7439. Let My people go, that they may serve Me. That this signifies that they should release those who are of the spiritual church in order that they may worship their God in freedom, is evident from the signification of “letting go,” as being to release; from the representation of the sons of Israel, here “My people,” as being those who are of the spiritual church (n. 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223); and from the signification of “serving Jehovah,” as being to worship. That they should worship in freedom is plain from what follows (verses 21-23), and also from the fact that all worship which is truly worship must be in freedom.

[2] The sons of Israel being called “the people of Jehovah” was not because they were better than other nations, but because they represented the people of Jehovah, that is, those who are of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom. That they were not better than other nations is plain from their life in the wilderness, in that they did not at all believe in Jehovah, but in their hearts believed in the gods of the Egyptians, as is evident from the golden calf which they made for themselves, and which they called their gods who had brought them forth out of the land of Egypt (Exodus 32:8). The same is evident also from their subsequent life in the land of Canaan, as described in the historicals of the Word, and from what was said of them by the prophets, and finally from what was said of them by the Lord.

[3] For this reason also few of them are in heaven, for they have received their lot in the other life according to their life. Therefore do not believe that they were elected to heaven in preference to others; for whoever so believes, does not believe that everyone’s life remains with him after death, nor that man must be prepared for heaven by his whole life in the world, and that this is done of the Lord’s mercy, and that none are admitted into heaven from mercy alone, regardless of how they have lived in the world. Such an opinion about heaven and the Lord’s mercy is induced by the doctrine of faith alone, and of salvation by faith alone without good works; for those who hold this doctrine have no concern about the life, and so believe that evils can be washed away like dirt by water, and thus that man can in a moment pass into the life of good, and consequently be admitted into heaven. For they do not know that if the life of evil were taken away from the evil, they would have no life whatever, and that if they who are in a life of evil were admitted into heaven, they would feel hell in themselves, and this the more grievously, the more interiorly they were admitted into heaven.

[4] From all this it can now be seen that the Israelites and Jews were by no means elected, but only accepted to represent the things that belong to heaven; and that this must needs be done in the land of Canaan, because the Lord’s church had been there from the most ancient times, and from this all the places there became representative of heavenly and Divine things. In this way also the Word could be written, and the names in it could signify such things as belong to the Lord and His kingdom.

7011. And thou shalt take in thy hand this rod. That this signifies Divine power herein, is evident from the signification of “rod,” as being power (see n. 4013, 4015, 4876, 4936), and in fact when it is in the hand; for by “hand” is signified spiritual power, and by “rod” natural power. As the natural has no power except from the spiritual, so a rod has no power unless it is in the hand; and therefore it is said that “he should take it in his hand.” (That the “hand,” when predicated of the Lord denotes the power proceeding from His Divine rational, and a “rod” the power proceeding from His Divine natural, may be seen above, n. 6947.) It is said “the Divine power therein,” namely, in truths (of which above), because power is predicated of truth (n. 3091, 6344, 6423, 6948).

6423. And he shall sit in the strength of his bow. That this signifies that he is safe by means of the fighting truth of doctrine, is evident from the signification of “sitting,” as being to be safe, for he who sits in the strength of his bow is safe; and from the signification of a “bow,” as being doctrine (see n. 2686, 2709). The strength of doctrine is truth, for doctrine in which there is no truth is of no avail (that to truth belong power and strength, see above, n. 878, 3091, 4931, 4934, 4937, 6344). The reason why truth is strong, is that good acts through truth; for good is of such a nature that nothing of evil or of falsity can approach it, thus none of the infernal crew, who flee far away when good approaches, or an angel who is in good. But in order that good may fight with that crew which is with man from hell, and protect him in every way, and also protect the spirits who arrive from the world, and likewise those who are in the lower earth, it acts through truth, for in this way it can approach them.

[2] How much power there is in truth has been made evident to me by what it has been given me to see in the other life. A certain spirit who was in natural truth, because during his life in this world he had been a just man, passed through a number of hells, and spoke with me from thence, and described them; he was in power and strength so great that the infernal spirits could not at all infest him, so that he passed safely from one hell into another, which is quite impossible for those who are not in truth. From all this it is evident that by “sitting in the strength of a bow” is signified to be safe by means of the truth of doctrine: that it is by truth fighting, follows from what goes before, where it is said that “the archers shoot at him and hate him.”