10612. 'As Jehovah had commanded him' means that such a thing should be done because of their insistence. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah had commanded' - when the subject is the kind of outward form the Word takes on account of the Israelite nation, meant by 'the two tablets of stone' hewn by Moses - as that such a thing should be done because of their insistence. Various places in the Word which refer to the Israelite nation and the representative worship established among them state that Jehovah commanded this or that. But His good pleasure is not meant by His commanding it, only His permission that such a thing should be done because of their insistence; for they were insistent that they should be led into the land of Canaan and that Jehovah should reside with them, consequently that the Church should be established among them. Regarding that insistence, see 10430, 10535. Take for instance their presentation on altars of burnt offerings, sacrifices, minchahs, and drink offerings, regarding which very many laws were laid down and which also Jehovah is said to have commanded; these were not in fact commanded or decreed, only permitted, as may be recognized from the places quoted from the Word in 2180. The like applies to their being allowed to have a number of wives and to give a certificate of divorce for any reason whatever; Jehovah did not in fact command this, although it says that He did, but only permitted it on account of their hardness of heart, Matthew 19:7-8. The same is so with very many other things that Jehovah is said to have commanded.

10535. 'And the people heard this bad news, and mourned' means their grief because they do not occupy a position above others. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing this bad news and mourning' as grief. The fact that it is grief because they do not occupy a position above others is evident from what has been shown previously regarding that nation. That is to say, it has been shown that they insisted on the Church's being established among themselves. But they insisted on this with no other end in view than that they might occupy a position above all nations throughout the entire world; for they were ruled by self-love more than others were, and could not be raised to a position above those nations unless Jehovah, and therefore also the Church, was with them; for where Jehovah - that is, the Lord - is, so is the Church. That such was their end in view is clear from a large number of places in the Word, and also from the following verse in the present chapter,

Moses said, How will it ever be made known that I have found grace in Your eyes, I and Your people? Will it not be in Your going with us? And I and Your people will be made more distinguished than all the people who are on the face of the earth. Exodus 33:16.

It was not because they were chosen, rather because they were allowed to have the Church established among them; yet the Church did not reside within the actual nation, only that which was representative of the Church did so, see in the places referred to in 10396(end).