9414. 'And Jehovah said to Moses' means instructions from the Lord for those restricted to the outward sense. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as instructions, when it includes the things stated after it that make up the instructions, as also in 7186, 7241, 7267, 7304, 7380, 7517, 7769, 7793, 7825, 8041 (the instructions come from the Lord because 'Jehovah' is used in the Word to mean the Lord, 1343, 1736, 1793, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6280, 6281, 6303, 6905, 8274, 8864, 9315); and from the representation of 'Moses' as that which acts as the intermediary between the Lord and the people, thus the Word in respect of its outward holiness since this acts as an intermediary. The fact that 'Moses' begins now to represent this intermediary is clear from the train of thought in all that follows. For that people was restricted to the external level of the Word, and as a consequence their worship was external, separated from anything internal, see 9380. Those who are like this cannot have any holy contact at all with the Lord, let alone be joined to Him, except through an intermediary. This matter will be explained more fully below in 9419.

[2] The fact that this people was restricted to the outward sense of the Word, separated from the inward, and that as a consequence their worship was similarly external, is plainly evident from events that followed. After forty days they fell completely away, worshipping the golden calf instead of Jehovah. Also, because of this Moses at that time threw the tablets from his hand and smashed them; and afterwards he was commanded to hew some other tablets on which the same words would be written. The meaning of this was that this people were altogether unwilling to accept any teaching at all from the inward sense of the Word as it exists in heaven, only from its outward sense separated from the inward, as the Word exists with them in the world even at the present day. This also explains why that people were no longer called Jehovah's people but Moses' people, as in Chapter Exodus 32 further on,

Jehovah spoke to Moses, Go! go down; for your people whom you caused to come up from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. Exodus 32:7.

Also in Chapter 33,

Jehovah spoke to Moses, Go! go up from here, you and the people whom you have caused to come up from the land of Egypt. Exodus 33:1.

For this reason also they were subsequently removed from the mountain. And in Chapter 34,

No man shall come up with you, and also no man shall be seen on all the mountain. Also no flock or herd shall feed before this mountain. Exodus 34:3.

For 'Mount Sinai' means the Law or Divine Truth and the Word as it exists in heaven, and so heaven as well, 8399, 8753, 8793, 8805. The reason why Moses previously represented the Word in general, that is, in respect both of its inward sense and of its outward sense, was that there the subject was the declaring of the Law, by which the revelation of Divine Truth in general was meant. This was the beginning of the revelation, for all else in the Word was written later.

7186. 'And Jehovah said to Moses' means instruction regarding the law of God. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah said' as instruction from the Divine, dealt with below; and from the representation of 'Moses' as the law of God, dealt with in 6713, 6752, 7014. The reason why 'Jehovah said to Moses' means instruction regarding the law of God is that the end of the previous chapter spoke of Moses' belief gained from the law of God that those belonging to the spiritual Church would be delivered from molestations straightaway. The orderly way however is for the evil who molest to be removed gradually, and those who belong to the spiritual Church to be delivered gradually.

[2] Divine order knows no other way than this, and therefore the law of God too knows no other way, for every law of God is a law of order, so entirely so that whether you say a law of God or a law of Divine order it amounts to the same thing. Those who belong to the spiritual Church now receive instruction regarding this law; from it they learn that they will certainly be delivered when, in keeping with order, the time and state for deliverance has come. The fact that Moses - who represents here the law of God as it exists among those belonging to the spiritual Church when they pass through a state involving molestations - believed from the law of God that they would be delivered from molestations straightaway is evident from the things said by him at the end of the previous chapter. There he says, 'Why have You done ill to this people? Why is this, that You have sent me, and have not delivered Your people at all?' the meaning of which is that they are suffering from excessive molestation by falsities when yet the law emanating from God seems to promise something different, thus that they have not been released from the state of molestations, see 7165, 7166, 7169.

[3] The reason why those who belong to the spiritual Church and are on the lower earth are delivered from molestations gradually, in successive stages and not straightaway, is that there is no other way in which the evils and falsities clinging to them can be removed and forms of good and truth instilled instead. This is effected by very many changes of state, thus gradually, in successive stages. Those who believe that a person can be introduced straightaway into heaven, and that nothing more than the Lord's mercy is necessary for this to be done, are very much mistaken. If that belief were true, then all in hell, however many they may be, would be raised to heaven; for the Lord's mercy reaches out to all. However, the orderly way is for each person to take with him the life he was leading in the world and for that life of his to determine his state in the next life. At the same time the Lord's mercy flows into everyone and is present with all; but it is received in varying ways, and is rejected by those who are governed by evil. And because they have steeped themselves in evil when in the world they also retain it in the next life. Nor is any correction possible in the next life; for where the tree has fallen, there it lies. All this shows how orderly it is that those who have led a good life, yet whose characters also have uncouth and impure elements of self-love and love of the world in them, should be unable to enter into fellowship with those in heaven until such elements have been removed. From these considerations it is evident that deliverance from molestations takes place gradually, in successive stages.