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.

10694. 'And they were afraid to approach him' means that they could not bear an outward form of the Church, worship, and the Word such as this. This is clear from the meaning of 'being afraid to approach' as not being able to bear something, for those who cannot bear interior things are afraid to approach them; and from the representation of 'Moses' as the outward form that the Word, the Church, and worship take, containing what is inward, dealt with in 10563, 10571, 10607, 10614. The situation in all this is that those whose interest lies solely in things of the Church, worship, and the Word on an outward level devoid of what is inward cannot bear interior things. The reason for this is that those whose interest lies in outward things devoid of what is inward are ruled by selfish and worldly love, and consequently see by an inferior light, called natural illumination. But those whose interest lies in things of the Church, worship, and the Word on an inward level as well as those on an outward one are governed by love towards the neighbour and love to the Lord, and consequently see by the light of heaven. And since the two kinds of love are opposites, and consequently the two kinds of light are as well, one cannot bear the other. For when heavenly love, that is, love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, flows into earthly loves, which are self-love and love of the world, it induces feelings of agony like the throes of death; and when heavenly light flows into worldly light, it induces thick darkness and consequently stupidity. So it is that an outward form devoid of inward content cannot bear any outward form when it does have an inner content. Since the Jewish nation was like this they could not bear to hear about the Lord, or about love and faith in Him, which are the interior things of the Word, the Church, and worship. These then are the things which are meant when it says that the children of Israel were afraid to approach Moses because the skin of his face gleamed. What it is that 'the skin of Moses' face' means, see above in 10691.