10649. And sacrifice to their gods. That this signifies thus worship from falsities, is evident from the signification of “sacrificing,” as being worship in general (see n. 6905, 8680, 8936); and from the signification of “the gods of the nations,” as being the falsities of evil (n. 10648).

8680. And Jethro Moses’ father-in-law took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God. That this signifies worship from the good of love and truths of faith, is evident from the signification of “a burnt-offering” and of “sacrifices,” as being representatives of the celestial and spiritual things which are of internal worship; burnt-offerings being representative of celestial things, that is, of the good of love; and sacrifices being representative of spiritual things, that is, of the truth of faith (see n. 922, 923, 1823, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3519, 6905). That burnt-offerings represented those things which are of the good of love, and sacrifices those things which are of the truth of faith, is evident from their institution; namely, that in the burnt-offerings all was consumed, both the flesh and the blood; but in the sacrifices the flesh was eaten, as can be seen from what is said in Leviticus 1 to 5; Numbers 28, and in Deuteronomy, where are these words:

That thou mayest make thy burnt-offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of Jehovah thy God; the blood of the sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh (Deuteronomy 12:27).

The reason why these two things were represented by the burnt-offerings and the sacrifices, was that the burnt-offerings and the sacrifices represented all the worship of God in general (n. 923, 6905); and the worship of God in general is founded upon love and faith, for without these there is no worship, but only a rite, such as is of the external man without the internal, thus devoid of life.