8930. 'Thus you shall say to the children of Israel' means those belonging to the spiritual Church. This is clear from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those belonging to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6426, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 7957, 8234, 8805.

8234. 'And the children of Israel went on dry ground into the middle of the sea' means that those governed by the good of truth and guided by the truth of good passed through that hell in safety without suffering molestation. This is clear from the explanation above in 8185, where similar words occur. The expression 'those governed by the good of truth and guided by the truth of good' is used to mean the spiritual Church; for members of that Church are first governed by the good of truth, then later on are guided by the truth of good. At first they do good because truth lays down that it should be done; therefore they act out of obedience to it. But subsequently they do good out of affection for it, at which time truth is seen and also practiced by them from the standpoint of good. From this it is evident that before a member of the spiritual Church receives a new will from the Lord, that is, before he has been regenerated, he practices truth out of obedience to it. But after he has been regenerated he practices it out of affection for it, at which time truth comes for him to be good since it now resides in his will. For to act out of obedience is to act from the understanding, but to act out of affection is to act from the will. This also is the reason why those who practice truth out of obedience to it are members of the external Church, whereas those who practice it out of affection for it are members of the internal Church. From all this it is evident that those who belong to the spiritual Church are meant when the expression 'those governed by the good of truth and guided by the truth of good' is used.