Homilies on Joshua — Homily 26
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.On that which is written, that "the flint knives" were buried, and on "the altar" which the two and a half tribes, who are beyond the Jordan, "built up."
[§1] In what precedes it was indeed said that "the sons of Israel gave a portion by lot to Jesus on Mount Ephraim," and that, the lot having been received, "Jesus built a city there and dwelt in it." But now Scripture repeats the same thing anew, so as to add this: that "he stored away in that city, which he had built and in which he was dwelling, the flint knives," that is, the blades of stone, "with which Jesus circumcised the sons of Israel in the wilderness." Hence for us too the exposition must be repeated, and this too, which has been added, must be explained, so that, by God's gift, the meaning of Scripture may be fulfilled entire. For we said in what precedes that our Lord Jesus Christ also seeks from us a place which he may build and in which he may dwell, and that we ought to become such — so "clean of heart," so "simple in mind," so "holy in body and spirit" — that he may deign both to receive a place in our soul, and to build it, and to dwell in it. And who, do you suppose, are in all the people so acceptable to God as to be worthy to be chosen for this? Or perhaps not even individuals can be capable of this, but the whole people and the entire church together can scarcely be capable of it, of receiving the Lord Jesus into itself and having him dwell in it? Let us see, then, what this place is in which Jesus ought to dwell. "On the mount," he says, "of Ephraim," that is, on the fruitful mount. Who, do you suppose, are in us the fruitful mounts on which Jesus may dwell? Assuredly those in whom are "the fruits of the spirit, joy, peace, patience, charity," and the rest. These, then, are the fruitful mounts, which bring forth "the fruit of the spirit" and are always lofty in mind and in hope. And though such may be few, nevertheless, if there be even a few, the Lord Jesus dwelling in them, who is "the true light," will send forth the rays of his light even upon all the rest, whom he has not yet judged worthy of his dwelling in the first place.[§2] Now, then, let us see what are "the flint knives, with which Jesus circumcised the sons of Israel." If you pray for us, that "our word may be living and effective and sharper than any knife," the Lord Jesus will grant us also that the word of God which we speak to you may circumcise every uncleanness, cut back the impurities, sever the vices from the hearers, and amputate everything by which the force of the mind and its natural effectiveness is overlaid; and thus, through the word of God, which is now called "the flint knife," you too will be circumcised by Jesus, and you will hear that: "today I have taken away from you the reproach of Egypt." For what does it profit us to have gone out of Egypt and to carry about with us "the reproaches of Egypt"? What does it profit to walk through the wilderness — that is, what does it help us to have renounced the world in baptism and to retain the former filth of our habits and the uncleannesses of the carnal vices? It is necessary, therefore, after the passage of the Red Sea — that is, after the grace of baptism — that the carnal vices of our old habit also be taken away from us through our Lord Jesus, so that thus at last we may be able to lack "the reproaches of Egypt." Those very "flint knives," then, and stone blades, with which we were a second time circumcised by Jesus, are placed in that place which Jesus seeks and has received; in the place which he possesses in the soul of the just man, in that very place he also stores away the "knives." We have often shown that the "knife" is said to be the word of God, by which word sins are cut away and purged from the souls of the hearers. This power of the divine word, therefore, is stored away in that place to which is given the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom, so that at an opportune time that soul, which through the gift of the spirit has been filled with the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge, may bring forth these "knives" in the church and may circumcise a second time those who have need of a "second circumcision." But as for his saying "flint knives," that is, blades of stone and not blades fashioned of iron by the workman's craft, this shows that this word of God, which can circumcise the uncleannesses from the hearts of the hearers, does not come from the art of grammar or rhetoric, nor has been tamed by the hammers of the learned or filed down on the whetstones of studies, but descends from that "rock" which "was cut from the mountain without hands and filled the round world" and bestows spiritual gifts upon believers. After these things "Jesus summons the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh," who had done military service with him in overcoming the enemies of Israel, and he dismisses them to go to their inheritance, having also given them certain gifts, as it is written. In which he seems to indicate this mystery: that, "when the fullness of the nations has come in," and they have received what was promised to them by the Lord Jesus, those who had been taught and instructed through Moses, and who brought us aid by their prayers and supplications while we were set in the struggle — because they have not yet obtained the promises, waiting "that our calling too might be completed," as the Apostle says — now at last obtain the perfection which had been deferred for them, together with the gifts which they receive from Jesus, so that each one may dwell in peace, all war and all assault having ceased.
[§3] After these things there was read to us that "the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, who were beyond the Jordan, had built up a huge altar; but the sons of Israel" — the rest, not knowing why this altar had been erected — "send Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, with ten men chosen from the several tribes," so that, if perhaps they had done this as those "departing from God," having become as it were "apostates" and acting against the commandment of God, they might be assailed by the rest of the sons of Israel; but if otherwise, that they might learn the cause. But those men give satisfaction concerning the altar and say: we know that the true altar is among you, where Jesus dwells, but we made this altar after the likeness of that altar which has been built among you, so that among us too the figure and image of the true altar may be held; "lest perhaps tomorrow," he says, it should please you "to say that the Jordan is a boundary between us and you" and that it itself sets the limit, and therefore "you have no portion" in our altar. Such were the replies they sent. But let us see what mystery this deed contains. The former people of the circumcision is designated in Reuben, who had been the firstborn; but also in Gad, who himself too is a firstborn, from Zilpah, and no less in Manasseh, the "firstborn." But when I say "firstborn," I speak according to time. These things, then, are said lest any division or separation should seem to exist between us and those who were just before the coming of Christ, but so that they might show themselves to be — even though they were before the coming of Christ — nevertheless our brothers. For although they then, before the coming of the Savior, had an altar, yet they knew and perceived that that altar was not the true one, but that it was the form and figure of this true altar that was to come. They knew this: that the true victims, those which could take away sins, were not offered on that altar which the firstborn people had, but on this one, where Jesus was; here the heavenly victims, here the true sacrifices are consummated. There comes to be, then, "one flock and one shepherd," those former just ones and those who are now Christians. But I wish, for the proof of these things, to call to mind also a certain history, if only the Lord deigns to grant that we may be able to find its spiritual explanation. The people once "was falling in the desert" and dying. Aaron the high priest came and "stood in the midst of those who were dying and those who were living," lest the devastation of death should advance further even upon the rest. Now too my true high priest, the Lord, has come and has interceded in the midst between the dying and the living — that is, between those who from among the Jews received his presence, and those who not only did not receive it, but slew themselves rather than him, saying: "his blood be upon us and upon our children!" Hence also "all the righteous blood which has been shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah whom they killed between the temple and the altar, shall be required of that generation" which said: "his blood be upon us and upon our children." These, then, are the portion of the people that is dead, because they keep neither the unleavened bread nor the feast days fittingly, but "their feast days are turned into mourning and their songs into lamentation"; who, even if they wished, could not celebrate the feast day in "that place which the Lord God has chosen." And we indeed did not say to them that "there shall be for you no portion" in this altar or in the inheritance of the Lord, but they of their own accord refused the true altar and the heavenly high priest, and were brought to such a pitch of unhappiness that they lost even the image and did not receive the truth, and therefore it is said to them: "behold, your house shall be left to you deserted." For the grace of the Holy Spirit has been transferred to the nations, the solemnities have been transferred to us, because there has passed over to us also a high priest not imaginary but true, "chosen according to the order of Melchizedek": and it is necessary that he offer true victims, that is, spiritual ones, among us, where the temple of God is built out of "living stones," "which is the church of the living God," and where the true Israel is, in Christ Jesus our Lord, "to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen."