241. Verse 18. I counsel thee, signifies the means of reformation of those who are in the doctrine of faith alone. This is evident from what now follows, for the reformation of those who are in that doctrine is now treated of; therefore "I counsel thee" implies precepts as to how such must live that they may be reformed and thus saved.

10535. 'And the people heard this bad news, and mourned' means their grief because they do not occupy a position above others. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing this bad news and mourning' as grief. The fact that it is grief because they do not occupy a position above others is evident from what has been shown previously regarding that nation. That is to say, it has been shown that they insisted on the Church's being established among themselves. But they insisted on this with no other end in view than that they might occupy a position above all nations throughout the entire world; for they were ruled by self-love more than others were, and could not be raised to a position above those nations unless Jehovah, and therefore also the Church, was with them; for where Jehovah - that is, the Lord - is, so is the Church. That such was their end in view is clear from a large number of places in the Word, and also from the following verse in the present chapter,

Moses said, How will it ever be made known that I have found grace in Your eyes, I and Your people? Will it not be in Your going with us? And I and Your people will be made more distinguished than all the people who are on the face of the earth. Exodus 33:16.

It was not because they were chosen, rather because they were allowed to have the Church established among them; yet the Church did not reside within the actual nation, only that which was representative of the Church did so, see in the places referred to in 10396(end).

10068. 'And over his sons and over the garments of his sons' means a reciprocal uniting of Divine Good and Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Human in the lower heavens. This is clear from the consideration that since the sprinkling of the blood taken from the altar and of the anointing oil over Aaron means the reciprocal uniting of Divine Good and Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Human in the higher heavens, 10067, a like sprinkling over Aaron's sons and their garments means a similar uniting in the lower heavens. For what is Divine and the Lord's in the lower heavens is represented by Aaron's sons when what is Divine and the Lord's in the higher heavens is represented by Aaron himself. The reason for this is that the lower heavens spring from the higher ones, like sons from their father, see 7004, 9468, 9473, 9680, 9683, 9780. It should be remembered that the Lord's celestial kingdom is meant by the higher heavens and His spiritual kingdom by the lower heavens, and that the heavens in both kingdoms are distinct and separate, as stated and shown many times. In each kingdom what is Divine and the Lord's is the same, yet different so far as reception by the angels there is concerned.