8672. 'And Jethro rejoiced over all the good which Jehovah had done for Israel' means the state of Divine Good when all things go well. This is clear from the representation of 'Jethro' as Divine Good, dealt with above in 8643; and from the meaning of 'rejoiced over all the good' - when used in reference to Divine Good, represented by 'Jethro' - as the state of that Good. The state of Divine Good when good is done to heaven and the angels there, also to the Church and the people there, is expressed in the Word as 'joy'. The nature of the joy however surpasses all understanding, because it is that of the Infinite. Infinite joy also exists when good is received by those in heaven and in the Church, as may be recognized from Divine Love, which is infinite towards the human race, 8644; for all joy is a characteristic of love. From all this it is evident that 'Jethro rejoiced over all the good which Jehovah had done for Israel' means the state of Divine Good when all things go well. 'Israel' is used to mean those belonging to the Lord's spiritual kingdom and spiritual Church, 8669, with whom all things went well; for they were delivered from molestations, and were after that victorious in temptations, as has been described above.

8643. 'And Jethro, the priest of Midian' means Divine Good. This is clear from the representation of 'Jethro, the priest of Midian' as the good of the Church which is guided by the truth that goes with simple good, dealt with in 7015, but at this point Divine Good, because 'Moses', whose father-in-law he was, represented Divine Truth; for when the son-in-law represents truth, the father-in-law represents good, that is, a higher level of good since he is his wife's father. The reason why Divine Good is represented at this point by 'Jethro' is that the subject in this chapter is the arranging of truths into order with a member of the spiritual Church, which is done by Divine Good working through Divine Truth. For whenever arrangement into order takes place it is done by good working through truth.

[2] Truths are arranged into order in this way with a member of the spiritual Church when his actions begin to be governed no longer by truth but by good. This state is his second state, which arises after he has undergone temptations. When truth governs his actions he undergoes temptation, to the end that the truths with him may become firmly accepted. Once they have been firmly accepted they are arranged into order by the Lord; and once they have been arranged into order the person enters the second state, in which the truths are in his will and in his actions. As a result of this they become part of his life, and are called forms of good. This arranging of truths into order is the subject below.