8170. 'And Moses said to the people' means being raised by God's truth from a state of despair. This is clear from the things following next that Moses actually said, which imply being raised from a state of despair. It is said to be done by God's truth because any raising up in a state of temptations is done by God's truth. For the use of 'Moses' to mean God's truth in the representative internal sense, see 6752, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382.

7382. 'Stretch out your hand with your rod' means the power of inward truth directed through outward truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'hand' as spiritual power, which belongs to inward truth, and from the representation of 'rod' as natural power, which belongs to outward truth, both dealt with in 6947, 6948. For the fact that all power in the spiritual world belongs to truth, see 3091, 3787, 4931, 6344, 6423, 6948. Since 'Moses' represents inward law, which is the same as inward truth, and 'Aaron' represents outward law, which is the same as outward truth, and since inward truth flows into outward truth and gives it power, 7381, Moses' word of command to Aaron 'stretch out your hand with your rod' means the power of inward truth directed through outward truth.