Homilies on Numbers — Homily 21
Latin source: Origen, In Numeros homiliae (Rufinus's Latin translation), from the public-domain critical text of W. A. Baehrens, GCS 30 = Origenes Werke VII (Leipzig, 1921). This English translation is released into the public domain.On the fact that the people were numbered a second time.
[§1] These are the numbers we are reading, and in the earlier reading we were shut out by time from saying anything about the second numbering; but it is fitting now to render what was omitted or left out. Therefore by the Lord's command the people was first numbered, but since those who had first been enrolled fell on account of their persistence in sins, a second people now, which succeeded into the place of the fallen by a revived generation, is called to the numbering, and what had not been said of those former ones is said of these. For after the number was gathered by tribes and peoples and houses and families, the Lord says to Moses: "To these the land shall be distributed by lot according to the number of names. To the more numerous more shall be given by lot, and to the small you shall give a small inheritance." If it had been said of the former ones that "to these the land shall be distributed by lot," it would surely have been false, because they fell in the desert on account of their sins. What therefore was not said to the first is said to the last, for whom also all the things that are promised were fulfilled. But I would not have you think this is confined to the text of the mere history; these are mysteries which are set down through the image of the law. For the former people, which is in circumcision, is rejected, and a second is brought in, which is gathered from the nations; and it is this people that obtains the paternal inheritance. And from whom does it obtain it? Not from Moses, but from Joshua. For Moses, even if he gives an inheritance to some, does not give it within the Jordan nor does he cross the Jordan at all, but he gives land beyond the Jordan — not land flowing with milk and honey, but land suited to cattle and better at nourishing dumb animals and irrational beasts than rational men. But my Joshua, the land which he gives to the second people is a land flowing with milk and honey — nay rather, it is a honeycomb beyond every land. And Moses indeed does not give an inheritance by allotment nor distribute it by lot, nor is he able to weigh out by divine lot the merits of individuals according to peoples and houses and families and names; this Joshua alone does, to whom the Father has handed over all judgment; he knows how to dispense to his people, not only by tribes and families and houses, but even by names, to each one a worthy and fitting dwelling. Yet there are some among these who rise above the condition of the lot and are not brought to the lot at all. All the Levites, that is, all who remain intently and unceasingly in the ministry of God and keep ever-watchful guard in his service, do not receive a lot among the rest; but neither is their lot at all in the land, but the Lord himself is said to be their lot and inheritance. Through these there seem to me to be indicated those who, dulled by no obstacles of bodily nature, but having risen above the glory of all visible things, have set the practice and exercise of their living in the wisdom of God and his Word alone, who require nothing bodily, nothing foreign to reason. For they have desired wisdom, they have desired the knowledge of the secret things of God, and where their heart is, there also is their treasure. These therefore have no inheritance on earth, but they rise above the highest heights of heaven, and there they will ever delight in the Lord, ever in his Word, ever in wisdom and in the pleasure of his knowledge. This will be their food, this their drink, these their riches, this their kingdom. Such therefore will they be, and among these will be those for whom the Lord himself will be the inheritance. But those who are lower and have not reached this summit of advancement will receive an inheritance of land, though of some more sublime and more powerful land. For the land of the living is promised, which is surely called the land of the living for this reason, that it knows no death. And these indeed are great and these are blessed, but more blessed are those who now will see God no longer through a mirror and in a riddle nor in bodily substances, but face to face, radiant with the illumination of wisdom and made capable of pure divinity through purity of heart, and having their portion not in the creature but in the Creator, who is God over all, blessed forever.[§2] He says therefore: "According to the number of names, to the more numerous more shall be given by lot, and to the small you shall give a small inheritance; to each, as he has been counted, his inheritance shall be given." This is what the history teaches, that if any tribe is held to be more numerous among the peoples, it should obtain by lot larger tracts of land; but if any is reckoned with a smaller number of men, it should be content with a smaller possession. But since we say that the division of this land and the earthly inheritance holds the appearance and shows the image and form of those future goods, of that heavenly inheritance which is hoped for by the faithful and the saints, I inquire, in that inheritance which is to be hoped for, who are the many and who are the few, and I find that there the few are held more blessed than the many. For those who travel their journey by the broad and spacious way that leads to destruction are called many; but those who go by the strait and narrow way that leads to life are called few. And again in other places it is said: "How few are they who are saved!" and again in others: "Where iniquity is multiplied, the charity of many"— not of few —"shall grow cold." Moreover in the ark, which was built by Noah, where the measurements are given from heaven, in the lower parts a length of three hundred cubits is set and a breadth of fifty; but where its structure rises to higher parts, it is drawn into a narrow space and gathered into the enclosure of few cubits, so that its top is finished in the space of a single cubit — for this reason, that in the lower parts, where broad and spacious places were had, either beasts or cattle were placed, but in the upper parts the birds, and in the topmost parts, which were narrower and more confined, there the rational man is placed. But the very peak is gathered into one cubit; for all things are brought back to the monad, which nevertheless in the number of three hundred cubits designates the mystery of the Trinity, and next to this mystery man is placed, as being rational and capable of God. But from this too let us gather the tokens of what is the difference between the few and the many. Set down the whole number of the human race and from all the nations choose the faithful: without doubt they will be fewer than are the whole. Then next from the number of the faithful choose the better: it is certain that a much smaller number will remain. And again from those very ones whom you have chosen, choose again the more perfect: you will surely find fewer. And the further you proceed in choosing, the more scanty and the fewest you will find, until at last you come to some one man who may confidently say: "I have labored more than all those." These therefore, who in this manner are the many, will receive more land and more of the bodily inheritance; but the few will obtain some scanty thing of land, because they have more in the Lord; but others will receive nothing at all of earthly inheritance, if any are worthy to be priests and ministers of God; for of these the Lord himself will be wholly the inheritance. And who is so blessed as either among the few to receive a scanty portion of land, or among the chosen priests and ministers to deserve to receive by lot of inheritance the Lord alone? Although these too on account of their beasts of burden receive something of land, but of that land which is contiguous to the cities and adjoins the towns. Yet this saying which says that "to the more numerous the inheritance shall be multiplied" can still be understood in another way also. For one just man, according to this — that he is accepted by God — is counted for many. Finally it is also written: "By one wise man a city shall be inhabited, but the tribes of the wicked shall be made desolate." And one just man is reckoned for the whole world, but the wicked, even if they are many, are counted scanty and for nothing before God. There is therefore also a praiseworthy multitude, as we see said also to Abraham, when he led him outside and said to him: "Look to heaven, if you can number the stars; so shall your seed be." In this consider also this: how the just man is within and always stands in the inner parts, because within, in secret, he prays to the Father, and all the glory of the king's daughter, that is, of the royal soul, is within; but nevertheless God leads him outside when the matter requires it and the account of visible things demands it. In this way too, therefore, for those many who are as the stars of heaven in multitude the inheritance can be multiplied, and for those scanty ones — namely those who, even if they are many in number, are yet held scanty by the unworthiness and vileness of their life — a scanty inheritance may be set.
[§3] "By lot," he says, "shall the distribution of the inheritance be made." This indeed is commanded, but when I come to the Scriptures, I see that Moses himself, to whom these things are entrusted, does not use the lot in the division of the inheritance of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. And Joshua too gives an inheritance to the tribe of Judah and to Caleb apart from the lot, and gives one apart from the lot also to the tribe of Ephraim and to the half-tribe of Manasseh. In the rest the lot is cast, and the first lot comes forth for Benjamin, and thereafter for the remaining tribes. Whence I think that in that blessed inheritance of the kingdom of heaven also there will be some who do not come to the lot nor are numbered with the rest, although they are holy; but there will be a certain outstanding and exceptional inheritance for them, as there was for Caleb of the tribe of Judah and for Joshua himself the son of Nun. For just as, for example, when after a battle the provinces and the spoils are apportioned to the victors, each of the outstanding and exceptional warriors is not brought to the lot along with the rest of the soldiers in the division of the spoils, but the best and most excellent things are awarded to them by the merit of their valor, while the rest use the lot solely by the right of victory, so it seems to me that my Lord Jesus Christ also will do; for to certain ones, whom he knows to have labored more abundantly than the rest and whose magnificent deeds and lofty virtues he himself knows, to those he awards the choicest and most exceptional honors and glories, and, if I may dare so to say, honors like his own. Or does it not seem to you that he confers something like his own blessedness upon his dearest disciples, when he says, "Father, I will that, where I am, these also may be with me," and when he says again, "You also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel," and again, "As you, Father, in me, and I in you, that these also may be one in us"? All these things do not come down by lot, but are granted by the prerogative of election by him who alone sees the hearts and minds of men — who may deign to bring us also, even if not among the exceptional and the elect and those who are above the lot, yet into the lot of the saints; to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.