10575. And He said, I will make all My good pass by over thy faces. That this signifies all the Divine of heaven and of the church above the external separate from the internal, in which external were Moses and the nation over which he presided, is evident from the signification of “making pass by over his faces,” as being above the external separate from the internal in which were Moses and the nation over which he presided, for by “thy faces” is signified the external of worship, of the church, and of the Word, in which there is an internal, and by “making pass by” is signified above it; and from the signification of “all the good of Jehovah” as being all the Divine of heaven and of the church. How the case herein is can be seen from what has been said and shown above concerning Moses and the nation over which he presided, namely, that they were in external things separate from what is internal, by which is meant that while in worship they were in holy external things without anything internal; and as there was nevertheless present a holy internal, but which did not enter into their holy external, it is therefore plain what is signified by “Jehovah making all His good to pass by over his faces.” There was indeed an internal in that nation, but it was filthy and full of uncleanness from the love of self and of the world. This, however, was closed when they were in worship, to the end that the internal Divine of heaven, of the church, and of the Word should not be defiled; for if this had been defiled by the internal of that nation, there would have been no communication whatever of their external with heaven while they were engaged in worship and in reading the Word (on which subject see what has been said and shown in n. 10454-10457, 10462-10466, 10492, 10498, 10500, 10533, 10549-10551, 10570, where these things have been more fully unfolded).

10533. Perchance I should consume thee in the way. That this signifies that if what is Divine were to flow in with this nation it would perish, is evident from the signification of “consuming,” as being to perish. That that nation would perish if what is Divine were to flow in with them, is evident, for it is said, “I will not go up in the midst of thee; perchance I should consume thee in the way.” The case herein is this. They who are in external things without what is internal, thus in the loves of self and of the world, cannot possibly receive anything Divine; and therefore the internal with them is kept closed. If the internal were opened with them, and what is Divine were to flow in, they would utterly perish; for their life is from the loves of self and of the world, and there is a perpetual opposition and contrariety between these loves and heavenly loves, and heavenly loves are what is Divine; and therefore their life would be extinguished by the influx of what is Divine. That the Israelitish nation was in external things without what is internal, thus was in these loves, has frequently been shown above.