3574. 'And he came near and kissed him' means presence and union. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming near' as presence, and from the meaning of 'kissing' as uniting or joining together resulting from affection, 3573. That 'kissing' has this meaning is evident from other places in the Word, as in David,
Serve Jehovah with fear, and kiss the Son lest He be angry and you perish in the way; for His wrath will shortly blaze up. Blessed are all who trust in Him. Ps. 2:11, 12.
This refers to the Lord, whose Divine Human is 'the Son'. 'Kissing Him' is being joined to Him by means of faith grounded in love. In the same author,
Let mercy and truth meet, let righteousness and peace kiss each other. Ps. 85:10.
'Let righteousness and peace kiss each other' stands for let them join themselves to each other. In Hosea,
Ephraim has uttered what is horrible and has become guilty through Baal. And now they sin more and more; they are making for themselves a molten image from their silver, even an idol by their own intelligence, the complete work of craftsman to these saying, Those offering human sacrifice kiss the calves. Hosea 13:1, 2.
[2] 'Ephraim' stands for intelligence, in this case one's own intelligence. That is, 'Ephraim' stands for those who believe and wish to believe that it is not the Lord who is the source of their wisdom. 'A molten image made from their silver' stands for good made false. 'The complete work of craftsmen' stands for intelligence that is one's own. Those who are such are said to 'kiss the calves', that is, to embrace magic and ally themselves to it. In the first Book of Kings,
Jehovah said to Elijah, I have caused seven thousand to be left over in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. 1 Kings 19:18.
'Kissing' stands for becoming joined to 'Baal' because of one's affection for him - and so stands for worshipping him.