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.

1672. And the kings that were with him. That this signifies the apparent truth which is of that good, is evident from the signification of “kings” in the Word. “Kings,” “kingdoms,” and “peoples,” in the historical and the prophetical parts of the Word, signify truths and the things which are of truths, as may be abundantly confirmed. In the Word an accurate distinction is made between a “people” and a “nation;” by a “people” are signified truths, and by a “nation” goods, as before shown (n. 1259, 1260). “Kings” are predicated of peoples, but not so much of nations. Before the sons of Israel sought for kings, they were a nation, and represented good, or the celestial; but after they desired a king, and received one, they became a people, and did not represent good or the celestial, but truth or the spiritual; which was the reason why this was imputed to them as a fault (see 1 Samuel 8:7-22, concerning which subject, of the Lord’s Divine mercy elsewhere). As Chedorlaomer is named here, and it is added, “the kings that were with him,” both good and truth are signified; by “Chedorlaomer,” good, and by “the kings,” truth. But what was the quality of the good and truth at the beginning of the Lord’s temptations has already been stated.

10707. 'Until he went in to talk to Him' means even though they were receiving instructions. This is clear from the meaning of 'until Moses went in to talk to Jehovah' as the state of what was outward when what was inward from the Lord flowed into it and it received instructions, dealt with above in 10702. The reason why even though they were receiving instructions is also meant here is that 'Moses' represents the outward form that the Word takes, containing what is inward, 10694, and he went in before Jehovah and came out, and then conveyed instructions to them. For 'going in and coming out' means communicating, 5249, 6901, and 'talking' conveying instructions, see in the places referred to in 10280. Their not wishing to know about the inward things of the Word, the Church, and worship, which have regard to the Lord, to His kingdom, and to loving Him and believing in Him, is plainly evident from the fact that when the Lord was in the world they were unwilling to acknowledge Him, even though He instructed them from the Word. It is also evident in the fact that they are still unwilling at the present day to acknowledge Him, although they live among Christians and know that the Word foretold that the Messiah, that is, Christ, was going to come. The reason why they did not and do not acknowledge Him is that they make everything in the Word apply to themselves and their pre-eminence over others, and so use everything there in support of their own loves, which are self-love and love of the world. All who do this lack any ability to see in the light of heaven. The inward level of their mind, which ought to lie open to heaven, is closed, and therefore they do not receive any light at all from there. As a consequence thick darkness and blindness are theirs so far as spiritual things are concerned, thus so far as anything belonging to the inward level of the Word, the Church, and worship is concerned. The inward level of the Word is spiritual, the outward level of it is natural. When the inward level of the Word is spoken of, the inward level of the Church and worship should also be understood, since the Church resides where the Word is and owes its existence to the Word, and worship consists of those things that are contained in the Word. Consequently whatever the quality of a person's understanding of the Word is, so is the quality of the Church in him and the quality of his worship.