8972. Verse 1 And these are the judgements which you shall set before them means those more external truths such as must exist in a civic state where the Church is representative, which flow from the internal truths belonging to order in heaven. The fact that these things are meant by 'the judgements that were to be set before the children of Israel' is clear from the meaning of 'judgements' as truths, dealt with in 2235, 6397, 7206, 8685, 8695. The reason why 'judgements' are truths is that all judgement is effected by means of truths; therefore 'executing judgement' in the Word means executing truth, that is, judging in accordance with truths. But the plural 'judgements' means civil laws, thus those more external truths such as exist in a civic state. The words 'where the Church is representative' are added because these truths contain and embody within themselves the truths that belong to order in heaven, as may be recognized from the internal sense of them.

[2] The laws which the Lord delivered to the children of Israel and commanded them to keep were divided into commandments, judgements, and statutes. The term 'commandments' was given to those which were laws of life, 'judgements' to those which were laws of the civic state, and 'statutes' to those which were laws of worship. As regards judgements specifically, they are the kinds of laws that are contained in the present chapter and also some that follow. They served as laws in a Church in which inner realities, those of heaven and of the Church, were represented by outward things; but they do not serve as laws in a Church in which inner realities are no longer represented by outward things, as in the Christian Church. The reason for this is that inner realities have been revealed to people of this Church, and therefore inner realities are the channel through which contact is made with heaven, not outward things, as had been the situation before the Christian Church. Here is the reason why members of the Christian Church are not bound to adhere to the outward requirements of the laws called judgements and statutes, only to the inward ones. Holiness still remains within them because they hold holy truths within them, as also does every single command in the Word regarding the sacrifices. Although these are no longer prescriptive laws they remain holy constituents of the Word because of the Divine realities which they hold within themselves and which they represented. For when they are read by a Christian the Divine realities which are held within them and which were represented by them are discerned in heaven. They fill the angels with holiness, and at the same time the reader too through influx from the angels, especially if the reader himself is thinking at the same time about the Divine realities within them. From this it is evident that even the Old Testament Word is extremely holy.

[3] The fact that the laws which the Lord delivered to the children of Israel and commanded them to keep were divided into commandments that were laws of life, judgements that were laws of the civic state, and statutes that were laws of worship, is evident in Moses,

Jehovah said to Moses, Go, say to them, Go back into your tents. But you, stand here with Me, that I may tell you all the commandments, and statutes, and judgements which you shall teach them, so that they may do them. Deuteronomy 5:30-31.

In the same author,

Furthermore these are the commandments, statutes, and judgements which Jehovah your God commanded to teach you. Deuteronomy 6:1.

In the same author,

Therefore you shall keep the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them. Deuteronomy 7:11.

In David,

If his sons forsake My law and do not walk in My judgements, if they profane My statutes and do not keep My commandments, I will visit their transgression with the rod. Psalms 89:30-32.

[4] Furthermore all the laws, in that they were those of a representative Church, were generally called judgements and statutes, as in Moses,

Now therefore, O Israel, hear the statutes and the judgements which I will teach you, that you may do them. What great nation [is there] that has righteous statutes and judgements, like all this law which I will set before you today? Deuteronomy 4:1, 8; 5:1.

In Ezekiel.

Jerusalem has changed My judgements into wickedness more than the nations, and My statutes more than the lands that are around her; for they have repudiated My judgements, and have not walked in My statutes. Ezekiel 5:6-7.

In the same prophet,

Let him ¹ walk in My statutes and keep My judgements - to do the truth. Ezekiel 18:9.

In addition to these there are many other places, such as Leviticus 18:5; 19:37; 20:22; 25:18; 26:15; Deuteronomy 26:17; Ezekiel 11:12, 20; 20:11, 13, 25; 37:24.

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8696. Verses 17-23 And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, The thing that you do is not good. You will surely wither away, both you and this people who are with you, for the task ¹ is too heavy for you; you are not able to do it yourself alone. Now hear my voice; I will counsel you, and God will be with you. Be for the people with God, and you are to bring matters to God. ² And you are to teach them the statutes and the laws, [and] make known to them the way in which they must go, and the work they must do. And you are to see ³ out of all the people men of vigour fearing God, men of truth hating gain; and you are to appoint them rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. And it shall be, every great matter let them bring to you, and every small matter let them judge themselves; and roll down [the burden] from upon yourself, and let them bear [it] with you. If you do this thing and God has commanded you, you will be able to stand fast; and also all this people will come upon their place in peace.

'And the father-in-law of Moses said to him' means foresight. 'The thing that you do is not good' means that a change must take place. 'You will surely wither away, both you and this people who are with you' means that if it carries on as before the truth which has been implanted is going to perish. 'For the task is too heavy for you' means that it is not possible because it does not arise from true order. 'You are not able to do it yourself alone' means without any truth from good flowing in from another source. 'Now hear my voice' means agreement as a result of union. 'I will counsel you, and God will be with you' means that it comes from the Divine. 'Be for the people with God' means truth coming forth directly from the Lord. 'And you are to bring matters to God' means mediation and intercession. 'And you are to teach them the statutes and the laws' means that truth coming directly from the Lord is the source of external and internal aspects of goodness and truth in the Church. 'And make known to them the way in which they must go' means the light of intelligence and the life led as a result of it. 'And the work they must do' means faith put into action. 'And you are to see out of all the people' means the choice of subservient truths. 'Men of vigour fearing God' means to which the good from God can be joined. 'Men of truth hating gain' means because ⁴ the truths are pure, devoid of any worldly end in view. 'And you are to appoint from them rulers of thousands' means first and foremost truths in the first degree below truth coming directly from God. 'Rulers of hundreds' means first and foremost truths in the second degree. 'Rulers of fifties' means first and foremost truths that are intermediary. 'And rulers of tens' means first and foremost truths in third place. 'And let them judge the people at all times' means arrangement in this order perpetually. 'And it shall be, every great matter let them bring to you' means that everything exists from the truth going forth directly from God. 'And every small matter let them judge themselves' means the appearance that some particular and specific things derive from another source. 'And roll down [the burden] from upon yourself, and let them bear [it] with you' means thus assigning them functions and duties. 'If you do this thing and God has commanded you' means since it is so ordained by God ... 'You will be able to stand fast' means, it accordingly has a dwelling place with them. 'And also all this people will come upon their place in peace' means that those belonging to the spiritual Church will thus be governed by good and led by good.

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