8351. And the people murmured against Moses. That this signifies grief from the bitterness of the temptation, is evident from the signification of “murmuring,” as being complaint such as there is in temptations, thus grief from the bitterness of the temptation. The temptations which those underwent who were of the Lord’s spiritual church after they had been liberated from infestations; and also the temptations which those will undergo who will be of this church, are described by the murmurings of the sons of Israel in the wilderness. And as spiritual temptations are usually carried to despair (n. 1787, 2694, 5279, 5280, 7147, 7166, 8165), therefore by “murmuring” is signified complaint from grief in the temptations (see Exodus 16:2-3; 27:3; Numbers 14:27, 29, 36; 16:11). It is said “against Moses,” because it was against the Divine, for by Moses is represented Divine truth (see n. 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382).

[2] As regards the temptations which those underwent who were of the spiritual church, and which those will undergo who will be of this church, be it known that faith cannot possibly be implanted in those who are of the spiritual church except through temptations, thus neither can charity; for in temptations the man is in combat against falsity and evil. These-falsity and evil-flow into the external man from the hells, while good and truth flow in through the internal man from the Lord; thus by virtue of the combat of the internal man with the external, which is called “temptation.” And insofar, then, as the external man is reduced to obedience under the internal, so far faith and charity are implanted; for the external or natural of man is the receptacle of truth and good from the internal man. If the receptacle is not accommodated, it does not receive anything which flows in from within; but either rejects, or extinguishes, or stifles it, whence there is no regeneration. Hence it is that there must be temptation in order that the man may be regenerated, which is effected through the implanting of faith and charity, and thus through the formation of a new will and a new understanding. Therefore also the church of the Lord is called “militant” (see what has been said and shown before on this subject, n. 3928, 4249, 4341, 4572, 5356, 6574, 6611, 6657, 7090, 7122, 8159, 8168, 8179, 8273).

1813. He imputed it to him for righteousness. That this signifies that herein the Lord first became righteousness, may also be seen from the connection of things in the internal sense, in which the Lord is treated of. That the Lord alone became righteousness for the whole human race, may be seen from the fact that He alone fought from Divine love, namely, from love toward the whole human race, whose salvation was what in His combats He solely desired and burned for. In regard to His Human Essence the Lord was not born righteousness, but became righteousness through combats of temptations and victories, and this from His own power. As often as He fought and overcame, this was imputed to Him for righteousness, that is, it was added to the righteousness that He was becoming, as a continual increase, until He became pure righteousness.

[2] A man who is born of a human father, or of the seed of a human father, when fighting from himself cannot fight from any other love than the love of self and of the world, thus not from heavenly love, but from infernal love, for such is the character of his Own from his father, in addition to the Own acquired by his own conduct. Therefore he who supposes that he fights from himself against the devil is hugely mistaken. In like manner he who desires to make himself righteous by his own powers-that is, to believe that the goods of charity and the truths of faith are from himself, consequently that he merits heaven by them-acts and thinks against the good and truth of faith; for it is a truth of faith, that is, it is the truth itself, that the Lord fights. And therefore because he then acts and thinks against the truth of faith, he takes away from the Lord what is His, and makes what is the Lord’s to be his own, or what is the same, he puts himself in the Lord’s place, and thereby puts that which is infernal in himself. Hence it is that such men desire to become great, or the greatest, in heaven; and hence it is that they falsely believe that the Lord fought against the hells in order that He might be the greatest. What is man’s own is attended with such phantasies, which appear as if they were truths, but are just the reverse.

[3] That the Lord came into the world in order to become righteousness, and that He alone is righteousness, was also foretold by the prophets; and therefore this could have been known before His coming; and also that He could not become righteousness except through temptations, and victories over all evils and all the hells. As in Jeremiah:

In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell in confidence, and this is His name whereby they shall call Him, Jehovah our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6).

In the same:

In those days and in that time will I cause an Offshoot of righteousness to grow onto David, and He shall do judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell in confidence; and this is what they shall call Him, Jehovah our righteousness (Jeremiah 33:15-16).

In Isaiah:

He saw, and there was no man; and He wondered that there was none to intercede; and His arm brought salvation unto Him, and His righteousness it upheld Him. And He put on righteousness as a coat of mail, and a helmet of salvation upon His head (Isaiah 59:16-17; see especially Isaiah 63:3, 5).

“His arm” means His own power. Because the Lord alone is righteousness, the “habitation of righteousness” also is mentioned in Jeremiah 31:23; 50:7.