8754. A brief statement will be made here about good in which truths are to be implanted, meant here by 'the wilderness of Sinai'. A person who is being regenerated is led by the Lord at first by means of truth, and later on by means of good, see 7923, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701. The person who is being regenerated is led by means of truth to the end that he may come to good, that is, come to know it, then intend it, and finally do it. But when he is being led to good by means of truth he comes first to good which has not as yet had the truths of faith implanted within it; for truths cannot be implanted until he is governed by good. He already knows them, it is true, because they are present in his memory; yet they do not at this time reside within good but lie outside good. Later on when the person receives a new life, which he first receives when he is governed by good, the truths of faith are implanted, and within the internal man they enter into a marriage so to speak with good. This good in which the truths of faith have not as yet been implanted but which is nevertheless so arranged that it can receive them is meant here by 'the wilderness of Sinai'. No other kind of good than Christian good is meant, regarding which see 8635-8638.

3123. 'As for me, being on the way' means within a state of truth joined to good in the Rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'the way' as truth, dealt with in 627, 2333, here 'on the way' as the joining of truth to good within the Rational, for this is the subject in this chapter, see 3012, 3013. For someone is said to be 'on his way' when he makes progress in the direction he intends to go.