A JEALOUS GOD This book portrays the extent of devastation that dwelt on Nineveh, because of the corruption that prevailed in the kingdom of Assyria and the violence of its kings, especially when dealing with their captives. Although God has previously brought His mercy on Nineveh when it repented, yet apostatizing to evil made it fall into utter destruction. This lesson, directed to both the Gentiles and the Jews, teaches man that God is mighty in His love and mercies, yet He does not stand or accept sin. 1. An introduction 1 2. God is mighty in His mercies, as well as in His wrath over sin 2-8 3. The destruction of the kingdom of Assyria and its army 9-11 4. The liberation of Jerusalem 12-14 5. The great salvation 15 1. AN INTRODUCTION: “An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh” (Nahum 1:1) A century and a half ago God sent the prophet Jonah to warn the great city of Nineveh that it is going to be destroyed because of its corruption. And as the king together with the people presented repentance, He forgave them. But they soon apostatized to their sins and became even worse, to be called “the bloody city” (Nahum 3:1). With their persistence on their wickedness on a horrible level, He did not send them a prophet, but a prophecy to proclaim the destruction that would dwell over the city. And as it came in the book of Jeremiah: “The instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it” (Jeremiah 18:9-10). This prophecy was realized by the kings Nebuchednezar and Ahsuerus (Xerxes). The word ‘oracle’ means a kind of insight given to prophets, by which the Spirit of God causes a sudden transformation in their minds, to receive, with a deep awe in the form of a clear vision or proclamation, knowledge of what will happen in the future. Such an oracle seized Nahum’s mind by the grace of the Spirit to know the destiny of the city of Nineveh1. Theodoret, Bishop of Messisa 2. GOD IS MIGHTY IN HIS MERCIES, AS WELL AS IN HIS WRATH OVER SIN: “A jealous and avenging God is the Lord, the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries and rages against His enemies” (Nahum 1:2) This prophecy, although harsh and firm, yet is full of compassion over the souls attached to God. He starts talking about the Lord as a jealous God; a kind of jealousy like that of a husband toward his wife not allowing anybody to touch or harm her; and like that of a king toward his loyal subjects planning and working for their good. God’s 1 Commentary on Nahum, 1:1. 6 jealousy toward man is out of His love for him; He accepts no competitor to occupy his heart! This jealousy sometimes requires the use of the rod of chastisement on man, who tends to break his mutual love relationship with God by giving Him his back instead of his face. God pours this jealousy in the hearts of His faithful ministers, to say together with the apostle Paul: “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2) With such jealousy the heart of Phinehas the priest flared over the holiness of the people and the tabernacle, when Israel committed harlotry with the women of Moab and sacrificed for their gods; and when one of them dared to introduce to his brethren a Midianite woman, and to bring her into the tabernacle. When the priest stabbed her, God said: “He has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal” (Numbers 25:11). The prophet Elijah also said: “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword” (1 Kings 19:10). “A jealous and avenging God is the Lord” (2); He is jealous over His believers who walk in His ways, are faithful in their love for Him, and are leaning on Him. If they err, He chastens them out of His jealousy and great love for them. And He is an avenging God, not for His own sake, but for that of His children; counting anyone who takes a position of animosity against them as though taking it against Him personally. That is why He says: “He takes vengeance on His adversaries.” To chasten His people, God allowed the kingdom of Assyria to captivate them. But Assyria assumed that her idols are mightier than God and started to mock Him and humiliated His people. The Lord is a jealous God; He does not take the mocking of anyone lightly. He is longsuffering, yet He is avenging and wrathful1. Tertullian My Brethren, fearsome is the falling in the hands of the Lord; and fearsome is “the face of the Lord against those who do evil” (Psalm 34:16); fearsome is the Lord’s ear listening to the voice of Abel talking through his silent blood; fearsome is the fact that nobody can hide himself from His face (Jeremiah 23:24) even if he ascends into heaven, if he enters hell, if he escapes to the far east, or dwells in the uttermost parts of the sea (Psalm 139:7-8). Nahum of Elkosh stands in terror as God proclaims His vengeance against His enemies2. St. Gregory the Nazianzus Notice, O beloved brethren, that, although the Lord our God is merciful, righteous, compassionate and gentle toward men, yet most definitely “He will by no means clear the guilty” (Nahum 1:3). Although He welcomes the return of the sinner and grants him life, yet He leaves no doubt that He firmly judges and condemns the 1 On Modesty, 2. 2 On His Father’s Silence, 16. 7 transgressors. When you hear Him say through the prophet Isaiah to the bishops: “’Comfort, O comfort My people,’ says your God; Speak tenderly to Jerusalem” (see Isaiah 40:1), it is fitting for you to encourage those who sin, to give them hope, and to lead them to repentance; joyfully receive the repentant, rejoice over them, and judge the sinners with mercy and compassion. If someone is walking on the bank of a river and you push him into the water instead of helping him, you would be condemned for killing your brother1! The Apostolic Statutes “The Lord is slow to anger but great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3) The Lord is slow to anger, waiting for man to repent and return to Him. It was fitting for Assyria to realize that their conquest was allowed by God to chasten His people. They should have heeded the lesson, forsaken their idols, and believed in the true God taking into consideration their past experience in the days of the prophet Jonah. But instead, Assyria used every way to mock and blaspheme God and to savagely humiliate His people. And as the apostle Paul says: “Do you despise the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:4-5). God’s forbearance on the wicked is not out of a lack of might, for “He is great in power” waits for their repentance, or otherwise He will by no means clear them. “The Lord is merciful and gracious; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always accuse, nor will He keep His anger forever” (Psalm 103:6-7). The Lord revealed to Moses that He is merciful out of power and love, when He came down in the cloud, passed before him, and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation …” (Exodus 34:5-7). Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. God is longsuffering, but He by no means clears the guilty. He does not let evil go all the way. Those who persist on their wickedness and not repent would never be acquitted. As man cannot stand in the way of storms, hurricanes, and clouds, he will not be able to stand before the wrath of God in haughtiness and pride. Yet, through repentance and humility, he would enjoy the divine mercies. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8). Why is He slow to anger? Why is He abounding in mercy? Why do men commit sin and still live? Why are sins continuous, and so is life? Why do men blaspheme every day and still “His sun rises on the evil and on the good” (Matthew 5:45)? Anyway, He calls for reform, He calls for repentance, He calls through His blessing for the creation, He calls through granting more time for life (more chance for repentance), He calls through the reader of the word in the church, through the preacher; through the inner thoughts, through the rod of reform, and the mercies of 1 Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, 2:3:15. 8 comfort. He is indeed slow to anger and merciful, yet we should be careful lest, according to the words of the apostle (Roman 2:7) 1, through abusing the greatness of His mercies we may “treasure up for ourselves wrath in the day of wrath”. St. Augustine “‘I will establish My covenant with you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done,’ says the Lord God” (Ezekiel 16:62-63). With these divine words the prophet refers to what is said in another place: “If He purifies you, yet, He does not make you righteous.” Even the righteous, if they apostatize from their righteousness through committing sin, they would not dare to open their mouths, but would say together with the apostle: “I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Corinthians 15:9)2. St. Jerome “The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; and the Lord by no means clear the guilty” (Nahum 1:3). He does not bring punishment (chastisement) all of a sudden and on the spot, but after a great longsuffering. You, the people of Nineveh, should testify to this, as after having committed evil for a long time without being punished when you presented repentance, you found salvation. “The Lord by no means clears the guilty” means that He does not acquit those worthy of punishment among sinners3. Theodoret of Cyrus “The clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3), as though God comes from heaven on His swift chariot like lightening, He would be surrounded by clouds like those that surround the swift chariots and horses. “He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the bloom of Lebanon fades” (Nahum 1:4) God, by His word, has created everything, and by His word He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; and dries up all the rivers that pour their water into the sea. In the old days He dried up the Red Sea to let His people walk on its bottom as though on land; and so He did to the River Jordan. While the seas and the rivers dry up by the word of the Lord God, man, in his great weakness, takes a position of rebellion and mutiny against His longsuffering and loving Creator. If man thinks so high of himself, let him behold Bashan with its green pasture (Joel 1:10), the Carmel with its vineyards and fields of wheat, and Lebanon with its forests (Isaiah 33:9). If these regions, characterized by such dense vegetation and beautiful flowers, wither by the heat of summer and by the snow of winter, then who could stand before the Creator of time, and the Lord of the whole world?! Tertullian believes this prophecy to be about the Lord Christ, who rebuked the wind and the waves, and who walked over the water of the sea realizing the words of the psalm that say: [“The Lord is over many waters” (Psalm 29:3) 4]. 1 On Ps. 103 (102). 2 Against the Pelagians, 2:25. 3 Commentary on Nahum, 1:3. 4 Against Marcion, 4:20. 9 “The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt;the earth heaves at His presence, the world and all who dwell on it. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken in pieces by Him” (Nahum1:5-6) He likens the divine wrath to the fury of volcanoes and earthquakes that destroy the mountains, melt the hills, and devastate entire cities. If no one can stand before these natural phenomena, how could man stand before the indignation of the divine wrath?! “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place – On man and on beast, on the trees of the field, and on the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and not be quenched” (Jeremiah 7:20). “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He protects those who take refuge in Him” (Nahum 1:7) So that no one –even Assyrians- would think that God is a Mighty Avenger, the prophet illustrates the righteousness and compassion of God towards those who take refuge in Him. When man becomes angry, he loses his peace, love, and compassion, whereas God, in His anger over evil, is always compassionate. The prophet Habakkuk says in his prayer: “In wrath, remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2). In His anger over evil, God anticipates to have mercy on the sinner, if he reveals a true longing for repentance. While the wicked are terrified to encounter God, those who trust in Him praise Him saying: “The Lord is good, s stronghold in the day of trouble; and He protects those who trust in Him” (7). The righteous see in God’s might a consuming fire that keeps them protectd, that He is capable of saving them, that He surrounds them and keeps safe them against any fiery arrow directed to them. St. Peter says: “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the Day of Judgment” (2Peter 2:9). “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good” (Psalm 106:1). You, who commit major sins, despair of salvation, and assume that because of the seriousness of your sins you would never be forgiven, I advise you –or the prophet does– to give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. Although your sins are great, yet God, who has compassion on you, is greater. Confess your sins to Him, show remorse and never despair of your salvation, as God is compassionate. Don’t lean on your own power, but lean on the mercy of the Lord1. St. Jerome “For the Lord is good.” He is not good the way the things He created are, as “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31); not just ‘good,’ but ‘very good’ … If He created everything very good, then how would be the One who created them?! … To what extent can we talk about His goodness?! Who can realize what is in His heart? Let us re-evaluate ourselves, we are not even worthy to contemplate in Him; yet through hope, we can, when our hearts are purified by faith, then we can truly rejoice. If we cannot behold Him now, let us behold His works so that we do not live without praising Him. That is why I say: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; praise His name, for it is sweet … What could be sweeter than 1 On Ps, Os (106). 10 the food of angels? … How can God not be sweet, when man ate the food of angels? Men live on a similar kind of food. That is true; it is the Wisdom, it is the goodness of God, yet you cannot enjoy it the way the angels do”1. St. Augustine “But with an overflowing flood, He will make an utter end of His adversaries; and will pursue His enemies into darkness” (Nahum 1:8). Some believe this phrase to be a prophecy on what would dwell over Nineveh by the hands of the armies of Mede and Babylon, that attacked the city like an overwhelming flood. Whereas others believe it to be a prophecy about the flood that the enemy caused by destroying the 20 furlongs high wall protecting the city against the river (220 yards or 1/8 mile). 3. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE KINGDOM AND THE ARMY OF ASSYRIA: “Why do you conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. No adversary will rise up twice” (Nahum 1:9) Here he probably refers to what Sennacherib and his deputy Rabshkeh have done, when they publicly boasted against the Lord of hosts as a God helpless to protect His people or to save them from the King of Assyria. The prophet here mocks the kingdom of Assyria that assumed to be capable of opposing the great Lord saying: ‘Your opposition is not against mortal humans, but against the mighty God!’ “No adversary will rise up twice”. When Sennacherib tried to invade Jerusalem, his army was destroyed and his own sons killed him on his return home. There was no way for all that to happen again! A father would not tend to teach his son unless he loves him. And a teacher would never try to mend the ways of his student unless he sees some promise in him. When a physician stops caring for a patient that would be a sign that he despairs of his case. It is fitting for you to think about the afflictions that Eleazar endured in his life, and say to yourself: I will gladly endure affliction in order to enjoy the promised glory as “Affliction will not rise up twice” (Nahum 1:9)2. St. Jerome The bishop, the priest, or the deacon, who falls in adultery, false vow, or stealing, would be completely excommunicated, as according to the holy Book ‘No one could be punished twice for the same crime’3. Ecclesiastic statutes When common people are cast away from the congregation, they could again eventually receive their rank, but in case a deacon falls; his excommunication could never be reversed, but would be permanently set4. A priests who commits a fatal offense, although he would be excommunicated, yet he would not be cast away from his fellowship in the congregation as he could not be punished twice for the same offense1. 1 On Ps 135 (134). 2 Letter 68:1. 3 ANFrs, vol. 7, p.501 (cf. St. Basil: Ad Amphilochium, 3.) 4 Letter 188 (Cenonica Prima), 3. 11 St. Basil the Great “For while tangled like thorns, and while drunken like drunkards, they shall be devoured like stubble fully dried” (Nahum 1:10) He likens Sennacherib and his men as they boast against the Lord of hosts to dry thorns before the fire, or to drunkards who do not know what to utter. They are like stubble, fully dried, that fire consumes in no time. Because those 185 thousand men must have been like their leader boasting against the Lord God, they were struck by the angel of the Lord, which is obvious from the words of the prophet: “tangled like thorns, and drunken like drunkards.” They became like a tangled lump of thorns that could not be separated and would be thrown together to burn in fire. Thorns symbolize the wicked, who may seem harmful, yet, because they are fully dried, they are easily consumed by fire to become helpless ashes. “The godless sons of Beleal. are all like thorns that are thrown away; to pick them up with the hand; or to touch them, one uses an iron bar or the shaft of a spear, Yet they are entirely consumed in fire.” (2 Samuel 23:6-7) The drunkards while staggering, they pretend to be brave, and boast as being great, rich, and strong, when anyone can push them to fall with his finger tip. Diodorus Siculus states that when the enemy approached Nineveh, Sardanapalus set his famous palace on fire, realizing the prophecy of the prophet Nahum that they would be consumed like thorns. “From you comes forth one who plots evil, against the Lord, a wicked counselor” (Nahum 1:11) He addresses Nineveh, out of which Sennacherib comes forth to utter evil against the Lord, bringing perdition on himself and on his city. He calls Rabshakeh a ‘wicked counselor,’ for counseling the men of war sitting on the walls of Jerusalem not to lean on the Lord God, claiming that He is helpless to save them from the hand of Sennacherib, king of Assyria (Isaiah 36). By his wicked counsel, he brought perdition on 185 thousand men of his army, who were killed by an angel of the Lord in a single night (Isaiah 37:36), and on the king Sennacherib himself, who was killed by his own sons: Adrammelech and Sharezer (Isaiah 37:38). 4. THE LIBERATION OF JERUSALEM: “Thus says the Lord, ‘though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you,I will afflict you no more’” (Nahum 1:12) The kingdom of Assyria was likened to a razor that shaved the kingdoms like the hair of a head, so its punishment was that it itself will be shaved: “On that day the Lord will shave with a razor hired beyond the River – with the king of Assyria – the head and the hair of the feet, and it will take off the beard as well” (Isaiah 7:20). Having defeated several cities that leaned on their pagan gods, the Assyrian army, with their great number and strength, stood before Jerusalem feeling confident and secure, but were soon to be shaved away like grass by the angel of the Lord, who afflicted them once and for all and would afflict them no more. 1 Letter 199 (Canonica Secunda), 31. 12 By saying: “I have afflicted you, and will afflict you no more,” the Lord reveals His goal for chastisement which is the repentance of the sinner in humility, after which He would raise him up and set him glorified. That is why it is said of the Lord: “For the Lord will not reject forever. Though He causes grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love. For He does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone” (Lamentation 3:31-33). By saying: ‘I have afflicted you, and will afflict you no more” the Lord confirms to king Hezekiah that He allowed that siege for him and his people to let them recognize their transgressions and present a true repentance with the spirit of humility; and that the strike to come over the army of Assyria, who is putting Jerusalem under siege, will be a devastating one, after which Sennacherib will never be able to do it again. “For now I will break off his yoke from you, and burst your bonds apart” (Nahum 1:13) The Lord confirms to king Hezekiah and his men that He will break the yoke of Sennacherib and burst his bonds apart, he, who with his army invaded several of the cities and villages of Judah and exploited them freely, while Jerusalem could not defend them having been itself helplessly bound and shackled. He confirms to them that the Assyrian army, out of which 185 thousand men were killed by the angel of the Lord in one night, will never attack them again, having become as though extinct and helpless. The yoke of King Sennacherib was the tax he imposed on Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:14). “The Lord has commanded concerning you: Your name shall be perpetuated no longer. From the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the cast image. I will dig your grave, for you are worthless” (Nahum 1:14) The Lord issued His command to abolish the name of Sennacherib altogether as a conqueror and victorious, to scatter his reputation like dust carried away by the wind. And by saying: “from the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the cast image,” He probably refers to his being killed by his two sons in the house of Nisroch his god (Isaiah 37:38; 2 Kings 16:37); a horrible crime that proved that Nisroch is helpless to protect those who worship him; led the people to forsake worshipping it, and to cut off from its house the carved and cast images. He probably also refers to the collapse of the Assyrian kingdom, when its enemies devastated Nineveh and destroyed the images of its gods that they thought to be the secret of their might. “I will dig your grave, for you are worthless”; the house of Nisroch his god became his grave, where he laid despised and killed by his own sons, deprived even of the natural sonhood love. He may also refer here to the city of Nineveh, having been disgracefully devastated, became a grave for Assyria. Having the Lord our God in our hearts and carrying His name, we wish no more for our name to be perpetuated; to say: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). When the Lord destroys in us the ‘ego,’ sets in us His divine Kingdom, buries our selfishness as though in a grave, and cast away our worthlessness to be granted His glories, the heavenly creatures will sing saying: “The royal daughter is all glorious within” (Psalm 45:13); and the Heavenly One Himself will praise us saying: “You are all fair My love, and there is no spot in you” (Songs 4:7), “Who is she who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?” (Songs 6:10) 13 5. THE GREAT SALVATION: “Behold, on the mountains the feet of Him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace! Oh Judah, keep your appointed feasts, fill your vows, for the wicked one shall no more pass through you; he is utterly cut off” (Nahum 1:15) Bringing to Jerusalem the good tidings of bursting her bonds apart, of breaking off the yoke of the Assyrian army, the perdition of King Sennacherib, and of cutting off the images of his gods, the prophet Nahum prophesies what is greater, namely the salvation presented by the Messiah to the whole world. He beholds the Lord Christ as though coming on the mountains proclaiming the true, inner, and eternal peace, reconciling mankind with God the Father; transforming our life into incessant feasts, and destroying and utterly cutting the devil off together with his hosts, ways, works, and thoughts to have no more authority over the children of God. What are these mountains on which the One, who brings the good tidings of peace, walks but the prophecies, which prepared humanity to receive the Savior? He surely brings good tidings to Zion and presents peace to Jerusalem. He ascends a mountain, where He spends the whole night praying (Luke 6:12). Refer back to the prophets to know His whole role. The prophet Isaiah says: “Get up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings” (Isaiah 40:9). “They were astounded at His teaching, because He spoke with authority” (Luke 4:32) … ‘When the time comes, I will be there on the mountains, to bring the good tidings of peace’ (See Isaiah 42:7); and according to Nahum, one of the twelve minor prophets: “Behold, on the mountains the feet of Him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace” (Nahum 1:15)1. Tertullian Let us be reminded of how the Lord ascended from Hades and breathed the Holy Spirit in the face of Judah –namely, His Jewish disciples, who, being referred to the New Testament, their days of feasts have become spiritually renewed and would never become old. Moreover, we can also see how the rest of the prophecy (Nahum 1:14) has been realized, when the gospel has “cut off the carved and cast images”, namely the vain idols that were delivered to forgetfulness in the grave2. St. Augustine Speaking about the ‘feet,’ he means the coming of the apostles, who wandered with their feet all over the world preaching the coming of the Kingdom of God; as their appearance brought light over humanity by revealing the way of holding peace with the Lord, to whom John the Baptist came to prepare the way (Mark 1:3; Isaiah 40:3). That is the peace, towards which those who believe in Christ hasten3. Fr. Ambrosiaster It is not only my words that clarify these things, they are already proclaimed by the prophet who cries out: “Behold, on the mountains, the feet of Him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace” (Nahum 1:15). His message, about which He brought the good tidings, says: “O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, fulfill your vows” 1 Tertullian: Against Marcion ,4:13. 2 City of God, 18:31. 3 Commentary on Paul's Epistles (Rom. 10:15). 14 (Nahum 1:15). For they will not return to what is old; it is no more there altogether. He, who breathed on your face and took the grief away from you, has ascended (Nahum 1:15). Now, who is He, who ascended? If you want to know the truth and disregard the allegations of the Jews, behold our Savior, who ascended and breathed on His disciples and told them: “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). Once crucifixion was consummated the old things came to an end: the veil of the temple was torn (Matthew 27:51), and the Jewish altar was destroyed, and, although the city was still intact, the “abomination of desolation” (Matthew 24:15) was preparing to stand in the holy temple to bring an end to Jerusalem and all those old statutes1. The day of the feast has once again approached, in which, if we keep silent, we may make it unholy; it should be dedicated to prayers more than any other day, in it we should keep the commandments. For, although we are suffering affliction by those who grieve us, yet we thank God, who comforts the grieved so as not to be defeated by the evil of those, who, when they accuse us, we keep silent. In our obedience to the voice of the truth, we cry out loud, together with you, on the day of the feast, for the God of all said that Moses and Aaron should persuade the people to keep the Passover; and the Spirit proclaims in the psalms: “In the head of the month, blow the trumpet, It is the feast of the crescent”; and the prophet Nahum cries out saying: “O Judah, keep your appointed feasts” (Nahum 1:15). I am not addressing the word to you as though you are ignorant, but I proclaim it to those who already know it in order to realize that although some are creating dissension among us, yet God keep us together; we celebrate the same feast and will always worship the same God. We do not celebrate it as on-lookers, who are rebuked by the apostle, who says: “You observe days and months and seasons and years” (Galatians 4:10), but we –who minister to God everywhere– rather honor this great day as a feast to please the Lord by our collective prayers. The blessed Paul proclaiming, not the day, but the Lord, for whose sake we observe the feast, says: “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Contemplating in the eternity of the word, we approach Him to minister to Him2. Beloved brethren, once again God brought us over to the season of the Passover; and through His compassionate love He gathered us together to celebrate it. For God, who brought Israel out of the land of Egypt, is still calling us this very day to celebrate the Passover, saying through Moses: “You shall keep the Feast of the Weeks to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 16:10); and through the prophet Nahum He says: “O Judah, keep your appointed feasts; fulfill your vows” (Nahum 1:15). If God Himself loves the feast and calls on us to observe it, it is not right, brethren, to postpone it or to practice it slothfully, but we should do it joyfully and zealously, so that, if we joyfully celebrate it here, our souls would yearn to the heavenly feast. If we actively celebrate it here, we will surely receive the perfect joy in heaven, according to the words of the Lord to His disciples: “I have fervently desired to 1 Paschal Letters, 1: 8. 2 Paschal Letters, 3:1. 15 eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:15-16). We eat it now; if through our understanding of its significance and our knowledge of the Savior, we walk according to His grace, and according to the words of the apostle Paul: “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you are truly unleavened” (1 Corinthians 5:7). As in these days the Lord died, that we no more yearn to the works of death! He delivered His life to let us keep our life away from the snares of the devil1. St. Athanasius, the Apostolic [For the monks] We should observe these days in a way that our relaxation or rest would be beneficial and not harmful to the body or soul; that the joy of the feast would not weaken the thorns of the body; and our wild enemy (the devil) would not relax because of these days of rest. Therefore, in order to observe the traditions of the feast and to relax just a little bit from the law of fasting, it will be enough for us to have our meal at the sixth hour of the day (12 o’clock noon), instead of at the usual ninth hour without making any change in the quantity or kind of the food. By doing so we do not lose the purity of the body and the goodness of the soul, which we have gained during the days of the Great Fasting. We should watch ourselves to the end, lest our souls would be weakened by lusts, and we lose the purity that we have gained through relaxation or slothfulness during the feast of Passover after so much strife all along the days of the Great Fasting. That is why, even in the most exalted of feasts, we should not add anything to the kind or quantity of food we usually take, that our joy in the feast would not arouse in us some fatal struggles of bodily lusts, bring us grief, and make us mourn our lost purity of heart. Yet, at the same time, we should be aware, not to be rebuked by the warning: “O Judah, keep your appointed feasts; fulfill your vows” (Nahum 1:15), as, if celebrating the days of the feast do not contradict with the continuation of our abstention, we will be enjoying perpetual spiritual feasts2. Abbot Theonas 1 Paschal Letters, 6:1. 2 St. Cassian: Conferences 21:23. 16 AN INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF NAHUM 1 YOU ARE MIGHTY IN YOUR LOVE; YOU ARE JEALOUS IN YOUR HOLINESS You are a holy jealous God, who does not compromise with sin! You do not wish, neither to know it, nor to let it know you! You pour Your holiness on those who believe in You. And grant Your righteousness on those who desire a fellowship with You. You loved us to sanctify us to become an icon of You. But foolishly we loved sin, counting it as life and joy. In Your longsuffering, you provoke us to return to you. If we persist on evil, how could we stand before You? No man can confront storms. Nor can he control the clouds, The rocks cannot stand before the fire of volcanoes. So, how can we dare to stand before the fire of Your jealousy? You are a consuming fire that burns evil and lightens righteousness. You are good, O Lord. Even in Your anger You chasten to save. You consume evil to take away the dust from us, and to set a new heaven out of us. Sennacherib, King of Assyria, thought that by his army he can boast against You! The dried stubble stood before the fire! His army, who assumed to be mighty, staggered like drunkards; You broke his yoke and saved Your city. Nineveh collapsed when You took away her authority. Her enemy destroyed her and cut off the images of her gods. Every hand that stretches towards your people, is cut off. And every soul that opposes Your kingdom, if it does not repent, will perish. You saved Your people from Sennacherib; And in the house of his god Nisroch he was killed by his own sons. Your salvation is amazing and mighty! Your salvation spreads over the whole world. Behold, You are coming on the mountains of the prophecies. You came down to bring us the good tidings of the reconciliation with heaven. You transformed our world into heaven; And our days into incessant feasts. You brought the devil down beneath our feet. You abolished every authority he had. He fell like lightening from the heaven of our hearts. He no more has place inside us. No one but You reigns over our hearts.
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