DEFILEMENTS AS OBSTACLES TO SALVATION Having spoken of the free invitation of God to all thirsty to quench their thirst from the fountains of salvation; of the opening of the house of God for the joyful heavenly worship, to spare anyone feeling foreign or barren - He presents in chapters 57 to 59 obstacles to the enjoyment of God’s work of salvation, and to entering the house of the Lord. In the present chapter He concentrates on defilements or spiritual adultery as an obstacle; opening the doors of hope before those who return to Him. 1. Death of the righteous 1-2. 2. Condemnation of the wicked 3-13. 3. Blessings of the return to God 14-21. 1. DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS “The righteous perishes and man takes it to his heart. Merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace. They shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.” (Is. 57: 1, 2) The prophet speaks of what is going to happen to the children of God along the ages, falling under several afflictions for no reason; wounded like their Savior, even “in the house of their friends” (Zechariah 13: 6); and “their foes are those of their own household” (Matthew 10: 36). But here, he speaks more so, of the time of king Manasseh, who shed much innocent blood (2 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 33) to the extent that the righteous yearned to die, counting death as comfort, compared to what they were suffering. That also clearly applies, more to the days of the ‘lawless one’ or the antichrist, when ‘the man of sin’ will sit as God in the temple of God, and will persecute the Church (2 Thessalonians 2: 4); so that it is said: “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?” (Revelation 13: 4) “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue and nation... Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” (Revelation 13: 7, 10) Before that bitterness it would be said that the righteous is taken away from the face of evil. (Is. 57: 2) As the righteous perishes or gets persecuted and killed, and no one ponders it in his heart; the wicked lead a life of fun like kids; while their elders and caretakers perish, and no one understands. But the righteouses rejoice in death, counting it as sparing their souls from that ugly evil atmosphere. [In a message to a young widow St. John Chrysostom writes] Indeed, if he perished and his life came utterly to an end, it would have been a great sorrowful tragedy. But if he sailed on to a peaceful shore, to the Lord to whom he actually belongs, we should not become sad, but should rejoice, as this is not really death, but a sort of a move from worse to better, from earth to heaven, from among humans to the company of angels and archangels, even to be with God, Lord of the angels and archangels... Now, he is secure and in great peace! 7 If your husband has been, like those, leading a shameful life that displeases the Lord, it would be fitting for you to cry and wail, not only on the day of his death, but even while he was still alive. But, having been a friend of God, we should rejoice in either way. Listen to what the apostle says, “I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” (Philippians 1: 231 St. John Chrysostom What a great benefit for us to depart from this world! As the disciples felt sorrow when Christ, the Teacher of our salvation, and of our good deeds, told them that He is going away, He said to them: “If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father” (John 14: 28), teaching us to rejoice when one of our beloved departs from this world; recalling the words of the blessed apostle Paul: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1: 21) Through death we forsake all painful troubles, and get rid of the poisonous fangs of the devil, to receive Christ’s invitation for us, rejoicing in the eternal salvation2. He who anticipates after his death another death fears death3. Through death, the children of God get away from unbearable afflictions, gaining happiness as a reward for their patience and innocence4. Cyprian the Martyr St. Augustine believes that what came here concerning the death of the righteous, having “no one ponders in his heart,” refers to the Lord Christ, whom the wicked intended Him to perish through crucifixion, not knowing that He Himself, allowed that to happen; and as the apostle Paul says, “Had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2: 8)5. 2. CONDEMNATION OF THE WICKED The righteouses suffer from the wicked. Yet what could the latter do to them? For them even death is a divine gift, through which they cross over from their gloomy atmosphere, to join the joyful Groom of their souls. The wicked, on the other hand, are summoned by the Lord to a tribunal, through which the following will take place: a. The wicked are called by several titles, among which: *‘Sons of sorceress’: The whole nation rejected the true words of prophets, and resorted to magic and sorcery, to seek counsel and to reveal the future. That is counted as a rejection of attribution to God, and an acceptance of sonship to the devil and his wicked deeds. So the wicked are called ‘Children of transgression, offspring of falsehood.” (Is. 57: 4) *‘Sons of adulterers and prostitutes’ (Is. 57: 3): having no relation to righteous life, neither through the father nor through the mother; the father being an adulterer, and للمؤلف: رسالة إلى أرملة شابة، للقدیس یوحنا الذهبي الفم. 1 الحب الإلهي، ص 2 .519 الحب الإلهي، ص 3 .521 الحب الإلهي، ص 4 .526 5 On Ps. 82. 8 the mother a prostitute; corruption came to all: men and women. They boasted, claiming that God is their father, and that Zion is their mother; yet their defilement revealed their actual descent. They forsook reference to God and His Church, to be referred to the devil and his kingdom. The evangelist says, “They said to Him, ‘We were not born of fornication; we have one Father…God.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me... You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning... a liar and the father of it.’” (John 8: 41 - 44) * Brood of rebels, having rejected obedience to God, and response to His prophetical proclamations and commandments. * Offspring of liars, tending to deal with their transgressions by lies and deceit, instead of openness and clarity. b. Being involved in idolatry, strongly preoccupied with setting idols, burning with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; sacrificing their children for the Baal in the ravines and under the overhanging crags (Is. 57: 5). That horrible portrait, in which humans proclaimed their denial of God and their children is still going on in a way or another, up to this day. Instead of giving Him thanks for His gifts (the green trees), we, sometimes, present our hearts aflame with evil to the devil’s and his kingdom’s account, as defiled burnt offerings set in hearts; and instead of caring for our inner life, to enjoy spiritual fruits for the soul and the body - namely to beget, in our hearts, sons and daughters, to praise God, we present the energies of the soul and body, as human sacrifices, to the account of the evil one. c. Practicing evil in ravines (Is. 57: 6); on high and lofty hills (Is. 57: 7; behind doors and doorposts (Is. 57: 8)... as though evil is not bound to either place or circumstances, but to the heart that deviated from its Creator, and sought independence from Him. He probably wanted likewise to confirm that the wicked shamelessly commit evil openly as well as in secret; in public places, as well as in their homes. d. He likens the wicked to an adulteress who is never fulfilled of evil, but opened her bed wide (Is. 57: 8), made a pact with anyone, instead of making an eternal pact with God, as the sole Groom of her soul. She loved the wicked, not for their own sake, but to go to bed with them, to fulfill her bodily lust (Is. 57: 8). e. She offered memorabilia figures and statues to her partners in evil. Instead of repentance she shows pride in evil. He probably means by ‘memorabilia’ setting pagan symbols as spiritual adultery, and binding with foreign gods in place of God, her Groom; or on account that adultery has amalgamated with idolatry in her life. f. She anointed herself with olive oil, increased her perfume, and sent ambassadors far away to the king, seeking to commit evil with him, so descended to the abyss (Is. 57: 9). He probably meant by the king here, Pharaoh, whom they sought to rescue them from Assyria; something that God counted as spiritual adultery, being as leaning upon human arm, in place of trusting in God. Sending ambassadors to the king refers to binding with authority, as what would happen in the days of the antichrist, when the deviated religious work amalgamates with 9 contemporary authority; when the resistance against the Church, beside using violence, becomes through blaspheme as well. g. She sought evil with great zeal, and by several travels, until she got wearied, but never despaired; as through her lust, she did neither faint nor lost strength (Is. 57: 10). h. She committed evil, not dreading nor fearing God, her Groom. She neither responds to His warnings (Is. 57: 11) nor to His encouragements, through revealing her righteousness and good works (Is. 57: 12). i. Leaning upon her lovers and admirers who would be carried together with her, by the wind, and blown away by a breath. By lovers, He probably meant her collection of pagan idols, to which she cried for help, but in vain, as the wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath would blow them away. 3. BLESSINGS OF THE RETURN TO GOD Despite what they have committed of corruption and spiritual adultery, yet God waits for their return to Him with repentance, to grant them the following blessings: a. To inherit the earth, as a way by which to cross over to eternal inheritance. And as the Lord says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5: 5); and according to the Psalm: “For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth” (Psalm 37: 9)’ “But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land and shall inherit the holy mountain. And one shall say, ‘Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way” ”(Is. 57: 13, 14) If the land (earth) here refers to Canaan, and God’s holy mountain to Zion, repentance grants man an enjoyment of divine blessings in this world, as a pledge of the heavenly Jerusalem. St. John Chrysostom believes1 that God promised us a heavenly dowry: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man.” (1 Corinthians 2: 9) [As a dowry, he designated the following: eternity, angelic praise, getting rid of death, setting free of sin, inheritance of the kingdom with its great wealth of righteousness, sanctification, salvation from present evils, discovery of future blessings. Great is my dowry! The engagement gifts are present blessings that let us yearn for the future ones. But the complete dowry will be given in the coming life.] If the land refers to body, the pledge that we get here would be our reign over the body, namely to have authority over it, to live sanctified in the body, by the Spirit of God dwelling in us. By saying, “Build up, build up, prepare the road” (Is. 57: 14) He means acceptance of Christ our Savior, being the “Way,” by Him and in Him we enjoy eternal inheritance. b. Taking “the stumbling block out of the way of My people.” (Is. 57: 14) c. Living in their midst, counting them as God’s “high and holy mountain.” (Is. 57: 15) As much as they are humble in their own eyes, God will lift them up and count them as worthy of His dwelling with them, saying, “I dwell... with him who has a للمؤلف: الكنیسة تحبك، للقدیس یوحنا الذهبي الفم، 1968 ، ص 61 الخ. 1 10 contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Is. 57: 15) He is far away from the proud, close to the lowly. “Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly” (Psalm 138: 6). The proud should not think that they are invisible, “but the proud He knows from afar.” (Psalm 138: 6) He saw the arrogant Pharisee from afar; but was close to the tax-collector to help him, because he confessed his sins (Luke 18: 9 - 14)1. St. Augustine The vehicle of pride, even if accompanied by righteousness, fast, and tithe giving, will not go far. But that of the lowly in spirit, even if accompanied by sin, yet it will get ahead of the horse of the Pharisee, no matter poor the rider be. St. John Chrysostom2 d. The wicked offend God as a Chastiser. Yet, being the Creator of souls, He desires their salvation. That is why He “would not contend forever, nor would always be angry” (Is. 57: 16), but desires that all may return to Him, to get healed of every weakness, and to be granted His comfort. And as St. Augustine said the troubles that we suffer here, are the results of God’s anger, because of our sins, until we repent.3 God, who created human souls, would never forsake them, but yearns and works toward their salvation; He goes on saying, “For the spirit would fail before Me, and the souls which I have made. For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him. I hid and was angry, and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will also lead him, and restore comfort to him and to his mourners.” (Is. 57: 17, 18) God, in His love, hides and gets angry, and strikes His children for some time. By hiding, here, He probably means that He cannot bear to see His children’s sufferings afflictions. He would seem as though striking His children, then hiding for a moment, to attracts their attention through trouble. That is why He confirms that, His eyes are on the ways of those He chastises, until they are healed, to lead them, and to make it up for their mourning, with divine comfort and exalted love! If you suffer from evil bear it nicely; then all evils will be taken away from you4. Such is the compassionate love of God; He would not disregard genuine repentance. Even though man may keep on, in his willful ways until the end, if he chooses to return to life of virtue, God will receive and welcome him, and will do all what is good for him, and restore him to his original condition5. St. John Chrysostom e. He floods them with double peace, while the wicked are filled with trouble, saying, “‘I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will heal him,’ but the wicked are like the troubled 1 On Ps. 40. 2 Lowliness of Mind. 3 On Ps. 77. 4 In 1 Cor. Hom 23. 5 Letters to the Fallen Theodore. 1:6. 11 sea, when it cannot rest, whose water cast up mire and dirt. ‘There is no peace,’ says the Lord, ‘for the wicked.’” (Is. 57: 19-21) He invites those far off (the unbelievers) and those who are near (the fallen believers), to come to Him with repentance, to grant them double peace. And as St. Augustine says, [God has promised real comfort in the words of Isaiah: “Peace, peace to those far and near, I will heal them, and restore comfort to them” (Is. 57: 17). Without this comfort, people would find themselves amid earthly joy, which is corruption more than comfort1.] And also: [What the wicked calls joy, is not at all joy2.] 1 Ep. 130:3. 2 On Ps. 97.
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