Homilies on Joshua — Homily 23
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.Concerning the reasoning of the lots, where seven tribes receive their inheritance.
[§1] In human custom, when something is divided by lot, that lot seems to fall by chance to this man and another to that man; in holy Scripture, however, it is not so. And at times I used to ask myself whether the holy fathers would have committed the decision about so great and so weighty a matter to lots; and if this had been done thus among the saints, then it would seem no wonder concerning other men, or the Gentiles, if there were nothing extraordinary in those things which are said by the saints to have been divided by lot. But let us see whether perhaps we may find something set down in the Scriptures which may make plain to us what power is contained in the lots. Let us begin, then, from Leviticus, where it is written: "and they shall take," it says, "two lots; one lot for the Lord and one lot for the apompaeus," that is, for the one who sends it away. "And upon whichever the lot of the apompaeus shall come, he shall take that goat, and shall lead it living into the wilderness, and shall let it go there in its release. But the other goat they shall offer to the Lord," and the rest that is there: things which of course they know who read them. And again, where Moses divided by lot "to the tribe of Reuben" and "to the tribe of Gad" and "to the half-tribe of Manasseh," which had asked to receive across the Jordan that land which the children of Israel had seized. But "Jesus" also "gave," according to the commandment of the Lord, "to Caleb the son of Jephunneh" and "to the tribe of Judah a lot." And he gave also to the tribe of "Ephraim" and to that which remained, the half-tribe of "Manasseh." And after these things, "he gathered," it says, "the assembly of the children of Israel" and said: "I will cast the lot and bring forth the lot in the sight of the Lord, if you first, describing the land, bring me a description of it." And thus, after these things, when the lots had been cast, the inheritance is distributed to the people of God, and this lot is set in motion not by chance, but according to that which was predestined by God. Finally, the tribe of "Benjamin" there received the first lot, where "Jerusalem" was; after this the tribe of "Simeon" the second; after this "Issachar"; then "Zebulun"; then "Asher"; after that also "Naphtali"; then "Dan." Among whom last of all come those three tribes which had descended from the concubines of Jacob.[§2] What, then, the reasoning of the lots might be, I kept inquiring within myself, that from the many testimonies of Scripture I might come to know what lay hidden. Indeed I found in the Scriptures that even Gentile men had made use of lots, at that time when Jonah was sailing and a storm pressed upon them. For those who were sailing say: "let us cast a lot and let us know for whose cause this so great evil has come," as though the lot had such power that it could betray the one for whose cause the danger threatened those who sailed. And although they were Gentiles and strangers to the knowledge of God, yet they are not deceived in this opinion, but the lot betrayed to them what was true. Finally, "the lot came," it says, "upon Jonah." Seeking, then, concerning these things, I find also Solomon in the Proverbs saying: "the lot restrains contradictions and decides between the powerful," showing, as it were, that "contradictions" cease where the lot is cast. But since I found not a few such things about lots reported in the Old Testament, I turned myself also to the New Testament, to see whether perhaps even there lots are despised, or whether not even there is the use of them cast aside; and I find that at one time, when one Apostle was lacking from the number of the Apostles and it was necessary that another be substituted in the place of Judas, the Apostles, coming together—who indeed were far wiser than those who now ordain bishops or presbyters or deacons—chose "two" and "set them" in the midst; nor yet did they permit to themselves the judgment concerning these, so as to make him whom they themselves might have wished, but "praying," it says, "they cast a lot between those two" whom they "had set" in the sight of God, that is, "Joseph, who was called Barnabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias." "And the lot fell," it says, "upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles." For, prayer having gone before, the lot conveyed the divine judgment not by chance, but by providence. But still I kept seeking in the New Testament, wherever a lot is named in Christ or in the Church, or in mystical matters and such as seem to pertain to the soul. I find Paul writing to the Ephesians saying concerning Christ: "in whom," he says, "we were called by lot, predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, that we may be unto the praise of his glory, we who before hoped in Christ"; but also writing these things to the Thessalonians: "giving thanks to God the Father, who has made us fit for the portion of the lot of the saints in light." Since, therefore, so many testimonies from the holy Scriptures concerning the mention of lots have been gathered together, so that from the consideration of many passages we might more diligently grasp the power of the matter, for my part out of all these either the meaning could not yet lie clearly and evidently open, or else a fear of announcing and bringing forth a secret about so great a matter took hold of me. Yet let it suffice that this much, so far as the matter allows, has come to pass, which the lot drawn by the Apostles designates to us: that, where the lot is drawn from whole faith and with prayer sent before, that which the will of God holds in secret the lot declares openly to men.
[§3] But according to the inner understanding, as Paul seems to indicate when he says: "in the portion of the lot of the saints" and: "called by lot in Christ," it must be considered whether perhaps the lot is exercised not only among men, but also among the powers above, and whether some power presides over this office, which, for example, to Jesus the son of Nave now distributing the inheritance by lot, may furnish the drawing of the lot—not toward some favoritism, but according to that which it knows to please God—and may indeed cause those things to come out first for the one whom it knows to hold the first place with God, so that this which is held in secret with God might, by the governance of the lot, be shown also to men; but may make another of the second place and another of the third. And I judge that this was done thus not only on earth, but also in the heavens, and that a lot of this kind—which with God is distinguished by the contemplation of merits—was held even at that time, "when the Most High divided the nations and scattered the sons of Adam and set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God; and the portion of the Lord became Jacob, the cord of his inheritance Israel"; for you see that here too he says that God took by lot the "portion" and the "cord of Israel." It must not, then, be thought that by chance it came about by lot for that angel to take up that nation, for example of the Egyptians, and for another that of the Idumeans, and another that of the Moabites, and another India, or any single one of those nations which are upon the earth; but there too, even if the "nations" are said to have been divided by lot "according to the number of the angels of God," yet that lot—just as we said among men that the lot spreads abroad in public the judgment of God which is in secret—such also is it to be believed to have been there, by which each angel took up in the division this or that nation according to his own merit and virtue. And why do I speak of great and general matters? when it must be said that not even through each single one of us does anything come about apart from a lot of this kind, which is dispensed by the judgment of God—for example, that one of us should obtain such or such a life straightway from his birth; or certainly that which we have often taught from the holy Scriptures to be carried on with regard to men, namely, that both good angels are present to men and adverse ones; that it was surely not by chance and without judgment that that angel was allotted to be the guardian of that soul, for example of Peter, and another of Paul, or another of one infant of the Church, concerning whose angels the Lord says that they "always behold the face of their Father who is in heaven." Concerning whom there is surely no room to doubt that, by the judgment of God—who clearly perceives both their worthiness and the quality of our soul—they are allotted the guardianship of each one of us by a certain mystical lot directed by the dispensation of Christ. But I, so far as it pertains to my own opinion, think it must be boldly said even concerning those powers which have undertaken the ministries of this world, that it is not by chance or by accident that that power presides over the germinations of the earth or of the trees, that one supplies sufficiently for the springs and rivers, another for the rains, another for the winds, another for the sea-creatures, but another presides over the land-animals or over each single one of the things born from the earth; and that in these single things there are ineffable sacraments of the divine dispensation, so that all things in their order and by a fitting office are apportioned through each single power. For thus also the Apostle Paul says: "are they not all ministering spirits, sent into ministry for the sake of those who receive the inheritance of salvation?"
[§4] In imitation, therefore, of these things, it must be believed that here too Scripture reports that lots are drawn through Jesus and that the inheritance is decreed for each single tribe by the divine dispensation, and that through the ineffable providence and foreknowledge of God there is foreshadowed in these lots the pattern of the future inheritance in the heavens. Since indeed "the law" is said "to have a shadow of the good things to come," and, as the Apostle says concerning those who have come to the Lord Jesus Christ, that: "you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem," there is in the heavens some "city" which is called "Jerusalem" and "Mount Zion," it is surely not without cause that Benjamin received in his lot "Jerusalem" and "Mount Zion"; unless it be that the plan of that "heavenly Jerusalem" without doubt required this, that the earthly "Jerusalem"—which preserves the figure and form of that heavenly one—ought to be given to none other than Benjamin. And likewise concerning "Bethlehem" it must be said that it is not without a certain sure reason decreed in the lot of Judah, or that "Hebron" or the other single cities are assigned in writing to each single tribe, except that, as we have said, those heavenly places—in which both "Jerusalem" and "Zion" are named to be—without doubt, and the rest of the places also which are near or joined to these, contained in themselves this cause and reason in the heavens which was governed by lot to be distributed on earth. Hence, then, it is that the divine wisdom dispensed that certain names of places be written in the Scriptures which contain a certain mystical interpretation, through which it is indicated to us that these things are dispensed to be done by certain fixed reasons and not by accident or by chance. For just as it must not be thought that it happened by chance, for example, that that angel was called Michael, but another Gabriel, and another Raphael, and—to come down to human matters—just as it was not by chance that that patriarch was called Abraham and that one Isaac, and another Israel, but not even among the women did it happen by accident, but by a fixed and divine reason, that she was called "Sarah" from "Sara," or that man "Israel" from "Jacob," or that man "Abraham" from "Abram," and as it is certain that each one, whether of the angels or of men, is allotted his very names from the offices and acts which are enjoined upon him: so it follows that there are also certain heavenly places and cities—just as the "heavenly Jerusalem" is called, and "Zion"—that there are also others, of which these that are on the earth contain the type and image, which now in this Scripture are mystically designated to us through Jesus son of Nave. And concerning these very cities I think it was said: "the cities of Judah shall be built, and they shall dwell there and shall inherit it." Concerning these also the Lord and Savior says that: "there are many mansions with the Father." And concerning these very cities it must be believed that the Lord says to that servant who had traded well: "have power over ten cities" and to another: "over five cities." — These things concerning the division of the lots of the land of Judah we have dared to bring forth to you, so far as was permitted, at the prompting of Scripture, which calls "Jerusalem heavenly and Mount Zion" and the rest which are likewise written to be "in the heavens"; which gave us occasion to perceive concerning all these things that heavenly mysteries are described in them. And therefore we say to you, do not read these things with disdain and do not think that some Scripture is worthless because it is thickly sown with many namings of names; but rather know that ineffable mysteries are contained through these, greater than either human speech can bring forth or mortal hearing can hear; which, as I judge, cannot be worthily and completely explained not only by me, "the least," but not even by those who are far better than I. And I do not know whether they are fully and completely brought forth even by the holy Apostles themselves; I did not say that they are not fully known, but that they are not fully brought forth. For it is certain that these things were known and completely grasped by him "who was caught up even to the third heaven," who indeed, being placed in heaven, saw the heavenly things, saw "Jerusalem," the true "city of God," saw there also "Mount Zion," in whatever place it is, saw also "Bethlehem," saw also "Hebron," saw also all those things which are here written to be divided by lot; and he not only saw, but also comprehended their reasons in the spirit, since he himself confesses "that he heard words and reasons." But what words? "Ineffable ones," he says, "and which it is not permitted to men to speak." You see, then, that Paul knows all things and comprehends them in the spirit, but it "was not permitted" to him to bring these forth "to men." To what "men"? Without doubt to those concerning whom he said reproachfully: "are you not men, and do you not walk according to man?" But he was perhaps speaking these things to those who now did not "walk according to man"; he was speaking these things to Timothy, he was speaking to Luke and to the rest of the disciples, whom he knew to be capable of the "ineffable" sacraments. Finally, in a mystery too he admonished Timothy of something of this kind, saying: "be mindful of the words which you have heard from me, which commend to faithful men and to those who are fit also to teach others." So, then, believing these things to be divine and mystical, let us prepare ourselves by life, faith, deeds, and merits to be worthy and fit for the capacity of them, so that, when they have been worthily understood by us, we may also deserve to attain them by inheritance in the heavens, in Christ Jesus our Lord, "to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen!"