has become the Lord's he comes into a state of such a nature that when he is left to self he grieves and is seized with anxiety; and when he is delivered from this state of self he returns into his happiness and bliss. In such a state are all the angels. [2] In order that He may make a man blessed and happy, the Lord wills a total submission, that is, that he be not partly his own and partly the Lord's, for then there are two lords, which no one can serve at the same time (Matt. 6:24). Total submission is also meant by the Lord's words in Matthew:
He that loveth father and mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son and daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me (Matt. 10:37);
where by "father and mother" are signified in general those things which are man's own from inheritance, and by "son and daughter" those things which are his own from actual life. Man's own is also signified by "soul" in John:
He that loveth his soul shall lose it; but he that hateth his soul in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If anyone will minister to Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be (John 12:25, 26). Total submission is also signified by the Lord's words in Matthew:
Another disciple said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said to him, Follow Me; and let the dead bury their dead (Matt. 8:21, 22). [3] That submission must be total is very evident from the first commandment of the church:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God from all thy heart, and from all thy soul, and from all thy mind, and from all thy forces; this is the first commandment (Mark 12:30). Thus because love to the Lord does not come from man, but from the Lord Himself, therefore all the heart, all the soul, all the mind, and all the forces, which are recipients, must be the Lord's, consequently submission must be total. Such is the submission which is here signified by the words "we shall live, and our ground, servants to Pharaoh," for by Pharaoh is represented the natural in general which is under the auspices of the internal celestial, in the supreme sense under the auspices of the Lord, who in this sense is "Joseph."
Elliott(1983-1999) 6138
6138. 'And we will live, and our ground, as Pharaoh's slaves' means total submission. This is clear from the meaning of 'us and our ground' as the receptacles of goodness and truth, as immediately above in 6135-6137; and from the meaning of 'slaves' as existing without any freedom of one's own, dealt with in 5760, 5763, thus total submission. By receptacles are meant human forms themselves. For human beings are nothing else than forms receiving life from the Lord; yet the nature of those forms is such, owing to people's heredity and their own actions, that they refuse spiritual life coming from the Lord. But once those receptacles have been renounced so completely that they no longer claim any freedom of their own, there is total submission. The person who is being regenerated is brought at length, through the repeated experiences of desolation and sustainment, to a point at which he no longer wishes to be his own man but the Lord's. And once he has become the Lord's he passes into a state in which, if left to himself, he is dejected and gripped by anxiety. But when he is brought out of that state he returns to the bliss and happiness that are his, to the kind of state all the angels experience.
[2] The Lord desires any person's total submission so that He can make him blissful and happy. That is, He does not want him to be partly his own man and partly the Lord's, for then there are two masters whom a person cannot serve simultaneously, Matt 6:24. Total submission is again meant by the Lord's words in Matthew,
Whoever loves father or mother above Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves son or daughter above Me is not worthy of Me. Matt 10:37.
'Father or mother' in general means those aspects of a person essentially his own by virtue of his heredity, and 'son or daughter' those essentially his own by virtue of his own actions. What is essentially a person's own is also meant by his 'soul' in John,
He who loves his soul will lose it, and he who hates his soul in this world will keep it into eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. John 11:25, 26.
Total submission is also meant by the Lord's words in Matthew,
Another disciple said, Lord, let me first go away and bury my father. But Jesus said to him, Follow Me, and leave the dead to bury their dead. Matt 8:21, 22.
[3] The need for total submission is perfectly clear from the Church's first commandment,
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. Mark 12:30.
Thus since love to the Lord does not come from man but from the Lord Himself, all his heart, all his soul, all his mind, and all his strength, which are recipients, must be the Lord's; they must therefore be submitted totally to Him. Such a submission is what is meant by 'we will live, and our ground, as Pharaoh's slaves'; for 'Pharaoh' represents the natural in general, which is subject to the control of the internal celestial, in the highest sense to the control of the Lord, who is 'Joseph' in that highest sense.
Latin(1748-1756) 6138
6138. `Et vivemus nos et humus nostra servi Pharaoni': quod significet submissionem totalem, constat ex significatione nos et humus nostra' quod sint receptacula boni et veri, ut mox supra n. 6135-6137; et ex significatione `servorum' quod sit esse absque libero ex proprio, de qua n. 5760, 5763, ita submissio totalis. Per receptacula intelliguntur ipsae formae hominis, nam homines non sunt nisi quam formae recipientes vitam a Domino, et illae formae sunt tales ex hereditate et actualitate ut vitam spiritualem quae a Domino, renuant; illa receptacula cum in tantum abdicata sunt ut eis amplius non liberum ex proprio, est submissio totalis; homo qui regeneratur, usque tandem eo redigitur per iteratas desolationes et sustentationes ut non amplius velit esse suus sed Domini; et cum factus est Domini, venit in illum statum ut cum relinquitur sibi, doleat et anxietate corripiatur; et cum eximitur ab hoc statu, redeat in suum faustum et beatum; in tali statu sunt omnes angeli. [2] Dominus, ut aliquem beatum et felicem reddat, vult submissionem totalem, hoc est, ut non sit quoad partem suus et quoad partem Domini, sunt enim tunc `bini domini quibus homo simul servire non potest', Matth. vi 24; totalis submissio etiam intelligitur per Domini verba apud Matthaeum, Quisquis amat patrem et matrem supra Me, non est Me dignus; et quisquis amat filium et filiam supra Me, non est dignus Me, (x)37;`per patrem et matrem' significantur in genere illa quae sunt proprii hominis ex hereditate, et per `filium et filiam' illa quae sunt proprii hominis ex actualitate; etiam proprium hominis per animam significatur apud Johannem, Qui amat animam suam, perdet eam, sed qui odit animam in hoc mundo, in vitam aeternam servabit eam: si quis ministraverit Mihi, sequitor Me, tum ubi Ego ero, ibi etiam minister Meus erit, xii 25, 26;
etiam totalis submissio significatur per Domini verba apud Matthaeum, Alius discipulus dixit, Domine, permitte mihi prius abire et sepelire patrem meum: sed Jesus dixit illi, Sequere Me, et sine mortuos sepelire mortuos suos, viii 21, 22. [3] Quod submissio totalis erit, manifeste constat a primario Ecclesiae praecepto, Amabis Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, et ex tota anima tua, et ex tota mente tua, et ex omnibus viribus tuis; hoc primarium est praeceptum, Marc. xii 30;
ita, quia amor in Dominum non ex homine venit sed ex Ipso Domino, ideo totum cor, tota anima, tota mens et omnes vires quae sunt recipientia, erunt Domini, consequenter submissio totalis. Talis submissio est quae significatur per `vivemus nos et humus nostra servi Pharaoni', per `Pharaonem' enim repraesentatur naturale in communi, quod sub auspicio caelestis interni, in supremo sensu sub auspicio Domini, Qui in eo sensu est `Josephus'.