1097. And Canaan shall be his servant. That this signifies that such as make worship consist solely in externals are among those who may perform vile services to the men of the church, is evident especially from the representatives in the Jewish Church. In the Jewish Church the internal church was represented by Judah and Israel; by Judah the celestial church, by Israel the spiritual church, and by Jacob the external church. But those who made worship consist solely in externals were represented by the Gentiles, whom they called strangers, and who were their servants, and performed menial services in the church. As in Isaiah:

Strangers shall stand and feed your flock, and the sons of the stranger shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers; but ye shall be called the priests of Jehovah; the ministers of our God shall ye be called; ye shall eat the wealth of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves (Isaiah 61:5-6).

Here celestial men are called the “priests of Jehovah” spiritual men the “ministers of our God;” those who make worship consist solely in externals are called the “sons of the stranger” who should serve in their fields and vineyards.

[2] Again:

The sons of the stranger shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee (Isaiah 60:10), where in like manner their services are mentioned.

In Joshua concerning the Gibeonites:

Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall not be cut off from you a servant, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God; and Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, especially for the altar of Jehovah (Joshua 9:23, 27).It may be seen elsewhere who were represented by the Gibeonites, because of the covenant made with them, in spite of which however they were among those who served in the church. Concerning strangers, a law was delivered, that if they would receive peace and open their gates, they should be tributary and serve (Deuteronomy 20:11; 1 Kings 9:21-22). Everything written in the Word concerning the Jewish Church was representative of the kingdom of the Lord. The kingdom of the Lord is such that everyone in it, whosoever and whatsoever he may be, must perform some use. Nothing but use is regarded by the Lord in His kingdom. Even the infernals must perform some use, but the uses which they perform are most vile. Among those who in the other life perform vile uses are those who have had merely external worship, separated from internal.

[3] Moreover the representatives in the Jewish Church were of such a nature that there was no thought about the person that represented, but only about the thing represented thereby; as for instance in the case of the Jews, who were by no means celestial men, and yet represented them; and Israel again was by no means a spiritual man, yet represented him; and so it was with Jacob and the rest. The same was the case with the kings and priests, by whom was represented the royalty and holiness of the Lord. This is very evident from the use of inanimate things for representation, as Aaron’s garments, the altar itself, the tables for bread, the lamps, the bread and wine, besides oxen, bullocks, goats, sheep, kids, lambs, pigeons, and turtledoves. And because the sons of Judah and Israel only represented the internal and external worship of the Lord’s church, and yet more than others made all worship consist in externals, they above all others may be called “Canaan” according to his signification here.

10397. 'And the people gathered together to Aaron' means that they directed themselves to the outward features of the Word, the Church, and worship, detached from what was inward. This is clear from the meaning of 'gathering themselves together' as directing themselves; and from the representation of 'Aaron' here as the outward aspect of the Word, the Church, and worship, detached from the inward. The reason why Aaron has this representation here is that in the absence of Moses he was the head of that nation, and Moses, who was absent, represents the Word, from which the Church and worship are derived, in both its inward and its outward senses, see in the places referred to in 9372. The fact that Aaron has such a representation here is also evident from every single thing that is mentioned in what follows regarding Aaron, namely that it was he who made the calf, proclaimed the feast, and caused the people to become undisciplined, all of which is in exact accord with the outward aspect of the Word, the Church, and worship, when detached from the inward. Anyone who separates the inward aspect of the Word, the Church, and worship from the outward separates from it that which is Divine and holy. For the inward aspect of these is their spirit, whereas the outward is the body belonging to that spirit; and the body without the spirit is dead. To worship what is dead therefore is to worship an idol, in this instance to worship a golden calf, proclaim a feast to it, and so cause the people to become undisciplined, from all of which it becomes clear what 'Aaron' means in the present chapter. What the inward aspect of the Word, the Church, and worship is, and what their outward aspect is, has been shown in what has gone before.