10401. 'And Aaron said to them' means the outward features of the Word, the Church, and worship, devoid of the inward. This is clear from the representation here of 'Aaron' as the outward features of the Word, the Church, and worship, devoid of the inward, dealt with above in 10397. The fact that no Church existed among the Israelite and Jewish nation, only what was representative of a Church, thus an outward form devoid of the inward substance, is perfectly clear from Aaron, who, though a typical member of that nation, was nevertheless made the high priest, to whom the most sacred things of the Church were entrusted, and who was therefore considered to be holier than everyone else. For it is said of him that he made the golden calf, built an altar for it, made a proclamation that there was to be 'a feast to Jehovah' for it, brought that sin upon the people, and caused them to become undisciplined, in verses 2, 4-5, 21, 25, 35; and elsewhere that Jehovah was greatly moved with anger against Aaron and would have destroyed him, and that Moses prayed for him, Deuteronomy 9:20. These words imply that Aaron was like the people, who were idolatrous at heart, 4208, 4281, 4820, 5998, 6877, 7401, 8301, 8882. But since only the outward form of a Church devoid of its inward substance existed with that nation, and yet by means of it there was contact with heaven, it did not matter what a person there was like, provided that when engaged in external observances he obeyed what had been decreed and revered it.

In the case of representatives no attention is paid to the person, only to the reality represented by that person, see 665, 1097(end), 3670, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4444, 8588.

8881. 'And keep My commandments' means who receive the truths of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'commandments' as the truths of faith, dealt with in 3382, 8362. The reason why 'keeping' them means receiving them is that truths which are called the truths of faith - if they are to be those of faith with a person and have life in them - also flow in from the Lord. A person, it is true, learns them and stores them in his memory; but as long as they are not in the person's will and he does not therefore do them, they do not come to have any life in them. When however they are brought out of store in his memory and introduced by way of his understanding into his will, that is, through thought into affection and therefore into action, they come to have life in them and to be truths of faith. This is accomplished by the Lord when the person refrains from evils, as stated immediately above in 8880.