7393. 'And I will send the people away to sacrifice to Jehovah' means that they would then leave those who belonged to the spiritual Church, so that they could worship their God. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending away' as leaving, as in 7311, 7349, 7350; from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those belonging to the spiritual Church, as in 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7123; and from the meaning of 'sacrificing to Jehovah' as worshipping their God. Sacrifices were signs of all worship as a general whole, see 6905, thus worship is mean thereby 'sacrificing'.

7349. 'Thus says Jehovah, Send My people away in order that they may serve Me' means that they should leave those who belong to the Church in order that in freedom they may worship their God. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending' as leaving; from the representation of the children of Israel, to whom 'My people' refers here, as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7075, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223; and from the meaning of 'serving Me' as worshipping their God. The reason for saying 'worship in freedom' is that no worship was possible where falsities were molesting them; and a further reason is that all worship that is truly worship must take place in freedom, 1947, 2875, 2876, 2880, 2881, 3145, 3146, 3158, 4031.