9373. Come up unto Jehovah. That this signifies conjunction with the Lord, is evident from the signification of “coming up,” as being to be raised toward interior things (see n. 3084, 4539, 4969, 5406, 5817, 6007), consequently also to be conjoined (n. 8760). That it denotes conjunction with the Lord, is because by “Jehovah” in the Word is meant the the Lord, (n. 1343, 1736, 1793, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6280, 6303, 6905, 8274, 8864, 9315). A secret which also lies hidden in the internal sense of these words, is that the sons of Jacob, over whom Moses was the head, were not called and chosen; but they themselves insisted that Divine worship should be instituted among them (according to wh at has been said in n. 4290, 4293); and therefore it is here said, “and He said unto Moses, Come up unto Jehovah,” as if not Jehovah, but another, had said that he should come up. For the same reason in what follows it is said that “the people should not go up” (verse 2); and that “Jehovah sent not His hand unto the sons of Israel who were set apart” (verse 11); and that “the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the sons of Israel” (verse 17); and lastly that Moses, being called the seventh day, “entered into the midst of the cloud.” For by “the cloud” is meant the Word in the letter (n. 5922, 6343, 6752, 6832, 8106, 8443, 8781); and with the sons of Jacob the Word was separated from its internal sense, because they were in external worship without internal, as can be clearly seen from the fact that now, as before, they said, “all the words which Jehovah hath spoken we will do” (verse 3); and yet scarcely forty days afterward they worshiped a golden calf instead of Jehovah; which shows that this was hidden in their hearts while they were saying with their lips that they would serve Jehovah alone. But nevertheless those who are meant by “the called and the chosen” are those who are in internal worship, and who from internal worship are in external; that is, those who are in love to and faith in the Lord, and from this in love toward the neighbor.

2971. The field and the cave that was therein. That this signifies as to the good and the truth of faith, is evident from the signification of “field” as being the church, also the good itself of the church. The celestial, or good, which is of love to the Lord and of charity toward the neighbor, is compared to “ground,” and also to “field;” it is also called “ground” and “field;” because the celestial or good is that which receives the truths of faith, which are compared to seeds and are also called “seeds.” The same is evident also from the signification of a “cave,” as being the truth of faith which is in obscurity (see n. 2935); it is said to be in obscurity because it is with the spiritual (see n. 1043, 2708, 2715).

4766. And I, whither do I come? That this signifies Where now is the church? is evident from the representation of Reuben as being the faith of the church in general (n. 4731, 4734, 4761); and as Reuben says of himself, “and I, whither do I come?” it signifies “Where now is the faith of the church,” or what is the same, “Where now is the church?” That there is no church where the heavenly Joseph is not (that is, the Lord as to Divine truth, specifically as to the Divine truth that the Lord’s Human is Divine, and that charity is the essential of the church and consequently the works of charity) may be seen from what has been shown in this chapter concerning both these truths.

[2] If this Divine truth that the Lord’s Human is Divine is not received, it necessarily follows that a trine should be adored, and not one; and also that half of the Lord, namely, His Divine, should be adored, but not His Human; for who adores what is not Divine? And is the church anything where a trine is adored, one separately from another, or what is the same, where three are equally worshiped? For although the three are called one, still the thought distinguishes and makes three, and only the speech of the mouth says one. Let everyone consider in himself when he says that he acknowledges and believes in one God, whether he does not think of three; and when he says that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and these also distinct in persons, and distinct as to functions, whether he can think that there is one God, except in the way that three distinct from one another make one by harmony, and also by condescension in so far as one proceeds from another. When therefore three gods are adored, where is the church?

[3] But when the Lord only is adored, in whom there is a perfect trine, and who is in the Father and the Father in Him, as He Himself says:

“Though ye believe not Me, believe the works; that ye may know and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father” (John 10:38);

“He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; believest thou not Philip that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me” (John 14:9-11),

“He that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me” (John 7:45);

“All Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine” (John 17:10),

then there is the Christian Church, as there is when the church abides in this that the Lord said:

“The first of all the commandments is, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God from all thy heart, and from all thy soul, and from all thy mind, and from all thy strength, this is the first commandment; and the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; there is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

That the “Lord our God” is the Lord may be seen in other places (Matthew 4:7, 10; 22:41-45 Luke 1:16-17; John 20:28), as also that “Jehovah” in the Old Testament is called “Lord” in the New (see n. 2921).

[4] If also this Divine truth is not received both in doctrine and in life-that love toward the neighbor, or charity, and hence the works of charity, are an essential of the church, it necessarily follows that it is of the church to think what is true, but not to think what is good; and thus that the thought of the man of the church may be in contradiction and opposition to itself; that is, may think what is evil and at the same time may think what is true; thus may by thinking evil be with the devil, and by thinking truth be with the Lord; when yet truth and evil do not at all agree, for “No servant can serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other” (Luke 16:13). When faith separate establishes this, and also confirms it in life, no matter how it may speak of the fruits of faith, where then is the church?