6273. 'For Manasseh was the firstborn' means since good does indeed occupy the first place. This is clear from the representation of 'Manasseh' as good belonging to the will, dealt with before; and from the meaning of 'the birthright' as the prior and higher position, dealt with in 3325, so that 'the firstborn' is the one who occupies the first place. Is anyone incapable of seeing from natural light alone, provided a superior light brightens it a little, that good occupies the first place, as also do the intentions in a person's will, and that truth occupies the second, as also do the thoughts in his mind? Is anyone also incapable of seeing that the intentions in a person's will cause him to think in one particular way and no other, consequently that the good he possesses causes him to think that this or that is true; so that truth occupies the second place and good the first? Think and reflect on whether truth that composes faith can take root anywhere else than in good, or whether faith other than that which has taken root there is faith. From this you will be able to decide which is the primary or essential element for the Church, that is, for the person in whom the Church exists.

8512. 'And Jehovah said to Moses' means that the appearance of the Divine had become obscured. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah said', which includes what comes after it, namely the accusation that they were not keeping the commandments and laws, thus that for them the appearance of the Divine had become obscured. This happens when people do not live lives in keeping with God's commandments; for when people's lives are in keeping with them they are in keeping with Divine order, because God's commandments are truths and forms of good that originate in order. And when people live lives in keeping with order they live and abide in the Lord, because the Lord is true order. From this it follows that anyone who does not live a life in keeping with the commandments and laws that belong to Divine order does not live and abide in the Lord, and the consequence for that person is that the Divine becomes obscured. By living a life in keeping with order one should here understand being led by the Lord through good. But by living a life not as yet in keeping with order one should understand being led through truth; and when a person is led through truth the Lord does not appear. Therefore also at this time the person walks in darkness, in which he does not see truths. It is different when a person is led through good; then he walks in the light, in which he does see truths. Regarding these matters, see what has been stated just above in 8505, 8506, 8510.