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.

9215. It is his garment for his skin. That this signifies that they also clothe exterior things, is evident from the signification of a “garment,” as being the sensuous in general, or the things of sense, as above; and from the signification of the “skin,” as being what is exterior, which also clothes interior things, but still within the sensuous. (The signification of “the skin,” and who in the other life correspond to the skin, may be seen above, n. 3540, 5552-5559, 8977, 8980.) The natural of man is interior, exterior or middle, and outermost. The interior natural communicates with heaven; the middle or exterior natural communicates on the one side with the interior, and through it with heaven, and on the other with the outermost, and through it with the world (n. 4009, 4570, 5118, 5126, 5497, 5649, 5707). The outermost natural is the sensuous, which is here signified by the “garment.” This receives the objects belonging to the world, and thus is of service to interior things. It is called the “only covering,” because it is the ultimate, and thus is common to all. The exterior or middle natural is what is signified by the “skin.” From this it is evident that by “it is his garment for his skin,” is signified that the sensuous also clothes exterior things. (That the sensuous is the ultimate of man’s life, and thus the general covering, see n. 4009, 5077, 5125, 5128, 5767, 5774, 6201, 6313, 7442, 7693)

8977. If in his body he shall come in. That this signifies truth without delight, is evident from the signification of “body,” as being truth alone, thus truth without its delight; for by “body” is meant the manservant alone without a woman, thus without delight, for the “woman” of a manservant denotes delight conjoined with truth, as will be plain from what follows. With regard to this secret the case is this. The men of the external church, who were represented by the Hebrew servants, are they who learn truth from no delight, but solely for the reason that it is the truth of the church, by means of which they believe that they can be saved. It is this necessity which enjoins them to learn and to know it. These are they who in the internal sense are meant by “menservants who come in their body and go out in their body.” With these, truth is merely confirmed. In the other life such persons are in the entrance to heaven, and not in heaven itself; they are called “the cuticulars,” because in the Grand Man they correspond to the skin (see n. 5553-5559).

[2] But they who are in truth to which delight is adjoined are they who in the internal sense are here meant by the menservants who come with a woman, for “the woman” signifies good, when “the man” signifies truth; but here “woman” signifies delight, for in the man of the external church this takes the place of good. The good in which this man is, is not from a spiritual origin, but from a natural origin, for it has its relish from the delight of living and of teaching truth for the sake of gain or for the sake of honor, consequently for the sake of self. This is the reason why it is called “delight,” but not “good.” In the external form it does indeed appear as good, but because it is natural good, that is, because it has its origin from the world, and not from heaven, it is called delight.

[3] But good from a spiritual origin is meant in the internal sense by the woman whom the master gives his servant; but this cannot be conjoined; and therefore it was decreed that when the manservant should go forth, the woman should be the master’s, and also her sons and daughters. For spiritual good is good not for the sake of gain, or for the sake of honor; but for the sake of the church, and for the sake of the salvation of the neighbor. Such good cannot be conjoined with those who are in the externals of the church, for it is the very good of charity, and it springs from the affection which is of love. For they who are in the externals of the church cannot be affected by the truths of faith in any other way than chiefly for the sake of themselves, and secondarily for the sake of the church; and they who are of such a character can indeed act according to truths, thus can do what is good, not from affection, but from obedience. These are they who in the internal sense are meant by those who desire to serve forever.

[4] These are the arcana which in the internal sense are contained in these statutes concerning menservants, and which can in no wise be apprehended except by those who are in the good of charity; but not by those who are in the truths of faith without this good. The reason is that they who are in the good of charity are in the light of heaven, and from this light they see the things which are in the light of the world; whereas they who are in the truth of faith, and not in the good of charity, are in the light of the world, from which light the things which are in heaven cannot be seen. For the light of heaven is above, that is, within; but the light of the world is beneath or without, and lower or exterior things can be seen from higher or interior ones, but not the reverse; for heaven can flow into the world, but not the world into heaven (n. 3721, 5119, 5259, 5779, 6322).