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.

6304. And shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers. That this signifies to the state of both Ancient Churches, is evident from the signification of “land,” as being the church (see n. 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535, 4447, 5577); and from the signification of “fathers,” as being the men of the Ancient and Most Ancient Churches (n. 6075). It is said “to the state of both Ancient Churches,” because the sons of Israel and their descendants, like those who belonged to the Ancient Churches, in every particular represented the Lord’s kingdom, celestial and spiritual. The representative itself was also instituted; with the Jewish nation that of the celestial kingdom, and with the Israelitish that of the spiritual kingdom; but with that generation nothing but a mere representative could be instituted, and not anything of the church or kingdom of the Lord; for they desired to see and acknowledge in the representatives absolutely nothing but what was external, and not anything internal. Nevertheless in order that there might exist a representative, and thereby some communication with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, they were kept in externals; and it was then provided by the Lord that communication should exist by means of a mere external representative without an internal. This was the state to which the descendants of Jacob could be brought back; nevertheless in their external representatives there lay inwardly hidden Divine things; in the highest sense such as regarded the Lord’s Divine Human; and in the relative sense such as regarded the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, and the church. This state of both Ancient Churches is signified by the words, “God shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers.”

5575. THE INTERNAL SENSE

Verses 1-5 And the famine grew more serious in the land. And it happened, when they had finished eating the corn which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, Turn back, buy a little food for us. And Judah said to him - he said, The man issued a solemn warning to us, saying, You will not see my face unless your brother is with you. If you are willing to send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. And if you are not willing to send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.

'And the famine grew more serious' means the desolation resulting from the dearth of spiritual things. 'In the land' means in the case of the integral parts of the Church. 'And it happened' means a new situation. 'When they had finished eating the corn' means when there was a deficiency of truths. 'Which they had brought from Egypt' means which had been obtained from factual knowledge. 'That their father said to them' means a perception received from the things that constituted the Church. 'Turn back, buy a little food for us' means that, so as to have life, they should acquire the good of spiritual truth. 'And Judah said to him' means the good which existed in the Church. 'He said, The man issued a solemn warning to us' means the turning away from them of the spiritual from the internal. 'Saying, You will not see my face' means that no compassion will show itself. 'Unless your brother is with you means unless the intermediary is with you. 'If you are willing to send our brother with us' means if the Church desires a linking to take place, the intermediary must be there. 'We will go down and buy food for you' means that in this case the good of truth will be acquired. 'And if you are not willing to send him' means if that is not so. 'We will not go down' means that it cannot be acquired. 'For the man said to us' means a perception regarding the spiritual. 'You will not see my face' means that no compassion will show itself. 'Unless your brother is with you' means unless the intermediary is with you.