8567. 'Why do you tempt Jehovah?' means that their complaining is against the Divine, from whom they despair of receiving aid. This is clear from the meaning of 'tempting Jehovah' as complaining against the Divine. The reason why going so far as to despair of receiving aid from Him is meant is that such despair lies within what people say when they complain in temptations; for temptations consist in ever-recurring feelings of despair over salvation. Initially those feelings are slight, but in course of time they weigh heavily on a person, till finally he doubts, almost denies God's presence or the possibility of aid from Him. In temptations the spiritual life is for the most part brought to this extremity, for in that way the natural life is snuffed out, since while a person is in the midst of despair the Lord keeps his inmost actively engaged in the fight against falsity. As a consequence also such despair is soon after that dispelled by the comfort which is then supplied by the Lord; for all spiritual temptation is followed by comfort and so to speak newness of life. Regarding the prolongation of temptations to the point of despair, see 1787, 2694, 5279, 5280, 7147, 7155, 7166, 8165; and regarding comfort after temptations, 3696, 4572, 5246, 6829, 8367, 8370 (end).

7154. Verses 19-21 And the officers of the children of Israel saw themselves to be in evil, ¹ by saying, You shall not reduce your bricks at all, your stint each day. ² And they met Moses and Aaron, who were standing in their way, as they came out from Pharaoh. And they said to them, Let Jehovah see you ³ and judge, because you have caused our odour to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.

'And the officers of the children of Israel saw themselves to be in evil' means being close to damnation. 'By saying, You shall not reduce your bricks at all' means because the introduction of falsities was not in any way diminished. 'Your stint each day' means in every state. 'And they met Moses and Aaron' means thought regarding the law from God and the doctrinal teachings derived from it. 'Who were standing in their way, as they came out from Pharaoh' means a manifestation at a time when falsities did not molest quite so much. 'And they said to them' means perception. 'Let Jehovah see you and judge' means Divine disposal. 'Because you have caused our odour to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants' means that because of them ⁴ all those who are steeped in falsities feel such a strong aversion to our spirit of obedience. 'To put a sword in their hand to kill us' means that consequently such a burning desire to destroy the Church's truths by means of falsities exists in them.

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