6964. 'And He said' means providence showing what those who belonged to the spiritual Church were going to be like if they did possess faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah said' as providence, as above in 6951. The fact that it was providence showing what they were going to be like if they did possess faith is evident from the things that follow in the narrative. For the restoration of his hand like his [other] flesh means that then spiritual good would reside with them, and this is the opposite of his hand's becoming leprous when he put it into his bosom, which means that the profanation of truth would exist with those who belonged to the spiritual Church if they were not in possession of faith, dealt with above in 6959, 6963.

6951. 'And Jehovah said to Moses' means providence on the part of the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying', when used in reference to Jehovah or the Lord, as foresight, dealt with above in 6946, and as foresight is meant, so also is providence (the two go together, for the Lord's providence is at work in the things He foresees, in that He foresees what is evil, yet provides what is good), and therefore here 'Jehovah said' means providence because now the serpent is turned into a rod, that is, evil is turned into good; and from the representation of 'Moses' as the Lord in respect of God's truth. Thus the expression 'providence on the part of the Divine' is used in reference to the Lord's Human when He was in the world.