8754. A few words shall here be said about the good in which truths are to be implanted, which good is here signified by “the wilderness of Sinai.” (That the man who is being regenerated is first led by the Lord by means of truth, and afterward by means of good, see n. 7923, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701.) He who is being regenerated is led by means of truth to the intent that he may come to good, that is, may know it, and then will it, and finally do it. But when he is being led to good by means of truth, he first comes to the good in which the truths of faith have not yet been implanted; for truths cannot be implanted until he is in good. Before this they are indeed known, because they are in the memory, but at this time they are not in good, but are outside of good. Afterward when the man receives new life, which he first receives when he is in good, the truths of faith are implanted, and as it were enter upon a marriage with good in the internal man. This good, in which the truths of faith have not yet been implanted, but which is still so disposed that they can be received, is here meant by “the wilderness of Sinai.” No other good is meant than Christian good (on which see n. 8635-8638).

8690. And all the people standing over thee from the morning until the evening. That this signifies that at that time this was the source of everything of will with those who were of the spiritual church, in every state, is evident from the representation of Israel, who is here “the people,” as being those who are of the spiritual church (see above, n. 8645); from the signification of “standing over” Moses, as being obedience in conformity with truth Divine (as also above, n. 8686), and because it denotes obedience, it is of the will, for obedience is of the will, but it is the will to do truth by reason of command, not by reason of affection, and this will is obedience; and from the signification of “from the morning until the evening,” as being in every state, interior and exterior (of which above, n. 8687). The first state, in which man is before regeneration, is here treated of, which is that he does good from obedience, and not yet from affection; but this good is the truth which he does, because it is done only from command, thus as yet from compulsion, but not from freedom. He does good from freedom when he does it from affection; for everything that flows from the affection which is of love is free. When man is in the former state, then the Lord flows in and leads immediately; but the immediate influx of the Lord does not come to perception, because it is into the inmosts of the man; whereas the influx of the Lord which is immediate and at the same time mediate, does come to perception, and gives affection, for it is not only into man’s inmosts, but also into his mediates and outmosts. This latter state is treated of in what follows in this chapter; the former is described in these verses, where it is said of Moses that he judged alone (see what has been said above, n. 8685).