10559. 'And Moses said to Jehovah' means annoyance that the Divine, and so the Church itself, does not reside with them. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' here as annoyance, for it includes what comes after it, this being what he actually said; and what comes after it is an expression of annoyance because the Divine was not willing to reside with them. That being so, the Church would not reside with them to make them more distinguished than all who are on the face of the earth, as is evident from verse 16 below. The reason why Moses' words to Jehovah were an expression of annoyance because of this was that Moses now represents the head of the Israelite nation, see above in 10556; therefore he speaks on behalf of himself and of that nation, for in verse 16 he says 'I and the people'. And since he now represents that nation as its head, the words 'Moses said to Jehovah' mean annoyance, for anyone who is by nature like that nation is annoyed with God if he does not attain his desires.

[2] This is how all whose interest lies in external things devoid of what is internal behave; for if they revere and worship God, and seem to love Him, they do so not for His sake but their own. Their only desire is for pre-eminence over others and greater wealth than others. This burning desire is what moves them to revere, worship, and seemingly love Him. But if they do not obtain the things they desire they forsake God. The fact that that nation was like this is plainly evident from the historical narratives in the Word. The following words spoken by Jacob have a similar meaning,

Jacob made a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and guard me on this road on which I am walking, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I come back in peace to my father's house, then Jehovah will be my God. Genesis 28:20-21.

The import of these words is that if he received those things he would acknowledge Jehovah as his God, but if he did not receive them he would not do so. Of such a mind also was the nation descended from him. This explains why that nation forsook Him so many times and worshipped other gods, till at length they were for that reason expelled from the land of Canaan, first the Israelite nation and afterwards the Jewish.

[3] It is evident that the cause of the annoyance referred to above lay in the fact that they would not become more distinguished than all throughout the whole world if Jehovah did not go with them. Another cause of that annoyance was that the Church itself would not exist among them, which follows from this, that being led by Jehovah into the land of Canaan means being made a Church. The reasons for this are that the Church had existed in the land of Canaan since most ancient times, and that the Word could not have been written anywhere else than in that land, thus among the nation that possessed it, and the place where the Word exists is where the Church exists. The Word could not have been written anywhere else than there because all the places throughout the whole of that land, and those around it - the mountains, valleys, rivers, forests, and everything else - had become representative of celestial and spiritual realities, and the literal sense of the Word in both the historical sections and the prophetical parts must of necessity consist of such representative things. It must do so because the interiors of the Word, which are celestial and spiritual, terminate in such things and so to speak rest on them like a house on its foundations. For unless the Word as to its literal sense, which is the last and lowest level of it, rested on those things it would be like a house without foundations. The truth of this is evident from the Word, in that references are made so many times to places in that land, all of which, having become representative, are signs for the realities of heaven and the Church.

[4] All this explains why being led into the land of Canaan means the establishment of the Church and why Moses' annoyance has to do with the same thing, though nothing of that was in his mind.

The Church had existed in the land of Canaan since most ancient times, and for this reason all the places there became representative, see 3686, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517, 5136, 6306, 6516, 8317, 9320, 9325.

For the same reason 'the land of Canaan' in the Word means the Church, in the places referred to in 9325.

7439. 'Send My people away and let them serve Me' means that they should leave those who belong to the spiritual Church, in order that these may worship their God in freedom. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending away' 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 Jehovah' as worshipping. That they should worship in freedom is evident from what follows in verses 21-23, and also from the consideration that all worship which is truly worship must take place in freedom.

[2] The children of Israel are called Jehovah's people not because they were any better than other nations but because they represented Jehovah's people, that is, those who belonged to the Lord's spiritual kingdom. The fact that they were no better than other nations is evident from their life in the wilderness, where they did not believe at all in Jehovah. Instead they believed in their hearts in the gods of the Egyptians, as is clear from the golden calf which they made for themselves and which they called their gods who had led them out of the land of Egypt, Exodus 32:8. The same fact is also evident from their life subsequently in the land of Canaan, dealt with in the historical sections of the Word; and the things said about them in the prophetical parts and finally by the Lord make it evident too.

[3] This also explains why few of them are in heaven; for the destiny they have met in the next life has been determined by the way they lived. Refuse to believe therefore that they have been chosen for heaven ahead of others. Those who believe that these people have been chosen for heaven ahead of others do not believe that each one's life remains with him. Nor do they believe that a person has to be made ready for heaven throughout his entire life in the world, and that although this is accomplished by the Lord's mercy, people are not admitted into heaven by mercy alone regardless of the life they have led in the world. The kind of notion they have of heaven and the Lord's mercy is the result of teachings about faith alone and salvation by it without good works; for such people are unconcerned about life. Hence they also believe that evils can be purged away like dirt with water, and so believe that a person can be brought in an instant into leading a life of goodness and consequently be admitted into heaven. Such people do not know that if the evil were deprived of their life of evil they would have no life whatever, and also that if those who lead an evil life were admitted into heaven it would feel like hell to them, and the further they went into heaven the worse would that feeling become.

[4] All this now makes it clear that the Israelites and Jews had not by any means been chosen; they were simply accepted in order that they might represent the things of heaven. And this they had to do in the land of Canaan because the Lord's Church had existed there since most ancient times and all places there had consequently become representative of heavenly and Divine realities. Then also the Word could be written, in which the names would serve to mean such things as belong to the Lord and His kingdom.