8567. 'Why do you tempt Jehovah?' means that their complaining is against the Divine, from whom they despair of receiving aid. This is clear from the meaning of 'tempting Jehovah' as complaining against the Divine. The reason why going so far as to despair of receiving aid from Him is meant is that such despair lies within what people say when they complain in temptations; for temptations consist in ever-recurring feelings of despair over salvation. Initially those feelings are slight, but in course of time they weigh heavily on a person, till finally he doubts, almost denies God's presence or the possibility of aid from Him. In temptations the spiritual life is for the most part brought to this extremity, for in that way the natural life is snuffed out, since while a person is in the midst of despair the Lord keeps his inmost actively engaged in the fight against falsity. As a consequence also such despair is soon after that dispelled by the comfort which is then supplied by the Lord; for all spiritual temptation is followed by comfort and so to speak newness of life. Regarding the prolongation of temptations to the point of despair, see 1787, 2694, 5279, 5280, 7147, 7155, 7166, 8165; and regarding comfort after temptations, 3696, 4572, 5246, 6829, 8367, 8370 (end).

8370. 'And they encamped there beside the waters' means that after temptation the truths of faith were arranged into order by the good of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'encamping' as an arrangement of truth and good into order, dealt with in 8103 (end), 8130, 8131, 8155; and from the meaning of 'the waters' as the truths of faith, dealt with in 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668. The reason why 'they encamped there beside the waters' means that the truths of faith were arranged into order by means of the good of love is that 'camp' means truths and forms of good, 8193, 8196, and 'encamping' an arrangement of them, while 'beside the waters' means in keeping with truths that come from God. The expression 'the good of love' is used because every arrangement of truths into order is effected through the good of love; for truths arrange themselves under good and accord with it, making with good one body so to speak in the image of the person in whom they exist. The expression 'in the image of the person in whom they exist' is used because the image of a person's spirit - which, being his internal man, is the person's true self - is fashioned altogether according to the ordering and arrangement of truths by good residing with him. This is why when angels come to be present the sphere of the good of love ripples out from them and impinges on the affections of those who are present; and the truths of faith shine from their faces. In the spiritual world these kinds of things are apparent and clearly perceived. The arranging into order is said to take place after temptation because although forms of good and truths are instilled into a person through temptations they are not arranged into order until the temptations have finished. For a state of temptation is one of turmoil, whereas the state after temptation is peaceful; and when there is peace the arranging into order takes place. Therefore temptations are also followed by a feeling of pleasure as a result of enlightenment from truth and by a feeling of delight as a result of an affection for good, dealt with just above in 8367.