'And the people heard this bad news, and mourned' means their grief because they do not occupy a position above others. 'And no one put on his finery' means the nature of their external which is such that it lacks what is Divine. 'And Jehovah said to Moses' means instruction. 'Say to the children of Israel, You are a stiff-necked people' means that that nation would receive no influx from the Divine. 'Were I for one moment to go up in your midst I would consume you' means that they would be destroyed if what is Divine were to flow in and reside with them. 'And now, take off your finery' means the nature of their external which is such that it is without anything Divine. 'And I shall know what I am to do to you' means that, this being so, it is possible for something to be established among them. 'And the children of Israel tore away their finery' means that they were deprived of Divine Truth in external things. 'At Mount Horeb' means within the external things of worship, the Church, and the Word.

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