Homilies on Joshua — Homily 1
Latin source: Origen, In Iesu Nave homiliae (Rufinus's Latin translation), from the public-domain critical text of W. A. Baehrens, GCS 30 = Origenes Werke VII (Leipzig, 1921); cross-checked against Migne PG 12. This English translation is released into the public domain.[§1] "God has bestowed the name which is above every name" upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now the "name which is above every name" is Jesus. And because this is the "name above every name," therefore "at the name of Jesus every knee bows, of things in heaven and things on earth and things beneath the earth." And because "this name is above every name," therefore for many generations it was given as a name to no one. Moses wrote the book of Genesis, in which we read of Abraham and those who were begotten from him, among whom there are very many righteous men, yet not one of them was granted to be named Jesus. Neither was Abel called Jesus, nor he who "began to call upon the name of the Lord God," nor he who "pleased God and was translated," whose death "was not found"; nor he who alone "in his generation" was found "righteous" before God, Noah; nor even he himself who had received the promises of the testament, Abraham, nor he who was born from him, Isaac; nor the supplanter Jacob, nor any one of his sons. "Moses was faithful in all the house," and yet he was not yet called Jesus. But I first find the name "Jesus" in Exodus, and I wish to observe when the name "Jesus" is first given. "Amalek came," it says, "and made war upon Israel, and Moses said to Jesus in Rephidim." This is the first mention of the name of Jesus. "Choose," he says, "for yourself mighty men from all the sons of Israel, and go out, and fight with Amalek tomorrow." Moses confesses that he cannot lead the army, he confesses that he cannot prevail, even though "he brought them out of the land of Egypt." And therefore, it says, he called Jesus and said: "Choose for yourself men, and go out." You see to whom he yielded the waging of war against Amalek. In this first instance we learn the name of Jesus, where we see him as leader of the army: not one to whom Moses enjoined the command, but to whom he yielded the primacy. Moses cannot choose the "mighty men": "You," he says, "choose for yourself mighty men from all the sons of Israel." Here, therefore, where I first learn the name of Jesus, there straightway I also see the sacred mystery; for Jesus leads the army.
[§2] "And it came to pass, when Moses lifted up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he let down his hands, Amalek prevailed." Then, therefore, Jesus "prevails" the more, and then he conquers, when "Moses raises up his hands." But that people was conquered by Amalek, since "Moses no longer raised up his hands," but they were let down below; for they are the ones to whom it is said: "If you believed Moses, you would surely believe me also," and: "Behold, you wish to kill me, who do not keep the law?" For when among them the law and the works of the law had ceased—who, "while they seek to establish their own righteousness, are not subject to the righteousness of God"—the hands of Moses were let down, unbelief prevailed, the people were conquered. But "Nadab and Abihu and Eleazar" are left behind in the camp, that they may "judge the people." "Jethro" too is left behind, he himself also "to judge the people" together with them. But Jesus is not left behind; rather he follows Moses onto the mountain, with a certain added word of wonder in that it says that he "stood by Moses." How did he "stand by" him? Not as a second, not as an inferior, but as a helper and protector. But what too is the meaning of this: that when he was first named, the name of his father was not indicated, neither in the second instance nor in the third, but when his father is named "Nave," then he himself is called not Jesus but "Auses"? For among those who were sent to spy out the land, his name is written as "Auses." And perhaps, as it seems to me, in the office of a spy he was called not Jesus but "Auses," and is named "son of Nave." But when he returns, the task completed, and when all are terrified he alone raises up the fallen and he alone lifts up the despair of the people, then he is named "Jesus" by Moses, nor is he called "son of Nave," but he is the one to whom Moses had said: "Lead out the army, and fight with Amalek." Beholding also his greatness, we perceive this too: that when at the transfiguration of the face of Moses the gaze of all the sons of Israel was dulled, and no one could look upon the face of his countenance, Jesus not only beholds his face, but even remains within, in the innermost parts of the "tabernacle," privy to the mysteries.
[§3] To what end, then, do all these things look for us? Surely to this, that this book does not so much set forth for us the deeds of the son of Nave as it depicts for us the mysteries of my Lord Jesus. For it is he who after the death of Moses took up the command, it is he who leads the army and "fights against Amalek"; and what was there foreshadowed on the mountain with hands stretched out, "he fastens to his cross, triumphing over the principalities and powers in himself." "Moses died," therefore; for the law ceased, since "the law and the prophets were until John." But do you wish me to bring forth proofs from the Scriptures that Moses is called the law? Hear what he says in the Gospel: "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them"—here without doubt naming the law "Moses." "Moses the servant of God died," therefore; for the law has died and the precepts of the law now cease. Or if it seems to you too little authority when these things are brought forward by me, follow the authority of the Apostle who says that "the woman is bound by the law while her husband lives, and she will be called an adulteress if she be with another man; but if her husband is dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband, so that she is no longer an adulteress if she be with another man"—without doubt naming as the "woman" the soul, which was held under the law of Moses, of which he says: "While her husband lives she is bound by the law." "But if her husband is dead"—without doubt the law—he says that soul is "freed" which seemed to be subject. Therefore, for this reason, it is necessary that the law die, so that those who believe in Jesus may in no way incur the charge of adultery.
[§4] Jesus therefore, my Lord and Savior, took up the command; and, if it seems good, let us compare the deeds of Moses with the command of Jesus. When Moses led the people out of the land of Egypt, there was no order among the people, no observance among the priests. They cross the water of the sea, salt water containing nothing of sweetness in itself, and "the water was a wall to them on the right and on the left." These things we know to have been done with Moses as leader. But when my Lord leads the army, let us see what things were even then being foreshadowed. "The priests go before," "the ark of the Testament is carried on the shoulders of the priests," nowhere now does the sea, nowhere does the salt wave meet us, but with my Lord Jesus as leader I come to the Jordan, and I come not in the confusion of flight nor stricken with dread, but I come with the priests carrying on their necks and shoulders the ark of the Testament of the Lord, in which the law of God and the divine writings are kept. I enter the Jordan not with furtive silence, but amid the songs of trumpets sounding something mystical and divine, that I may advance to the proclamation of the heavenly trumpet. There it was said that "the water was divided" into two parts and "one wall of water was made on the right, another on the left." But here, he "who came to break down the middle wall of the hedge made both one"; for on one part "the water was raised up," but the other part "flowed down into the sea." Then here he says: "Prepare for yourselves provisions for the way." And today, if you would hear, Jesus says to you: if you follow me, "prepare for yourself provisions for the way." For the provisions are the works which accompany us to the way that is to come, like a faithful viaticum. Let us see, however—since it is not fitting to read the divine writings carelessly and as it were in passing—whence he bids them "prepare provisions" who have no grain: for manna was their food. But when we have now crossed the banks of this river, "the manna ceases"; and therefore, unless each one "prepares" for himself "provisions," he will not be able to follow Jesus as he enters the land of promise. But see what fruits he first receives in the land of promise: then, it says, "they ate" first "of the fruits" from the region of palms, and "they ate" first "the unleavened bread." You see, therefore, that when we have first departed from the journey of this world, if we rightly follow Jesus, the first thing that meets us is the palm of victory, and, when the "leaven of malice and wickedness" has been cast away, the "unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" is prepared for us. Yet our "Jesus sends" spies to the "king of Jericho," and they are received into lodging by a "harlot." But that harlot, who received the spies sent by Jesus, received them for this reason, that she might no longer be a "harlot." But also the soul of each one of us was a harlot, so long as it lived in the desires and lusts of the flesh. But it received the spies of Jesus, "the angels whom he sent before his face, that they might prepare his way." Yet if each soul received them out of faith, it places them not in lowly places nor in lower ones, but in the higher and lofty ones, because we have received Jesus the Lord not as lowly and earthly, but as one proceeding from the Father and coming from the heavens.
[§5] But not even the "stalk of flax," in which the spies lay hidden, do I receive without sacred meaning. For flax is the priestly garment, by which is signified either that to those who were to be invited the priestly dignity was conferred, as the Apostle Peter too says: "But you are a holy nation, a royal priesthood," or certainly that in the sacred mystery of the law, where it is noted concerning the priests, the hidden calling of this people, which is "from the nations," lay concealed. Straightway, therefore, the "harlot" undergoes enmities against the "king of Jericho." Why not, since "the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh"? And again he says: "This world hates you, because it hated me before you." There is, therefore, a certain king who is the enemy of this harlot, who is "the prince of this world," who pursues and desires to seize the spies of Jesus, but cannot prevail, because they make their journey over the mountains; they do not walk through the lowly places nor delight in the valleys, but pursue the hilly summits and the high places of the mountains; for this our harlot says: "I lifted up my eyes to the mountains; from whence shall my help come?" The "prince of this world" cannot ascend thither, nor can he by the lofty way come to Jesus; nay rather, even if tempting him he set him on high places, he says to him: "Cast yourself down," because he always loves the lowly and the fleeting things, in these he reigns, in these he sets his seat, in which also he may descend even to hell. Moses did not say: "Let the sun stand still," nor did he command the greatest elements, as Jesus did. "Let the sun stand still," he says, "over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon," and moreover the Scripture adds and says that: "Never did God so hear a man." Therefore my Jesus made "the sun stand still" not only then, but much more so now in his coming. While we wage war against our enemies and "wrestle against principalities and powers and the rulers of these darknesses, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places," the "sun of righteousness" stands by us unceasingly and never forsakes us nor hastens to set, because he himself said: "Behold, I am with you all the days." Not only with a doubled day is he with us, but he is with us "all the days" "until the consummation of the age," until we too prevail over our adversaries.
[§6] But let us also see this: what it is that Jesus promises to his soldiers. "Every place," he says, "whatsoever you shall put under the treading of your feet, shall be yours." He had said this to those who then existed, concerning the regions of the "Canaanites," the "Perizzites," the "Jebusites," and the other nations, whose regions, when the unworthy inhabitants had been driven out, they themselves took as an inheritance; but let us see what is promised to us in these words. There are certain nations of adversary powers, diabolical, against whom battle is waged for us and contests are toiled at in this life. Therefore however many nations of these we shall "put under our feet," however many we shall conquer in the contest, we shall take their regions, their provinces and kingdoms, with Jesus our Lord apportioning them to us. For they were once angels, they were "magnificent" in the kingdom of God. Or do we not read what Isaiah says concerning one of them: "How has Lucifer fallen, who rose in the morning?" This Lucifer without doubt had his seat in the heavens; but after he became an apostate angel, if I am able to conquer him and "put him under my feet," if I am granted that the Lord Jesus "may crush Satan under my feet," I shall consequently be granted to receive the place of Lucifer in the heavens. Thus, therefore, we understand that it is promised to us by Jesus our Lord that "every place which we shall put under the treading of our feet shall be ours." But let us not suppose that we can enter into this inheritance through idleness and negligence, yawning and dozing. Wrath has an angel of its own kind; unless you conquer this within yourself and cut away from yourself all the motions of anger and fury, you will not be able to take, in the inheritance, the place which that angel once held, for the reason that by your slothfulness you have in no way driven him out of the land of promise. Likewise also of pride and jealousy and avarice and lust there are certain instigating angels and inciters of these evils, whose vices unless you conquer within yourself and exterminate them from your land, which has now been sanctified through the grace of baptism, in no way will you receive the fullness of the promised inheritance.
[§7] Under Moses it was not said, what is said under Jesus, that: "the land rested from wars." It is certain that this land of ours also, in which we have contests and endure combats, will be able to rest from wars only by the power of Jesus the Lord. For within us are all these nations of vices, which continually and unceasingly assail the soul. Within us are the "Canaanites," within us are the "Perizzites," here are the "Jebusites." How we must labor, how we must keep watch, and for how long we must persevere, that when all these nations of vices have been put to flight from us, at length "our land may rest from wars"? And therefore the prophet admonishes us to "meditate on the law of the Lord day and night." This meditation upon the divine words is surely like a kind of trumpet, rousing your spirits to battle, lest perhaps, while the adversary keeps watch, you should sleep. Therefore the "day" is not sufficient for meditating, but the "night" too is added. But what will you do, who not only sleep by night, but also all day long serve either the occupations of the world or the delights of the flesh, and scarcely and rarely gather at church on the appointed days? Some of you, moreover, even when coming do not come, because in coming they give their leisure not to the word of God but to idle tales. On account of which the divine word says to you: "Rise, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, that you may lay hold of Christ." For "rise from the dead" is said to those who remain in the works of death, persisting in their uncleannesses and crimes; which, although they be not manifest to men, are nevertheless known to God. But at least on this account do penance and turn to the Lord with your whole heart, give your leisure to prayers, give your leisure to the word of God. What does it profit, if we fast for our sins and again commit sins? What does it profit to have washed and again to wallow in the mire? Have you fasted for some time? It is as though in the meantime you had departed from Egypt. You have crossed the Red Sea, you have followed Moses, observing that is to say the precepts and commandments of the law; but now Jesus has received you from Moses, who also "circumcises you a second time," in the place which is called "the hill of foreskins." You must therefore be circumcised not only of the worship of idols, which you cast away in the beginning, but again avarice too must be circumcised from you, which is the subtler worship of idols. Finally Jesus, circumcising the people with a second circumcision, speaks thus: "Today I have taken away from you the reproach of Egypt." So long as we sin, so long as the vices of the passions reign in us, even though, having abandoned the images, we seem to have departed from Egypt, yet the "reproach of Egypt" has not been taken away from us. If therefore you receive this second circumcision of the vices and cut away from yourself every vice of anger, pride, envy, lust, avarice, iniquity and the rest of the like, then the "reproaches of Egypt" will be wiped away from you, and, carried over into the land of promise, you will receive the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom, through the true Jesus, Christ our Lord and Savior, "to whom is glory unto the ages of ages. Amen."