9779. 'And you shall command the children of Israel' means the Lord's command to the Church through the Word. This is clear from the representation of Moses, to whom 'you' refers here, as the Lord in respect of the Word, or the Word which comes from the Lord, dealt with in 4859 (end), 5922, 6752, 7014, 7089, 9372; and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as members of the spiritual Church, dealt with in 9340. From this it is evident that Moses' being told to 'command the children of Israel' means the Lord's command to the Church through the Word.

6857. 'Flowing with milk and honey' means which are a source of pleasure and delight. This is clear from the meaning of 'milk' as the celestial-spiritual or the truth of good, dealt with in 2184, and being the truth of good it is also the pleasure that goes with it, for the two are joined together; and from the meaning of 'honey' as delight, dealt with in 5620. From what was shown above in 6854 one may see what 'causing to go up out of that land to a land good and broad, flowing with milk and honey' is used to mean - that those who were held back on the lower earth, in pits there, until the Lord's Coming would be raised up to heaven, where the good of charity and the truth of faith are, which are a source of pleasure and delight. These things are what are meant in particular by those words; but in general they mean that all belonging to the spiritual Church undergo temptation and are delivered from it.