Глава 19

1. “Prophecy about Egypt. “Behold, the Lord will sit on a light cloud and come to Egypt.” And the idols of Egypt will shake at his presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt within him” (Is. 19:1). Akila says: “on a dense small.” What do you say: “sit on a cloud”? Although the clouds are not dense, there is something corporeal in them. Others mean by the cloud the Blessed Virgin, but this is inconvenient, since the cloud means tenderness, lightness and mobility of the essence. “And the idols of Egypt will shake at His presence.” He begins the victory with the demons, so that there is no reason left for punishment between people. When He came and had not yet done anything, then, as a result of His coming alone, the universe was shaken. This happened when Christ first came. Having descended into Egypt, He completely uprooted all the untruths. After that, no tyrant or king waged war against God or fell away from Him; due to great injustice, but, for the sake of faith in Him, they even gave themselves up to death. There is no Pharaoh who would dare to resist God, both before and after miracles, but people without miracles accept the kingdom of Christ. There is no longer a city dominating the desert, but the whole desert, adorned with its citizens, is superior to other states, since God created spirit and body, and there are people who follow spiritual freedom and virtue. So, look at an absolutely amazing thing: the judgment seat is not visible. Why and how? There are no meetings of advisers and co-examiners, no godless laws, no authorities and enforcers (cf. Ex. 1:11-22), no horses and mules pulling chariots, no voices of heralds and profit for slaves (Ex. 14: 5-9), but all this is expelled from there. What help does a doctor give to healthy people who, with the coming of Christ, received perfect salvation? The prophet said well: “he will sit” in order to show with this word that He is the judge and rewarder for everything that happens there. "And the heart of Egypt will melt in him". What is the use of the body when the mind, its ruler, is lacking? This is where the weakening that has taken place with those leading the war is indicated. They weakened due to weakness not of the body, but of the mind, due to their inner weakness. 2. “I will arm the Egyptians against the Egyptians; and brother will fight against brother and against each other, city against city, kingdom against kingdom” (Isaiah 19:2). Is this really a sign of goodwill? Of course, and even great things, just as the Lord said: “Do not think that I came to bring peace to earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword, for I came to divide a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law” (Matthew 10:34-35). Just as, in the case of injury to a human member, the incurable part must be cut off, so it must be done here. 3–5. “And the spirit of Egypt will faint within it, and I will destroy its counsel, and they will resort to idols and to sorcerers, and to those who call forth the dead, and to fortune-tellers. And I will deliver the Egyptians into the hands of a cruel ruler, and a cruel king will rule over them, says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. And the waters of the sea will be exhausted, and the river will be dry and dried up” (Is. 19:3-5). Although these words have the connotation of prophecy, they do not predict anything about the future. “And the waters of the sea will be exhausted, and the river will dry up and dry up.” When was this? Do you see the power and strength of God? Why didn't this happen before? Why did He not destroy the nature of water at that time, but transform it? During the time of the sorcerers, He wanted to begin with lesser signs, so as to motivate them to the same. But, they ask us, where was the river dried up? Who knows? And how could this happen? How did this happen? please tell me. Was this really more amazing than fiery rain and flames turned into dew? However, the Hellenes do not know this, due to their foolishness; they enjoy their own and, as a rule, glorify only their own; When they hear something new and wonderful, they try to hide it. This is an ancient event that happened once, in the age of their philosophers. 6–7. “And the rivers will become scarce, and the canals of Egypt will become shallow and dry; the reeds and reeds will wither. The fields are by the river, along the banks of the river, and everything sown by the river will dry up, scatter and disappear” (Is. 19:6-7). Symmachus says: “obscenity will beg” Theodotion: “the poor will be arot”; this is a Hebrew word meaning "obscenity." Do you see that just a one-day decrease in water is considered a great (calamity)? 8–11. “And the fishermen will mourn, and all those who throw fishing rods into the river will mourn, and those who set nets in the water will fall into despondency; and the flax processors and the white linen weavers will be in confusion; and the nets will be broken, and all who keep live fish tanks will fall in spirit. So! the princes of Zoan went mad; the advice of Pharaoh's wise advisers became meaningless. How will you say to Pharaoh, “I am the son of wise men, the son of ancient kings?”” (Isaiah 19:8–11). “And the fishermen will mourn, and all those who throw fishing rods into the river will mourn, and those who set nets in the water will fall into despondency.” Such will be the calamity of lack of water (in general) that even experienced workers will be subject to this calamity. "So! the princes of Zoan went mad; the advice of Pharaoh’s wise advisers became meaningless.” What does it mean: “became meaningless”? This means: they will not find any way to make the situation easier, as in another place it is said: “and all their wisdom disappears” (Ps. 106:27). Such is the power of the Lord that He brings such disasters that can either diminish or destroy the wise, and the strong, and the rich, so that it is clear that these plagues are sent from God. “How will you say to Pharaoh: “I am the son of wise men, the son of ancient kings?” 12. “Where are they? where are your wise men? let them tell you now; let them know what the Lord of hosts has decreed about Egypt” (Is. 19:12). The Prophet does not say that they should destroy disasters, which is characteristic of a higher power, but: “they will say,” which even pagan prediction allows. “Let them know what the Lord of hosts has decreed about Egypt.” 13. “The princes of Zoan have gone mad; The princes of Memphis were deceived, and Egypt turned away from the path of the heads of its tribes” (Is. 19:13), either because they had previously promised some benefits, or because they, previously proud, could not demonstrate this. 14. “The Lord sent a spirit of drunkenness into him; and they led Egypt astray in all her affairs, just as a drunken man wanders in his vomit” (Isaiah 19:14). Here the power of the Lord is shown in multiple ways: through the great pretentiousness of Egypt, the Lord takes away all the power of the magical art, the possession of which he was famous for. (His wise men) not only will not receive prophecies and predict the future, but will not be able to explain it, even after teaching by Me: such is the power of the Lord that He can hide from them even something known and visible. Here, he says, I said, I realized, I did, - nevertheless, they will not be able to say anything later. He gave them a spirit of error, because their minds were weak. God wants Him to be considered the cause of not only good things, but also disasters: “I make peace and cause disasters; I, the Lord, do all this” (Is. 45:7), and: “Is there any disaster in a city that the Lord would not allow?” (Amos 3:6). Error reveals Him no less than truth. Listen to the Ascalonites, how they slyly marveled: “Isn’t this,” they say, “God who deceived the Egyptians” (cf. 1 Samuel 6:6)? “Not only,” they say, “one should fear the One who works miracles, but one should fear the One who leads astray.” Being in peace and security, let them not rely on this, since they may have some cunning plan: that is why it is said that “He deceives.” God loves the human race and does not want demons to be considered the cause of anything, just as the Greek sages believed another force: they divided the divine force into two mutually opposite sides, revealing their activity according to the same standard, one being called good demons and the other evil. But God is not like that. Of course, they say that there is some incorporeal evil force, but not in opposition to the Lord and not equal with Him, but obeys and is subordinate to Him, just as there can be evil and good people in the human race. The demon, as God shows, cannot do evil on its own. “Which,” it says, “I delivered to Satan” (1 Tim. 1:20). If Satan could not dare to do anything without the tradition of Paul, then even more so he cannot do anything like this without the permission of God. If he fears the servants of the Lord, and waits until he hears their command in order to obey him, like an executioner to a judge, then even more so to obey God. And look how, with the permission of God, he little by little advanced on Job. Look also what happened to the unfortunate Judas. Satan at first did not dare to attack him of his own free will, before gaining power. But when he separated from the divine host, then Satan entered into him. Although many times before, as a result of sacrilegious theft, he had prepared a place in himself for Satan, and Judas himself served as evil for himself, Satan did not have power until Christ handed him over to him. From here we learn how terrible it is for a person to neglect prayer and laws. “And they led Egypt astray in all her affairs, just as a drunken man wanders through his vomit.” 15–17. “And there will be no work in Egypt that the head and the tail, the palm tree and the cane, can do. On that day the Egyptians will be like women, and will tremble and fear the movement of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which He will lift up against them. The land of Judah will become a terror to Egypt; whoever remembers it will tremble at the decree of the Lord of hosts, which He has decreed concerning him” (Is. 19:15-17). The Jews, he says, will be subject to punishment, since they were the cause of disasters for them. You see what benefits the Jews enjoyed when the universe was thrown into confusion for their sake, and they were not only seduced, but also feared. 18. “On that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak in the language of Canaan and swear by the Lord of hosts; one will be called the city of the sun” (Isaiah 19:18). Aquila: “city of spring”; Symmachus; "city of Areg" Theodotion: “The city of Aren will be called one.” The prophet shows an abundance of things, since a church was built in Egypt. Why does it say: “they will speak in the language of Canaan”? Because they had to speak the Jewish language. Then the name is called: “one will be called the city of the sun.” Do you see the prophecy fulfilled? Do you see the confirmation? The prophet names the time, place, date and name: they will not only learn their name, but will also learn their own. Since they had to be scattered throughout the universe, the prophet first taught them virtues, and destroyed the fear of laws and their power. Now, they will say, he teaches in a different way, and why should we listen to what he said? According to the law, it was absolutely not allowed to build a church in another place: this was a crime. But then don't be afraid of this law. Look at what indifference is shown: changes in the statutes are allowed not in virtues, but only in places. 19. “In that day the altar of the Lord will be in the midst of the land of Egypt” (Is. 19:19): this is also said about the present tense. “And a monument to the Lord is at its borders.” Just as an erected monument remains strong and speaks in the words of an inscription about ancient virtues, so does the altar; this monument is made not of copper and indestructible stones, but of another, unmade substance. What does the inscription of this monument preach about? About the power of the Lord. This altar erected outside means nothing other than the death of the Lord, if God can die, because the death of the Lord in the body shows nothing other than the mercy of the Lord - this death was the cause of eternal life. Then the circumstances of the case are stated. 20. “And it will be a sign and a testimony of the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt, because they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a savior and intercessor, and will deliver them” (Is. 19:20). Just as they cried out at first, and God sent Moses to them, so it is now. Look, God does not always and not indifferently condescend to everyone - to those who ask, cry, and pray for benefits, but only to those who cry out because of those who offend them. Do you see that torment produces better fruit? He consoles you to cry out and thus gain mercy. “And He will send them a savior and an intercessor, and will deliver them.” Some attribute this to Onias, but it seems to me that this is said about Christ. Some translators say: He will send them the Savior. Many prophecies have a double meaning, just as it is said: “Out of Egypt I called My Son” (Hos. 11:1). This salvation is greater, the more worthy it is of the soul and thoughts. “An intercessor (cl.: “judgment”), and will deliver them.” What is an “intercessor”? Either - the fact that He condemned Satan, or - the fact that not everyone is indifferent. Because salvation comes from grace, do not think that it is accomplished unintentionally and indifferently. But how - from grace? If someone does something worthy of grace. 21–25. “And the Lord will reveal Himself in Egypt; and the Egyptians on that day will know the Lord, and will offer sacrifices and gifts, and will make vows to the Lord, and will fulfill them. And the Lord will strike Egypt; will strike and heal; they will turn to the Lord, and He will hear them and heal them. On that day there will be a high road from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assur will come to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria; and the Egyptians together with the Assyrians will serve the Lord. On that day Israel will be third with Egypt and Assyria; blessing will be in the midst of the land, which the Lord of hosts will bless, saying: Blessed are my people the Egyptians, and the work of my hands the Assyrians, and my inheritance Israel” (Is. 19:21-25). “And the Lord will reveal Himself in Egypt; and the Egyptians on that day will know the Lord, and will offer sacrifices and gifts, and will make vows to the Lord, and will fulfill them.” Do you see that first God appears to them, and then they come to know Him? “The Lord will strike Egypt; will strike and heal; they will turn to the Lord, and He will hear them and heal them. On that day there will be a high road from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assur will come to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria; and the Egyptians together with the Assyrians will serve the Lord." While inhabiting Jerusalem, they were in distress, and when they came to the land of foreigners, they received a blessing. Do you see that God always seeks virtue and not place? Who is holier than this people? He showed you for the first time that you can please God in a foreign land. And when you hear from Paul that reverend hands are raised in all places, then do not be embarrassed and do not think that he is saying anything against the law. Everything that was in the Old Testament has been taken away: the Sabbaths are abolished, circumcision is taken away, sacrifices are rejected, the church is useless, the state is lost, the city is destroyed. And now, after this, you, with your head bowed, will come here and sit under the running shadows, which did not bring any benefit to the fathers. Everything Jewish was taken away; only the knowledge of God without works did not help them at all. Do you see? All these are shadows and images; with them God wanted something different. Let us do what is pleasing to God and strive for salvation, and let us not covet anything, whether Jewish or Christian. Nothing is so significant as virtue and holy religion, which God desires. You might be interested in: