A CALL TO APPROACH GOD AND THE RESORT TO THE CITIES OF REFUGE After parading the dealings of God with His people along the history, up to the time when they came to stand at the gates of the land of Canaan (1-8), the prophet Moses clarifies to them the necessity of approaching God, particularly through receiving the divine commandment, and refusing the worship of idols. He incites them to remember what God did to them in the past, to proclaim Himself to them, through His love to them (9-14). This unseen God, who makes a covenant with them, should not be replaced by lifeless stones or wood or any creation (15-24). Whoever worships idols would destroy himself, whereas he who worships God and serves Him, sets himself free from bondage, and enjoys the covenant with him (32-40). He also proclaims God’s care to protect the innocent through designating cities of refuge; in order to purify the earth of shedding innocent blood. By parading the dealings of God with his people in the wilderness, the prophet Moses presents the following facts: a. Through the commandments, we enjoy life, and enter into the Promised Land to possess (4:1) b. Through it we realize that God is very near to His people listens to them (4:7), and speaks to them (4:36). c. Warning against making images and idols to worship; “For the Lord your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God” (24). He refuses mixing worshipping Him with worshipping idols. There is no other god beside Him (39). 1. Obedience to the divine commandment 1–8. 2. The divine commandment and the new generation 9–10. 3. Rejection of idol worship 11–22. 4. The divine covenant and the idol worship 23–31. 5. The One God who loves His people 32–40. 6. The cities of refuge 41–43. 7. An introduction to the second sermon 44–49. 1. OBEDIENCE TO THE DIVINE COMMANDMENTS “So now, Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors is giving you” (Deut. 4:1). The statutes: The original word is interpreted as ‘engraved;” as a believer should behave according to his conscience and that of the nation, on which the divine commandment is engraved, so that time cannot wipe it out. The ordinances: An ordinance or judgment in Hebrew ‘Meshphat,’ means “a decisive judgment,” and the judge who issues it is called in Hebrew (Shaphit) (1:16, 17). Examples of the cases decided by judges and tribunals, are demonstrated in (Exodus 21-22:17). This word is also used for the decisive ordinances of God, to condemn the wicked and to quit the innocent. Therefore, the two words: ‘statutes’ and ‘ordinances,’ embrace all the laws of God. What did God request from His people concerning the commandment? 7 a. To listen to the commandment: The first word in the Law is “Listen,” and the first work of sin is to give the ear to other than God, to keep the word from working in the sinner. The first commandment to us is “listen,” so that the word of God would enter into the depths of the soul, and there, it dwells, consistently work, and set the divine heavenly kingdom. The word “listen,” does not necessarily have a mechanical and literal meaning, but implies an active listening, living and full of zeal. Such listening, flaring with the spirit of love, is some kind of prayer that would never fail. The prophet Moses summarizes God’s dealings with their fathers during their wandering in the wilderness, in that there is no other way toward conquest, except through obedience, springing from love. As reasons for obedience, he says that God wishes us to have an ideal life, “that (we) may enter and occupy the land” (1). Obedience is the only basis for the enjoyment of life, and for the realization of God’s exalted promises to the believer. God wishes to give in abundance; and by obedience, we open up our hearts, and stretch out our hands to receive His amazing gifts. If, on their side, they are committed to listen in the spirit of prayer, from his side, the prophet Moses is committed to teach what is God’s, that is why he says: “You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it; but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you” (Deut. 3:2). Moses, who, before forty years, tried to excuse himself from ministering to God, on account of being slow of speech; has become a man of words, who speaks what is the Lord’s, and even presents a whole book, almost formed of sermons or long talks with the leaderships and the people. He became a teacher of teachers, who presents God’s words, and not his own, requesting from them not to add or to take away anything from what he is charging them; hence to keep the commandments of God. b. To see and to act: He first requested from them to “listen” (1), and to “see” (3), then to “act,” namely, to touch, using, together with the two senses of hearing and seeing, the sense of touching. It is thus fitting to turn the listening into action: “Observe that you may live, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord the God of your ancestors is giving you” (1). We should act, not because God is in need of our action or ministry, but because by action we would enjoy life “that we may live,” Whoever buries the commandment in his mind and does not turn it into action, his soul would become like a tomb in which there is no smell of life. By the commandment acting through our behavior, we may enter into God’s promises, possess, and inherit. Through his “slow speech,” Moses presents God’s living words, for everyone to listen to, by the spirit of prayer, together with action. Now, through the recent events of history, the Lord speaks to them with the language of action, saying: “You have seen for yourselves what the Lord did with regard to the Baal of Peor – how the Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor” (Deut. 4:3). By ‘Baal of Peor.” Is meant both the place and its god, as the Canaanite worship of Baal was mixed with filthy sexual acts and abominations. Peter and John asked the people to behold God’s work with them, when they healed the lame man at the gate of the temple, called the beautiful (Acts 3); saying: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” (Acts 3:12). 8 Let us look at history with eyes opened by the Lord; and say together with the man who was born blind, ‘I was blind, and now I can see.” Let us see, across the history and events, the exalted work of God; and comprehend His commandment written with the language of love, working in history. c- Purity of the commandments: “You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it; but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you” “…while those of you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today. See, just as the Lord my God has charged me, I now teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to enter and occupy” (Deut. 4:2; 4, 5). If the commandment is a precious treasure, “like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6). As a precious treasure, we should neither add anything to it on our own, nor take away anything from it, but keep it pure in our life. Solomon the wise says: “I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it” (Ecclesiastes 3:14). Close to the end of the Holy Bible, He placed around it a wall to protect it from any addition or subtraction; by saying, “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18, 19). It is fitting for the church to keep the Holy Bible without additions or subtraction. And her interpretations of it should always bear the same spirit of the book. And now, what is the position of the Christian toward the Mosaic Law? We can summarize the answer to this question in the following points: 1. All things were written for the sake of teaching us. Yet, the Law also includes symbolic elements, that the Christian is not committed to keep literally. 2. They embrace eternal principles for holiness, justice, and truth; which are included in the Ten Commandments and the statutes built on them. They are for all times, for both the Jews and the Christians. They were quoted in the New Testament, with the expression: “It is written” (See Matthew 4:10; 5:17; Romans 13:9; 1 Peter 1:16). 3. As the Holy Bible clearly tells us that Moses wrote about Christ (John 5:46), let us then search for the Lord Christ in all its pages; as the Law as a whole was meant to bring us to Him (Galatians 3:24). 4. In observing the divine commandments and acting according to them, we proclaim the wisdom granted to us by God. “Therefore be careful to observe them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people” (Deut. 4:6). If the divine commandment incites us to fear God; it actually invokes the divine wisdom, according to the words: “Behold, the fear of the lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). Let us testify to the work of God in us, to be glorified in us, when God’s wisdom and His secrets are proclaimed in our life. By that, we testify to the ordinations and justified statutes of God (8), not just by words, but by practical life, by the righteousness of Christ working in us. 5. Through obedience, we testify to God before all, that He is close to us, 9 listening to our prayers, and responding to the covetousness of our hearts. The secret of the believer’s greatness, is that by prayer, he becomes very close to God; as: “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us; for whatever reason we may call upon Him” (Deut. 4:7). 6. By observing the divine commandment and statutes and acting according to them, we testify that they are exalted and unique, not to be compared to those of nations. “And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this Law which I set before you this day?” (Deut. 4:8). The Psalmist says: “Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things, I consider to be right; I hate every false way”(Psalm 119:128). And he also says: “He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any nation. And as for His judgments, they have not known them” (Psalm 147:19, 20). If we compare the worship of God, with all its rites; and His laws, with all their details, to what prevailed in the world at that time, we shall find no way to compare, between what God has presented to His people, and what the other nations have been practicing and believing. Many of the modern and ancient Asiatic and European nations have quoted some of the Mosaic laws. The fruits of obedience and rebellion are the following: The prophet Moses confirms many times that obedience produces divine blessings (5). Testifying before the nations to God and His work with His believers (6). Thus obedience goes hand in hand with preaching (Mark 16:15), as every true believer is committed to testify and preach the gospel of salvation. Every believer is committed to practice obedience, and to pass his experience to his children and grandchildren (9). After speaking of the history of the people in dealing with God, he started to end his sermon by the necessity of getting attached to God Himself through observing His divine commandment. The goal of history is to connect to Him, in whose hands lies the history of mankind; and who desires to enter into history together with man, to carry him to Him; to what is beyond history. The divine commandments, statutes, and laws, have been all given to man, not just to submit to, but to get attached to Him, who is capable of raising him to what is above time and events. 2. THE DIVINE COMMANDMENT AND THE NEW GENERATION Having spoken of the positive aspects: that the believer should listen (1), see (3), then act (6); He moves to a serious subject, that can destroy all the positive aspects; namely, forgetting all what he has seen with his own eyes, something that would lead to the corruption of his heart. That is why He presents the following warning: “Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren” (Deut. 4:9). Things do not stop at listening to the commandment, acting according to it, and keeping it pure, as a precious treasure in the heart; but man should teach it and deliver it to the new generations, in order to remember always what our physical eyes have seen of the temporal blessings of the Lord, and what our inner eyes have perceived of heavenly spiritual blessings. That was the secret of strength in the life of St. John the beloved, who recalling what he has seen in the Spirit, says: “And we 10 beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). “Which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). The exalted love of God, and His amazing care, are things seen by the outer and the inner eyes. That is why, when we speak about them to our children and grandchildren, we are presenting a living testimony as eyewitnesses; we are confirming to them what we have seen, heard, handled, and tasted, of the sweetness of the Lord! Disregarding or forgetting what the Lord has done to us, is a major crime and a denial toward a loving and an amazingly faithful God, to whom we are indebted with our life, and our resurrection as if from death. That is why the apostle Paul presents his gospel through his living experience, and says: “We, who were previously in darkness...” Forgetting the work of God, transforms the life of man, as well, to corruption; to become a denying criminal toward himself; whereas recalling God’s dealings, turns his life into a daily praise, and a magnificent symphony, that bring pleasure to the heavenly creatures. How to practice recalling God’s dealings? “Teach them to your children and grandchildren” (9). There is no sweeter way to remember, than tradition, by which we deliver to our children the memories of what God has done to us. Let our talk to our children and grandchildren, according to the flesh or to the spirit, be a spiritual talk, concerning the work of God with us along the history. Yet, we shall not be able to testify to the Lord Christ before our children and grandchildren, unless we have actually seen Him. Talking about the Savior would not be as strong, unless the speaker has personally experienced salvation, and has realized the power of the Savior in his life in a practical way. “Especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children” (Deut. 4:10). There is no doubt that every man has certain days that could not be wiped out of his memory. The book of Deuteronomy is full of such days for the prophet Moses, which could be divided into four categories: 1. In the land of Egypt, and the journey to Sinai (8:34). 2. Giving the Law in Sinai. 3. The journey from Horeb to Kadesh (8:1). 4. The events of the journey of the final two years (23:4). The second of these categories occupies a great part of chapters 4, 5, 9, and 11 of the book, dealing with the covenant of the Lord, the Ten Commandments, the lightening and thunder in Sinai, the apostasy to worship the golden calf, the intercession of Moses on behalf of the people, re-writing the Ten Commandments, and allotting priesthood to the tribe of Levites. Moses asked the people to recall that special day, when he stood in the presence of the Lord in Horeb. Although all the days of Moses’ ministry were unforgettable, and all were extremely fruitful; yet he would never forget that special day, characterized by: His standing in the presence of the Lord. The Lord’s talk about His people. The lord’s request from His people to gather together around His divine word, to 11 listen and to keep in memory. The goal of the divine word delivered to them, is to let them learn to fear God, and to teach it to the future generations. These are the memories of that particular day for Moses, the great among the prophets. As far as we are concerned, we likewise, have our unforgettable day, the day when our Christ was hanged on the cross, to let us perpetually be in the presence of the Father. On that day, God the Father spoke to us, not just by mouth, but by the language of the working love, by presenting the blood of His Only-Begotten Son shed for our sake, in an inexpressible talk. On that day, the whole Church gather together with one heart, as members of the body of the crucified Lord, to hear the voice of love, to behold the glories prepared for her, and to get in touch with the heavenly One. On that day, the soul realizes the goal of the incarnated crucified Word of God; by whom she would enjoy the divine fear; that of the children toward their Father; and in which we are given the spirit of preaching and testimony to the truth before the opposing generations. It is fitting for the new generation of believers, to look at the commandment in such a way: a. He should “Take heed,” namely, be alert, in order to discern between truth and vain. b. He should “diligently keep (himself),” namely, strive diligently to dedicate the inner depths to observe the commandment. c. “Lest (he) forgets,” namely, to preoccupy his mind with the commandment, and not to forget the mercies of God and His works with him. d. “Lest they depart from (his) heart;” namely, it is not enough to preoccupy the mind with it, but to preoccupy the heart as well, in order to love the commandment with his whole inner being. When he keeps the commandment in his heart, it keeps his heart, keeps him from falling from God’s hands, and keeps his depths from being deprived of the riches of the divine grace. e. As he got it from his fathers, he should deliver it to his children, so that the commandment turns into a lived live tradition, handed from one generation to the next one. f. St. Athanasius the Apostolic comments on this phrase, saying, that the creation with its exalted beauty; especially heaven with its stars, is a silent teacher, for the nations to recognize God, the Creator of all, and not to have other gods to worship1. When the insight of man is corrupted, he tends to turn what is beautiful, not for his edification, but for his destruction. 3. REJECTION OF IDOL WORSHIP Out of the Ten Commandments, Moses chose that of refraining from binding to idol worship. When the people of God started to get in touch with other nations, some way or another, the diversion toward idol worship, and practicing its abominations, started to represent the most serious danger to threaten them. You may say; ‘Nowadays, there is no more idol worship.’ The idol, actually, is anything that would separate your heart from God, or hinders your love toward Him. That is why the apostle Paul called a covetous man, an ‘idolater’ (Ephesians 5:5). Anything that would occupy the foremost place in the heart, and give priority over God Himself, is idol worship, even if it is only practicing a certain type of sport, or getting so much attached to a certain TV program or to the Internet; to replace God in the heart. 1 Contra Gentes, 45. 12 Intending to talk about the rejection of idol worship, Moses started with the positive aspect; namely, his own encounter with God Himself; on Mount Sinai, that bears everlasting memories that time could not wipe out. As a matter of fact, Moses counts what happened in the old days with the generation that perished in the wilderness, as though it happened with the new generation. It is an encounter of God with His people along all generations. That is why he says to the new generation: “Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness” (Deut. 4:11). As Moses set forth toward the top of the mountain to encounter God face to face, and to get from Him the tablets of the Law written by the divine finger, the people joined him; although they could only stand at the foot of the mountain. Moses was like a beloved child in the bosom of his father; whereas the people were as though cast on the ground before Him. The prophet says: “You came near and stood,” as though all his listeners were standing and beholding the great splendor of God during the delivery of the law; although many of them were either not yet born; or were younger than 20 years old. But what happened with their fathers did actually happen on their account, and on that of all the coming generations. That is why, when we hear these words, we should count Moses as though he is also speaking to us. We also came near and stood at the foot of the mountain. We saw the mountain burning with fire. We saw the glory of the Lord through the darkness, and the clouds, and God talked to us in the midst of the fire. We were together with Moses in Horeb, and heard the divine law. “And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice. So He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. And the lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess” (Deut. 4:12-14). After speaking of their mission to deliver to the coming generations, what he has delivered to them, he intended to confirm that the delivery would not only be by words, but also by deeds; That is why in this chapter, he repeats the word “observe them.” This is the living tradition, namely, delivering to the new generation, the living commandment working in us. “His covenant,” this word came 27 times in this book; of which this is the first one. The original word: ‘Breth,’ refers to a bill with conditions, and also a binding agreement between two parties, whether it is one of ‘brotherhood,’ like that between David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:3), or one of ‘authority,’ like that between David and his people, or a covenant of ‘grace,’ like that between God and Noah (Genesis 9:9). The covenant of Horeb was one of grace. God having chosen for Himself a people of His own; and they, in turn, took Him as their God (Exodus 19:5-8). Moses presents to us his encounter, and that of his people with God, when they were given the Law; as a living example of the encounter with God along the generations. As God is a Spirit; and as those who worship Him should worship Him by Spirit and truth; it is not fitting therefore, to worship idols, whatever their forms are; but to encounter with God on the level of the Spirit, to enjoy union with Him. Idol worship does not harm God Himself, but would destroy man and corrupt his life that is why He warns them against it, saying: 13 “Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire; lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure; the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any beast that is on earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air; the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them” (Deut. 4:15-19). When you decide to observe this commandment and reject all other gods; to have no God or Lord but the One God and Lord; you are declaring war on the others without entering into any pact with them. That is why, when we come to attain the grace of Baptism, we confess One God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit1. Origen The Egyptian god ‘Anobis’ had the head of a fox; and the god ‘Tut’ the head of a hawk. The temples of moon worship were in Jerusalem and Haran in the days of Abraham; and the Egyptians worshipped the sun in ‘On’ (Heliopolis) (Genesis 41:45). He commanded them not to make gods in the forms of man or woman, like ’Baal Peor’ of Moab, and ‘Priapus,’ ‘Ashtaroth’ of the Romans, and ‘Venus’ of the Romans and the Greeks. And commanded them as well, not to make gods in the form of beasts, or birds, like the Egyptian calf ‘Ibis,’ or crocodiles, serpents, monkeys, dogs, and cats, etc. God warns us against worshipping the sun, the moon and the stars; as all these were created for man’s sake, and not the other way round. Some people used to believe that the sun, the moon, and the stars, not only created themselves by themselves, but also were the source of blessings to mankind. As the word ‘sun’ in Hebrew means “servant,” being a public servant of the seen world, giving light to everyone, it is not fitting for the servant to be a god, nor what God has created to help us, to become the cause of our destruction. If man compares himself to the sun, he may feel very inferior before its size, capabilities, and possibilities. Yet, he should realize that earth and heaven with all its stars will eventually come to an end, whereas man, with the grace of God, will live in glory forever. When ‘Pascal’ compared himself to the sun, he said: ‘I am greater than the sun. The sun may be able to destroy me with its heat, but, feeling that, I can defend myself; whereas it would never feel victory!’ “And take heed, lest you lift your eyes, … and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars…” (19). The prophet Moses warns us against ‘looking,’ as the heart often goes after what the eyes see. When man concentrates his sight on something, the heart mostly opens up and submits to it. “But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, His inheritance as you are this day” (Deut. 4:20). Some believe this to refer to that the Jews probably worked in melting metals, whereas others believe it to refer to the forced labor in hard work, like mines, etc. Heating iron, then hammering it while red hot, appeared in the Middle East around the year 3000 BC, whereas establishing steal factories, especially to manufacture weapons, did not appear before around the year 1500 BC. Coming out of Egypt, it was for the children of Israel, like coming out of an 1 On Exodus, homily, 8:4. 14 iron furnace, as the burden of servitude was as intense as its heat, that was the highest known at that time. “Furthermore, the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I would not cross over the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance” (Deut. 4:20, 21). This is the third time he refers to God’s refusal to let him enter into the land of Canaan (1:37; 3:26, 27); and every time he talks about how God became angry with him on their account. This repetition reveals the bitterness in his heart because of his deprivation of enjoying that long awaited blessing, and his great longing to enjoy the divine promise. 4. THE DIVINE COVENANT AND IDOL WORSHIP “Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deut. 4:23, 24). He concentrates on the commandment against idol worship, because God is a consuming fire (24). God refuses to dwell in a heart, together with false, and deceiving gods, as there is no fellowship between the divine kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. God is a consuming fire that flares the heart with the fire of love, which all the water in the world cannot quench; and yet, at the same time consumes every evil and corruption. The apostle Paul refers to this fire, saying: “Fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” (Hebrew 10:27). And when speaking about the judgment of ministers, he says: “Each one’s work will become manifest; for the day will declare it; because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is; if anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). God is a consuming fire that Moses enjoyed on the mountain, becoming to him, glory and splendor; while destroying Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Numbers 16). The divine fire makes the believer more pure, and scatters the rebel who persists on his evil and corruption. The same fire that purifies the precious metals, consumes every thing cheap and worthless. It also symbolizes the holiness and fair judgment of God. Whoever mixes the worship of the living God with idol worship, is as though bringing his idols over to a consuming fire, in which they lose their form and whole being. “A jealous God” (24): God’s love is often compared to that of a husband, who dedicates himself to his wife with no reservation, expecting from her complete love in return. God is a consuming fire that uproots the coolness of the devil1. St. Jerome It is fitting for the minister of the Lord to be diligent and aware. He should be flaring like fire, so that through his zealous spirit, he would destroy every carnal sin, to be able to confront God, who according to the description of the saints, is a consuming fire2. 1 On Ps., Homily 57. 2 Paschal Epistles, 4:3. 15 Pope Athanasius the apostolic Concerning the Holy Spirit, He came down in the form of tongues of fire, because of His purifying power; and because of His essence; as God is a consuming fire that consumes all evil1. St. Gregory of Nazianzus Don’t marvel when you read that God the Father says, that He is “A consuming fire.” He also says: “They have forsaken Me, the Fountain of living water” (Jeremiah 2:13); and, the Lord Christ is said to be like fire that flares the hearts of those who listen to Him; and like a fountain of water that cools them off. He Himself said in His gospel: “I came to send fire on the earth” (Luke 12:49); and ”to grant a fountain of living water to the thirsty (John 7:37-38)2. St. Ambrose The prophet Isaiah reveals that the Holy Spirit is not only light, but fire, saying: “The light of Israel will be for a fire” (Isaiah 10:17). The prophets likewise call him as a consuming fire; in which we behold the greatness of the Deity; its holiness; and the features of both the fire and the light. That is why it is often referred to and seen in the form of fire, and as described by the prophet Moses: “God is a consuming fire.” Moses himself saw fire in the bush; and heard God, when a voice came to him from the fire, saying: “I am God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob”(Exodus 3:6). The voice came from the fire that did not consume the bush. As God’s secret was proclaimed; that He comes to enlighten the thorns of our body; and not to consume those who were in misery, but to take it away from them. He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire; gives grace and destroys sin (Matthew 3:11). Thus in the symbol of the fire, God keeps His purpose3. St. Ambrose You, O God, are a consuming fire that consumes their lifeless interests, and renews them eternally4. St. Augustine “When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land to which you cross over the Jordan to possess, you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But, from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice. For the Lord God is a merciful God. He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them” (Deut. 4:25-31). 1 St. Gregory of Nazianzus: On Pentecost, 12. 2 St. Ambrose: The Duties of the Clergy, Book 3, 18(105). 3 St. Ambrose: The Duty of the Clergy, Book 1:14:164,165. 4 St. Augustine: Confessions 5:30:4. 16 It is a very serious matter; because the diversion from the worship of the Living God is a separation from the Lord, the Source of life and peace. Therefore, it is said: “You will soon utterly perish from the land… and the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you to” (26, 27). Man will perish when he rejects God working in him to edify him, and makes a god for himself; which “a workman made it, and is not God” (Hosea 8:6). He divert his sight from God, the Source of His life, to become a slave to what God created for his sake, like beasts, birds, reptiles, and fishes; or to worship his fellow man, or a heavenly creature. There is no comparison between the living God, who desires to make His covenant with His people, and the lifeless idols, the work of man’s hands (6:15; 10:12; 11:13; 26:16; 30:2, 6, 10). Here Moses is giving a warning to them and to their children after them, against forsaking the worship of the living God and following idol worship. This warning bore a kind of prophecy. By the eye of prophecy, Moses saw the captivity, that is going to come over his people, and their scattering among the nations. Foreseeing the future generations falling in idol worship, he called the earth and heaven to witness that he has warned them against the destruction that would come over Israel. God is however opening the door of hope before His people, as well as before every believer, to return to the Lord their God, to enjoy His divine promises. If the people become scattered because of their sins; then returned to God; they will find the doors of His mercies wide open, and His arms stretched waiting to embrace them. The people often forget their covenant with God; but as soon as they return to Him by practical faith, translated in obedience, they will find Him receiving them by His mercies and compassion. He will never forget His covenant with His people. Here, He presents repentance in a magnificent way, full of compassion, using the words “turn to God” (30). Come, “He will not forsake you, nor destroy you” (31). The Old Testament used the style of strong reception; when God speaks even with the fallen and the adversaries, to call them to return to the friendship, which they have betrayed. The prophet opens their eyes toward the Lord to see Him as a compassionate father, “For the Lord your God is a merciful God”(31). This is the testimony of a man who realizes that the time of his departure from the world and his encounter with God is getting near. He is presenting his long experience in his last moments; as though he is crying out to his people, saying to them: ‘I knew Him; I have lived with Him! I connected to Him on the mountain, as He was clothed in light and fire! He decided to deprive me of entering the land of milk and honey. All these things are now before my eyes; that is why I say: “The Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them”(31). He gave me His commandments, which I in turn gave to you. Together with the commandments, he presented to us His heart. He is the Judge, yet He is merciful. He is sitting on a fiery throne, yet He is preoccupied with man, who is very beloved by Him. 5. THE ONE GOD WHO LOVES HIS PEOPLE “For ask now concerning the days that are past, which are before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard. Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the 17 fire, as you have heard, and live?” (Deut. 4:32, 33) “The days that are past”: Moses calls the people to remember what God has done with them, and in particular the wonders that happened at the time of their exodus. He mentions ‘Egypt’ 47 times; which is a clear indication that he is the true author of this book. It is fitting for us to ask those who preceded us, besides seeking the knowledge from God, in the spirit of humility. ‘Isaac Newton’ saw himself like a kid standing by the shore of the ocean of knowledge, collecting some tiny glistening pebbles from among the rocks; and in humility he says, that before him, there is a huge ocean of knowledge that he has not yet achieved. Who among us can claim that he has reached half the ocean of God’s knowledge? And that he can cover all the shores of this ocean? We should humbly say together with the kid Samuel, “Speak Lord, for Your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:9). Here, Moses presents a living call to compare between God, the Philanthropic and Savior of mankind, and the false gods, saying “Ask… whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard” (32). God has not left Himself without witness, but He asks man – His beloved creation – to contemplate on His work with him; concentrating on the following points: (1) He asks them to look back through the entire history of mankind since the creation of man: Has any people ever enjoyed the awesome God, the consuming fire, as they did enjoy, and yet lived, Although God is a consuming fire, yet He did not destroy man, his beloved creation, but spoke with him, and granted him the eternal life. Moses enjoyed that experience, having seen God in the midst of fire, where God spoke to him, in a magnificent conversation of love. On the Mount of Sinai, he experienced the divine fire, the gift of life. He saw the fire through the burning bush, approached it, and heard the divine voice. Having experienced the sweetness of the divine commandment, Moses did not find in the entire history of mankind since the dawn of creation, a greater event than when God proclaimed Himself in Horeb, and delivered the commandments to His people. He spoke to His people through the divine fire. ‘Job’ heard the voice of God through the wind, and was terrified, whereas, the children of Israel heard it through the fire, which, although more terrifying, yet they were not consumed. The fire about which the prophet Moses speaks, is not something he has heard about, but has actually experienced it at the beginning of his ministry and during it; that granted him a heart of fire, that all the water in the world cannot quench. God asks them to reject idol worship; but does not deprive them of anything. He presents Himself to them to approach to Him, as a One God, unique in His love for His people. (2) He is God of the impossible, who saves His people with a strong and mighty arms and great terrors, and grants them exodus from Egypt as a living example of his work with them. “Or did God ever try to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him. 18 Out of heaven, He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth he showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire” (Deut. 4:34-36). He mentions the servitude, the sufferings and the wonders that God performed to show His might, as He mentions the Passover and the crossing over of the Red Sea, repeating the words ‘from Egypt,’ as a joyful statement of victory. “Because He loved… He chose” (37): The Hebrew word for “loved,” bears the meaning of (God’s love) who chooses that conforms with the Greek word “Agapo” in the New Testament; namely, “spontaneous love,” that comes as a grace, with no privilege on the part of the beloved. Moses finds no reason for God’s choice of Israel, other than His absolute choice. (3) He is a God who does good to His people. “That it may go well with you and your children after you, that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time” (Deut. 4:40). The other nations, out of their fear of their gods and their wrath, used to offer them sacrifices to please them. They used to offer them captives or even their own children as human sacrifices; and inflicted themselves with wounds, to appease their rage. The true God, on the other hand, although appearing as a consuming fire, yet He never did so, to proclaim his fiery rage, nor to avenge, but to help His people, to support them, to flare their hearts with the fire of His love; and to “be a wall of fire all around them” (Zechariah 2:5). The prophet Moses gave seven signs to demonstrate the role of the Almighty God in the salvation of His people: 1. Trials: God allows for afflictions to test His people’s faith in Him, and their obedience to Him, with the purpose of drawing them to Him and of justifying them. 2. Signs: With the purpose of proclaiming that He is near them, He went before them as a pillar of light by night, and as a cloud shading over them by day. He gave them statutes accompanied by signs and wonders, and brought them out of the land of Egypt by a mighty hand, an outstretched arm, and great terror (24), all of which were with the purpose of destroying their adversaries. He brought them out as though from a furnace of servitude. He is a fire working on account of His believers and His people, and not to destroy them. 3. Wonders: For the sake of edifying His children; He even broke the laws of nature, like when He did to help them cross the Red Sea, and when He dropped manna over them from heaven. 4. Wars: To let them enjoy the Promised Land, they had to replace several nations, most of them mighty men of war, of great possibilities and capabilities; God intervenes as a leader of His people, to grant them victory and conquest. 5. Mighty hand: His hand was mighty on account of His believers, capable of confronting all the oppositions that would come in their way. 6. Outstretched arm: Capable of destroying evil and embracing souls. The Holy Bible often speaks of: * The arm of God: It refers to the power of God working without limits, incessantly doing wonders for the good of believers. * The finger of God: Which wrote on the two tablets of the covenant, refers to His fiery Holy Spirit. * The hand of God: It refers to the incarnation of the Word, who consummates the work of salvation, and reveals the practical love of God the Father, by giving His Only-Begotten Son. 19 * The outstretched arm of God: It refers to God’s longing to embrace those returning to Him. 7- Great terror: Against those with cruel hearts like Pharaoh and his people, by the ten plagues. The goal of the commandment: a. To let us realize God’s choice of us and His longing for us to enjoy freedom. “And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them, and He brought you out of Egypt” (Deut. 4:37). b. To let us possess and rejoice. “Driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day. Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time” (Deut. 4:38-40) It does not end at bringing them out of Egypt by a mighty hand, and setting them free from servitude to the devil, but He intends to let them have a happy stay in Canaan, and to settle down there. God draws us away from servitude to the devil, destroys all powers of evil, and let us sit together with Him in the heavenly places, to find an everlasting comfort in the bosom of God the Father. 6. THE CITIES OF REFUGE “Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without having hated him in the time past, and that by fleeing to one of these cities he might live. Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites” (Deut. 4:41-43). The prophet Moses sees in God a refuge for every soul justified in Him. The statute of the six cities of refuge came as a reference and a symbol of the work of God. God set the cities of refuge (41-43; 19:2-13), to free the Promised Land from shedding innocent blood. The three cities of refuge on the eastern side of the River Jordan: one in the portion of the Reubenites, a second in that of the Gadites, and a third in half the portion of the Manassites; were to become a model for setting three others on the western side of the Jordan. The three cities on the eastern side of the Jordan were: ‘Baser,’ 20 miles northeast of the Dead Sea, close to those dwelling south of the eastern side; ‘Ramoth Gilead,’ for those dwelling in the middle, 30 miles east of the middle of the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, and ‘Jaulan’ for those to the north. Some of those cities, previously centers of idolatryping, became ‘cities of refuge,’ where a manslayer, who unintentionally kills his neighbor, would flee to find safety and comfort; came to represent the house of God, the Giver of comfort. For a further study of the cities of refuge, see the book of Numbers 35:6-15. 7. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND SERMON 20 “And this is the Law which Moses set before the children of Israel. These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt. On this side of the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel defeated after they came out of Egypt. And they took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, who were on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, even to Mount Sion (that is Harmon), and all the plain on the east side of the Jordan as far as the Sea of the Arabah, below the slopes of Pisgah” (Deut. 4:44-49). The author gives us a preface or an introduction to the farewell sermons of the prophet Moses (1:1-5), followed by the first sermon, in which Moses demonstrated the exalted care of God for His people, despite their persistence on rebelling against Him (Deut. 1). God even set for them a plan for their wars. Together with giving them in abundance, He seeks to commit them to responsibility, and to sanctify them. He did not let them fight the Edomites or the Moabites, but made them overcome Sihon and Og (Deut 2, 3). Moses spoke to them many times of how much He longs to enjoy the Promised Land; although, because of them he was denied it, and delivered leadership to his disciple Joshua (Deut 3). Finally, all what preoccupied his mind was to see them connected with God by the divine covenant and to come close to Him (Deut 4). He ended his sermon by setting the cities of refuge on the eastern side of the Jordan, to start on his second sermon concerning the testimonies proclaiming the will of God, the statutes to which the believers should be committed in their behavior, and the judgments that fix the mutual rights of men. In this introduction the author confirms Moses’ care, that the people should not be preoccupied with their conquest over the kings of the Amorites and the possession of their land; bur rather with their enjoyment of the divine commandment. Every believer should bear the will of God, rather than his own will; and should walk as is fitting for a son of God; and should keep the right of every being. 21 AN INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY (Chapter 4) LET YOUR COMMANDMENT CARRY ME TO YOU, O THE CONSUMING FIRE From the midst of the fire, You gave the two tablets of Your Law; And by fiery tongues, Your fiery Spirit dwelt in me! I welcome Your fiery commandment; I bow before it, bearing the spirit of obedience; In it I see Your signs; And receive in them Your righteousness and Your purity; O You Holy One! By Them I acquire You, O the divine Wisdom; To become wise, and to enjoy Your knowledge! You introduced Yourself to me; a Consuming Fire. Not to get me terrified, and flee, But to approach You together with Your prophet Moses; And to hear Your eternal exalted voice. Your fiery voice terrifies my enemies. By You, I enter free into Your kingdom; To possess and to rejoice by You, O the source of my strength.
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