Беседа XXXIX

“And when Abram was ninety and nine years old, God appeared to him” 337 (Gen. 17:1). 1. Have you seen, beloved, how in Divine Scripture nothing is said without benefit? Did you see how much benefit we gained yesterday by talking about Hagar and her flight? We learned the great meekness of the forefather, the height of his chastity, the respect he showed Sarah, considering agreement with her most precious. We saw how God, out of His ineffable love for mankind, wanting to honor the righteous man, not only returned Hagar, who wandered in the desert and fled from fear of her mistress, but also gave him (Abraham) offspring in Ishmael, thus bringing great consolation to the righteous man, and giving him a reward for his patience. And when Ishmael was born, the Divine Scripture, wanting to indicate to us the age of the forefather, also indicated the very number of his years, saying: “Abram was only sixty years old when he gave birth to... Ishmael” (Gen. 16:16). Let us now consider this and the following sayings (of Holy Scripture), and we will again see how great was the patience of the righteous man, and how great and ineffable the Lord’s love for mankind. We will see this clearly if we again pay attention to the years of the forefather’s life and how the all-good God arranged his destiny, constantly subjecting His servant to trials and thereby revealing love for God in his soul. The Lord, of course, Himself clearly foresaw the virtue of His servant, the goodness of his soul and fully knew the price of this margarita; but he wanted to show him to all his contemporaries, so that in subsequent generations the virtue of the righteous man would attract those who wished to be jealous and imitate him. That is why God gradually reveals the wealth of the soul of the righteous, so that we learn never to lose faith in the promises of God and not to lose heart if (their fulfillment) is slow; and as the Lord of all quickly promises, we would trust more in the invisible than in the visible and in what is in our hands, and were confident that the promises of God would never remain unfulfilled, even if, even for a long time, something apparently contrary to them happened; They were not embarrassed in spirit because of this, but remembered the providential and omnipotent power of the Promiser, and knew that when He wants to bring His destinies to fruition, then everything submits and obeys Him. As the Lord and Creator of nature, He can give us that which is above nature. So, looking at our weaknesses, let us not test the works of God and let us not waver in our thoughts, considering the natural order (of things); but as prudent servants, knowing the boundless omnipotence of our Lord, we will believe His promises, rise above our natural weakness, so that we can receive what is promised and enjoy His favor, and with all our strength we will show Him due honor. This is what true worship of God on our part consists of, when we trust in His omnipotence, even if visible to carnal eyes it seems contrary (to His promises). Why are you surprised if (I said that) the greatest worship of God consists precisely in not doubting (His promises)? And people like us, when they promise something of these temporary and perishable things, and we do not doubt, but boldly believe their promise, consider it a great honor for themselves, that is, that we do not doubt, but believe their promises. If this happens with people who often change and, due to weaknesses, cannot always fulfill their intentions, then shouldn’t we believe much more in the promises of God, even if they are not fulfilled soon? I said this now not without a purpose, but so that, starting the beginning of this reading, I can see how the humane God, wanting to make the forefather venerable for everyone, delays for so many years (in fulfilling his promises), and the righteous does not grieve, does not become discouraged by the delay, does not despair, but, feeding on good hopes, reveals his God-loving soul in everything. We will clearly see all the virtue of the forefather when we find out how much time has passed between then. This is shown to us by blessed Moses, inspired by the Holy Spirit. What is he saying? When (Abraham) heeded the command of God and, rising, rushed from Haran to the land of Canaan, then he was seventy-five years old (Gen. 12:4). And as soon as he entered the land of Canaan, (God) promised to give all this land to him and his seed, and to multiply (his offspring) so that they would be countless, like sand and stars. Meanwhile, after this promise, much happened to the righteous man: removal, due to famine, to Egypt, the abduction of Sarah, and then the (revealed) providence (of him) of God, then, upon his return (from Egypt), Sarah’s insult from the king of Gerar and immediate intercession from God. The righteous man, seeing all these events after this promise (of God), was not embarrassed in spirit, did not experience why, having received such promises, he is subjected to so many and such great temptations every day, and remains childless for so long; but, as a pious husband, not daring to subject the works of God to the judgment of his weak mind, he was calm and accepted with consolation everything pleasing to God. 2. After nine years 338 (Abraham) received Ishmael from a slave and thought that the promises would be fulfilled on him. “You were eighty-six years old,” says Scripture about the forefather, “when you gave birth to Ishmael” (Gen. 16:16). Meanwhile, God tests the patience of the righteous for another thirteen years, and only then fulfills His promise. He knew well that, like gold purified after a long time in a crucible, the virtue of the righteous will appear (in temptation) purer and brighter. When, it is said, Abraham was ninety-nine years old, God appeared to him again 339 (Gen. 17:1). Why did He delay so long? In order for us to recognize not only the patience and great virtue of the righteous, but also the boundless omnipotence of God. When nature was already exhausted and became incapable of procreation, because the body (of Abraham) had already withered and dried up from old age, then only by fully revealing all the virtue of the righteous and revealing His power, (God) fulfills His promises. It is necessary, however, to listen to the very words spoken by God to Abraham: when he was ninety-nine years old, “God appeared to him 340 and spoke to him.” When you hear that God has appeared, do not assume anything earthly here and do not think (that it is possible) to see the Divine and incorporeal nature with bodily eyes, but reason about everything piously. “God appeared to him,” i.e. He was worthy of revelation, and seeing him worthy of His providence, he shows him special condescension and enters into a conversation with him: “I am your God: please yourself before Me and be blameless; And I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you greatly. And Abram fell on his face” (Gen. 17:1-3). Great is the piety of the righteous man, and extraordinary is the favor of the all-merciful God towards him! He says: “I am your God.” It’s as if he said: “I am,” who until now has arranged your destiny in many different ways; “I am”, who called you from your house and brought you here; “I am”, who fought for you and exalted you above all your accusers. And he didn’t just say: “I am God”; but - “I am your God.” Notice the great goodness; see how by this addition He expresses His favor towards the righteous. The God of the entire universe, the Creator of all things, the Creator of heaven and earth, says: “I am your God.” Great honor to the righteous! This is what the prophets usually say. Just as now He Himself, the common Lord of all, allows the servant to call Himself His God, and later, as we will see, He says: “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” so the prophets often said: “God, God,” not limiting themselves only to His dominion, but showing their immeasurable love. But when people do this, there is nothing surprising; and when God himself does this in relation to people, it is extraordinary and wonderful. However, let us not be surprised, beloved, but let us listen to the prophet who says: “It is better for one day to do the will of the Lord 341 than ten thousand sinners” (Sir. 16:3), also blessed Paul, who says: “I came in sheepskin and in goatskins, deprived, sorrowful, embittered, for whom the world is not worthy” ( Hebrews 11:37–38 ). Thus the prophet expresses that one who does the will of God is better than the countless multitude of lawless ones; and blessed Paul, the teacher of the universe, remembering all the righteous who spend their lives in sorrows and in all kinds of distress, says: “The world is not worthy of them.” He contrasted these persecuted and mourning people with the whole world in order to show the greatness of virtue. That is why the Creator of all says to the forefather: “I am your God; be well-pleasing before Me and be blameless." I will not despise the exploits of your so great virtue, but “I will make My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you.” Not just (says) “I will multiply,” but “I will multiply greatly,” showing extraordinary multiplication. What He previously expressed with the words: “like sand and stars,” the same thing now means with the word “green.” And the grateful and pious servant, seeing such great condescension towards himself from God and such His care for his servant, amazed and thinking about his own weak nature, about the goodness of God and infinite power, “fell,” says the Scripture, “on his face,” thus expressing his gratitude. Not only did he not become proud and elevated in thought from the favor shown to him, but he humbled himself even more: “fall,” it is said, “on their faces.” Such is a grateful soul: the more it takes advantage of the approach to God, the more it reveals reverence for him: “fall on your faces.” And when the righteous man, after that boldness (given to him), looking at himself and at the weakness of human nature, did not even dare to raise his head, but bowed down, thereby expressing his deep reverence - look again, what ineffable mercy the all-good God shows. “God spoke to him, saying: Behold, I am, and my covenant is with you, and you will be the father of many languages; and thy name shall not be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham, as he called thee the father of many languages. And I will make you grow 342... and I will make you a people, and kings will come out of you” (Gen. 17:3–6). 3. Notice, beloved, as now (God) clearly predicts everything to the righteous, and in order to give him even greater confirmation, he attaches a new letter to his name and says: “If you are the father of many languages, your name will not be called Abram, but Abraham, as the father of many tongues who set you up.” His former name (Abram) expressed “migration” (the word “Abram” in Hebrew means “migrant,” as those knowledgeable in that language explain it); and since he had to leave his land for Canaan, his parents gave him that name. Maybe someone will say: after all, his parents were unfaithful; where could they have such foreknowledge that they expressed in (his) very name what was to happen after a long time? And this is the work of God’s providential wisdom, which often arranges such cases through the unbelievers. This has happened many times, as we can see, to others; and now the name Noah comes to mind. And it was not simply and not by chance that his parents gave him such a name, but foreshadowed in him the flood that would take place in five hundred years. And that Noah’s father did not give such a name to his son because he was virtuous, listen to the Scripture, which says clearly: “Noah alone was found righteous, perfect in his generation” (Gen. 6:9). Scripture would not have been silent and would not have said that Noah alone was righteous, if Lamech, his father, had been a zealot for the virtue of this righteous man. Meanwhile, intending to give his son a name, (Lamech) says: “And his name shall be called Noah; This one will give us rest from our deeds and from the sorrows of our hands, and from the land that the Lord God has cursed” (Gen. 5:29). Tell me, please, where did he (Lamech) get such knowledge about what was going to happen in a few generations? He will be called, he says, Noah; “This one will give us rest.” Noah in Hebrew means peace. So, since (Noah) alone could have been saved during the flood that covered the universe, and was supposed to mark the beginning of the existence of subsequent (after the flood) generations, he (Lamech) says: this one “will give us rest,” calling the flood rest. Indeed, the flood, having covered with water the entire earth, burdened with the sins of the people of that time and bearing all kinds of filth, and having stopped all the evil of lawless people, cleansed the land, which had become unclean from the malice of its inhabitants, and put them to rest through punishment: “for death,” says the Scripture, “for a man rest” (Job 3:23). Now do you see how often the future according to God’s dispensation is foreshadowed through the unbelievers)? In the same way, the parents gave this forefather (Abraham) a name, foreshadowing in advance that he would be a prisoner and, having crossed the river 343, would go to a foreign land. So, God says to Abraham, if the name given to you by your parents foreshadowed your migration from there to here, 344 then accept the addition of a letter (to this name), as a sign that you will be the father of many nations. Notice how precise the words are. He didn’t say all “languages,” but only “many.” Since there were other nations that had to be expelled from there 345 so that the seed of the righteous would receive their inheritance, God says: “The father of many tongues laid you down.” Knowing the greatness of your virtue, I will make you a mentor to many nations, “and I will make you grow, and I will multiply you 346 greatly, and I will make you among the nations, and kings will come from you.” Let us not pass, beloved, without heeding these words. If we think about the age of the forefather - that he heard this in his last old age, then we will be surprised at the faith of the righteous man and the boundless power of the philanthropic God, who from a man, so to speak, already dead, weakened in body and every day awaiting his death, predicts such a multiplication of the seed that even nations will arise from it; and not only this he predicts, but also that “kings will come out of you.” Do you see how the promises gradually rise? “I will bring you back,” he says, “very well.” It is not without reason that (God) repeats this word, but in order to show the righteous an extraordinary multitude (of offspring). Then, through the application of a letter, on the very name of the forefather, as if on some pillar, having inscribed an indelible sign of (his) promise, God further says to the forefather: “And I will establish my covenant between... 347 and among your seed throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, that I may be your God” (Gen. 17:7). Not only for you, he says, I will show great care, but also for your seed after your death. See how (God) encourages the spirit of the righteous, promising him that he will have great providence for his seed. What is the power of the covenant? “Let God be for you,” he says, “and for your seed.” This will be the greatest of all blessings for you and your seed. “And I will give you and your seed after you the land in which you dwell, the whole land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their 348 God” (Gen. 17:8). For your virtue, your descendants will benefit from My providence, and I will give them the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. What does it mean: “and I will be their God?” This means that I will show great care and providence for them, I will show them My help in everything; only “thou... thou shalt keep mine, thou and thy seed after thee throughout their generations” (Gen. 17:9). I do not demand anything else from you except obedience and gratitude; and I will fulfill everything that I have promised. 4. But, wanting to adopt the descendants (of Abraham) and make them His people, God did not want that over time, when they multiplied, they would mix with those nations whose land they were to inherit; then, since subsequently, according to His prophecy, they were still to be subjected to slavery in Egypt, so that there they would not mix with the Egyptians, God, as a sign, commands circumcision to the righteous and says: “This covenant, which you will keep between Me and you, and between your seed after you throughout their generations 349: every male shall be circumcised from you; You will circumcise your foreskin” (Gen. 17:10–11). Then, admonishing them and all of us about why he gave such a commandment - precisely so that this would be a sign of His chosen people, He says: “And it will be for a sign of the covenant between Me and you” (Gen. 17:11). Next he appoints the time when he should perform (circumcision). “The child,” he says, “will be circumcised for you eight days, ... both the household and the purchased one” (Gen. 17:12), in a word - everyone who lives with you will receive this sign. And everyone who is not circumcised on the appointed day will be “perished” because he has broken My covenant and transgressed the commandment (Gen. 17:14). Notice the wisdom of the Lord, how He, foreseeing in the future the corruption of their hearts 350, puts a kind of bridle on them, gives them such a sign - circumcision, in order to curb their indomitable passions and prevent them from mixing with pagan peoples. He knew their lust and the fact that they would not abstain from animal desires, despite any suggestions; therefore, giving them a constant reminder in the sign of circumcision, He places this sign on them, as if some bonds, assigns them a measure and limits that they should not transgress, always remaining within the circle of their tribe, and not allowing themselves any mixing with other nations, and thus keeping the seed of their forefather (Abraham) pure, so that the promises of God could be fulfilled on them. And just as another honest and modest person, having an intemperate slave, curbs her by giving her a restrictive rule never to go beyond the gates of his court and not to show himself to passers-by, and often also puts her legs in bonds, so that at least in this way her intemperance can be restrained, so the Lord, who loves mankind, places the sign of circumcision on the flesh, like bonds on the legs, so that constantly having such a reminder with them, they (the Jews) no longer need instruction from others. But the unreasonable and insensitive Jews want even now, completely untimely, to preserve circumcision and (thereby) discover a childish meaning in themselves. Why, in fact, tell me, do they want to be circumcised now? Then 351 they received this commandment so as not to mingle with other wicked nations, but now, when by the grace of God all (nations) are brought to the light of truth, what is the use of circumcision? Does cutting off the flesh contribute in any way to the freedom of the soul 352? Didn’t they (the Jews) hear how clearly God said: “And it will be for a sign of the covenant,” as if showing that (only) due to their great foolishness they needed such a sign? This often happens in human affairs. When we do not trust someone, we try to get some sign from him in the form of a pledge; so the God of all, knowing the frivolity of them (the Jews), wanted to demand this sign from them - not so that it would remain forever, but so that, with the end of the then covenant, the use of this sign would be abolished. Just as between people who demand from each other some sign or pledge, this sign is immediately destroyed, as soon as the business undertaken between them ends, so it is exactly here. Since this sign was introduced among you 353 only so that the people descended from the patriarch would be clearly distinguished from other (nations), then as soon as some of those peoples for whose sake you accepted such a sign, some had already completely disappeared, and some of the others had turned to the light of truth, you should no longer bear (on yourself) the evidence of your foolishness, but abolish it and restore your former dignity. Consider that this wonderful man, I’m talking about the forefather, even before he received the commandment about circumcision (and he was already ninety-nine years old when this commandment was given), was pleasing to God and glorified by the Lord a thousand times. And only then, when the time for the fulfillment of God’s promises approached, when Isaac was to be born and his family to multiply, and the forefather himself was to pass away from this life, only then does he receive the commandment of circumcision, and he himself is circumcised at such an old age that what the forefather did would serve as a kind of law and rule for all his descendants. 5. And so that you can be better convinced, beloved, that circumcision does not in the least contribute to spiritual virtue, you can consider the very circumstances of the case. Why does (God) say: “In eight days the baby will be circumcised”? I think that the lover of God determined such a time for a twofold purpose: firstly, so that in immature years it would be easier to endure the disease of circumcision; and secondly, so that from the matter itself they (the Jews) could see that (circumcision) in itself does not bring any benefit to the soul, but is intended to be only as a sign. In fact, what benefit (from circumcision) can a minor child receive for the soul, who does not understand what is being done (to him), which has no meaning? After all, the perfection of the soul is actually what is done by free will, that is, when the soul itself chooses good and runs away from evil. Thus, the perfection of the soul consists in not only not wanting more, but also giving what is available to the poor; The perfection of the soul is not to cling to the present, on the contrary, to despise it and constantly think about the future. And to have a sign on the body - what kind of perfection is that? But the foolish and senseless Jews, still sitting in the canopy when the truth has already appeared, still crouching in the light of the lamp, when the sun of righteousness has already risen and is spreading the rays of (its) light everywhere, still feeding on milk, when the time for strong food has already (arrived), do not want to listen to blessed Paul, who says in a loud voice: “And the sign of the acceptance of circumcision, the seal of the righteousness of faith, even in uncircumcision" (Rom. 4:11). Look how he (the apostle) teaches us here both this and that - both that he (Abraham) received circumcision as a sign, and that, not yet being circumcised, he had already shown the truth of faith. So that the Jew would not dare to say: was it not circumcision that gave him (Abraham) justification? - for this reason, the blessed (apostle), raised at the feet of Gamaliel and carefully instructed in the law, says: do not think, shameless Jews, that circumcision in itself will serve to justify him; not yet being circumcised, but having shown only faith in himself, he was already justified: “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). So, after he has been justified by his faith in God, he receives the sign of circumcision; and first (God) attaches a letter to his name, and then commands circumcision, and thereby shows that only for great virtue He chooses and brings the righteous person closer to Himself, and for his sake, his descendants. And just as people who acquire slaves often change both their names and their clothes, and do everything in order to distinguish them from other slaves, so that it can be seen from everything who owns them; so the God of all, wanting to distinguish him (Abraham) from other people, through the application of the letter indicated that he would be the father of many nations, and through circumcision - that his people would be chosen, and that the offspring that would come from him would be separated from other nations. But if they, 354, out of their blindness, still want to observe the circumcision of the flesh, not listening to the words of Paul: “If you are circumcised, Christ profits you for nothing” (Gal. 5:2), - for this purpose the Lord appeared to destroy all this and for this purpose he fulfilled the whole law, in order to abolish the observance of the law for the future, which is why blessed Paul exclaimed: “Those who are justified by the law have fallen away from grace” ( Gal.5:4), then we, for our part, will listen to blessed Paul and accept circumcision not made by hands. “For He was born,” he says, “and was quickly circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of sin from the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ”; and further, in order to more accurately show us what such circumcision consists of, he adds: “being buried by baptism” (Col. 2:11-12). Just as the sign of circumcision separated them (the Jews) from other nations and showed them to be the people chosen by God, in the same way with us the circumcision of baptism 355 constitutes the most obvious distinction and separation of the faithful from the unfaithful. “For He was born,” says (the apostle), “and was quickly circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, having put off the body of sin from the flesh.” Just as there circumcision is performed for the laying off of the flesh, so here baptism is for the putting aside of sins. So, having once put off our sinful flesh and taken on clean clothes, let us remain, beloved, in purity; conquering carnal passions, let us acquire virtue; being under grace, let us be jealous of the one who lived under the law, or even before the law itself, so that, having directed our lives in his footsteps, we may be worthy of being accepted into his bosom and achieve eternal blessings, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Ηνίκα δὲ ἐγένετο ὁ ῎Αβραμ ἐννενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐτῶν, ὤφθη αὐτῶ ὁ Θεὸς. In this form, reading the opening words of Chapter XVII. not found in lists; usually and without any digressions they are read in this way: Κύριος τῶ ᾿Αβρὰμ - “And Abram became ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram.” Whether the saint drew the above reading from some list, which now remains unknown, or whether it represents his own, non-literal transmission of biblical words, it cannot be said with certainty; the latter, however, is more likely, since these same initial words of Chapter XVII. transferred from the saint to the 2nd department. this conversation in a slightly different form of speech; see note 4. Despite these differences in mode of expression, however, the content of the biblical words remains essentially the same. Of course, after the promises of offspring were given to Abraham. Here are the opening words of Chapter XVII. conveyed by the saint in the same form as in the title of the conversation. Zlat. Γενομένῳ αὐτῷ ἐτὤν ἐννενηκονταεννέα, ὤφθη αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς. Zlat.: Κρεῖσσον εἶς ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα Κυρίου, ἤ μυρίοι παράνομοι - more in accordance with Sinai sp. than with the Vatican. The following are then according to the usual reading of the Greek. sp. the words: σφόδρα σφόδρα - “zelo zelo” are not read here, and further, in the 3rd part. of this conversation are read. those. from the land of our own to the land of Canaan. those. from the land of Canaan. Zlat.: καὶ πληθυνῶ σε according to 59 sp. at Holmes; in Lucian. and other sp., as in Hebrew. These words are not readable in the text. – καὶ στήσω τὴν διαθήκην μοῦ ἀνὰ μέσον σοῦ with the omission of the words: ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ – “between Me and”, read in Alex., Lucian. and other sp. and ev. text; the omission here probably occurred because two sentences were read that ended with the same pronoun μοῦ or ἐμοῦ - “me”, “my”. Zlat.: καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῶν Θεός according to some. Greek sp.; in Lucian. and many others instead closer to Heb. t. reads: καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς εἰς Θεὸν - “and I will be their God.” Zlat.: εἰς τὰς γενεὰς αὐτῶν according to Alex. sp.; in Lucian, as in Heb. t., these words are not here. That is, the Jews are the descendants of Abraham. Saint Chrysostom speaks, addressing the Jews. That is, the Jews of the present time. Those. spiritual circumcision, or baptism taking the place of circumcision. You might be interested in: