Homilies on the Book of Judges

In “Homilies on the Book of Judges” (9 homilies, 239-242), Origen interpreted only its initial section - from the death of Joshua to the victory of Gideon over the Midianites. In the 1st and 2nd homily, Origen draws a line of comparison between Joshua and Jesus Christ. Thus, Origen allegorically interprets the “days of Jesus,” when the Jewish people served the Lord, as “days of salvation” and “days of righteousness,” in which the true light of virtues shines. Origen connects the death of Joshua with the “dying” of Jesus Christ in those people who are separated by their own sins from His resurrection and the life He gave. A significant place in the homilies is occupied by the disclosure of the topic of spiritual warfare, which any Christian is forced to wage during his earthly life. As a basis for moral teachings, Origen widely uses an explanation of the meaning of the Jewish names mentioned in the Book of Judges and the symbolism of numbers. *The title of the work in Latin is In librum Iudicum homiliae. Contents Homilia I. About what is written in the book of Judges: “And the people served the Lord all the days of Jesus and all the days of the elders who lived long days after Jesus and who knew all the great works of the Lord that He did to Israel” (Judges 2:7) Homilia II. About what is written: “Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died” (Judges 2:8) Homilia III. About the fact that the people of Israel were delivered “into the hands of their enemies” (cf. Judges 2:14), and about Othniel and Eod Homilius IV. About Sameghar, Jabin and Sisera Homilius V. About Deborah, Barak, Jael and Sisera Homilius VI. About the song sung by Devorah Homilia VII. That the Lord delivered the children of Israel into the hands of the Midianites (cf. Judges 6:1) Homilia VIII. About the sons of the east and partly about Gideon Homilius IX. And again, the rest is about Gideon and the battle that Gideon fought with the three hundred chosen Homilia I. About what is written in the book of Judges: “And the people served the Lord all the days of Jesus and all the days of the elders who lived long days after Jesus 1 and who knew 2 all the great works of the Lord that he did to Israel” (Judges 2:7) 1. In today's reading, the reader said: “And the people feared the Lord all the days of Jesus”; we have it written: “And the people served the Lord all the days of Jesus, and all the days of the elders who lived long days after Jesus, and who knew all the great works of the Lord, which he did to Israel” (Judges 2:7). Therefore, it is necessary to understand that each of us is found in either good days or bad, and spends either “Jesus days”, that is, days of righteousness, or days of lawlessness. For if we perceive “the true Light, which enlightens every man who comes into the world” (John 1:9), and allow It to penetrate our souls and enlighten them, and if the “Sun of righteousness” (Mal.4:2) rises in us and enlightens the peace of our souls, then we also spend the “days of Jesus” Christ, the days of salvation. If someone lets into his soul a light that “goes out” (cf. Job 18:5), a light contrary to the truth, and is enlightened by it, he will also begin to spend days, but bad ones: he will not remain in the days of Jesus, but in the days of Manasseh or in the days of Pharaoh or in some even worse days. And therefore, in the days of Ahaz, the lawless and wicked king, Isaiah could not see the vision, could not see “the Lord of hosts sitting on a throne, high and exalted” (Is. 6:1). But as soon as the cruel king, whose “days” were “evil” (cf. Eph. 5:16), died, then the prophet was honored to see God. Do you want to know why the days when Scripture says that they are one or another do not mean the time of the life of the One we are talking about, that is, the time of His stay in the flesh? Listen to what the Prophet foretells about the days of our Lord Jesus Christ: “In his days righteousness will arise, 3 and there will be an abundance of peace until the moon ceases” (Ps. 72:7). But if we accept that the days when the Savior was on earth were days of righteousness and peace, then how do we explain that the days of righteousness came for those who crucified Him and who did not accept either His coming or faith in Him? Or how will there be in His days an abundance of peace among those who delivered Him to death on false charges? How will the days of righteousness and peace seem to have arrived to those in whose minds the darkness of unrighteousness and wrath reigns? And again, if what is written “in his days righteousness will arise, and there will be an abundance of peace” refers to those days when the Savior lived in the flesh, then, since these are no longer those days, His righteousness now does not arise, and the abundance of the peace of Christ is not now found among the believers and the pious. Rather, everyone, by his actions and lifestyle, gains days of either unrighteousness and war, or righteousness and peace. Listen to what the prophet says: “For you who fear My name, the Sun of righteousness will rise” (Mal. 4:2), so that, without a doubt, he will grant them days of righteousness, that is, “the days of Jesus.” About the wicked, he says that the “Sun of Truth” will undoubtedly set for them, for those in whom righteousness sleeps and for whom the darkness of unrighteousness has risen. Do you want to learn in a similar way from the Prophet who has the abundance of peace? Listen to what he says in the Psalter: “Great peace have those who love Your name, 4 and there is no stumbling block for them.” So, “righteousness will arise, and there will be peace in abundance” for those who love the name of the Lord. However, the wicked also have their own light, from which, undoubtedly, “the days of evil” arise for them. Do you want to see evidence of this in Scripture? Listen to what is written: “The light of the righteous burns cheerfully, but the light of the wicked will go out” (Prov. 13:9; Job 18:5). So you see that the light of the wicked is such that it will fade away, but the light of the righteous rushes into eternity. And I don’t know if there is anyone so unreasonable who thinks that when the light of the wicked and the righteous is spoken of, we are talking about some kind of material light. Of course, this cannot possibly be true. For the light of the world, created by God, is one and shines equally on everyone. But, as we explained above, we must understand that our soul is either illuminated by the true light (cf. John 1:9), which will never be extinguished, that is, by Christ, or, if this light does not have in itself what is eternal, then, undoubtedly, it is illuminated by a temporary and fading light, through which “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (cf. 2 Cor. 11:14) and enlightens the sinner’s heart with a false light, so this light, temporary and transient, seems bright and beautiful to him. By this light are enlightened those who say that the highest good is pleasure; with this light are enlightened those who seek wealth and worldly honors and earthly glory, as if the present age will have no end. Thus, they are in the days of that light that will fade away (for everything they do, desire and strive for will fade away); Heretics are also enlightened by this light, proclaiming worthless idle talk and the contradictions of false knowledge (cf. 1 Tim. 6:20); Enlightened by this light, Marcion calls the God of the law just, but not good. So, if we have truly understood what are the days enlightened by our Lord Jesus Christ, the true Light, and what are the days enlightened by him who “takes the form of an angel of light” and whose light is extinguished, then we can also understand those “days of Jesus”, about which it is said: “The people served the Lord all the days of Jesus” (Judges 2:7); Of course, the one who has the “days of Jesus” in himself will serve the Lord - it cannot be that he who has the “days of Jesus” and the light of Christ in himself serves the devil or serves greed; It cannot be that one enlightened by the light of truth should serve untruth, serve deception; It cannot be that one enlightened by the light of sanctification should please lust and impurity. Finally, the Apostle says: “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? What does light have in common with darkness? What agreement is there between Christ and Belial? Or what is the complicity of the faithful with the infidel?” (2 Cor. 6:14–15). So let us pray that Christ, the “true Light” (cf. John 1:9), will always make good days in us and that the evil days will never be enlightened in us by the devil, about which the Apostle says: “Releasing time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16). For we have evil days, when we seek not the spiritual, but the carnal, not the heavenly, but the earthly, not the eternal, but the transitory, not the future, but the present. Therefore, when you see such desires arise in you, know that you are in evil and evil days; and therefore be diligent in prayers in order to be freed from bad days and, as the Apostle says, to get rid of “this present evil age” (Gal. 1:4); because in this way, which we talked about above, not only the days, but also the age becomes evil. 2. “And the people served the Lord all the days of Jesus, and all the days of the elders who lived long days after Jesus” (Judges 2:7). Blessed is he who serves the Lord in the days of Jesus, who is illuminated by His word and wisdom, who is enlightened by His commandments, who receives from His teaching the light of knowledge. Secondly, blessed is he who serves “the Lord all the days of Jesus and all the days of the elders who lived long days after Jesus.” Aren’t the elders who lived with Jesus or “after Jesus” none other than the apostles, who themselves enlighten our hearts with their writings and instructions and make our days with the light that they themselves received as a share of the true Light? And about the one who is enlightened and taught by the instructions of the apostles and the example of their service to the Lord, it is said that he serves the Lord “all the days of Jesus and all the days of the elders who lived long days after Jesus.” Do you want to see that just as the Savior “was the true Light, which enlightens every man who comes into the world” (cf. John 1:9), so the apostles were the light of the world? The Gospel says that the Lord told them: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). And since the apostles are “the light of the world,” then, undoubtedly, with their instructions and instructions they enlighten our days in which we must serve the Lord. 3. It is said, however: “All the days of the elders who lived long days after Jesus” (Judges 2:7). It does not seem to me at all accidental that the ancients or those who lived “long days” are spoken of as the elders “who lived after Jesus.” Moreover, only God knows who will live “after Jesus” among the elders, whose days will be long, that is, who will shed more light from themselves - Paul or Peter, Bartholomew or John; however, the saints are said to live "long days." And, on the contrary, when the world is filled with temptations, when “because of the increase of iniquity the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 12:24) and when the Son of Man, having come, will hardly find faith on earth (cf. Luke 18:8), then it is not said that these will be “long days”; rather, it says that they will be shortened, just as the Lord said: “And if those days were not shortened, no flesh would be saved” (Matthew 24:22). Thus, the bad days, as it is said, will be shortened, and the “days of the elders” are good days with plenty of time and, to a certain extent, long duration, when we serve the Lord. But look: He also notes in the Gospel that “for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:22). Consequently, “for the sake of the elect” the bad days, the days of injustice and temptation, will “be shortened,” and it seems to me that when the bad days begin to shorten for the sake of the elect, they will constantly shorten and decrease until they turn into nothing, completely dry out and disappear without a trace. I think that one of these chosen ones was the one who said: “Perish the day on which I was born” (Job 3:3). So, for the sake of the elect, the bad days will shorten and disappear, but the days of the holy elders will be long and extensive. But now, during our conversation, I thought - and I hope that this thought came to us by the will of the Lord! - that we should not ignore the place when He says: “The people served the Lord all the days of Jesus” (Judges 2:7). It is not said that the day of Jesus is one, but that the days of Jesus are many. So how many days do we dedicate to the Lord according to the dispensation we have explained? I think that one of His days is righteousness, another is sanctification, another is prudence, another is mercy, and so every good trait of the virtues is considered the day of Jesus, on which we serve the Lord, because with these virtues of the soul we please God. Patience, meekness, piety, goodness, and everything that relates to virtues, you can call His day. And so you will serve the Lord “all the days of Jesus,” that is, you will begin to serve the Lord with all these virtues; for the Holy Scripture, instructing us, does not want you to possess some aspects of virtue and neglect others, but wants you to serve the Lord, adorned with all these virtues and putting them into practice in your deeds. And in the same way, someone has in himself the days of the elders and serves the Lord all their days (cf. Judges 2:7), when he fulfills what the Apostle Paul said: “Imitate me, as I imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 4:16). 4. It is said: “All the days of the elders, who knew all the great works of the Lord” (Judges 2:7). Who knows “all the great works of the Lord” if not He who does them? For it is said about the sons of Elijah that they were “worthless people, who did not know God” (1 Samuel 2:12); It is not that they had no idea about the Lord, since they were undoubtedly teachers of others, but they acted as those who did not know the Lord acted. It is in this sense that the phrase “who knew all the works of the Lord” is to be understood. And not only is it said that they knew the works of the Lord, but it is added that they “knew all the great works of the Lord”; in other words, they are those who knew the Lord's works of righteousness and sanctification and patience and meekness and godliness; and everything that comes from the commandments of God is called “the works of the Lord.” And just as there are the works of the Lord, so, undoubtedly, there are also the works of the devil, the opposite of them. For it is obvious that just as righteousness is the work of God, so unrighteousness is the work of the devil, and just as kindness is the work of God, so anger or rage is the work of the devil. That is why it is said that they knew the works of God, who performs His deeds. And since from the authority of Scripture it becomes even clearer in what sense Scripture usually says “to know” or “not to know,” see how it is said about this elsewhere: “He who keeps the commandment does not know an evil word 5” (cf. Eccl. 8:5). How can “one who keeps the commandment” not know the “evil word”? Of course, he knows, but it is said that he does not know, since he protects himself from an evil word and avoids it. And it is said about the Lord and Savior Himself that He knew no sin (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21). Of course, it is said that sin was unknown to Him, because He did not commit sinful acts. Thus, about the one who does the works of the Lord, it is said that he knows the works of the Lord, and the one who does not do the works of God does not know the works of God. 5. How can we ignore what is added: “They knew all the great works of the Lord that He had done to Israel” (Judges 2:7)? Which ones? Are the small things of the Lord different from those that are called great? I think that every work of God is truly great, but when they are compared with each other, the works of the Lord are called either great or small, according to the ability of those for whom they are done to receive them. For example, He led the people of Israel out of Egypt “with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Deut. 5:15), tormented Egypt with heavenly signs, “made the sea dry land” (cf. Exod. 14:21), gave them manna in the desert (cf. Exod. 16), spoke to Moses from heaven (cf. Exod. 19:3 ff.), and gave them a law written on tablets of stone (cf. Ex.24:12). Aren't these great things of God? But if you compare them with the fact that “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16) for the salvation of the world, you will find that all those deeds are small in comparison with this great deed, which we must know and confess. And we must “do the works of God” (cf. John 6:28) not carelessly, but with care and conscientiousness, so that we too may abide in the days of Jesus Christ and in the days of the elders, His holy apostles, and by fellowship with them we may be worthy to receive a heavenly inheritance through our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, “To whom be glory and dominion forever and ever.” Amen" (1 Peter 4:11). Homilia II. About what is written: “Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died” (Judges 2:8) 1. Once again we are read about the death of Jesus. And the fact that the “son of Navin” “died” is not surprising. For he gave nature what he owed. But since we have established that what we read about the son of Nun refers to our Lord Jesus Christ, we must consider how what was said relates to the fact that “Jesus died.” Reasoning according to the authority of Scripture, I think that in some Jesus lives, and in others He “died.” Jesus lives in Paul and Peter and in all those who can rightfully say: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). And he also says: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). Therefore it is rightly said that Christ lives in such people. And in whom did Jesus die? Without a doubt, in those who, for example, repeatedly repent and sin again and are said to mock the death of Jesus, and about them the Apostle in his letter to the Hebrews writes: “They again crucify the Son of God within themselves and put Him to shame” (Heb. 6:6). As you can see, it is said that Jesus not only died among sinners, but was crucified by them and put to shame. And think to yourself: when out of greed you plan to take possession of someone else’s goods, can you say: “Christ lives in me”? Or if you are plotting dishonor, if anger rages within you, if drunkenness rages, if envy inflames you, if jealousy burns you, if you are swollen with pride, if you act with cruelty - in all these cases, can you say: “Christ lives in me”? Thus, Christ died in sinners, because no righteousness, no patience, no truth, nothing of what Christ is, works in them. Every virtue in the saints, as it is said, is accomplished by Christ, just as the Apostle says: “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). So the Lord Himself gives a wonderful distinction in this in the Gospels when He says: “Everyone who confesses in Me [by his deeds] before people, him I will also confess in him before My Father in Heaven; But whoever denies Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32–33). You see that of those “who confess,” He says: “Confess in Me,” as in the One who lives in them and does the works of life in them. And in relation to those “who deny” Him, He does not use the same words, does not say: “If anyone denies Me, I will deny him,” but says: “Whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny Him before My Father,” to show that the one who denies Him is outside Him, and the one who confesses Him abides in Him. That is why the Scripture says that when Jesus died, “there arose after them another generation, which did not know the Lord and His works that He did to Israel” (Judges 2:10). 2. “Then the children of Israel began to do evil in the sight of the Lord” (Judges 2:11). God, the Almighty Sovereign, make sure that it does not happen to us that Jesus Christ, after he rose from the dead, died again in us. For what good is it to me if He lives in others because of their virtue, but dies in me because of my sinful weakness? What good is it to me if He does not live in me, in my heart, and do not work in me the work of life? What good is it to me if, through good aspirations, good faith and works of mercy in others, He comes to life and is nourished, but because of my evil thoughts, ungodly desires and vicious desires in my heart, He somehow suffocates and perishes? After all, look at what is added in the Scripture: “Arose after them another generation, which did not know the Lord and His works that He did” (Judges 2:10). This “generation that did not know the Lord” of Jesus is a generation of evil thoughts and evil desires coming “out of the heart of man” (cf. Mark 7:21). Here is “the generation that did not know the Lord” Jesus and “his great works which he did to Israel.” You see that sinners reach such a point that the great and glorious works “which He did” are blotted out from their memory; they forget that He was crucified “for our sins and rose again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). I think that is why the Apostle, fearing this oblivion, said to his disciple Timothy, whom he considered outstanding: “Remember the Lord Jesus Christ, risen from the dead” (2 Tim. 2:8). For he knew that his disciple could forget about such a great deed, that Christ rose from the dead, if the sinful race rose in his heart. So, “another generation that did not know the Lord” and the elders began to “do evil in the sight of the Lord” (cf. Judges 2:11:10). 3. It is said: “And they began to serve the Baals and forsook the Lord God of their fathers” (Judges 2:11-12). And although the ancients did this, since it was not written about them, but, as it is said, “it was described for our instruction who have reached the last ages” (cf. 1 Cor. 10:11), let us see whether what was said applies more to us than to them. Do you want to see that what was said applies to us was explained not by me, but by the Apostle? Listen to what he himself says: “Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the story of Elijah? how he complains to God about Israel, saying: Lord! They have killed Your prophets, They have destroyed Your altars; I am left alone, and they are looking for my soul. What does God's answer tell him? I have reserved for myself seven thousand people who did not bow the knee to Baal” (Rom. 11:2-4), and adds: “Even so at this time, according to the election of grace, there is a remnant” (Rom. 11:5). So you see that he understands those who “bowed the knee to Baal” as the multitude of unbelievers, and those “who did not bow” as the remnant of believers. This shows that the unbelievers and wicked who lived at the time of the Savior “bowed the knee to Baal” and worshiped idols, but those who believed and did works of faith “bowed not the knee to Baal.” For in no historical narratives, neither in the Gospels nor in other Scriptures, does it say that in the time of the Savior anyone worshiped idols, but this is said about those who are bound, as if shackled by their sins. From this it is clear that when we sin and become captives of the law of sin (cf. Rom. 7:23), we bow our knees to Baal. But this is not what we were called to, and this is not why we believed, so that we could once again serve sin and bow our knees to the devil, but so that we could bow our knees at the name of Jesus, for “at the name of Jesus every knee bowed, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Phil. 2:10), and so that we “bowed our knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom is every family in heaven and on earth named” ( Eph.3:14-15). But what good does it do me if, when I get up to pray, I bow the knees of my body to God, and the knees of my heart to the devil? After all, if I do not rebel “against the wiles of the devil” (cf. Eph. 6:11), then I will bow my knees to the devil. For if I do not resolutely rebel against wrath, then I will bow my knees to wrath. And also, if I do not steadfastly resist voluptuousness, then I will bow the knees of my heart before voluptuousness. And in everything that is contrary to God, I will act like those who “began to serve the Baals and forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt” (Judges 2:11-12), unless I rise up decisively and firmly. So let us not think that if we do not, as it seems, worship idols, all this does not apply to each of us. And what each one worships above all else, what he admires and what he loves most, is for him God. In a word, this is what God demands from man first of all and most of all with His commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:5), striving to a certain extent in advance to gain for Himself the fullness of devotion of the human mind, knowing that what a person loves with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength is God for him. Let everyone now look into himself and secretly explore what can most ignite the flame of love in his heart, what feeling burns brightest in him. You yourself must judge this, weigh it on the scales of your judgment, and if something outweighs on the scales of love, then this is God for you. But I am afraid that for many people the love of gold will not outweigh everything else and the burden of greed will tip the scales very strongly. And to such in particular it will be said: “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24), that is, greed. I am also afraid that in some people voluptuousness and love of pleasure weighs so much that it will press this scale to the ground; in others, everything else will be outweighed by the love of earthly honors and the thirst for ranks; but I firmly believe that there will be those few who, having weighed their desires within themselves and put them on the scales of their hearts, will discover that love for God outweighs everything else, everything human. I know someone who, having carefully weighed his feelings within himself, found that they all lay on the scales of love for God, and boldly said: “I am confident that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor the present, nor the future, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39). But Paul could say so, for “neither the present nor the future, neither height nor depth, nor any other creature can separate [him] from the love of God.” Oh, if only we could also say that neither gold, nor silver, nor the desires of the flesh, nor earthly honors, nor temporary and transitory titles, nor the pleasures of the flesh, nor affection for children or spouses can “separate us from the love of God.” And, of course, we must boldly say that neither the love of secular literature, nor the false statements of philosophers, nor the quackery of astrologers, nor the visible movement of the stars, nor the predictions contrived by the cunning trickery of demons, nor the attraction to illegal foresight will be able to “separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” Do not all pagan errors stem from the desire of people to make gods what they love most, and do they not attribute divine names to every human vice and desire? For those who are burned by the thirst for money and who love greed, the god is Mammon, as among the Syrians; lovers of voluptuousness and carnal pleasures chose Venus, the goddess of the vice that inflames them. And for the remaining vices, sinners turned into gods the very passions that drive them. The Apostle also means this when he says that covetousness is idolatry (cf. Col. 3:5). So, you see that not only worshiping idols, but also indulging in covetousness is considered idolatry and idolatry. Therefore, since we also indulge in vices to such an extent that we love them with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our strength, it is said that we worship idols and “turned to other gods” (cf. Judges 2:12). 4. It is said: “And they turned to other gods, the gods of the nations that surrounded them, and began to worship them, and angered the 7 Lord” (Judges 2:12). Look how strongly sin acts in us, that by sinning, we, as it is said, angered Him in Whom there is not only no anger, but also no other movement of passion. He always remains unchanged in His nature, and anger never disturbs Him; but I myself bring wrath upon myself by committing sins, as the Apostle teaches, saying: “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgment from God, who will reward everyone according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:5-6). 5. So, they “provoked the Lord; They left the Lord and began to serve Baal and Ashtoreth. And the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of robbers” (Judges 2:12-14). As long as a person serves God, he does not surrender “into the hands of robbers.” When he leaves the Lord and begins to serve his passions, then it is said about him that “God gave them over to shameful passions”; and also that “God gave them over to a depraved mind” (Rom. 1:26:28), and they began to do what was indecent. Why? Because, as it is said, “they are filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness” (Rom. 1:29) and everything else that is mentioned; also, as it is here said, because they “began to serve Baal and Ashtaroth,” God “gave them into the hands of robbers, and delivered them into the hands of their enemies” (Judges 2:13-14). So, as I have often said, the Jews read these words as narratives of past and past events. But since it is said that all this is “written for our instruction” (cf. 1 Cor. 10:11), we must know that if we sin against the Lord and, as if we worship God, the pleasures of the soul and the desires of the flesh, then again, according to the word of the Apostle, we surrender ourselves into the hands of the devil. Listen to what is said about the sinner: “I will deliver him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved” (cf. 1 Cor. 5:5). Thus, you see that even now God delivers sinners into the hands of enemies, not only through His apostles, but also through those who head the Church and have the power not only to loose, but also to bind sinners “for the destruction of the flesh,” when for their sins they are separated from the Body of Christ. And, as I see it, even now the sinner is transferred from the Church to the power of the devil in a double way: the one about which we spoke above, when his crimes become known to the Church and the priests tear him out of it, so that, condemned by people to disgrace, he would be ashamed and, when he is converted, it could happen that his spirit would be saved on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. In another way, a sinner surrenders to Satan (cf. 1 Cor. 5:5), when his sin is unknown to people, but God, Who sees in secret (cf. Matt. 6:6), looks at his mind and soul and sees that they serve passions and vices, sees in his heart and sees that he worships not Him, but greed or lust or vanity or something else like that, and the Lord Himself betrays him Satan. How does He hand him over to Satan? God leaves his mind, turns away and moves away from his evil thoughts and shameful desires and leaves the empty house of his heart (cf. Matt. 12:44). And then what is written in him will be fulfilled: “When the unclean spirit leaves a man, he walks through dry places, looking for rest, and does not find it; Then he says: I will return to my house from where I came. And, having arrived, he finds it unoccupied, swept and put away; then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and entering they live there; and the last thing for that person is worse than the first” (Matthew 12:43–45). Therefore, it must be understood that God transfers those whom He transfers, not in such a way as if He Himself transfers someone, but in such a way that He leaves the unworthy, that is, those who are not corrected and not cleansed from vices, so that God can joyfully dwell in them. And when He moves away and turns away from a soul that is in uncleanness and vices, it is said that it is given up from Him, for it turns out to be empty, without God, in captivity of an unclean spirit. And therefore, let us work unceasingly and diligently and hasten to cleanse ourselves from vices and bad desires, so that we can keep God within ourselves and be worthy of God remaining in us as long as our words, deeds and thoughts are pleasing to Him, if we do everything according to His will, so that whether we eat, drink or anything else we do, we would do everything to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, “To whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:11). Homilia III. About the fact that the people of Israel were delivered “into the hands of their enemies” (cf. Judges 2:14), and about Othniel and Ehud 1. When “the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and forgot the Lord their God” and forsook Him “and served the Baals and Ashtaroths” and the wooden images of other nations (cf. Judg. 3:7), storing up for themselves “wrath for the day of wrath” (cf. Rom. 2:5), they were delivered up by the righteous judgment of God “into the hands of the enemies” (cf. Judg. 2:14), according to what was read in today's reading, as it is said, “into the hands of Husarsafem, king of Mesopotamia” (Judges 3:8). "Husarsafem" means "their humiliation." Accordingly, they were handed over to the one who would humiliate them. And since they themselves, on the tops of high hills (cf. 2 Kings 17:10), acted wickedly against the Most High, they were handed over to Him for shame. However, I would not like you to think that this Divine providence concerned only the ancient people, that He gave up to reproach those who were exalted in their wickedness, and healed them according to the accepted medical practice of "cure like with like," but that God does not now use this remedy for the healing of His Church. For even now, “into the hands of Husarsafem, king of Mesopotamia,” souls are given over to humiliation and reproach, the souls of those who, having despised Christian humility, gave themselves up to pride and exaltation. The vice of pride is hateful in the eyes of God, because, as the Scripture says, “pride is the beginning of man’s separation from the Lord” (Sir.10:14); and elsewhere in Scripture it says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Thus, if anyone despises the humility of Christ, who for our sake, being God, “was made in the likeness of men, and humbled Himself to death” (cf. Phil.2:6-8), exalted and proud, he strives for power and worldly well-being and makes every effort to excel in the arts by which it is achieved, even if they contradict faith and piety, does not reject or fear them, as long as they bring what he wants, and thus does “evil in the sight of the Lord”; and when he reaches the pinnacle of power and great heights of pride, he is cast down from there and given over to Husarsafem, that is, the prince of the power of the air (cf. Eph. 2:2) - like Pharaoh at one time, and Hiram at another (cf. 1 Kings 9:11) - for God humbles the one who has exalted himself excessively, defeats and tramples him until he comes to himself and begins to seek the Lord; for as long as he remains in pride and self-exaltation, he does not know God. 2. Now let's see what those who surrender to torment for their sins and remain in them do. For it is written: “They cried out to the Lord in their affliction, and He delivered them from their troubles, brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bonds” (Ps. 107:6:14). But each of us, even an insignificant one, even a very insignificant one, even one who has no position in the world, can suffer from pride; and there is nothing more vile and there is no one more disgusting, as the Scripture says, “the arrogant beggar and the deceitful rich man” (Sir.25:4). But sometimes this disease of pride penetrates not only ordinary beggars, but also affects the priests and Levites. Sometimes among us, called to serve as an example of humility and placed around the altars as a kind of mirrors to be looked at, there are those from whom emanate the stench of arrogance, and from the altar of the Lord, which should exude the fragrance of incense, flows the vile stench of pride and self-exaltation. So I beg, let this disgusting odor be removed from the all-holy Church, especially from those who serve in the sanctuary, so that we may, in the words of Paul, become a fragrance of Christ to God (cf. 2 Cor. 2:15), “lest He be angry” (Ps. 2:12), so that we do not anger “the Holy One of Israel” (cf. Is. 1:4), so that He does not betray us “into the hands of Husarsafem,” so that through the patience of our sorrows we may learn humility, which we must comprehend in the wisdom of Christ. But look how the good Lord combines severity with mercy and determines the measure of punishment, correlating justice with leniency. He does not transfer sinners forever, but only, as it is said, for the time that they “served the Baals” while they were slaves of Husarsafem, that is, for “eight years” (cf. Judges 3:8). So you too, O listener, learn about this, whoever you are, aware of some mistake of yours. No matter how long you realize that you are in error, and no matter how long you make mistakes, for the same amount of time, no less, humble yourself before God, give Him satisfaction by confessing repentance. Do not wait until Husarsafem humbles you and forces you to repent against your will, but forestall the hands of the tormentor yourself, for if you yourself correct yourself, if you come to your senses, “The Lord is compassionate and merciful” (Sir.2:11) and will soften the punishment of the one who forestalls him with repentance. Let us also pay attention to the fact that until those who were betrayed to Husarsafem for their sins and served him cried out to the Lord, no one rose up who could save them. But when they cried out “to the Lord, [then] the Lord raised up a savior for the children of Israel, who saved them” (Judges 3:9). 3. Scripture speaks of the savior Othniel, whose name is translated as “God’s time for me.” So, Othniel delivered that first people from humiliating slavery, and peace was returned to the people, which had previously been taken from them for the pride and atrocities of society. However, since we said that perhaps the king of Husarsafem should be understood in a spiritual sense both as one of the opponents and as “the prince of the power of the air” (cf. Eph. 2:2), it seems to me that it follows that Othniel, who rose up to free the people, is someone from the army of heaven (cf. Luke 2:13), from the archangels sent “to serve for those who are to inherit salvation" (cf. Heb. 1:14); they are savior angels, represented in the form of Othniel or Ehud, because, as we have often shown, not only are we attacked by opposing forces, but the Lord also sends Divine forces of good to help us. Let's see who this Othniel was, from what family, what origin. It is said that he was “the son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb” (Judges 3:9), that Caleb, a man worthy of praise and admiration, who was a companion and companion of Joshua, about whom we will, if possible, talk at another time. What does Scripture say about this Othniel? After “the children of Israel cried out to the Lord” (Judges 3:9), it is said that “the Spirit of the Lord was upon Othniel, and he was the judge of Israel” (Judges 3:10). What do you think, is there anyone among us capable of crying out to the Lord and being worthy to be heard by Him, and to deserve to be accepted by the people as a judge, such a judge that the Spirit of God will be on him and he will be able to make the right decisions? After all, just as in the books of Kings it is told about each king, how he ruled and what he did, so in this book, called the book of Judges, it is told not only about their correct and useful actions, but also about how they did something worthy of reproach. But if you ask why both are described, then this is so that even today the leaders and judges of the Church, having considered what was done commendably by their predecessors, would follow their example; if, on the contrary, there was something reprehensible, they were wary and averted from it. Therefore, great praise is given to this first judge Othniel, for “the Spirit of the Lord was upon him” (cf. Judg. 3:10), and by the Spirit of the Lord he judged Israel - such a praise, the equal of which, as far as I remember, was not offered to anyone else. Even today there are many judges in all the churches under heaven, to whom it is given to judge not only actions, but also souls. But I do not know whether there is such a judge of the Church whom God would deign to be filled with His Spirit, so that, like Othniel, he deserves to be glorified by the testimony of Scripture, in order to be made worthy, as we want, of the testimony of God. That is why it is said: “The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he was a judge of Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Husarsafem, king of Mesopotamia, into his hands” (Judges 3:10). Why? Because the Spirit of the Lord was on him, and “his hand was strengthened against Husarsafem 8” (Judges 3:10). And after this it is said: “And the earth rested forty years” (Judges 3:11). Look how great is God's mercy. For “the children of Israel served Husarsafem eight years” (Judges 3:8) for the sins of many, and “forty years” (Judges 3:11) they lived in peace for the righteousness of one. 4. What is said next? “And Othniel the son of Kenaz died” (Judges 3:11). Othniel died. Why? Because the people were unworthy of such a judge. Then it is said that after his death, “the children of Israel again began to do evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel” (Judges 3:12). Please note that since they were unworthy of such a leader, the good judge was taken away from them. And since they “began to do evil in the sight of the Lord,” Eglon, their worst enemy, “the king of Moab,” rose up against them. You see that our sins give strength to our enemies, and when we do “what is evil in the sight of the Lord” and sin, then the Lord strengthens our opponents and gives strength to our enemies. If you look at this according to the letter, you will see that our enemies would not have become stronger if we had not given them strength through our misdeeds; if you look at it in a spiritual sense, then the opposing forces would not have strengthened against us, nor the devil himself would have ruled in us, if we had not given him strength with our vices; he would be very weak against us if we did not strengthen him with our sins, and if not for our sins, he would not have found a place to enter and dominate us. Therefore, finally, the Apostle calls us, saying: “Give no place to the devil” (Eph. 4:27), as we read that since “the children of Israel again began to do evil in the sight of the Lord,” they gave place to the devil. For “the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel and gathered the Ammonites and the Amalekites to himself” (Judges 3:12-13). It is said that not only the king was strengthened by the sins of the children of Israel, but he was also joined by his wicked allies from the sons of Ammon and Amalek, who together with him were at enmity against Israel. 5. It is said: “And the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years” (Judges 3:14). Note that Divine Scripture indicates the measure of punishment; there – eight years (cf. Judges 3:8), here – eighteen. It is obvious that the duration of our punishment is limited by the extent of our sins and the delay in our conversion. For these eighteen years of slavery also passed, and it is not reported that they “cryed to the Lord” or that they turned away from their malice, but, as it is said, after eighteen years “the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a savior of Ehud, the son of Gera, the son of Jamini, who had equal control of both hands 9” (Judges 3:15). This is what he is like who was raised up for the salvation of Israel. There is nothing left in him, both his hands are right; This is what it means to wield both hands equally. He is a worthy leader of the people and a judge of the Church, who has not done anything wicked 10, and “his left hand does not know what his right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3), and he is right on both sides; he is upright in faith, he is upright in deeds, he has nothing from those who are on the left side (cf. Matthew 25:33), which says: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41; cf. Luke 13:27). And if such a comparison can be accepted, I think that according to the spiritual understanding, just as all saints can be said to be equally master of both hands, so, on the contrary, the devil and his princes are called, so to speak, left-handed. For everything that those “on the left side” do is completely leftist, completely perverted, completely doomed to eternal fire. 6. But let's see what this ambidextrous judge does. It says: “And the children of Israel sent gifts with him to Eglon king of Moab. Ehud made himself a sword with two edges, a cubit long, and girded it under his cloak to his right thigh” (Judges 3:15-16). You see that everything that Ehud, “who wielded both hands equally,” does is right; he is right in both his hands and feet. For he wears a sword on his right thigh, so that he may come to the king of Moab and kill him. Above we said that those whom, as said, God raised up for the salvation of people and the liberation of the people of Israel, in other words, saviors or judges, bear the image of some leaders from the army of heaven (cf. Luke 2:13) and higher powers whom God sends to help those who cry to Him with all their hearts, who through the conversion of repentance direct God's mercy to themselves. But so that it does not seem to those listening that all this is just our assumptions, we must confirm what is said with the authority of Scripture. In the book of Exodus it is written that our fathers, the sons of Israel, when for a long time they were slaves to the Egyptians and the cruel Pharaoh and worked “on clay and bricks” (cf. Exodus 1:14), as it is said, “cryed out” to the Lord (cf. Exodus 2:23), so that the Lord Himself said: “The cry of the children of Israel has come to Me” (Exodus 3:9) and, sending to them Moses apparently brought them out. Scripture says that a destroying angel was sent to destroy all the firstborn in Egypt, but not to touch a single Israelite. This clearly shows that it was heavenly power that crushed and defeated the Egyptians and brought the children of Israel out of slavery (cf. Ex. 11:4ff). The historical narrative also shows that during the reign of the Assyrian king Sennacherib, the “Angel of the Lord” was sent to defeat and kill “one hundred and eighty-five thousand” (cf. 2 Kings 19:35) enemies in one night and deliver the city from siege and its inhabitants from certain death. Therefore, now, in exactly the same way, we must apply what was said to ourselves, so that if we are ever taken into captivity for our sins, we would cry out to the Lord. But they cried out not with their lips, but with their minds, so that one could say that the sorrow of our heart “causes tears” (cf. Sir. 22:21; Jer. 9: 1), like the one who said: “Every night I wash my bed, I wet my bed with my tears” (Ps. 6:7). And if we turn away from evil, so as not to touch it again, if we reject pride, so as never to ascend, never to have a taste for arrogance, then the Lord will send us His heavenly power to free us from the slavery of the devil; so that this power would make us righteous and prosperous and we would leave “the way that leads to destruction” (cf. Matt. 7:13), and turn to that Path about which it is said: “I am the way, the truth and the life” (cf. John 14:6), to our Lord Jesus Christ, “To whom be glory and dominion forever and ever.” Amen" (1 Peter 4:11). Homilia IV. About Samegar, Jabin and Sisera 1. The kingdom of the two-armed Eod gave way to the kingdom of Samegar (cf. Judges 3:31). But let's see how Ehud, whose name is translated as “praise,” completed his reign. The historical narrative tells us what is written about King Eglon - how the wisest Ehud, by cunning and, I will say, a clever but praiseworthy deception, killed the cruel tyrant Eglon (cf. Judges 3:17-25), whose name means “rotation” or “circular path.” Therefore, it is necessary that the judges of our people be like Ehud, whose name means “praise,” for they cut off all the rotations and turns of the path of evil and kill the king of Midian 11 . "Midian" is translated as "relaxation" or "spreading." And what other leader or ruler is presented or understood as ruling over this relaxed and careless people, if not the word of philosophy, which considers pleasure to be the highest good, which the gospel word, compared to a two-edged sword (cf. Heb. 4:12), kills and destroys? And the prophetic word itself is concluded in their belly and in their lower entrails by the reasonings of the two-handed teacher, so that, concluding them with the statement of truth, he invalidates all the meaning of false teaching and rude understanding, “rebelling against the knowledge of God” (cf. 2 Cor. 10:5); so that by acting in this way and fighting with the word of God, every judge of the Church may become a praiseworthy Ehud, of whom God would say: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things; I will make you ruler over many things” (Matthew 25:21). 2. Briefly recalling what was said in the previous reading, namely the end of Eod, let us now look at the beginning of Samegar, whose name means “the wanderer there.” For truly all God's people are strangers in this world and strangers on earth, just as he who said: “I am a stranger with You and a stranger, like all my fathers” (Ps. 39:13). Thus, the Holy Spirit also calls Samegar a wanderer there, that is, here. For what is “there” for the Holy Spirit, Who is in heaven, is “here” for us. So what is said about Samegara? It is said: “Samegar killed six hundred Philistines with the handle” – or the sole – of “a plow 12” (Judges 3:31). I see another trait worthy of praise in Samegara: he fights with a plow. Ehud fought with the sword, and he with the plough. And yet he, too, overcomes, defeats, and prevails over the Philistines. And therefore it may happen that the judge of the Church does not always draw his sword, that is, does not always use the severity of the word and the sharpness of reproof, but sometimes imitates the farmer, as if plowing the field of the soul with a plow and often loosening the soil with gentle reprimand, in order to prepare it so that it can receive the seeds. Thus, when we do not use evidence and sharpness against our enemies, but drive out sins and vices from the souls of those who listen with a simple and simple rebuke, they will be killed in the same way as the Philistines. But you yourself, O listener, must be a farmer of your soul and use the plow that Samegar used. And when you have put “your hand to the plough,” do not look back (cf. Luke 9:62), that is, after you have taken up your cross and followed Christ (cf. Matt. 16:24), after you have rejected the world and everything in the world, do not look back, do not seek again what you consider “futile for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus” (cf. Phil. 3:8), for if you If you always keep your hand on the plow, you can say with confidence: “But I do not want to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14), and say to yourself: “A thousand will fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand; but he will not come near you” (Ps. 90:7). And, as I see it, the fact that “Samegar killed six hundred Philistines” was not said by chance. But why was it necessary to indicate their number? Unless, perhaps, in order to express even more clearly what we were talking about before. For the number six, the multiplication of which makes six hundred, contains the image of this world, which was created, as it is said, in six days. That is why it is written that he killed six hundred people with a plow - the one for whom “the world was crucified by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. Gal. 6:14). 3. But what is added to this further? It is said: “When Ehud died, the children of Israel began again to do evil in the sight of the Lord” (Judges 4:1). This undoubtedly expresses what we said before - that a good ruler dies for the sins of the people. For when they become wicked and begin to “do what is evil in the sight of the Lord,” the man of God is taken away from them. But our people may ask: “So the Church of God remains without a judge?” Although the former is removed, another comes. Perhaps what we say will seem a little presumptuous, but we say what is written. Sometimes the ruler of the people and the judge of the Church is given not by the command of God, but according to our merits. If our deeds are wicked and we do “what is evil in the sight of the Lord,” we are given a ruler according to our own hearts; and I will prove it to you by the Scriptures. Listen to what the Lord says: “They appointed kings themselves, without Me; they appointed princes, but without My knowledge” (Hosea 8:4). And this, apparently, was said about Saul, whom the Lord chose and commanded to make king; but since he was chosen not according to the will of God, but because of the misdeeds of a sinful people, God denies that this was done according to His will and with His knowledge (cf. 1 Samuel 8–11). We must understand something similar in relation to the Church, since according to the merits of the people, either God is given a teacher of the Church strong in words and deeds, or, if the people do “what is evil in the sight of the Lord,” they are given such a judge of the Church that with him the people experience hunger and thirst, but “not a hunger of bread, not a thirst for water, but a thirst for hearing the words of the Lord” (Am. 8:11). Therefore, we do this and pray so that Divine wrath will never condemn us to hunger and thirst for the word of God, never take away from us the one who instructs us in word and deed, who, with his way of life and piety, patience and meekness, sets a wonderful example for the people. For if we do “what is evil in the sight of the Lord,” that is, if we live unrighteously, if we do not God’s will, but our own, Eod dies because of us, and Sameghar is taken from us, our glory fades, and we are given over “into the hands of Jabin, king of Canaan” (cf. Judges 4:2). Jabin means “understanding” or “discretion.” Therefore, it is said that if we do not care to “have God in our minds,” then God [gives us over] to a depraved mind—to do lewd things, so that [we] are filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, malice, filled with envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, slanderers, slanderers, haters of God, offenders, self-praisers, proud, resourceful for evil, disobedient to their parents, foolish, treacherous, unloving, irreconcilable, unmerciful” (Rom. 1:28-31). You see who and what they are who are delivered “into the hands of Jabin, king of Canaan.” 4. It is said: “His commander was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-goim. And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron” (Judges 4:2-3). And here we observe what we pointed out before: the children of Israel did not consider it necessary to cry out to the Lord until they were delivered into the hands of Jabin, or until their military leader Sisera began to oppress them, who, as it is said, had “nine hundred chariots of iron,” with which, presumably, he oppressed “a stiff-necked people” (cf. Ex. 32:9). "Sisera" means "vision of a horse." Truly, “natural” and not “spiritual” (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14-15) is the one who sees only what is “animal” 13; this is the vision that is always before him. And therefore the spiritual man, “born according to the flesh,” always persecutes “those born according to the Spirit” (cf. Gal. 4:29), until the spiritual man understands and, having considered everything (cf. 1 Cor. 2:15), does not understand to whom he should turn for help, and does not cry out to the Lord; until that soul that cried out to the Lord ascends to the prophecy expressed in the image of Deborah (cf. Judges 4:4), and with grace and prophetic understanding we become nourished by the people of the Church and the constitution of every mind and soul is determined through our Lord Jesus Christ, “To whom be glory and dominion forever and ever.” Amen" (1 Peter 4:11). Homilia V. About Deborah, Barak, Jael and Sisera 1. We move from question to question, from mystery to mystery, and when with great effort and difficulty we explain some, they are immediately followed by even more complex ones, and they require not the talent of eloquence, but the breath of God's grace. Indeed, undoubtedly, the listener will strive to learn, for, according to the words of the Apostle Paul: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16); what is contained in the Scriptures, which we, no doubt, consider to be inspired by God, was given to us “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” For what is communicated to us when we hear it read to us that, “Deborah the prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth,” as it is said, “was at that time a judge of Israel; and she lived under the palm tree, between Ramah and Bethel, on Mount Ephraim; and the children of Israel came to her for judgment” (Judges 4:4–5)? And what teaching, instruction, or righteousness does what we learn about Barak or Jael or Sisera, the captain of Jabin, give us (cf. Judges 4:2)? 2. Let's see if this, like the rest of Scripture, teaches us something important about the hidden mysteries. First of all, although the vast majority of Israel's judges are reported to have been men, none of them are said to have been prophets—only Deborah, a woman. And even the literal side of this gives women considerable consolation, for it encourages them never to despair due to the weakness of their sex, since they too can be worthy of the grace of prophecy; so that they understand and believe that this grace is given not for belonging to any gender, but for purity of mind. Let us see, however, from what hidden understanding the mystery comes. "Deborah" means "bee" or "speech." But, as we said above, Deborah should be understood as an image of prophecy, which is a bee. For every prophecy undoubtedly brings the sweet honeycomb of heavenly teaching and the sweet honey of the Divine word. That is why David sang: “How sweet are Your words to my throat! better than honey to my lips” (Ps. 119:103); and in another place he says: “The judgments of the Lord are true, all are righteous; they are more desirable than gold and even many precious stones, sweeter than honey and drops of the honeycomb” (Ps. 19:10-11). 3. Let us consider the place where the prophecy is said to abide and where it is written that his abode is located. It is said: “[Deborah] lived under a palm tree, between Ramah and Bethel” (Judges 4:5). Prophecy dwells “under the palm tree,” because, as David says, “The righteous blooms like the palm tree” (Ps. 91:13), for this prophecy leads the one taught by it to the palm tree “of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (cf. Phil. 3:14). It is also said that she lives “between Ramah and Bethel.” "Rama" is translated as "high places" and "Bethel" is translated as "house of God." Notice where the prophecy lives - between the high places and the house of God. For in relation to the abode of prophecy, nothing base, nothing insignificant, nothing unworthy is possible; just like Solomon, describing the dwelling of wisdom, says that she dwells “at the entrances to the city gates,” on the fortress walls and “raises her voice” on the high towers (cf. Prov. 1:20–21). Therefore it is said that the prophecy now presented in Deborah dwells between the house of God and the heights. For it teaches us to seek not earthly things, but “those things above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God” (cf. Col.3:1–2); This is where the prophecy calls us to ascend, this is where he wants to raise his disciples. 4. So, first of all, this woman, as it is said, “sent and called Barak” (Judges 4:6). "Warak" means "flare". Of course, a flash is light, but the light is not constant, because it shines brightly, but goes out for a short time. Therefore, Barak, as I see it, represents the type of the first people, who were first of all called by prophecy to listen to the word of God and receive the gifts of the Divine law, and for a short time they burned brightly and shone in the radiance of the law, but could not maintain this light for a long time and maintain its constant brightness. And therefore Deborah said to Barak, that is, the prophecy - to the first people: “The Lord God of Israel commands you: go, go up to Mount Tabor and take with you ten thousand people” (Judges 4:6), and other things that are written; Let's see what Barak, personifying the people, answered the prophecy: “If you go with me, I will go; but if you do not go with me, I will not go” (Judges 4:8). You see how the prophecy conveyed to the first people what God said, that they were commanded to ascend the mountain; but he apologizes and says: “If you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” What is written about an apology is, of course, true, but the same cannot be said about a promise. For the fact that they did not ascend the mountain of God is indisputable; and the fact that they promise to rise with prophecy is a deception. After all, they did not follow the prophecy and did not believe in the One about whom all the prophecies speak - in Christ. Therefore Deborah says to him: “I will go with you; only you will no longer have glory on this path that you are going on; but the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hand of a woman” (Judges 4:9). It clearly shows that there will be no glory for this people and that the palm of victory will not remain for them, “but into the hand of a woman,” whose name is Jael, “the Lord will deliver Sisera.” It is said that when, at the reminder of Deborah, that is, the prophecy, the commander of the pagans, Sisera, went after Barak, he could not capture him; he ran away and hid with the foreigner Jaili, who had previously agreed on friendship with him; when he returned and took refuge with her and asked for water to drink, she gave him milk; then she hid him in a hiding place and covered him, after which she drove a stake into his jaw or temple with a hammer; and when Barak, who was pursuing him, came, she showed him the dead Sisera (cf. Judges 4:14–22). 5. What secret does this historical narrative tell us? In this foreigner Jael, about whom the prophecy says that victory will be achieved by the hand of a woman (cf. Judges 4:9), lies the image of the Church gathered from various nations. “Jael” means “ascent,” because truly there is no other way to ascend to heaven except through the Church of the manifold wisdom of God (cf. Eph. 3:10). Therefore, Jael is the one who, ascending from the physical to the spiritual and from the earthly to the heavenly, kills Sisera, who, as we said above, has the image of bodily vices and a “spiritual” man, or a “early” man (cf. 1 Cor. 15:48,49; 2:14), for “Sisera” means “the vision of a horse,” about which the Scripture says: “Do not be like a horse, like a mule.” foolish" (Ps. 31:9). She kills him with a stake, in other words, nails him to the ground with the point and force of the wood of the cross. And it is not without reason that it is said that it pierces his jaw (cf. Judges 4:21), for the jaw that speaks of the corporeal and expounds theories that glorify the flesh, which convinced the sages of this age to live in pleasures and pleasures and deceived the human race with the worship of luxury, this jaw, I say, is pierced and nailed by the wood of the cross, because such a philosophy declares publicly that “wide is the gate and broad is the way” of pleasures, and Christ shows us “strait is the gate and narrow is the way” of salvation (Matthew 7:13–14). Thus, Jael, the Church, having covered Sisera, the prince of vices, with skins, that is, having put him to sleep by mortifying his members, consigns him to eternal sleep. Then Jael, the Church, “went out to meet” the first people (Barak) who were pursuing Sisera. For “Israel, who sought the law of righteousness, did not attain to the law of righteousness” (Rom.9:31). And so the Church comes out to meet him and shows him her deeds, shows her the victory she has won and calls on him to enter into an alliance with her in order to defeat her enemies. For the Apostle proclaims the truth when he says what will happen in the last times, when “the full number of the Gentiles will come in; and thus all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:25–26). Thus, glory is brought by the hand of a foreigner (cf. Judges 4:9), and, despite this, even Barak, who began first and came to the end last, is not separated from participating in this glory. And, on the contrary, before he arrived, the stranger Jael, remaining unnoticed, in some way admires the victory. The same image was previously shown in the example of the brothers Esau and Jacob. While Esau was hunting wild animals, while he was hiding in the ravines, Jacob, ahead of him, on the advice of his mother, brought the prepared food to his father and received the blessing of the birthright. And the Gospel says that when the Lord went to resurrect the daughter of the leader of the synagogue, “a woman suffering from bleeding came up” to Him and was the first to receive healing by the touch of faith (cf. Matt. 9:18–26). 6. And if anything else needs to be explained to attentive listeners, let us see if the fact that when Sisera drank milk while asking for water (cf. Judges 4:19) is not shown to be something consistent with a mystical and allegorical interpretation. Eating milk, as it is said in the Holy Scriptures, is the first moral instruction for beginners, like babies (cf. 1 Cor. 3:2). For at first the disciples are not immediately given a view concerning great and hidden mysteries, but they are instructed in moral growth, correction of behavior, and taught the foundations of spiritual life and the principles of faith. All this is the “milk” of the Church; These basics are for babies taking their first steps. But this food gives life and health to those who strive to succeed in goodness, and for those who are attracted by the opposite, in whose hearts self-will, greed, lust and all kinds of wickedness reign, such a teaching brings death and destruction. Thus, the same food nourishes good people and destroys evildoers, and just as it is life for the virtuous, so it is death for the wicked. And to make what has been said even clearer, we can give an example: wine is good for the health of those who live righteously and, as the Scripture says, “wine makes glad the heart of man” (Ps. 103:15), at least for a healthy person, but for those sick with fever, if they drink it, it will immediately bring destruction and death. As we see, the same thing, used in the same way, gives life to one and death to another. Therefore, it must be understood that Sisera, this “natural man” (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14) and the prince of vices, was amazed by the teachings of Christ, which he did not accept with faith. Every soul can greatly grow on the milk of the Gospel and the Apostle, in order to lull and kill Sisera within itself. For if someone, fully instructed by him, kills “his earthly members: fornication, uncleanness” (cf. Col. 3:5) and others listed by the holy Apostle, then he will kill Sisera within himself and show that such things are committed not only in the man of the Church, but also in his soul. And since, as we said, Sisera began to be persecuted by the first people, but was killed by a woman, this Church of the Gentiles, and the palm branch of victory was placed in her hand, at the end of all, that is, at the end of the age, Deborah will again sing a song to the Lord, in which glory will be given to Jael, the Church of the Gentiles, and she will not be silent about the glorious deeds of Barak (cf. Judges 5:6-15), and one reward of victory will be granted to both the first and the last (cf. Luke 13:30) by our Lord Jesus Christ, “To whom be glory and dominion forever and ever.” Amen" (1 Peter 4:11). Homilia VI. About the song sung by Deborah 1. Sisera with his army and iron chariots, with which “he cruelly oppressed the children of Israel,” was defeated, and thus the prophecy spoken by Deborah was fulfilled (cf. Judges 4:3–5). And when the victory was won by the hand of a woman (cf. Judges 4:9), Deborah, as it is said, sang a song in which she praised the victory itself. But if we remember what we talked about above, what image, according to the mystical interpretation, is worn by Deborah, what is Barak, what does the woman Jael personify, who single-handedly killed the enemy of the people of God, and what does Sisera symbolize, struck by a stranger by the power of the tree, then we will see that all these secrets are what will be fulfilled in the last times and at the end of this age through the Church, and in this song, as if in a victory hymn, in praise of victory, it is said about the last times, when “the last enemy to be destroyed is death” (cf. 1 Cor. 15:26). For then Deborah will rejoice, that is, the glory of the prophecy will become obvious, since what she foretold will be fulfilled. Then Jael, the Church, will defeat the common enemy for all, and when “the full number of the Gentiles enters,” then Barak, that is, “all Israel, will be saved” (cf. Rom. 11:25–26) and will become a participant in this victory. Then, if we are worthy, we too will sing this song, full of mystical and prophetic secrets; We do not have time to explain them all in detail - for the church people love brevity - but we will nevertheless try to consider some of them, interpreting the main points or choosing the most striking sayings, in order to bring comfort to our listeners or to reflect on it ourselves and become able to sing the song of Deborah again and again. 2. “In the beginning of the rulership of Israel, in the striving of the people, bless the Lord 14” (Judges 5:2). It is said that the blessing with which we bless the Lord is “in the beginning of the rulership of Israel,” and then “in the eagerness of the people.” For example, when we begin to come to the worship of God, when we accept the principles of the word of God and heavenly teaching from the authorities in Israel, we must warmly accept these principles. But I think that the “principals of Israel,” that is, the Christian people, should be understood as the angels whom the Lord sends to guard every little one in the Church, and they, as it is said, “always see the face of the Heavenly Father” (cf. Matt. 18:10). Thus, they are the principalities, and from them we must receive the principles. For example, if a child goes to school, he is accepted by a teacher, and he becomes a student of this mentor, however, he does not immediately receive all the knowledge from him, but, having accepted the fundamental principles from him, he is passed on to other teachers, so to speak, to the heads of the entire school, so that, having been perfectly instructed by them and having adopted from them everything that is in them, and having accumulated the beginnings of knowledge, he could receive perfect teaching from the Teacher Himself. Therefore, now, turning to the fundamental principles of our knowledge, the prophecy says that after the principalities began to work in us and we found ourselves under their leadership, we must consciously and firmly follow them and thus come to bless the Lord Himself. For look at what is said: “In the beginning of the rulership of Israel” (Judges 5:2). It is said that beginnings are what principalities promote; and then you need to work decisively and diligently in order to be worthy to bless the Lord. After all, the people of Israel, when they began to leave Egypt and cross the Red Sea, did nothing by their own efforts, but everything was done by their rulers, that is, angels (cf. Ex. 14:19). So Moses says to the people: “The Lord will fight for you, and you will be at peace” 15 (cf. Ex. 14:14). Is it not said that the angel of death, who destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt, fought for them and made sure that not a single sheep of Israel bleated (cf. Ex. 12:23-29)? We should not, however, expect that angels will always “fight for us”; the angelic authorities will help us only “in the beginning.” And over time, we ourselves must, armed, go out to fight. After all, before we learn to fight, before we prepare to fight the battles of the Lord, the angelic rulers support us. Before we receive the “living bread that came down from heaven” (cf. John 6:51), and are filled with the flesh of the “blameless and spotless Lamb” (cf. Pet. 1:19), before we become drunk with the blood of the “true vine” (cf. John 15:1), which grows from the root of David (cf. Is. 11:1; Matt. 1:6), we still infants, we feed on milk (cf. 1 Cor. 3:1-2) and comprehend the principles of the word of Christ and act like children, subject to guardian angels and angelic stewards (cf. Gal. 4:6). But once we have tasted the mysteries of the heavenly host (cf. Luke 2:13) and have been restored with the bread of life (cf. John 6:35), listen to how the apostolic battle cry of the trumpet calls us to battle. For Paul calls to us with a loud voice, saying: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). He no longer allows us to hide under the wings of those who feed with milk, but calls us to the battlefield. He says: “Put on the armor of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of salvation” (cf. 1 Thess. 5:8), “take up the sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17), and most importantly, “the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16). So, you see that with the people of God everything happens in order and without confusion, nothing absurd, nothing disorderly happens. For “in the beginning the rulers” (Judges 5:2) help; but when you are taught and instructed by the authorities, you do according to your desire and will what they taught you. After all, with truly matured principles and accumulated fundamental principles, we are entrusted to our will, so that either we will earn glory for ourselves through our virtues, or through our negligence we will be condemned by the law. That is why it is written: “In the beginning of the rulers of Israel, in the striving of the people, bless the Lord” (Judges 5:2). 3. After this it is said: “Hear, O kings, hear, O nobles: I will sing to the Lord, sing psalms to the Lord God of Israel 16” (Judges 5:3). Hear, it is said, kings. Those gathered to hear the word of God are called kings. Rejoice, people of God, when you hear the sign of your dignity, for you are called to hear the word of God not as a crowd, but as a king. After all, it has been told to you: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Pet. 2:9). And since you are kings, our King the Lord Jesus Christ is rightly called “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16). And just as you rejoiced at the testimony of your dignity, so it behooves you to learn what each of you must do to become a king. I'll explain it to you briefly. Christ makes you king over all, if He reigns in you; for the one who reigns is called a king. Therefore, if the soul reigns in you, and the body is subordinate to it, if you keep the lusts of the flesh in check, if you have imposed strong chains of abstinence on the hordes of vices, you are worthy of the title of king and know how to reign justly. And when you become like this, you will rightfully be called a king and will be called to hear the word of God. But in what follows, something more substantial is said: “Hear, O kings, hear, O nobles” (Judges 5:3). For just as nobles are lower than a king, so listening is lower than hearing, because hearing refers to the inner man, just as the Lord said: “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15); and listening is directed to the external and bodily. Therefore, here those who should hear are called kings, and those who should listen are called nobles. “I will sing to the Lord, I will sing psalms to the Lord God of Israel” (Judges 5:3). Blessed is he who can “sing psalms to the Lord.” And when we turn to the Scriptures, we see that these holy books contain many songs. We have a whole book of Song of Songs. There are songs in the book of Judges and in the book of Numbers (cf. Num. 21:17–18), there are songs recorded in Deuteronomy (cf. Deut. 32:1–43), and in the book of Exodus (cf. Exod. 15:1–21), and in the first book of Kings (cf. 1 Samuel 2:1–10), and in the first book of Chronicles (cf. 1 Chronicles 16:8–36), and in many other places you will find written Divine songs. Thus, the voice of the righteous says: “I will sing to the Lord, sing psalms to the Lord God of Israel” (Judges 5:3). What do you think, whose voice is so euphonious, whose spirit is so pure and whose mind is so blameless that his song is pleasant to His Divine ear? Verily, he is the one in whom there is no hoarse sound of sin, in whose tongue there is no wickedness, in whose spirit there is nothing fat, who can rightly say: “I will sing to the Lord, sing psalms to the Lord God of Israel.” 4. But since we are not going to explain the sequence of hymns line by line, violating the order of reading, let's see what it means: “My heart is on that which was prepared for the sake of Israel 17” (Judges 5:9). It seems to me that this means this: my heart and my soul, my understanding and all my mind are directed and directed towards the “ordered” and prepared “for the sake of Israel”; With all my mind I am directed towards the future. For if my soul strives for this, then in this world I “count all things but loss for the sake of the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:8), who “has prepared for those who love Him” all that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and nothing has entered into the heart of man” (cf. 1 Cor. 2:9). That is why it is said that my heart strives for this. For I no longer carry a man’s heart within me, I no longer think as a man thinks; because the Scripture says: “He [Christ] called those to whom the word of God came gods” (John 10:35), and I strive for this not with human, but with Divine understanding. 5. “Rulers of the people, bless the Lord, ye who have risen upon the beasts of burden” (Judges 5:9–10). What does “mounted on beasts of burden” mean? The beast of burden is my body, which is given to help and serve the soul. But I, or rather my inner man, am the one who has risen above this beast of burden. Regarding him it is said: “I will bless the Lord.” Thus, if you have truly risen above the body and become above carnal lusts, and all the aspirations of your body are restrained by the bridle of the mind and directed by the inner man, it is said about you that you have risen “on beasts of burden” and bless the Lord. But what does what follows mean? It is said: “They ride on shining donkeys, sit on carts” (Judges 5:10). Who are these shining donkeys? Scripture says that “those who ride on shining asses, those who sit on carts” are to bless the Lord. It seems to me that in such difficult passages this is what we are talking about: when the beast of burden, that is, my body, is bridled with the word of God, then the “cart” of my body will begin to shine, and the “donkey,” that is, my flesh, as it is said, will shine when it is adorned with the shine of chastity and continence. And, as it is rightly said, she who sits “on shining donkeys” blesses the Lord and, among those who rejoice, praises Him (cf. Ps. 21:23). “There they will render righteousness to the Lord” (Judges 5:11). The Lord is pleased with the sacrifice that is offered to God in righteousness and justice. That is why it is said: “The righteous are strengthened in Israel” (Judges 5:11). In other nations, those who are stronger in body are called strong in battle, but in Israel those who are more righteous are considered more powerful in battle, for righteousness, even if it is weak, wins, but unrighteousness, even if it has many strong zealots, is defeated. Thus, in our race, that is, in the people of God, we either conquer by godliness or are defeated by unrighteousness. 6. “Arise, Deborah, awaken tens of thousands among the people” (Judges 5:12). When does prophecy arise? Of course, at the coming of Christ. And he not only rebels, but also awakens the people to faith. “Bring your captives into captivity, son of Abinoam” (Judges 5:12). "Avinoam" means "answer of the father." His son is Barak. He who observes the answers of the Heavenly Father will take prisoners from his enemies. “The Lord has brought into subjection to me those who are stronger than I” (cf. Judges 5:13). These are the words of the faithful, who recognize that their enemies are stronger, those enemies against whom we are waging battle, for “our struggle is not against flesh and blood” - otherwise the enemy would not be stronger than us - “but against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12); That’s why the prophecy says: “The Lord has brought into subjection to me those who are stronger than I” (cf. Judges 5:13). And how can such a powerful force of spirit not be much stronger than human weakness? But God “strengthens us in our weaknesses” (cf. Rom. 8:26), about which the Apostle says: “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). Thus, those powers are more powerful than us, but most powerful of all is Christ who lives in us and strengthens us, “To whom be glory and dominion forever and ever.” Amen" (1 Peter 4:11). Homily VII. That the Lord delivered the children of Israel into the hands of the Midianites (cf. Judges 6:1) 1. “And the earth rested” (Judges 5:31) until sin subsided. It is said, however, that the earth, that is, those living on it, shakes when sin begins to shake and confuse human souls. And therefore what is contained in today’s reading is written: “And the earth rested forty years” (Judges 5:31). “The children of Israel began to do evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years. The hand of Midian was heavy upon Israel” (Judges 6:1–2). So, while righteousness was on the earth, that is, in those living on it, “the earth rested”; but when the dishonor increased, the Lord, as it is said, “gave them into the hands of the Midianites for seven years.” It is not said that the Midianites ruled over the Lord's people as long as the people kept His commandments. But when they began to neglect the Divine commandments, the hand of their enemies became heavy on them. And just as fleshly enemies rose up against the ancients when they committed sin, so, without a doubt, spiritual enemies rise up against us, who are called Israel in spirit, as soon as we leave the commandments of God. When we deviate from the commandments of Christ, the hand of demons is strengthened against us, and we surrender to our enemies when grace leaves us. 2. But let's see what happens to those who are betrayed for their sins. It is said: “And the children of Israel made for themselves from the Midianites ravines in the mountains and caves and fortifications. When Israel sows, Midian and Amalek and the children of the east will come and walk among them; and they stand with them as tents, and destroy the produce of the land as far as Gaza” (Judges 6:2–4). This is what he who was Israel “according to the flesh” suffered (cf. 1 Cor. 10:18): he sowed the land, but since he was betrayed to powerful enemies for his sins, instead of fruit he reaped corruption (cf. Gal. 6:8). But we, who are called Israel in spirit, will consider that this can happen to us too. It happens that when we sow, enemies cannot destroy our crops, they cannot prevent us from cultivating our land; but sometimes, on the contrary, we sow, and they destroy our crops. The Apostle Paul teaches us about these different crops. Listen to what he says: “He who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:8). Thus those whose crops the Midianites destroy sow to the flesh. They are the ones whose crops are destroyed. The Midianites cannot destroy the seeds sown “in the spirit.” For opposing forces are not capable of entering the spiritual field and desecrating the spiritual fields of those who plow “new fields for themselves” and do not sow “among the thorns” (cf. Jer. 4:3). I need to add something else, because I want to warn you, as well as myself, about the need to protect the crops and take care of the fruits of the spirit (cf. Gal. 5:22). It often happens that someone, diligent in spiritual labors, bears a lot of fruits and fills his barns with the fruits of righteousness and puts a lot of good deeds into the treasury of his conscience, but if later he becomes careless and after all his labors turns to pleasures and luxury, all the shoots of good deeds and the fruits of sacred work will be destroyed by the thirst for pleasure that dominates him. For when sin enters a person and takes over his mind, so that he no longer thinks about the commandments of God, does not want to follow the difficult path of virtues, then everything that he had previously accumulated in the treasury of his conscience perishes. That is why we must heed the warning of the Holy Scriptures: “Keep your heart with more than all other things” (Prov. 4:23). Thus, it is necessary to guard the heart from all sin, especially in times of persecution. For if it so happens that someone at other times gathers the fruits of righteousness, seeks to do works of virtue and is adorned with all very commendable virtues, but in times of persecution renounces the faith, loses everything he has accumulated and suddenly becomes deprived of all his wealth, since all the fruits of his labors, which for a long time he collected by the sweat of his brow, were lost, as the prophet says, “his righteous deeds that he did will not be remembered” (Eze. 3:20). So, brothers, let us pray to the Lord, confessing to Him our weakness, so that He does not deliver us “into the hands of the Midianites,” so that He does not give us up “to the beasts the soul that confesses to Him” (cf. Ps. 74:19), so that He does not give us over to the power of those who say: “When will the time come when we will be given power against Christians, when those who say that they have and know God will surrender into our hands?” What if suddenly we are betrayed to them and they take our power from us? So let us pray that we may receive perseverance from God, so that we can endure everything, so that in times of hardship and hardship our faith becomes even clearer, so that our patience overcomes their shamelessness, and, as the Lord said: “By your patience save your souls” (Luke 21:19), for “from tribulation comes patience, from patience experience, 18 from experience hope” (Rom. 5:3-4). For our trial extends not only to scourging, but also to the shedding of blood, because Christ, whom we follow, shed His blood for our redemption (cf. Rev. 5:9), so that we would then grow, washed by our blood. For baptism with blood alone makes us purer than baptism with water. And these are not my assumptions: this is what the Scripture says when the Lord says to the disciples: “I must be baptized with a baptism which you do not know; and how I languish until this is accomplished!” (Luke 12:50). You see that He calls the shedding of His blood baptism. And if what I have said does not offend anyone, I would venture to suggest that such baptism is higher than that which is performed by water, for among those who accepted it there are very few blessed so much that they could keep it unsullied until the end of their days; he who is baptized in blood is no longer able to sin. And if it is not foolish to dare to express an opinion in such matters, we can say that in baptism by water only past sins are cleansed, but in baptism by blood future sins are also destroyed; there sins are forgiven, here they are excluded. If God had granted that I should be washed with my own blood, that I might receive a second baptism of death for Christ, I would fearlessly leave this world, so that, coming to my soul leaving this life, “the prince of this world” (cf. John 12:31) would not find anything; even, rather, he himself would have been put to sleep by the shedding of my blood and would not have dared to accuse any soul that shed its blood, glorified by its death, washed by its blood. After this baptism, the Midianites would no longer be able to attack to destroy and destroy the fruits of the soul. For who can pursue the soul of a martyr, which, having risen above all the powers of the air (cf. Eph. 2:2), strives for the heavenly altar? After all, the souls of the martyrs, placed there “under the altar” (cf. Rev. 6:9) of God, as it is said, cry out day and night with a loud voice, saying: “How long, O Lord, Holy and True, do you not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Rev.6:10). Because while there, they stand at the Divine sacrifices. Blessed indeed are those who deserve it. Blessed are the hearts that, when leaving this world, do not tremble before sin, those who approach the Lord without fearing the horror of their sins. Blessed is the soul that shed blood in its martyrdom and puts to flight the hordes of air demons that oppose it. Blessed is he who goes to heaven, of whom the angels speak in the words of the prophet: “Who is this that comes from Bozrah?” (cf. Is.63:1), that is, who ascends from the flesh to heaven “in scarlet garments from Bozrah?” (cf. Is.63:1), testifying with scarlet robes to the shed blood. Blessed are the souls who follow Christ as Christ precedes them. And therefore those who follow Him reach the very altar of God, where our Lord Jesus Christ Himself dwells, “High Priest of good things to come” (cf. Heb. 9:11), “To whom be glory and dominion forever and ever.” Amen" (1 Peter 4:11). Homily VIII. About the sons of the east and partly about Gideon 1. It is said: the Midianites, whose name means “outside judgment,” gathered against Israel. It is said: those who are outside the judgment of God are gathered against Israel, “those who, not having the law, have sinned, are outside the law and will perish” (Rom. 2:12). It is said: the Amalekites, whose name is translated as “the people who graze,” also gathered together. It is said: this earthly people, having given themselves over to their belly and throat, came to attack—carnal Israel against spiritual Israel. But what does it mean that the “sons of the east” are joining them in order to go together with them to fight Israel? After all, the listener will say to me: “If it were written that the sons of the West were gathered against them, I would not ask anything; because you would then say that, according to the laws of allegory, the sons of the West are the sons of darkness and are united either with those peoples who are outside the judgment of God, or with those who, having given themselves over to their womb, attack those who strive to see God with their minds. But if it is said that “Midian and the Amalekites and the inhabitants of the east will come” (cf. Judges 6:3), then how can this be properly interpreted? So let's see if we can find worthy meaning in these difficult passages of Scripture on these Divine pages. Anyone who in one way or another takes on the name of Christ becomes a son of the East. For it is written about Christ like this: “Behold the Man, His name is the East” (Zechariah 6:12). Consequently, everyone who accepts the name of Christ is a son of the East, but he who accepts the name of Christ does not always remain in the Church of Christ. Therefore, if you see that heretics consider themselves Christians, but attack the Church of Christ, arm themselves against the faith of Christ, attack the people of the Lord and incite wars against the Catholic faith, I want you to say about them without hesitation that such are the “sons of the east” - those who, with the Midianites and Amalekites, go to be hostile to the people of God, because together with the pagans and Jews they persecute the Church of God and heretics. This is who, I think, is called the “sons of the east.” 2. It is said: “The Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east gathered together, crossed the river and camped in the valley of Israel” (Judges 6:33). Those who want to fight with the people of God pitch their camp in the valleys, in low and low places, as it is said, “in the valley of Israel.” However, we find that Jezrael means "seed of God." Do you see where the enemies are camping? They did not dare to go where, apparently, the “fruit of the Spirit” had already ripened (cf. Gal. 5:22), but they went to where the seed of God had only just been cast and the fruit had not yet grown. For he who went out to sow the word (cf. Mark 4:3:14) sows everywhere; but listen to what the Lord Himself says about what happens to the seed of God. It is said: “Something fell by the wayside, and birds came and devoured it” (Mark 4:4). Explaining this, He later says: “Those who fall along the way are the ones who hear, to whom the devil then comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they do not believe and are saved” (Luke 8:12). So now those who want to take away the seed of God from the hearts of those in whom it is sown come, for they find them living in the valleys, in the lowest places. Among these are those who receive the word of God basely and unworthily, so to speak, in the Jewish understanding, and therefore demons can snatch it “out of their hearts.” From the one who has risen from the baseness of the letter to the heights of the spirit, and, moving away from the carnal understanding, rushes to the higher, which is the Spirit of God (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14), neither the Midianites nor the Amalekites can take anything away, and the sons of the East are not able to steal anything from the one who has ascended to the height of the establishment of spiritual understanding. 3. So they “camped in the valley of Israel” (cf. Judges 6:33). And, as it is said, “The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; he sounded the trumpet and called the tribe of Abezer after him” 19 (Judges 6:34). And although the meaning of what is written requires a different order of explanation, since our goal is not so much to interpret Scripture as to comfort the people with the help of what we read, let us consider some individual passages. It is said: “He called for the tribe of Avizer,” which did not exist as such. Avizer means "my father's help." Therefore, Gideon apparently calls not a man for help, but the Father. In addition, he also summons additional troops. All the people and all the army gather around Gideon. 4. It is said: “And Gideon said to God: If You will save Israel by my hand, as You have spoken, then, behold, I will spread shorn wool on the threshing floor: if there is dew only on the wool, and the whole earth is dry, then I will know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have spoken. And so it happened” (Judges 6:36–38). Gideon could have asked God for a great many signs and wonders to confirm His promise, but why does it seem right to him, after the angelic voice and the promise from heaven (cf. Judges 6:14-16), to ask God for such an unusual sign? For he says: “I will spread the shorn wool on the threshing floor: if there is dew only on the wool, and the whole earth is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel with my hand” (Judges 6:37). And when Gideon asked God for this sign, it happened. Truly, O Gideon, you have achieved the accomplishment of a sign; so why do you take wool and squeeze water out of it into a bowl (cf. Judges 6:38)? What motivates you to do this? Indeed, truly you have received the first sign; Why do you ask for the second in the reverse and completely changed order (cf. Judges 6:39–40)? Perhaps some of those who listen to what is read more attentively than others will say that this apparently does not agree with what is written, with the prescribed law: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Deut. 6:16). However, fulfilling the request shows that his action does not contradict this command; for God would not listen to a request to do something contrary to the law. But here, when we see that in the first sign the dew fell only on the wool, and the whole earth was dry (cf. Judges 6:37-38), and in the second sign the dew was on the whole earth and “only on the wool it was dry” (cf. Judges 6:39-40), in the fact that Gideon received a guarantee that the Lord would save Israel with his hand, we must see the explanation of this mystery, which, I remember, one of Our predecessors said in his writings that the shorn wool is the people of God, other nations are represented as the rest of the earth, and the dew that fell on the wool is the word of God sent down to this one people from heaven. For only the dew of the Divine law fell on Israel, and all other nations were seized by drought, because not a drop of the life-giving moisture of the word of God fell on them. The reason for the second sign, with the reverse order, about which it is said: “Only the wool was dry, but on the whole earth there was dew” (cf. Judges 6:40), must be understood as follows. Look at all these people, gathered from the nations throughout the whole earth, who now possess the Divine dew; look at them, washed with the dew of Moses, imbued with the prophetic writings; look at them, green from the gospel and apostolic life-giving moisture, while the wool, that is, the Jewish people, suffers from drought and lack of water in the word of God, according to what is written: “For a long time the children of Israel will remain without a king and without a prince and without a prophet, without an altar, without sacrifices and offerings” (Hos. 3:4). Consider what dryness they are experiencing, what a lack of water of the Divine Word has gripped them. It must be admitted that this explanation was given to us by the labors of the elders; but we, having heard the word of the wise, must, as it is written (cf. Wis. 9:9), add our praise and make a contribution, so let’s see what we can say on this issue. Thus, I have often meditated on the seventy-first Psalm, and it has struck me that when it describes the coming of Christ, it states that “He will come down like rain on shorn wool, 20 like drops that water the earth” (Ps. 71:6). Wool is mentioned here, and wool is also written about in the psalms. For it is said that “He will come down like rain on shorn wool.” Consequently, He will descend on this wool, on the circumcised people, and, like drops watering the earth, that is, the rest of the earth, our Lord Jesus Christ will descend “like drops,” bringing us, other nations, drop by drop the heavenly dew, so that we, who live “on all the earth” and suffered from drought, can drink it. Therefore, Saint Gideon, contemplating with a prophetic spirit this dispensation of the mystery, asks God not only for the first, but also for the second sign, performed in the reverse order. For he knew that that Divine dew, which is the coming of the Son of God, should fall not only on the Jews, but subsequently on other nations, since “from the fall” of Israel “salvation for the Gentiles” (cf. Rom. 11:11). That is why, due to the dryness of the wool, the dew of God's grace is poured out over the whole earth. In this act of Gideon, a man of the highest degree of faithfulness, it is, I think, absolutely necessary for us not to ignore something that can serve us as a kind of spiritual warning. He sees an angel (cf. Judges 6:12), but, being a man of learning and having the example of his predecessor Joshua, he acts with greater caution. For he knew that the angel of darkness “takes on the form of an angel of light” (cf. 2 Cor. 11:14), and therefore he said: I want with the greatest care, as it is said, to test this spirit, whether it is from God (cf. 1 John 4:1), because “he who is spiritual judges all things” (1 Cor. 2:15). His predecessor Joshua did the same; when he saw the leader of the “army of the Lord,” he wanted to know and asked: “Are you one of ours, or one of our enemies?” (cf. Joshua 5:13–14). In the same way, the most holy Gideon experiences the angelic vision with many different signs. 5. Why do you think Gideon says: “I will spread the shorn wool” not somewhere, not in a field or in a forest, but “on the threshing floor”? On the threshing floor, where the harvest is stored, for “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37). It is said: “I will spread shorn wool” where the harvest is stored. What motivated the holy man Gideon to do this, or why did it seem right to him? He foresaw by the Spirit that Christ would “cleanse His threshing floor and gather” His people “into the barn,” “His shovel is in His hand,” and He will separate the wheat from the chaff (cf. Matt. 3:12). And therefore, not without reason, this great and glorious man, whom the holy Apostle mentions among the prophets in his letter to the Hebrews (cf. Heb. 11:32), chose a threshing floor to spread the shorn wool; and not without reason, “he began to squeeze the wool and squeezed a whole cup of water out of the wool” (cf. Judges 6:38). Let's see if the Holy Scriptures say anything about this that would give us the opportunity to understand. Let's turn to the Gospel. Here we find that our Lord and Savior “took off His outer garment and, taking a towel, girded Himself. Then He poured water into the laver and washed the feet of His disciples” (John 13:4-5). So, you see that these prophetic sayings allegorically anticipated what was to be done by the Lord in the last times. Accordingly, the water that Jesus poured into the laver is the dew of heavenly grace, from which He “washed the feet of His disciples.” And therefore He rightly said to them: “You have already been cleansed through the word that I preached to you” (John 15:3). So we are: if we only give our feet, the Lord Jesus is ready to wash the feet of our soul and cleanse them with heavenly dew, the grace of the Holy Spirit, and the word of instruction. And He says to all believers what He said to Peter: “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:8). For it is obvious that no one has a part with Christ unless he is washed and cleansed. I pray, come, Lord Jesus, Son of God, take off the outer garment that You put on for me, pour water into the laver and wash the feet of Your servants, wash away the filth from Your sons and daughters. Wash the feet of our souls, so that, imitating You and following You, we will take off our old tunics and say: “At night I took off my tunic; How can I put it on again?” ( Song 5:3 ); and they would also say: “I have washed my feet; How can I dirty them? ( Song 5:3 ). And indeed, as soon as You wash my feet, make sure that I also lie down with You and hear from You: “You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say it correctly, for I am exactly that. Therefore, if I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, then you should also wash one another’s feet” (John 13:13-14). So now I want to wash the feet of my brothers, to wash the feet of my fellow disciples. And therefore I take water, I draw it (cf. Is. 12:3) from the springs of Israel (cf. Ps. 67:27), or rather, I squeeze it out of the wool of Israel. For now I squeeze water from the “wool” of the book of Judges, at another time - water from the “wool” of the books of Kings and water from the “wool” of the books of the prophets Isaiah or Jeremiah; and I pour it into the laver of my soul, compiling their meaning in my heart, and I take the feet of those who prepare and present them for washing; and to the best of my ability I strive to wash the feet of my brothers and fulfill the commandment of the Lord, so that in the word of teaching those who listen to him will be cleansed from the filth of sin (cf. Eze. 24:13), so that they will cast away from themselves all the uncleanness of vices and their feet will become clean, with which they would directly enter “in readiness to preach the gospel of peace” (cf. Eph. 6:15), so that all of us, having been cleansed in Christ, by His word, we were not expelled from the wedding chambers of the Bridegroom for dirty clothes (cf. Matt. 22:11), but in shining white robes with washed feet and a pure heart (cf. Matt. 5:8) we reclined at the wedding feast of the Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, “To whom be glory and dominion forever and ever.” Amen" (1 Peter 4:11). Homily IX. And again, the rest is about Gideon and the battle that Gideon fought with the three hundred chosen 1. So great was the multitude that gathered against Israel that they were compared to locusts. It is said: “Their camels were without number; they were as numerous as the sand on the seashore” (Judges 7:12). Now let's see how you can defeat so many enemies, so countless; it is said that thirty-two thousand armed soldiers from the children of Israel (cf. Judges 7:3) set out with Gideon to fight against this numerous army. And God answered Gideon, saying: “There are very many people with you” (Judges 7:2). So what if there are “a lot of people”? In wars, does not a larger army provide better protection? As it has been said, Divine battles are fought completely differently from human ones. The glorious act of Divine power is not accomplished if people assist it, because “a king cannot be saved by the multitude of his army” (Ps. 32:16). And so that Israel does not become proud and boastfully appropriate a part of the victory for itself, the Lord says to Gideon: “There are very many people with you, I cannot deliver the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel become proud before Me and say: “My hand has saved me”; Therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people and say: “Let him who is timid and fearful in heart return and go back from Mount Gilead.” And the people returned twenty-two thousand, but ten thousand remained” (Judges 7:2-3). Let's see, first of all, what it means: “who is timid and fearful in heart,” for with these two words, namely, “timid and fearful in heart,” human weakness is expressed. Even someone who, at first glance, does not want to enter into battle may seem timid; however, he is not “fearful in heart” and can be reborn and find life again. But “fearful at heart” is the one who, even before he sees misfortunes, as if by a vice growing from within, is frightened by the mere thought of them; a chilling horror permeates all his members, and he is depressed not so much because he sees misfortunes as because he hears about them and expects them; and therefore “fearful in heart” was added, for vice remains rooted in the heart and in the depths of the soul. So what? We say that only then did Gideon say to the people: “If anyone is timid and fearful in heart,” should he avoid battles, shirk battles, leave the lot of brave men? Does not today our Captain (cf. Judges 4:7), our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, speaking to His soldiers, saying: “He who is timid and fearful in heart,” enter into my battles? After all, about the same thing, but in different words, He speaks in the Gospel: “Whoever does not bear his cross and [does not] follow Me is not worthy of Me” (Luke 14:27); and again: “Whoever comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and indeed his own life, is not worthy of Me” (Luke 14:26); and also says: “Anyone of you who does not renounce everything that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33). Is not Christ clearly separating and expelling from His military camp those “who are timid and fearful in heart” by these words? So, all of you who want to follow the army of Christ, who strive to be in His camp, drive out fear from your mind and fear from your heart, so that the warrior of Christ can say with confidence: “If an army takes up arms against me, my heart will not fear; if war arises against me, then I will hope” (Ps. 27:3), with conviction he said: “The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life: whom shall I fear?” (Ps. 26:1). But don’t let such a huge army frighten you: there is nothing complicated, nothing difficult, nothing impossible in it. Do you want to know how easy it is to fill it with warriors of faith? It often happens that even women win in these camps, for the battle is fought not by the strength of the body, but by the strength of faith. Previously, in this very book of Judges, we read about the glorious deeds of the woman Deborah, and the fear of unbelief did not trouble her feminine mind (cf. Judges 4:4ff). And what can we say about Judith, about this beautiful and most worthy of women? When everything was almost lost, she was not afraid to rush to the rescue alone, exposing herself and her life to mortal danger in the hands of the cruelest Holofernes (cf. Ith. 13:1-10) and alone rose to war, relying not on weapons, not on war horses, not on military strength (cf. Ith. 9: 7), but on the strength of spirit and firmness of faith, and, having courage and, at the same time, with prudence, she killed the enemy; and the freedom that men had lost was returned to the fatherland by women. Why do we return to examples from antiquity and describe them to you in such detail? We often see with our own eyes how women and very young virgins endure torment from tyrants for the sake of martyrdom, despite the weakness of their sex and the fragility of their tender age. So, those who fight for the truth, who fight for God, require not physical strength, but strength of spirit: victory is achieved not with iron spears, but with arrows of prayer, and faith gives perseverance in battle (cf. James 1:3). That is why the holy Apostle, equipping God’s soldiers for this kind of war, says: “Stand therefore, having your loins girded with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (Eph. 6:14); take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (Eph.6:17); and above all, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16); and calls to shod “your feet in readiness to preach peace” (Eph. 6:15) and, thus armed, to lift up the banner of the Cross of Christ and follow Him (cf. Matt. 16:24). However, it is also permissible in the army of Christ, if you ever feel that you are yielding in the face of persecution and, due to your bodily weakness, are unable to resist the cruel tyrant, to give “room to wrath” (cf. Rom. 12:19), and to run from place to place will not be charged to you as a military offense. For this is indicated in the laws of Christ, where it says: “When they persecute you in one city, flee to another” (cf. Matthew 10:23). The main thing is not to renounce Christ, whom you once confessed. After all, the one who confesses Him runs away, so as not to renounce Him. So, if “he is timid and fearful in heart,” let him leave the military camp and return to his home, so as not to set an example of fear and timidity. Do you want to know how great a sin it is to be timid and fearful? In Revelation, which lists those who are sent into the lake that burns with fire, first of all the fearful and timid ones are named, among whom are the infidels, fornicators and poisoners (cf. Rev. 21:8). Thus, fear and timidity are named among the terrible and heinous crimes. We said this about those who, as timid and fearful at heart, are the first to be sent out of the military camp. 2. After “the people returned twenty-two thousand” (cf. Judges 7:3), the Divine Word adds: “And the Lord said to Gideon: There are still many people; lead them to the water, there I will choose them for you” (Judges 7:4). As I see, those who were rejected first did not go down “to the water,” but considered themselves catechumens and were so stricken with the vice of fear that they did not go to the pool of salvation and therefore were rejected. They come to the water to pass the test. Let's see how it goes. It is said: “And the Lord said to Gideon, “Whoever laps up water with his tongue, as a dog laps, let him stand apart, and also all those who bend down on their knees and drink. And the number of those who licked their tongues from the hand was three hundred people; all the rest of the people bent down on their knees to drink water. And the Lord said to Gideon: With three hundred of those who lapped I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hands” (Judges 7:5–7). In almost everything that the ancients did, great mysteries are signified, as in this passage we see that those who go down “to the water,” that is, those who come to the grace of baptism, should not be cast down to the ground or “bend down on their knees” and yield to the coming temptations; rather, they must stand firm and bold, just as the prophet said: “Strengthen the hands that hang down and the knees that weaken” (Heb. 12:12; Is. 35:3) “and walk straight with your feet” (Heb. 12:13). You have come to the waters of baptism, that is, to the beginning of the struggle and spiritual warfare, and here your battle with the devil begins. And if you are weaker, if you can be easily persuaded, then how will you fight, how will you indestructibly resist the wiles of the devil? That is why the Apostle calls: “Stand firm, and do not be subjected again to the yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1), and also says: “Stand ye in the Lord” (Phil. 4:1), and for the third time he says: “Now we are alive, as you stand in the Lord” (1 Thess. 3:8). So, he is tested, he is chosen, who, after descending to the baptismal waters, does not know how to bow to earthly and bodily things, who does not indulge in vices and does not prostrate himself in his desire for sin. And what was said that people lapped “with their tongues from their hands” (cf. Judges 7:6), as it seems to me, was written not without a mysterious meaning, namely, that the soldiers of Christ must work with their tongues and hands, that is, in word and deed, for “whoever does and teaches, he will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:19). And as for the comparison given in Scripture with a lapping dog, it seems to me that this animal is mentioned here because it is more than all others capable of loving and serving its owner, and neither time nor unjust punishment can destroy this love. Thus, only three hundred men who became the prototype of this mystery, those tested, those chosen, those sanctified for victory, were able, by the very secret of their number, to prevail over the enemies. For three hundred is three taken a hundred times, and expresses the perfection of the Trinity, and by it the whole army of Christ is numbered. We want to be worthy of belonging to him. How, however, do they fight? It is said that they carry in their hands pitchers, lamps and horns and, as it is said, they step on the countless multitudes of their enemies, whose camels were “like the sand on the seashore” (cf. Judges 7:12). And when they came to war, they, as it is said, “blew the horns” and dropped the jars from their hands, and they broke (cf. Judges 7:19-20). And then, grabbing the lamps, they rush at the enemies and simultaneously blow their horns. See how God's chosen warriors fight with the lamps. For this is how Christ armed them, saying: “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning” (Luke 12:35), and also: “Let your light so shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Thus, the soldiers of Christ must fight with burning lamps, shining brightly with the light of deeds and the radiance of deeds. But what are these horns with which they give the signal for battle? He who speaks about heavenly things, who talks about spiritual things, who reveals “the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 13:11), blows the horn. He speaks of horns, who speaks about the great and lofty, who spreads the teachings of Christ for human hearing. But why is the war trumpet called a horn? Because it is said about the saint: “His horn will exalt in glory” (Ps. 112:9). That is why every person’s fighting tuba is called a horn; the horn proclaims discussions about the multifaceted knowledge of Christ and the secrets of His Cross, which the horn personifies. Thus, being warriors with such a war trumpet and fighting with it, we defeat foreigners and put our enemies to flight, even if they are “in such multitudes as locusts” (cf. Judges 7:12). For many demons are compared to locusts, which have no abode either in heaven or on earth. And let the light of deeds, the power of knowledge and the proclamation of the word of God guide us in this war. And may we fight, singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (cf. Col. 3:16) and crying out to God (cf. Judg. 6:7), so that we may be counted worthy to receive the victory in Christ Jesus from Himself, “To whom be glory and dominion forever and ever.” Amen" (1 Peter 4:11). Per. Alexandra Sperl made from: Patrologia Graeca / [Originally compiled by Rod Letchford]. – PG 1–161. – J. – P. Migne, 1857–1866. / PG 12: Origen: “Conversations on books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, The Book of Judges of Israel, Job,” “Interpretation of the Psalms.” 951–991 p. In the Synodal Version: “all the days of the elders whose lives were prolonged after Jesus.” In the Synodal translation: “saw.” In the Synodal translation: “the righteous shall prosper.” In the Synodal translation: “to those who love Your law.” In the Synodal translation: “he will not experience any evil.” In the Synodal translation: “and they curse Him.” In the Synodal translation: “irritated.” In the Synodal translation: “And his hand overcame Husarsafem.” In the Synodal translation: “who was left-handed.” Sinister means both "leftist" and "vicious". Eglon – king of Moab (Judges 3:12); here Origen is referring to the defeat inflicted by Gideon on the king of Midian (Judges 7). In the Synodal translation: “an ox goad.” Animalis means both "soulful" and "animal". In the Synodal Translation: “Israel has been avenged, the people have shown zeal; glorify the Lord!” In the Synodal Translation: “The Lord will fight for you, but you can be calm.” In the Synodal Translation: “Hear, O kings, hearken, O nobles: I am to the Lord, I sing, I jingle to the Lord God of Israel.” In the Synodal translation: “My heart goes out to you, leaders of Israel.” The original text uses the word probatio, which means “test.” In the Synodal translation: “the tribe of Abiezer was called to follow him.” In the Synodal translation: “to the mown meadow.”