The Life of Moses

PREFACE

The spectators at the horse races, being deeply engrossed in winning, shout to their favorites in the competition, despite the fact the horses are earnest to run on their own. In the stadium they are involved in the race only with their eyes, hoping to motivate the charioteer to a greater effort and at the same time inciting the horses forward while bent forward, waving their arms like a whip and stretching out their their hands. They perform these things, not because they believe their behavior can help with the victory, but thinking that at the very least, by this manner, and by their good intention, they can enthusiastically demonstrate both in voice and deed their concern for the contestants. I suppose I am doing this same thing, my most precious friend and brother. During the time you are honorably competing in the godly contest on the track of virtue, lightly running and straining regularly for the reward of the heavenly calling, I will simply goad, encourage and urge you to forcefully increase your pace. I do these things, not being moved to it by any great impetus, but rather to indulge the joy of a beloved child.

Because the epistle which you sent recently, petitioned us to give you advice about the perfect life. I consider it only fitting to reply to your appeal. Even though there may be nothing profitable for you in my writings, perhaps this demonstration of quick obedience will be of benefit to you. Because we, who were ordained to the office of father over so many lives, should think it only fitting that here in our old age we should welcome a task from the younger ones. And how much more fitting is it, since we have instructed you, a young men, to be obedient, that we should do the same so that the correct action of quick obedience is established in you.

Enough of this. We must commence the chore that is set before us, having God as our leader in our discourse. My dear friend, you asked that we give an outline to you as to what the perfect life looks like. Your purpose obviously was to transfer the grace revealed in my words into your own soul, if you were able to find in my discourse what you were looking for. However I am wanting in two matters: I am unable to fully describe perfection in my discourse and I am not able to demonstrate in my own life the foresight required of such a discourse. And it may be that I am not alone in this matter. There are many splendid men who do very well in virtue and will concede that for them such an achievement is impossible. So that I would not seem, in the phrase of the Psalmist to quake for fear where no fear is present, I will put before you plainly what I think.

The perfection of all things which can be defined by our senses is constrained by certain fixed limits. A set quantity, for instance, allows for both continuity and boundaries, because measurement is marked off by certain boundaries fitting for itself. The one who gazes upon a cubit or at the number ten understands that perfection is the result of the fact that there is a start and an end. However with virtue we have come to know from the Apostle that the only boundary of perfection is that it possesses no boundary. We know this because that divine Apostle who had such noble and elevated wisdom, who was always running the race of virtue, never stopped pushing forward towards those things that are coming. To cease running was not a secure course for him. Why is this? This is because goodness does not innately have a limit, but is rather bound only by the existence of the opposite. In the same way that life is bound by death and light is limited by darkness. And all good things usually finish with all those things which are seen to be opposed to what is good.

For in the same way that the start of death is the end of life, so too ceasing from the contest of virtue marks the start of the course of wickedness. So our statement is true, that taking hold of perfection with regard to virtue is not possible, because it has been shown that what is limited by boundaries it not righteousness. itself

I claimed that it is impossible for those who strive for the life of virtue to achieve perfection. The sense of this will now be expanded upon.

The Godly One is truly good, in the truest sense of the word, and his very essence is righteousness. And so he is thus called, being known by his essence. Because it has not been shown that there is boundary to goodness except wickedness, and since the Divine does not yield to the opposite, we claim that a godly nature is unbound and infinite. Truly whosoever chases after genuine virtue shares in nothing else but God, because he alone is full of virtue. And so those who understand what is upright by nature yearn to share in it. And because virtue has no boundary, the yearning of the sharer by necessity does not cease, but stretches out to the infinite.

So it is then certainly impossible to achieve perfection, since, as I have related, perfection is not demarcated by any boundaries. The only boundary for virtue is the lack of a boundary. But how could one reach the sought after limit when there is no limit?

Even though my entire argument has demonstrated that what is sought after is unreachable, one should not ignore the ordinance of the Lord which says, “Be therefore perfect, as your father in heaven is perfect.” Because in the case of those things which are upright by their nature, even if knowledgeable men are not capable of achieving all things, by reaching even a portion they could achieve much.

We must now show great care not to stumble from the path of perfection which is achievable, but instead to possess as much of it as is possible. To this degree may we advance in the domain of what we pursue, because the perfection of our nature is made up of the increase of righteousness.

I thought it good to use Scripture as an adviser in this matter. Because the divine voice speaks through the prophecy of Isaiah. Think of Abraham your father and Sarah, who begat you. Those who stray away from virtue are rebuked by Scripture. In the same manner as the sea, those who are swept away from the course leading to the harbor correct their aim by a clear mark, looking for a lighthouse on high, or a certain mountain appearing. In the same manner Scripture by the example of Abraham and Sarah will direct us once more to the safe harbor of the divine will for those who have drifted out in the sea of life with a mind lacking a navigator.

People are separated into being either male or female, and the free-will choice of virtue or vice is put to them equally. On account of this the corresponding paradigm for an upright life for each gender has been put forth by the heavenly voice, so that each one, but looking to the one which he is like, i.e. the men to Abraham and the women to Sarah, will be set on the right course of virtue by their respective examples. In this way the recollection of these notable lives should be sufficient to fill our need of a lighthouse and demonstrate to us how we are able to direct our soul to the safe harbor of virtue where it does not have to spend the winter beset by the storms of life and be shipwrecked in the deep waters of wickedness by the constant violent winds of the passions. It may be for this purpose that the daily life of those magnificent people is described in detail, so that by copying their earlier righteous examples those who come after them may direct their lives to that which is better. “But how?” Someone will say, “How will I copy them, since I am not a Chaldaean, which I recall Abraham was. I was not fed by the hand of the daughter of the Egyptian as is related by Scripture concerning Moses. Generally I do not have in these affairs anything from my life that matches up with those ancient ones. How will I put myself at the same level as them when one is cast out from the life of righteousness by dwelling in Egypt or in Babylon. God has not been known to honor those in Judea only, or Zion as people often suppose. We require some subtle wisdom and a good eye to distinguish between the times of old and now, but taking ourselves away from the Chaldaeans and Egyptians and by fleeing from those in Babylonian captivity, we will set out on the holy life.

May we set forth Moses as our paradigm for life in this discourse. First off, we will sketch out his life as we have been taught from the holy Scriptures. Next we will search for the spiritual meaning which fits with the history so that we may obtain advice about being righteous. By means of such wisdom we will come to understand the perfect life for men.

THE HISTORY OF MOSES

It is said that Moses was born when the law of the despot sought to stop the birth-giving of male children. But in his grace he prefigured the entire contribution which he would eventually make. Already shining forth beautifully in swaddling clothing he caused his parents to retract from having the babe killed.

So when the threat of the despot overcame them, he was not just cast into the Nile, but was set in an ark of tar and pitch and given over to the river. These things were described carefully by those who wrote about him. As if directed by some divine authority, the ark moved to a particular spot on the gentle shore where it was washed up by the natural current of the waves. While the daughter of the king by chance happened to arrive at the grassy shore where the ark lay, she found him when the babe utter a cry. She beheld the manifest grace in him, and the princess from her good heart straightaway adopted him and he became her son. However when he, by instinct, rejected being fed by a stranger, he was nursed instead by his own mother’s tits though the wiles of his kinsfolk.

Having matured out of his youth, he was instructed in pagan teachings during his royal rearing. But he did not choose those things which are esteemed as glorious by the pagans, and he did not regard his mother as that wise woman through whom he had been adopted. Instead he went back to his real mother and joined himself to his own family. When there was struggle between a Hebrew and an Egyptian he sided with his own and murdered the foreigner. Later when two Hebrews struggled with each other, he attempted to stop them, advising them that since they were brothers they should have their common relation to each other and not their passion as the judge of their quarrel.

But being snubbed by the wrongdoer of the two, he used this denial as an opportunity for more exalted philosophy. Departing from associating with people, he went to live by himself. He became a son-in-law of a foreigner, who had wisdom about what was honorable, and who was able to discern the customs and lives of men. This man observed in the assault on the shepherds the righteousness of the young man by the way he struggled on account of what was just without seeking his own benefit. He regarded justice as precious itself, Moses chastised the evil committed by the shepherds, even though they had done nothing in opposition to his person. Praising the young Moses for these things and considering his righteousness in his poor estate to be more precious than much wealth, the man bestowed on him his daughter for marriage and maintaining his authority, he allowed Moses to dwell in the manner which he desired. Moses dwelt alone in the mountains far from all the trouble of the marketplace. There in the wilderness he tended his sheep.

Upon spending a considerable time in this mode of life, the narrative tells us that there, a frightening appearance of God happened. At noontime there appeared a light more radiant than the sun, which astonished his eyes. Amazed by this peculiar vision, he gazed up at the mountain and observed a bush from which, like a flaming fire, this light was emanating. Seeing the branches of the bush giving forth flames as if they were made of pure water he said within himself, “I will go and observe this fantastic sight.” But the moment he said this within himself he stopped receiving the glorious light with his eyes alone, but rather, most amazing of all, his ears too became illuminated with beams of light.

The grace of the light was given to both senses, enlightening his eyes with flashing beams and brightening the path of his hearing with pure doctrine. The voice which proceed out of the light prohibited Moses from approaching the mountain, since he was weighed down with dead sandals. Taking the sandals off his feet, he stood upon the ground on which the godly light was illuminating.

I believe that this discourse should not spend too much time solely on the account of the man. Instead we should give heed to the subjects we have proposed. After he received power by means of the appearance of God, he was ordered to loose his kinsmen from the slavery of the Egyptians.

So that he should understand more exactly the power which had been given him by God he tested the divine charge by the articles in his hands. The test was this. When his staff was cast down from his hands, it suddenly became a living animal, a snake in fact. When he caught it up again into his hand, it returned to what it had been previously. And when he took away his hand from his chest, it appeared to be a snowy white, but when he returned it to his chest, it reverted to its normal complexion.

Moses traveled down to Egypt and brought with him his foreign wife, and the children which she had borne. Scripture recounts that an angel meet him and threatened to kill him. However his wife mollified the wrath of angel with the blood from the foreskin of the child. After this he met with Aaron, who had been led by God into this encounter.

Next the Hebrews in the land of Egypt were collected by Moses and Aaron into a congregation and their freedom from slavery was proclaimed all around to those who were disturbed by the misery of their toils. Word of this came into the ears of the despot himself. Upon hearing this, his wrath was kindled against the taskmasters and the Israelites even more than before.

The labor of making bricks was increased and an even more bitter command was given, not just to those who were toiling with clay, but also upon those who labored to collect chaff and straw.

Pharaoh, which was the appellation of this despot, tried to counteract the divine wonders done by Moses and Aaron with the magical arts of his magicians. After Moses a second time transformed his own staff into a creature in front of the eyes of the Egyptians, they supposed that the magic of the sorcerers could just as easily work such wonders with their own staffs. But this trickery was brought to light when the serpent formed by the staff of Moses devoured the magical rods, the serpent itself! The staffs of the magicians had no form of defense or authority over life, by only the semblance which was wrought through well crafted magical arts whose deception worked only upon those whose eyes are easily tricked.

Moses seeing that the subjects all consented to the evil dealings of their ruler, struck the entire country of Egypt, sparing none from the disasters. As a vast troop obeys its commander, the matter of the universe, the earth, water, air, and fire which are observed in all things, obeyed him in his assault on the Egyptians, and transformed their normal actions to minister to human designs. By the same might and at the same instant and location the unruly ones were punished while the innocent did not suffer.

Upon the order given by Moses, all the waters of Egypt became blood. The fish therein were laid waste on account of the thickening of the water. However only to the Hebrews did the blood become water when they drew it up. Seen among the Hebrews this water was an opportunity for the sorcerers to employ their magical arts by making the water appear to be blood.

In the same manner frogs blanketed Egypt in vast numbers. Their increase in numbers was unnatural, but again, at the charge of Moses they returned to their normal density. The entire land had been laid waste with the houses of the Egyptians being overrun with these creatures. But the Hebrews remained at liberty from this wrathful plague.

So also, there was no discerning between the darkness of night and the light of day for the Egyptians who were dwelling in an unchangeable dimness. But for the Hebrews, nothing strange occurred. With all other things, the hail, fire, boils, horseflies, insects, locusts it was the same, each had it normal effect upon the Egyptians. Through reports, the Hebrews heard of the afflictions of their neighbors, although they were subject to no such assault themselves.

Next the destruction of the firstborn distinguished between the Egyptians and the Hebrews even more. The Egyptians were distraught, grieving over the loss of their beloved children, but the Hebrews remained in complete peace and security. For, to them, their salvation had been assured by the spilling of blood. Upon each entrance on both the doorposts and the rafter holding them together there was a mark of blood.

With the Egyptians in a gloomy state on account of the outcome of their firstborn children and each person grieving over his loss and those of their neighbors, Moses led out the Israelites. Beforehand he readied them to pillage the riches of the Egyptians with the guise that they were borrowing it. The chronicle describes further that when they were but three days journey out of Egypt, the Egyptians became angry that the Israelites did not stay in bondage, and after gathering his servants for battle he used his cavalry to hunt down the people.

Upon seeing the cavalry and infantry arrayed against them they became terrified because they were unschooled in the art of war, and unaccustomed to such sights. They then rose up in opposition to Moses. The chronicles speak of a most amazing thing concerning Moses: he performed separately two things at once. With his words he encouraged the Israelites and enjoined them to not give up their lofty hopes, and in his mind, he entreated God for those who were beset with fear. He was guided by heavenly advise on how to escape the perilous situation. For the Chronicles say that God himself gave heed to his unspoken cry.

By means of divine power a cloud from on high guided the multitudes. This was not an ordinary cloud, made up of vapors and breaths. Winds did not push the airy vapors into a hazy collection. It was a thing surpassing human understanding. Scripture tell us that there was something fantastic about that cloud. When the noontime sun beams shone with their great heat, the cloud became a shelter for the multitudes, providing a shadow for those below and bedewing them against the intense heat of the air. By night the cloud became a fire guiding the Israelites as a parade providing light throughout the night.

Moses also observed the cloud, and taught the multitudes to keep it in their sight. With the cloud leading them on their way they arrived at the Red Sea where the Egyptians overtook them from behind with their host of soldiers, and they encircled the people. There was no way open to the Israelites to flee from their horrors, being trapped between the water and their adversaries. At this point Moses, driven on by the power of God, performed perhaps his most remarkable wonder. He came upon the bank of the sea and struck it with his staff. The sea divided in two when he hit it, in the same way the fissure in glass proceeds straight from the edge when there is a break at a point. The entire sea was broken in a similar manner by the staff, and the fissure proceeded across the waters extending to the opposite side. At the spot where the sea had been divided, Moses descended into the depths with the multitudes and they were present in the depths without becoming wet and their bodies remained in the sun. As they traversed the dry depths by foot they were not fearful of the water heaped up so near to them on either side, because the sea had been set as a wall on either side.

Pharaoh and the Egyptians pursued them, driving headlong into the newly formed path in sea. But the steadfast walls of water come down together again and the seas pulled down on itself to resume its previous form, once again becoming a single body of water. However, by that time the Israelites were sitting on the far side resting from the long, hard trek through the sea. After this they sang a song of victory to God, setting up an altar unstained with blood because He overthrew the entire army of the Egyptians in the water, their horses, troops and chariots.

Then Moses carried on. But when he had journeyed three days lacking water he became perplexed about how to satisfy the thirst of the multitude. They setup camp near a body of salt water which was more bitter than the sea. While they rested near the water and were parched with thirst, Moses, moved by the advise of God, found a stick of wood nearby and cast it into the water. Suddenly the water became sweet, since by the power of the wood, the water was transformed from being bitter to sweet.

When the cloud proceed before them, the Israelites followed closely after their leader. Always they would rest from their journey when the cloud stopped and they would get up again when the cloud went on before them. By means of following their leader, they arrived at a spot watered by a sweet water. It was irrigated all about with twelve abundant springs and was shaded by a group of date palms. There were a total of seventy date palms which, even though small in number, made a deep impression on those who behold them, due to their extraordinary beauty and height.

Again their leader, the cloud, lifted up and brought them forward to another spot. But this was a wilderness with dry, fiery hot sand, and no water to wet the land. Here again thirst made the multitude grow faint. However when Moses hit a notable rock with his staff, it brought forth sweet water in greater abundance than was required by even so great a multitude.

There also the stores which they had laid up for their travels from Egypt grew short, and famine struck the people. There occurred then a most marvelous thing. Although food would not grow from the land, it started to fall instead like dew from the sky. And the dew flowed out on them at dawn and became sustenance for those who collected it. What flowed forth were not drew-drops of water but rather crystals in the form of coriander seeds, testing sweet as honey to the mouth.

With this wonder was seen another as well. All who left to collect food were, of course, of a variety of ages and abilities. And yet in spite of these difference no one collected any more than the other. Rather the quantity collected was the same as the need of each. So while the stronger had none left over neither was the weaker lacking his portion. Also the chronicle relates another wonder. All of them, when setting aside their needs for the day keep nothing for the next day. However when one niggardly person did keep back some of the daily portion for the following day, it became rotten, filling up with worms.

The accounts give us yet another amazing characteristic of this food, on one of the days of week everyone rested, holding fast to the mystical command. The day preceding the day of rest, the same quantity of nourishment fell as at other times, and the labor of those collecting it was the same, and yet what was collected was discovered to be twice as much as normal, so that a want of food was no pretext for transgressing the commandment to rest. The authority of God was demonstrated most forcefully in this. On other days the left-over food soiled, but on the day of Preparation, which is the appellation of this day of rest, what was collected did not perish but rather appeared fresh as ever.

At this point they battled with an alien nation. Scripture refers to those who assembled against them as the Amalekites. For the first time the Israelites were pulled together fully arrayed to battle in war. But the entire army was not put to fight. Only a few select troops, chosen on account of their merit, went to the battle. Then Moses displayed a new type of strategy. Joshua, who would eventually take over the role of Moses in guiding the people led the battle against the Amalekites. Moses, resting on the top of the hill away from the raging war, set his gaze toward heaven while two companions stood on either side of him.

Next we learn from the chronicles the following wonder: When Moses lifted his hands up to heaven, those who were subject to him prevailed against their foes, but when he brought them down, the battle would begin to favor their adversaries. After those who stood by realized this, they sat on either side of him and lifted up his hands, which for an untold reason became burdensome and difficult to move. When his companions became too tired to keep him in an upright posture, they gave him a rock to sit upon. And so they assisted Moses in lifting his hands up to heaven. From that point on the enemy army suffered a great defeat at the hand of the Israelites.

When the cloud, which guided the people on their travels remained steadfast in the same spot, the multitudes would not move, because they had no other leader. However every need of theirs was furnished for them without the need of labor. The heavens above rained bread on them that was ready for them to eat, and the rocks below furnished them with water to drink. The cloud also aided them, removing the harshness of being exposed out in the open by both providing a shelter from the heat during day and by removing the darkness of night with the radiance of a torch. And so they endured no discomfort in the wilderness at the base of the mountain where the camp was set up.

Moses here directed them in a particularly secret initiation. The power of God through signs and wonders beyond telling initiated the multitude and their guide in the following way. The people were commanded ahead of time to guard themselves from any sort of defilement, both of soul and body, and to cleanse themselves in a number of ways. They were to preserve themselves holy, by abstaining from intercourse for a number of days, so that free from passion they might be able to come to the mountain to be initiated, and purified of all motions and bodily needs. The mountain was called Sinai. Only certain men were permitted to draw near to the mountain, and of them only those who were clean from every defilement. To this end every possible precaution was employed against any animal drawing near to the mountain. If, per chance, it happened that an animal came to the mountain, it was stoned at the hands of the multitude.

Then the bright light of the air was darkened so that the maintain was covered in a dark cloud. A fire shone out of the darkness and provided a fearsome sight to those who beheld it. It floated around the edge of the mountain so that the vision of everyone was obscured by the smoke from the surrounding fire. Moses guided the multitudes to the mountain, but not without being afraid at the sight he beheld. His whole body shook with terror and the weakness of his soul was not hidden from the Israelites. But he was afraid, the same as them, at what he behold, and his body trembled fiercely.

The sight of these things was of such a form as to cause disquiet in their souls both by what they observed and also in what they heard. A horrible voice tore down from above on all below. The sudden impact was violent and unbearable to the ears of all. This sound was as the thundering of trumpets. And the fearful intensity surpassed any possible comparison. As it came closer, its blasting continually increased to a more terrible pitch. This sound was distinct and clear. The air itself was speaking the words by the power of God without a mouth speaking. The word was not spoken aimlessly, but gave the divine commands. When the sound came closer, it became louder, and the trumpet surpassed itself with each rolling sound surpassing the volume of the one before.

The entire multitude was unable to suffer what was observed and heard. So a petition was made from everyone to be put before Moses, so that the Law be received by him, on the condition that the multitude would not doubt that his commands would be in accord with the divine doctrine and ordinances laid upon him from above.

Therefore when everyone went to the base of the mountain, Moses only stayed and displayed behavior that was in opposition to what was assumed he would do. While others feel strongest in the company of friend when they are present with fearful things, Moses was bravest after he was left alone. By this it became evident that the fear that had been present in him at the start was an feeling that was not characteristic of his deposition, but was felt only out of compassion for those who were afraid.

Because he was alone, being rid of the fear of the people, he was able to boldly draw near to the depth of the darkness and enter the unseen things no longer visible to the rest. Once he entered the inner sanctuary of mystical teachings of God, he was in the presence of the Invisible One. He instructs, I suppose, by what he did, that the one who will attempt to join himself closely to God must go beyond all manifest things and raise his thoughts to the height of the mountain, to the unseen and incomprehensible things, believing that God is present where his mind cannot reach.

When he was there he received the divine commands. These were the instructions with regard to being virtuous, the foremost of which is reverence toward God and a good understanding of His nature, as much as He surpasses all thoughts and images, and cannot be compared to anything which is known. He was ordered to disregard all those things which were not divine and not to liken the transcendent with what is known. Instead he should trust that God is present, and he should never study Him with regard to quality, number, source and mode of existence, for He is incomprehensible.

The Scriptures also include doctrines on proper moral dealings, demonstrating this both with general and specific ordinances. Generally the law is ruinous to all forms of injustice, because one must love his neighbor. If this ordinance were followed, surely no one would do harm to his neighbor. Within the specific ordinances it was ordained that parents should be honored. In addition a number of forbidden acts were listed.

Having his mind cleansed by these commands, he was guided to higher thoughts where a tabernacle was suddenly manifest to him through divine power. The tabernacle was a sanctuary of indescribable beauty. It had a diversity of entrances, columns, curtains, tables, candlesticks, an incense altar, an altar of burnt sacrifices and the propitiatory, and the unapproachable holy of holies. In order that their elegance and positioning would not be forgotten and rather be demonstrated to those below, he was advised not to describe these items only by written words, but also to represent them with material creation, using the most magnificent and brilliant materials on earth. The most commonly used was gold, which was used to overlay the columns. In addition to the gold, silver was also employed to beautify the tops and bottoms of the columns so that by the gradation in color at each point, I believe, the gold would radiant more brightly. Also there were parts where brass was used. That is at the top and bottom of the silver columns.

The curtains and fabrics used on the outer wall of the sanctuary in addition to the coverings stretched out in order over the columns. Each one was made out of the most appropriate material as determined by the weaver’s skill.

The dye used for the fabrics was violet, purple, and a fiery crimson, while some materials had their own natural brightness. With some items linen was employed and for others hair, in maintaining the goal of the fabric. At other points there were skins which were dyed red to beautify the structure.

Following his descent from the peak of the mountain Moses, using workmen, built these things with regard to the pattern shown to him. When he was present in that sanctuary, not created with hands, he ordered how the priest should furnish themselves when they went into the sanctuary. The commandments also laid out the details of how the inner and outer clothing should be adorned.

The primary clothing was the visible one. There was also an ephod which was woven with a variety of colors with gold thread being the most prevalent. The veil too was adorned with these colors. Grips held the ephod together on either side and had a setting made of gold for emeralds. The beauty of these stones was partly due to their own natural brilliance, for from them came a bright green color, and part of it was from the wondrous skill of the engraver. This was not the expertise which is involved in carving out images and idols, but instead the adornment was of the names of the patriarchs, of which there were six engraved on each stone.

From the grips down to the front there were a set of small shield-like ornaments that dangled freely. Also there were woven cords plaited through each other in a pattern like a net which hung from the grips on either side. They hung down below the ornaments that resembled shields so that the elegance of the plaiting would, I believe, be more obvious since it would be enhanced by the background.

The ornament which was fashioned out of gold hung down from the breast and had on it stones of various types, which were equal in number to the patriarchs. These were set in four rows with three per row, with the names of the tribes engraved on each of them. Underneath the tunic, the ephod went from the neck down to the toes and was fashioned with fringes. The hem was also adorned beautifully, not just by the diversity of expert weaving, but also by the gold decorations which hung down. Of these were bells made of gold and pomegranates set alternately on the hem.

The ribbon for the head was dyed a solid violet, and the metal breastplate was made of pure gold with a series of letters engraved in it. In addition there was a girdle which kept together the loose folds in the clothing, as well as an embellishment of the covered portions of the body, and the other parts of the garment which in a figure teach us about the virtue of priests with the form of the clothing.

Once he was taught fully about these and other things by the incomprehensible doctrines of God while he was encircled by complete darkness, and having gone beyond himself by the assistance of the mystical teachings, he surfaced once more from the darkness. Then he descended to his own people to share the wonders which were revealed to him in the theophany, to give the ordinances, and to establish for them the sanctuary and the priesthood from the model revealed to him on the mountain.

He bore in his hands the holy tablets which were a divine creation and gift that required no human skill to be made. The material itself and the engraving on them were both equally the work of God. The engravings held the Law. However the people hindered this divine grace. Instead of paying attention to the giver-of-the-law they resisted him through idolatry.

Much time had passed while Moses was dedicated to conversing with God in that divine initiation. He was part of the eternal life, being in the dark for forty days and nights. For he dwelt in a state which is beyond what is natural, his body having no need of nourishment. It was then that the multitude, like a group of children who have eluded the careful watch of their guardian, became unruly with their unrestrained passions, and collecting together in opposition to Aaron, they compelled the priest to lead them into idolatry.

When the idol (a calf) was fashioned from gold, they reveled in their ungodliness. But Moses came to them and smashed the tablets that he had obtained from God so that they would endure a punishment befitting their impiety, by having no portion in the grace which God bestowed.

Then he cleansed the guilt of his people by their own blood as the Levites struck them down, and by this he mollified God by means of his own wrath against the sinners. So he brought the idol to ruin. After he again set himself to the same work for forty days he was delivered the tablets. The engravings on them was committed by God’s power, but the matter itself was formed by the hand of Moses. They were given to him within the same number of days and he again dwelt there beyond what is natural, in a manner different from what we are used to, not partaking of those necessities required by nature.

So Moses then built for them the tabernacle, and gave to them the commandments and ordinances, and founded the priesthood in accordance with the instructions he received from God. The skilled work on the material articles was performed in keeping with the divine instruction: the tabernacle, the entrances, all the inside parts, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offerings, the offerings to keep away evil, and the offerings for trespasses. He ordered all things in the necessary way, but within his family he brought about envy against himself, that innate sickness among men.

Even Aaron, who was given the glory of the priesthood, and also his sister Miriam, who was goaded by a feminine jealousy against the glory bestowed upon Moses by God, so castigated him that God was provoked to chasten their offense. It was here that Moses demonstrated a long-suffering worthy of praise, for when God chasten the illogical envy of the women, he pushed his character to overcome anger and mollify God on account of his sister.

The people again became unruly. What brought them to their sin was a want of moderation with regard to the pleasures of the table. Because they were not content to dwell in good health and without trouble on the food which descended from heaven, but went on to desire meat, longing for the slavery in Egypt. Moses counseled with God about the desire which had overcome them, and God commanded that they should not have their longings fulfilled, and rather he would provide for their desire. So he provided flocks of birds so numerous they were like a cloud which covered the ground of the camp. The simplicity by which they could capture the birds led them in their hungering for meat to gorge themselves. Their excess immediately became their ruin, and their full bellies resulted in illness and death. This case proved to them and those observing them that all should be moderate.

Later Moses dispatched spies into the land in which they hoped to dwell in accord with the divine promise. But when not all reported truthfully, and instead some spoke with false and disheartening reports, the multitude again rose up in anger upon Moses. God declared that those who lack confidence in the aid of God would not see the land of promise.

As they crossed the wilderness, water again was lacking, as also was their recollection of God’s power. The previous wonder of the rock did provide the conviction that their current lack would be supplied. Leaving their hope for a better life, they cursed Moses and God so that the mistrust of the multitude seemed to even provoke Moses. Still he worked for them again the miracle of transforming that rock into water.

Yet again the enjoyments of table ensnared them, and their yearning brought them to gluttony. Even though none of the necessities of their life were lacking, unruly youths dreamed of the abundance in Egypt. They were chastised severely with snakes within the camp which bit them and injected them with their lethal venom.

When people started to quickly die from the snakes, one after another, the giver-of-the-law, on the impulse of divine advice, raised a bronze image of the serpent on high to be seen by by the entire camp. By these means he stopped the death which was being wrought among the people by the snakes and he saved them. Because whoever gazed upon the bronze image had no fear of the bite of the live serpents, for by gazing upon the image, it provided a mysterious antidote.

Again a number of the people rebelled against the leadership of Moses and demand he bestow the priesthood on them. Even though he entreated God for the rebels, the just judgment of God was mightier than the loving-kindness that Moses had for the multitude. The earth opened wide in the form of a chasm by the will of God, and closed upon all of them, along with the families who had opposed the governance of Moses, swallowing them up. Then the multitude returned to a sound mind after the two hundred and fifty who had spoken out about the priesthood were devoured by fire.

So as to convict men that the grace of the priesthood is given by God only to those who are worthy, Moses took staffs from the most prominent men of each tribe, with each man bearing a staff engraved with his name, with the staff of Aaron being among them. Then Moses put the staffs in front of the sanctuary, and by means of them he clearly showed the people who was God’s choice for the priesthood. The rod of Aaron was the only one to bud and bring forth ripe fruit (almonds) from the wood.

To the unbelievers it was an amazing wonder that what was dried, polished, and without root could sudden sprout a growth that was characteristic only of plants. Rather than earth, bark, water, roots, and length of time, it was the power of God working in the wood.

Then as he led the army amid the foreign countries who barred their passage, he promised with an oath that the people would not go through the fields or the vineyards but instead would stay on the royal road, turning neither to the right nor the left. When their enemies refused to be peaceable on these conditions, he overcame them in war and was the lord of the way.

Then there was a man called Balak who governed a great country of people known as the Midianites. The people were terrified from the reports of those who were destroyed and they presumed that nothing less would befall them at the hands of the Israelites. So they turned not to weapons and soldiers but to sorcery, in the form of a person called Balaam. He was a man held in great esteem by those who employed him in such affairs, because of his skill in these arts. He received an omen by observing a flock of birds, but he was a difficult man to contend with because he was in league with the demons, and could destroy men by means of his sorcery.

As he followed after those who were guiding him to the king, he discovered through the voice of his donkey that the way was not favorable for him to take. He had a vision in which he learned that this sorcery would be ineffective against a people who had God on their side. Under divine inspiration rather than demonic authority, he spoke words that were a clear prophecy of good things which would later happen. What hindered him making use of his talents for evil also led him to awareness of the power of God. Abandoning his sorcery, he took the role of an expounder of the will of God.

Then that foreign country was brought to ruin. However although the Israelites retained the advantage in war, they were overcome by lust at the presence of the female captives. After Phinehas, who with a single strike pierced through those caught up in disgraceful conduct, the anger of God against the passionate offenders was pacified. Then the giver-of-the-law ascended a high mountain, and looked from a distance over the land which was reserved for Israel by God’s promise to their forefathers. He then left his human life, leaving behind no trace of his presence in the form of a tomb or memorial.

Time had not altered the beauty of his countenance, nor darkened the brightness of his eyes. He continued on the same, preserved in an incorruptible beauty in the corruptibleness of nature.

All these things which we have discovered from the chronicles of Moses we have outlined concisely for you, amplifying certain portions of the history in order to bring forth its purpose.

Now we must conform the life which we have retold with the goal we have set forth for our examination, so that we may derive some gain, from what was described, with regard to an upright life. May we now start the record of this life.

BOOK II ( A Meditation on the Life of Moses)

His Birth and Infancy

Moses was born during the time when Pharaoh published a decree calling for all the male children to be killed. How would we by a matter of choice copy the good fortune of the birth of Moses? Someone will perhaps correctly raise the point that it is outside our control to imitate in our own nativity that wondrous birth. However it is not difficult to start the imitation with this apparent problem.

Everybody knows that all things which are placed in a changing world will never stay the same but will always pass from one state to another. This change always makes something better or worse. The history is to be understood with regard to its true purpose. Because the material and passionate inclination of our nature takes over when it falls into the feminine type of life, whose birth is preferred by the despot. Virtue, which is austere and fervent, is the masculine birth. This is opposed to by the despot who suspects a revolt against his governance.

It is necessary that what changes should always be coming to birth. In changeable nature there is nothing which stays the same. The very act of birth, in a sense of regularly undergoing change, does not happen by means of an external purpose, which is the case with a carnal birth occurring purely by chance. This birth rather happens by choice. In some sense we are our own parents, begetting ourselves by our own free-will in agreement with whatever we desire to be, male or female, fashioning ourselves to the doctrine of virtue or vice.

Truly we are able to enter into a more noble birth in the domain of light, despite it disturbing the unwilling despot. And we can be observed to have joy and be given life by the parents of this honorable birth, even though it is against the purpose of the despot. (A sound mind is the offspring of the parents of virtue.)

When we reveal the hidden meaning of history, Scripture is shown to teach that the nativity which most disturbs the despot is the start of a life of virtue. I am describing that type of nativity in which free-will functions as the midwife, giving birth to the child in the midst of great travail. Because no one brings about distress in his adversary unless he shows in himself those marks which are evidence that he overcame the other.

Free-will functions both to give birth to the righteous male babe and to feed it with suitable food and to take forethought so as to preserve it safe from the water. Because there are those who bestow their babes to the despot, offering them bare and without forethought to the river. Here I am describing life as a river which has become violent by the constant waves of the passions, which force what is in the river under the water, drowning it.

Life requires prudent and serious thoughts, which are the parents of the male offspring, so that they initiate their babe on the waves of this life making him secure in an ark so that when he comes upon the river he will not drown. The ark, built from many boards, is the instruction in the various disciplines, which retains what is borne within above the surface of life’s waves.

Even though he is carried along by the stream of waves, the babe is not borne far by the rush of waters where education is present. Rather he is borne to the side and the natural movement of the waters brings him to the secure bank, which is to say, beyond the distress of life.

Experience instructs us that the uneasy and turbulent movement of life pushes from itself those who are not completely submerged in the wiles of human dealings and it accounts as a useless load those whose virtue is irritating. The one who flees from these things should copy Moses and not spare his weeping, even if he is secure in the ark, because tears are the sure guardian of those whose salvation rests in virtue.

The daughter of the ruler, who is without child and barren, I suppose she may be thought of as impious philosophy, ordered things so as to be called his mother by adopting the babe. Scripture agrees that this relationship with her is erroneously called maternal and that it need not be discarded until the point he had understood his own lack of maturity. But the one who is already mature, as we have learned from Moses, will be ashamed to be called the son of one who by nature is barren.

Because barren indeed is profane philosophy which is constantly in labor-pangs, but never actually gives birth. And what fruit does philosophy bear that is worthy such a lengthy labor? Is it not true that all those who are filled with wind never come to maturity and miscarry before they enter into the light of the knowledge of God, although they may well have become men if they were not completely concealed in the womb of barren wisdom?

After he dwells with the Egyptian princess for an extended period of time that he appears to partake in their honors, he must go back to his natural mother. For he was not isolated from her while he was being reared by the princess, but instead he was nourished by means of his mother’s milk, as the chronicles tell us. This instructs us, I believe, that if we will be immersed in profane teachings, during our instruction, we should not remove ourselves from being nursed by the milk of the church, which is her commandments and practices. For through these the soul is fed and matures, and is supplied with a way of ascending on high.

Truly he that looks to the profane teachings and those of the fathers will discover he is between two adversaries. Because the foreigner in worship is in opposition to the teachings of the Hebrews and endlessly struggles to appear stronger than the Israelite. Thus he appears to be, to many, who are superficial who leave the faith of their forefathers and battle for the enemy, becoming adversaries to the teaching of the forefathers. But the one who is great and honorable in soul like Moses kills with his hand the adversary of genuine religion.

In addition, one may discover this same struggle in us, because man is put before competitors as the reward for their struggle. He set the one with whom he favors the winner. The battle of the Egyptian with the Hebrew is like struggle of idolatry in opposition to the genuine religion. It is of excess in opposition to self-control, of injustice against justice, pride against humility, and all things against what is seen to be its opposite.

As an example Moses instructs us to make our stand with virtue as our relative and to slay the adversary of virtue. The triumph of the genuine religion is the death and ruin of idolatry. Thus also one slays injustice by uprightness, and pride by humility.

The struggle between the two Israelites happens in us as well. There would be no cause for the evil, unorthodox beliefs to rise up unless false reasoning stood against the truth. If then we on our own are too feeble to grant the victory to what is just, because the wickedness is powerful in its assaults and casts away veracity, we must escape as readily as we can, in agreement with the narrative example, from the struggle to the better and more lofty doctrine of the mysteries.

And if it is necessary that we again dwell with a stranger, that is, if necessity compels us to join ourselves with profane philosophy, may we with boldness disperse the evil shepherds from their ill use of the wells, that is, may we rebuke the instructors of wickedness for their evil use of teaching.

In the same manner we will dwell in solitude, not being caught up with enemies, pondering over them, but we will dwell among those of similar inclinations who are nourished by us while all the motions of our soul are directed, like sheep, by the shepherd of sound reasoning.

The Burning Bush

It is on those of us who remain in this calm and quiet mode of life that truth will shine forth, enlightening the eyes of our soul with its beams. This truth, which was revealed by the indescribable and mysterious illumination that appeared to Moses, is God.

The fact that the fire which enlightened the soul of the prophet was lit from the thorny bush will not be without value in our examination. Because if truth is God and truth is light, and the Gospel affirms these splendid and holy names apply to God who made himself manifest to us in the flesh, such direction in virtue directs us to the knowledge that a light has descended, even upon human nature. For fear that one suppose that the brilliance did not emanate from a material substance, this light did not come forth from a star but rather from a bush of the earth and it excelled all the heavenly stars in its brilliance.

From this we discover also the mystery of the Virgin. The radiance of divinity through whose birth shone from her into the life of men did not consume the burning bush, just as the flower of her virginity did not fade by giving birth.

The light instructs us in what we must do when we stand within the rays of that true light. Feet that have sandals are unable to ascend to that lofty height where the light of truth is seen. Rather the dead and earthly skin coverings which clothed our nature at the beginning when we were discovered to be naked on account of our disobedience to the divine will, should be taken off the feet of the soul. Upon doing this, the wisdom of truth will reveal itself. The complete understanding of life results from cleansing our opinions about nonexistence.

In my opinion the description of truth is, not to have a errant fear of existence. Untruth is a notion which comes from an understanding of non-existence, as if what does not exist does really exist. However truth is the apprehension of true existence. Therefore the one who commits himself in silence to lofty philosophical topics over a considerable period of time will scarcely take hold of what true existence is, that is, the one who has existence within his nature, and what nonexistence is, that is, what is true only in semblance, with no self-sustaining nature.

It appears to me that when the excellent Moses was taught by the theophany he began to understand that none of those things which are taken by the perception of the sense and pondered by the mind really exist, but that the transcendent essence and source of the universe, on which all things rely, alone exists.

Because even if the knowledgeable looks down upon any other existing things, reason sees in none of them the self-sufficiency by which they would be able to exist without being involved in the genuine Being. But if that which remains the same, not increasing nor decreasing, unchangeable to all things either for the better or for the worse, because it is far removed from the lesser and it has nothing surpassing it, being in need of nothing further but alone desired, involved in by all things, but not reduced by their involvement - this is surely the true Being. Taking hold of it is the wisdom of truth.

In the same manner that Moses at that time achieved this wisdom, so now everyone who, being like him, removes from himself the covering of earthly things and gazes into the luminous light from the thorny bush, which is to say, to the brightness which illuminates us through this thorny flesh and which is, as the Gospel tells us, the real light and truth itself. A man such as this is capable of aiding others in their salvation, to overcome the oppression which evilly holds it authority, and to bring to liberty all those held in sinful servitude.

The change of his right hand, and the staff transforming into a snake were the first of the wonders.

I believe that these signify in a mystery the incarnation of the Lord, a manifestation of God to men which results in the destruction of the despot and liberates those under his grip.

What brings me to this wisdom is the witness of the prophets and of the Gospel. The prophet tell us: This is the transformation of the right hand of the Highest, showing that, even though the nature of God is pondered in its unchangableness, by condescension to the feeble nature of man it was transformed to our image.

With the hand of the lawgiver being brought forth from his chest the color was altered to an unnatural one and when returned to this bosom, it was restored to its natural complexion. Again the only begotten God who resides in the bosom of the Father is the one who sits at the right hand of the Highest.

At the time that he became visible to us from the bosom of the Father, he was transformed to take on our image. When he removed our illnesses, he again was put back into his own bosom the hand which was in our presence and which had adopted our appearance. Here the bosom is the right hand of the Father. What is unchangeable in its very nature did not transform into what is changeable, but what is changeable and under the sway of passions was changed into that which is unchangable through its participation in the unchangeable.

The transformation of a staff into a snake should not be troublesome to those who love Christ, as if we were fashioning the teaching of the incarnation into an inappropriate animal. Because the Truth himself by means of the sound of the Gospel does not reject a comparison such as this with the statement, “And the Son of Man must be raised, just as Moses raised the serpent in the wilderness.”

The instruction is obvious. Because if the father of wickedness is referred to as a serpent by Holy Scripture and what the serpent bears is surely a serpent, then that sin is synonymous with the one who gives birth to it. However the word of the apostles bear witness that the Lord was formed into sin for the sake of us by being arrayed with our sinful nature.

This parable then is correctly applied to the Lord. Because if the serpent is sin and the Lord became sin, the rational conclusion is apparent to everyone. That is, by becoming sin he also became a serpent, which is of course sin. Because for us he became a snake that he should consume the Egyptian snakes made by the magicians.

Having accomplished this, the snake was transformed back into the staff, which is the sinners who are brought back to a sound mind, and those easing from the laborious ascent on the path of virtue are given repose, with the staff of faith supporting their lofty hopes. Only true faith can ensure the blessings which we desire.

The one who has some knowledge of these things quickly becomes a god to those who are opposed to the truth and who have been misled into material and unproven deception. They hate the discourse of existence as if it were idle speech. As Pharaoh said, “Who is God, that I should harken to him? I do not know God.” He supposed that only the earthly and carnal things to be of value, which are marks of lives ruled by the most absurd senses.

But if he had been enlightened and received power and strength against his foes, then, as one who has grown into an athlete by rigorous training through the help of his trainer, he would fearlessly strip for the struggle with his adversaries. With that staff in his hand which is the word of faith he would overcome the Egyptian snakes.

The foreign wife follows after him, for there are some things taken from ungodly education which need not be cast away when we desire to give birth to virtue. For moral and innate philosophy may at times become an eternal friend to the loftier way, assuming that the children of this marriage bring nothing alien that will defile.

Because his son was not yet circumcised, having not cast off fully all things harmful and unclean, the angel who confronted them brought about the fear of death. His wife was able to mollify the angel when she offered up her child as clean by fully removing the sign of the foreigner.

I suppose that if one who has been established with history as his guide, he will follow closely the manner of the ancient figures, and the order of the growth in virtue it will be clearly marked out for him. There is something carnal and uncircumcised within the teachings of philosophy and when that has been cast off, the remaining part is the pure Israelite people.

As an example, secular philosophy tells us that the soul cannot die. This is a holy child. However it also states that souls can transfer from body to body and are transformed from a logical to an illogical nature. This is the carnal and foreign foreskin.

There are also many other similar examples. It asserts that there is a God, but it claims that he is made of matter. It affirms that He is a creator, but claims that he required matter for His creation. It suggests that he is both good and mighty, but that he is at the mercy of fate.

One could relate in fine detail how good teachings are infected by the ridiculous additions of impious philosophy. But one could also describe in detail how well formed doctrines are polluted by the illogical additions of impious philosophy. When these are cast off, the angel of the Lord approaches us with mercy, as if delighting in the genuine children of these teachings.

The Encounter with Aaron

We should return to the order of Scripture so that brotherly aid comes to meet us as we approach the struggle with the Egyptians. We recall the episodes of fighting which Moses was involved with at the beginning of his virtuous life, when the Egyptian was oppressing the Hebrew. There was also the other incident when the Hebrew was contending with his compatriot.

For the one who has ascended to the very heights of virtue by a long period of exercise and has had supernatural enlightenment on the mountain-top, has a warm and peaceful meeting when his brother is directed by God to meet him. If this occurrence is taken in a more allegorical and spiritual sense, one will discover that it is useful for our ends.

For in truth the help which God provides to our person is given to those who properly live a virtuous life. This aid was there at birth, but it comes forth and is make clear whenever we devote ourselves to strict training in the exalted life and strip ourselves for the dynamic struggle.

In order to not interpret the people by our own measure, I will put forth more clearly how I understand this. There is a teaching which has its fidelity from the tradition of the fathers, which says that when our nature descended into sin God did not ignore our fall and hold back his providence. No, rather he ordained a bodiless angel to aid each person. He also ordained one to be the corrupter who through a wicked demon, tortures the life of men and plots against our nature.

Since man discovers that he is between these two whose designs are in conflict, it is up to him to ensure that one overcomes the other. The righteous angel by rational proofs shows the gain of virtue, which is plainly seen in hope by those who live upright lives. His adversary by contrast demonstrates the material delights from which there is no hope of benefit in the future, but rather are only present now, are manifest, can be enjoyed, and can enslave the senses of those who do not have good control over their minds.

But if one should pull back from those who entice him to wickedness, and through his reasoning turn to more virtuous things, shunning evil, it is as if puts his own soul, like a mirror, face to face with the hope of better things, with the outcome that the virtues, revealed by God, are imprinted on the purity of his soul. Next his brother aids him and joins him, because the angel who is, in a way, his brother of the logical and rational portion of the soul of a man, appears, as I have described, and stands next to us whenever we draw near to Pharaoh.

If, in the process of attempting to match up exactly the historical records to the sequence of meditation of the mind, someone should discover anything in this account which does not fit with our understanding, he should not dismiss the entire process. He must always set in his mind the aim of our discourse, which we are regarding while we discuss these points. As we said before in our prologue, the lives of glorious men were put forth as examples of virtuous lives for those who would come later.

However for those who copy their lives, they cannot experience the same exact events. How is it possible for one to find the people multiplying while they dwelt in Egypt? Again how should we find the despot who subjugates the people and endures hostility to male children and permits the women and those that are weaker to multiply? How again does one discover all the other events which are included in Scripture? For it has been demonstrated that is impossible to copy the wonders of those holy men in these exact details. One may merely replace a moral instruction for the literal order in those events which permit such an undertaking. In this manner those who were struggling toward virtue may obtain assistance in living a virtuous life.

If the episodes force us to remove from the exact chronicle anything described which is alien to the sequence of a lofty understanding, we will bypass this because it is useless for our end, so that we not interrupt the path to virtue at such moments.

I speak these things about the interpretation of Aaron so as to anticipate the objection which will inevitably be brought forth from the historical account. Because someone will say that there is no question that the angel does have some relation with the soul in its logical and non-carnal respect, that it was already present before we were created, and that it is associated with those employed in the struggle with the Adversary, but it is not correct to take Aaron, who moved the Israelites to worship idols, as an example of an angel.

To such a one, we will answer, passing over this part, with the point made previously, that whatever is outside our aim does not overturn the concord which is present in other places. Further, the words, brother and angel, are both applicable even when they may refer to opposite things.

Because the word angel indicates not just an angel of God, but also an agent of Satan. And when we use the word brother it could refer to either a good or bad brother. Therefore Scriptures describes the good brothers who are shown as such, in trials, and the opposite who will work to oust their brother.

Salvation Proclaimed

We will now put aside these affairs for a later point in our discourse when we will provide a more complete interpretation. Now we return to what is our current topic. Moses, who had been fortified by the radiant light and had received his brother as a companion and helper, fearlessly gave to the people the words of liberty, bringing to mind the nobility of their forefathers, and giving his counsel as to how they could flee from their toilsome labor of making bricks.

But what are we taught by this history? That the one who has not prepared himself through this type of spiritual training to teach the people should not presume to preach among the multitudes. Because you observed how, while he was still a youth and had not fully matured to a high degree of virtue, two men were fighting and did not regard his peaceful advice as worth receiving, yet now he speaks to tens of thousands in the same manner.

History all but yells out to you not to be forward in providing counsel to others when you teach unless the skill for this has been made perfect in you through a long and strict training similar to what Moses had.

When Moses delivered these fine words and offered liberty to his listeners, intensifying their yearning for it, the adversary was provoked and augmented the hardship of those who hearkened to his words. This is not dissimilar to what occurs today, because many who have received the word as their liberator from oppression and identify themselves with the teachings of the Gospel are nevertheless dogged by the Adversary with various temptations.

Most of them become better founded in their faith as they are toughened by these violent assaults, but a number of the more feeble ones are struck to the point that they fall to their knees on account of such ill fortune. These say outright that it would be better for them if they never heard such words of liberty than to have to suffer these things for sake of liberty.

The identical thing occurred when the Israelites because of a cruel spirit accused those who had announced to them liberty from slavery. However the Word will not stop from leading one towards righteousness, even if such a one is still young and not fully mature in his wisdom, and he is, in a childlike way, afraid of the strange nature of the temptations. For this demon who harms men and corrupts them is particularly anxious that his servants not gaze up to heaven, but instead that they be bent over to the earth and make bricks inside themselves from clay. It is plain to all that whatever things belong to material pleasure are made up of earth or water, regardless if one is attentive to the enjoyments of the belly and table or with the luxury of riches.

The mixing of these two forms of matter becomes what is called, clay. The ones who desire the pleasure of clay and regularly fill themselves with it, never maintain the space which makes them full. Because though it is constantly being filled, it is empty again prior to the next filling. In the same manner the maker of bricks regularly throws yet more clay upon the mold even as it is regularly being drained. I suppose that anyone, without trouble, sees the meaning of this figure by regarding the part of the soul concerned with the appetite.

Because if the one who satiates his desire in one thing which he seeks should next set his desire on another, he discovers that he has become empty again. And should he fill himself on this, he finds he is empty with regard to the other. So we will never cease performing these things until we exit this material life.

The two elements straw and chaff which the despot mandated that his subjects mix into bricks are interpreted as the divine Gospel and the excellent voice of the Apostle which are material for the fire.

The Plagues of Egypt

When someone who excels in the virtuous life desires to pull away those who have been enslaved by deception into a life with wisdom and freedom, the one who plots against our souls with a variety of wiles, as the Apostle tells us, understands how to bring the agents of deception against the law of God. I am describing here the Egyptian snakes in the text, which are, the various evil schemes which the staff of Moses has overcome. We have likely already subjected the staff to enough interpretations.

The one who holds that the indestructible staff of virtue which devours the magic staffs moves on to still greater wonders. Wonders are not done for the aim of frightening those who are present, but to profit those being saved. By these wonders of virtue the adversary is overcome and his people are fortified.

If we learn first the overall spiritual aim of wonders we would be in a position to apply this understanding to individual wonders. Genuine teaching molds the inclinations of those accepting the word, for even though the word presents itself to everyone equally, what is good and evil, the one who has a good disposition will have his mind enriched, but the dimness of ignorance stays with the one who is stubbornly opposed and does not allow his soul to see the ray of truthfulness. If our overall understanding of these matters is true, the individual items would surely not differ since the separate parts are shown to be true by the whole.

Therefore it is not such a wondrous thing that a Hebrew, although dwelling in the midst of Gentiles should remain unaffected by the wickedness of the Egyptians. One is also able to see the same matter happening today in large cities where people hold differing opinions. To some, the river of faith from which they draw up divine doctrine is pure and clear, but to someone else, who dwells in the same manner as the Egyptians, and draws in the manner of their wicked presuppositions, the water is defiled to them as blood.

And often times the lord of trickery plans to transform the water of the Hebrews into blood by defiling it with falsehood. That is, by offering our teachings as something other than what it truly is. However he is unable to make the water completely undrinkable, even if he should make it red through his wiles, because they give no attention to the illusion. The Hebrew drinks the genuine water, even when he is beguiled by his enemies.

The same logic can be used in the case of the frogs. Those ugly and loud creatures, jumping around, which are not only a sore to the eye, but also possess a rotten-smelling skin. They entered into the households, beds, and inner rooms of the Egyptians, but they did not alter the life of the Hebrews.

The multiplicity of frogs is clearly the ruinous children of wickedness which are born from the unclean hearts of men as if from some wet mud. These frogs overcome entire households of those who choose to live the life of the Egyptian, being present on tables, beds, and entering into the inner rooms.

One observes in the dirty and wanton life which is truly born from clay and mud and which though copying the irrational remains in a form of life which is not human or frog-like. Instead although a man by nature he becomes a beast through passions. This type of person displays a reptile like form which is unclear in nature. Also he will display evidence of such a sickness, not just on the bed, but also upon the table, in the inner rooms and throughout the entire house.

Such a man demonstrates his dissipation in all things so everyone can distinguish clearly the life of the prodigal and life of the virtuous man by what is prized in the household of each. Within the house of the one there are mosaics on the walls which, by means of their artistic portrayals, kindle the sexual passions. These are items which draw out the nature of the sickness, and by means of the eye passion streams in on the soul from the vile things which are observed. In the house of the virtuous man all possible precautions are taken to guard the eye from sensual images.

On the table of the virtuous man there is also purity to be found. However the table of the man caked in mire is carnal and frog-like. If you seek out the inner room, which is the secret and unspeakable items of his life, you will see there in his wantonness a considerable heap of even more frogs.

The Hardening of the Heart of Pharaoh and His Free-Will

Let us not be amazed if the chronicles record that the staff of virtue performed these things on the Egyptians, because it also says that the despot’s heart was hardened by God. But, how would he be worthy of condemnation if he were inclined, through the power of God, to be obstinate? Elsewhere the holy Apostle declares the same idea, “Since they refused to acknowledge that it was logical to accept God, he gave them up to shameful passions.” Here he speaks of those who commit sodomy and dishonor themselves by unspeakable wantonness.

However even if what has been mentioned previously is declared this way in Scripture, and God does in this manner fully give up to disgraceful passions the one who surrenders himself, still Pharaoh does not have his heart hardened by the will of God, and neither is the frog-like life constrained by virtue. Because if this were the will of the divine, then surely any personal choice would be absent, and there would be no distinguishing between right and wrong in life. People would merely dwell in different states, some righteously in virtue while others would fall into vice. Someone would not be able to logically ascribe these variations in their lives to a constraint of God, which would be beyond them. By rather it is within the authority of each person to make such a choice.

The one who is given over to disgraceful passions can be discerned by the teaching of the Apostle: It is the one who does not like to have God in his knowledge. God gives him over to his passions, not protecting him, because he refuses to acknowledge him. However his inability to acknowledge God becomes the cause for his fall into a disgraceful and passionate manner of life.

It is as though someone who has never observed the sun suddenly cursed it for causing him to fall into a pit. But we do not claim that the sun in its wrath drives someone into a pit who chooses not to regard it. Instead we would explain this statement in a more logical way. It is the failure to be involved in the light that results in the person not seeing properly and falling into a pit. By the same logic, the reasoning of the Apostle should be plain, i.e. that those who do not affirm God are given up to disgraceful affections, and that the Egyptian despot is hardened by God not because by the will of God a resistance is placed in the soul of Pharaoh, but because free-will by means of its inclination to wickedness does not accept the word which softens such opposition. In the same manner also, when the staff of virtue was manifest among the Egyptians, it made the Hebrews clean from the frog-like life, but it revealed that the Egyptians were rife with this sickness. When Moses extended his hands on behalf of the Egyptians, the frogs were immediately extinguished.

This can be observed now as well. Because those who see the extended hands of the giver-of-the-law (understand what the figure speaks, and see in that lawgiver, the true Lawgiver, and see also in his extended hands the one who has extended His hands on the cross) are those who for a brief time have dwelt with these dirty and frog-like notions. But if they regard him who extended his hands on behalf of us, they are liberated from their wicked life since their passions are slain and left rotting.

In truth, upon the destruction of the frog-like passions, the prior way of life of those who have been saved from such a sickness, becomes to them a stinking and smelly memory which revolts the soul. So the Apostle speaks to those who are transformed from vice to virtue, “What did you obtain from this? Nothing except experiences which now cause you to blush.”

Continuing in these thoughts of mine, ponder the air which was darkened to the eyes of the Egyptians by the staff while to the Hebrews it is brightened by the sun. By this event the interpretation which we have supplied is affirmed. It was not due to a constraining force from heaven that resulted in one being found in darkness while the other is in the light. Instead we have in our very nature our own choice.

The chronicle tells us that the eyes of the Egyptians were not in darkness on account of a wall or a mountain which hid their view and cast a shadow, but rather the sun sent forth its rays on all the same. But while the Hebrews enjoyed the light, the Egyptians were numb to the gift. In the same way, the enlightened life is available to all alike without regard to their ability. But some remain in darkness, motivated by their wicked interests to the gloominess of evil, while others become radiant by means of the light of virtue.

It may be that someone, neglecting the fact that after three days of turmoil in the darkness the Egyptians did not partake of the light, could be led to see the final anticipated restoration which will occur later in the kingdom of heaven of the ones who have endured punishment in Hell. Because the darkness, which could be felt, as the chronicles tell us, has a great desire in its name and meaning to the exterior darkness. But both are done away with when Moses, as we saw before, extended his hands for those dwelling in darkness.

In the same manner we see the correct interpretation of the furnace ashes which, according to Scripture, resulted in painful boils on the skin of the Egyptians. In the type of what is referred to as the furnace, we see the possible punishment of being in the Hell fire, which burns only those who mimic the way of life of the Egyptians.

If someone is a genuine Israelite, a child of Abraham, and regards his life in such a manner as to demonstrate by his free-will his relation to the chosen race, he is preserved unaffected by that burning fire. The meaning of the extended hands of Moses which we have already related may become for others a freedom from pain and salvation from condemnation.

If someone follows the steps of our previous examination, he will have no bother assigning each plague to its corresponding sense: those gadflies which afflicted the Egyptians with their invisible bites, the flies which affixed themselves tortuously with their bites to their bodies, the farms which were destroyed by the locusts, and the hailstorms which rained down on the land.

The free-will of the Egyptians was the cause of all these things by what we have shown earlier, and the unbiased judgment of God came down upon their free choices and gave them their due. As we closely follow the chronicle we should not concluded that these turmoils which were delivered upon those who deserved them were necessarily from God, but instead may we see that each person makes his own plagues when, by means of his free-will, he favors such painful things. The Apostle writes the same thing, when speaking of such a one, “Your obstinate refusal to repent is only increasing the wrath which God will be revealed to you in that day of wrath when his righteous judgments will be revealed. For He will requite each according to his deeds.”

What we are explaining is similar to a ruinous bile that comes about in the intestines on account of a wanton life. If the doctor induces vomiting by means of some drug, he is not the reason for the illness in the body, but rather it is his undisciplined culinary habits which have induced it. The medical arts only revealed it. In the same manner, even if one were to state that painful punishment comes straight from God against those who misuse their free-will, it should be noted that such suffering has as its source our own will.

For the one who abides without sin there is no darkness, worm, Hell, fire, or any other such terrifying things. As the chronicle relates, the plagues of Egypt were not intended for the Hebrews. For in the same area wickedness was received by some and not by others, with difference choices discriminating between the two. So it is clear that nothing wicked can exist without our free will.

The Destruction of the Firstborn

Let us continue with what comes next in the chronicle. We have discovered, by what we have studied already, that Moses, who exalts himself by his virtuous example, when his soul had been strengthened by means of a long period of time in an elevated life and also through a heavenly enlightenment, reckoned it a loss not to guide his race to liberty.

When he approached them, he imparted to them a more fervent yearning for liberty by revealing a more grievous suffering to them. Desiring to eliminate wickedness from his people, he brought destruction on all the firstborn children of Egypt. In so doing he gave us the principle that it is required of us to kill the initial birth of wickedness. It is not possible to escape the Egyptian mode of life by another way.

Let us continue for I consider it unprofitable to bypass this interpretation without further pondering it. How could a notion so unworthy of God be present in this account? The Egyptian behaves wrongfully and in his place a newborn babe is condemned who is not able to distinguish between good and evil. His soul has no taste of wickedness, since a babe is incapable of passions, for he cannot even tell his right from his left. The babe only raises his eyes to his mother’s breast, and his crying is the only mark of sorrow. If he receives anything which his nature longs for, he shows his joy with a smile. Where is the justice in such a one paying the punishment for the evil of his father? Where is the piety? Where is the holiness? Where is Ezekiel crying out, “The man who has sinned is the one who should die and the son should not the suffer for the sins of his father.”? How can this chronicle be so opposed to logic?

So, as we seek the real spiritual interpretation, trying to see if the events are an figure, we should trust that the giver-of-the-law has instructed us through these things. His teaching is this: When by virtue one comes in contact with evil, he must kill the first beginnings of wickedness.

Because when he kills it right at the start, he brings to ruin in the same moment all that comes after it. The Lord gives the same instruction in the Gospel, all but commanding us to kill the firstborn evils of the Egyptian when he orders us to destroy lust and anger and to no longer fear the blemish of adultery or the remorse of murder. Neither of these two things would occur by themselves, but rather anger begets murders, lust, and adultery.

Because the one creating evil produces lust before adultery, and to anger before murder, by killing the firstborn he will surely kill along with it the children which come after. Consider the snake as an example. If someone strikes his head he kills the rest of the body in the same instant.

This would not have occurred unless the blood which is a sign to the destroyer to turn aside had been marked on our doors. And if we need to understand this meaning here more fully, the account shows this in the slaying of the firstborn and the guarding of the entrance with blood. In the first case we see that the initial desire for evil is killed, and in the other case the initial doorway to wickedness within us is averted by the true Lamb. Because when the destroyer has entered, we do not cast him away by our own means, but rather by the Law we put up a defense to stop him from getting a foothold in us.

Safety and well being involve marking the upper door-frame and the posts of the doorway with the lamb’s blood. In this manner the Scriptures provide us a rigorous understanding of the soul. Impious knowledge gives an understand of the mind, partitioning the soul into logical, appetite, and spirit. Of these sections we learn that the spirit and appetite are the foundation, supporting the logical part, while logical part is bound to both to keep them together and to be supported by them, being exercised for courage by the spirit and raised up to partake in good things by the appetite.

So long then as the soul is preserved in this way, keeping its steadfastness by good thoughts as if by nails, all the sections act synergistically with each other. The logical section gives security to its foundation, and itself obtains from them the equivalent benefit.

However if this structure should become troubled and the upper descends below the lower, so that the logical part falls, the appetite and the spiritual inclinations crush it and the destroyer gains entry. No resistance from the blood hinders his entry. That is, faith in Christ does not join itself with those who have such an inclination. Because he tells us first to mark the upper post of the door with blood, and then to mark both side-posts. How then could one mark the upper portion first unless it was found at the top?

Be not amazed if the killing of the firstborn and the shedding of blood did not occur with the Israelites and for this reason spurn the interpretation we have proposed with regard to the destruction of wickedness as if it were a lie. Because now in the two different names, Israelite and Egyptian we observe the distinction between virtue and vice. Because the spiritual meaning requires that we take the Israelite to be virtuous for we would not suppose that the firstfruits of the children of virtue should be destroyed but instead the ones whose ruin is more beneficial than their development.

So we have been instructed by God that we should slay the firstfruits of the children of Egypt so that wickedness, by its initial destruction will be brought to an end. This understanding is concordant with the historical account, because the security of the children of Israel happened by the shedding of blood so that goodness might mature. In the case of the Egyptian people, what would have matured was killed before it could grow into evil.

The Exodus from Egypt

What comes next agrees with our spiritual sense of Scripture. Because Scripture demands that the body of the lamb, whose blood was marked on the door posts, sparing the people from the destroyer of the firstborn children, become our nourishment.

The conduct of those who consumed this food was to be strong and zealous, not as those who delight in banquets, who have relaxed hands and whose clothing is soft and whose feet are ill shod for travel. But all things were the converse. Their feet were shod with sandals, a belt girded their waist and a staff was in their hands to drive off dogs.

To those in this state was given meat without luxurious sauces, but was rather cooked on any fire that happened to be ready. The visitors quickly consumed it with haste until they ate the full body of the animal. They consumed whatever part was edible next to the bones, but the entrails they did not touch. It was a forbidden thing to break the bones of this animal. For whatever part of the meat was leftover would be consumed in the fire.

From all these things it is clear that the word seeks higher knowledge because the Law does not teach us with regard to eating. Nature, which gives us a craving for food is a sufficient lawgiver concerning these matters. But the history signifies something quite different. Because for virtue or vice what does it matter how you eat your food, to have your belt loose or tight, your feet bare or shod with sandals, your hand holding a staff or not?

The meaning of the equipment of a traveler is obvious: It instructs us to see our current life as temporary. Even at birth we are pushed by the nature of things to our end, which we must mindfully prepare for with our hands, feet and all the rest.

This is done so that the thorns (sins) of this life do not injure our bare and unclothed feet. So, let us protect them with sandals. Sandals represent the restrained and austere life which crushes the heads of the thorns and stops sin from slipping in unseen.

The tunic which flows down over the feet and comes to the soles of our sandals would hinder anyone who would earnestly come to the end of the divine contest. The tunic also represents the enjoyment of the activities of this life, which by sober reason, like the belt of a traveler, are drawn in as tightly as possible. The spot through which the belt goes through displays what is regarded as caution. The staff, which is for driving off animals, is the word of hope, on which we support the tired soul and drive off what attacks us.

The food which is set before us from the fire I claim is the hot fiery faith which we receive even without giving thought to it. We consume as much of it as is easily eaten, and we put aside the teachings hidden in the mind which are hard and tough without searching it exhaustively or looking to understand more about it. Rather we assign this food to be placed in the fire.

So that these signs are clear, we should note that the divine ordinances that are obvious should not be obeyed dully or by compulsion, but we should be as those who are hungry and earnestly fill themselves with the things that are put before them, so that we have sufficient food for our good health. However such ideas are beyond our understanding. These include such questions as: What is the nature of God? What existed before creation? What is outside this manifest world? What is the reason the things that occur, happen? And also other such things which are sought out by hungry minds. We acknowledge that these things are known only to the Holy Spirit, who knows the deep things of God, as the Apostle tells us.

All those who are taught by the Scriptures know that rather than using the word Spirit Scripture often refers to it as fire. We also come to this understanding through the proclamation of Wisdom: Do not attempt to comprehend things that are too difficult for you, which is the say, do not break the bones of Scripture, because it is not necessary for you to see the secret matters.

The Riches of Egypt

Thus Moses guided the people out of Egypt. All who follow in the footsteps of Moses liberate from the Egyptian despot all those led by his word. Those who are lead by their guide to virtue should, I believe, not lack the riches of Egypt or lack the treasures of the foreigners, but having obtained all the possessions of their foes, should keep it for their own ends.

This is precisely what Moses then ordered the people to do.

No one who has heard this causally would receive the counsel of the giver-of-the-law if he ordered those in need to steal and so become a commander of their wickedness. If someone regards the laws, which come next, which from start to finish prohibits doing evil to one’s neighbor, he could not truly say that the giver-of-the-law ordered these matters, even if to some it seems sensible that the Israelites should have taken the pay for their labor from the Egyptians by this means.

And there is certainly reason to complain here. This justification does not annul such a command, because the person who borrows and does not repay the lender has done wrong.

If he borrows something which does not belong to him, he has done evil because he is deceptive. And even if he takes what should be his, he is still justly called a deceiver because he deceives the lender into hoping he will be compensated.

The higher meaning is then more appropriate than the obvious one. He orders those partaking through virtue in the free life also to furnish themselves with the riches of pagan doctrine through which those who are strangers to the faith adorn themselves. Our leader in virtue orders someone who borrows from rich Egyptians to take such things as ethical and natural philosophy, geometry, astronomy, debate, and any other secular studies, since these will be of value when the sanctuary of godly mystery is to be adorned with the wealth of reason.

Those who have stored up for themselves such riches give them to Moses as he was laboring on the tent of mystery, with each one providing his individual effort to building the holy places. Even now we see this occurring. Since many people bring to the Church of God their impious learning as a type of gift, like Basil the Great, who obtained the riches of the Egyptian in every way during his youth and appropriated these riches to God for the decoration of the church, the true tabernacle.

The Cloudy Column

Let us come back to the matter from which we digressed. When those who currently seek virtue and follow after the giver-of-the-law in life have departed from the boundaries of the Egyptian country, the attack of temptations in many ways follows after them and brings on turmoil, fear, and treats of death. When those who are new to the faith become afraid of these things, they lose all hope for attaining virtue. However if Moses or some other guide of the multitude comes along, he will advise them in opposition to their fear and will revive their gloomy minds with the hope of divine aid.

This type of aid will not be available unless the guide’s heart converses with God. There are many who have such an office of leadership but regard only outward things. The secret things of God, they hardly ever think of. With Moses, this was not the case. While he encouraged the Israelites to take heart, he cried out to God, even though he made no outward sound, as God himself witnessed. Scripture instructs us, I believe, that the sounds which are harmonious and ascend into the hearing of God are not made with the mouth, but ascend through prayer from a pure soul.

To the one who discovers himself in this situation, the brother seems constrained as to the benefit he can provide for great battles (by brother I mean the one who met Moses as he was descending into Egypt by the will of God, whom Scripture interprets as a host of angels.) Then God’s nature revealed itself in a manner that one is able to receive. That which we hear from this chronicle to have happened we know from meditation on the word to always happen.

When someone escapes from Egypt and goes beyond its borders, he is horrified by the attacks of the passions, but the leader brings unanticipated salvation from above. Whenever the foe, with his forces, surrounds the one who is being pursued, the leader is compelled to make the sea passable.

For this crossing the cloud was the leader. Those who came before us interpret the cloud to be the grace of the Holy Spirit, who directs the worthy toward virtue. Anyone who follows after him comes through the waters, because the leader makes a path for him. In this manner he is securely guided to liberty, and the one pursing him who is trying to bring him into servitude, is drowned in the waters.

Crossing the Red Sea

No one who is reading this should be unaware of the mystery of the water. The one who has descended into it with the enemy’s army surfaces alone, leaving the enemy’s army to drown in the waters.

Because who does not perceive that the army of the Egyptians with its horses, chariots, drivers, archers, slingers, well-armed soldiers, and the rest of enemies, are the passions of the soul which can enslave a man? Because the unruly mind and carnal impulses push one to pleasure, sadness, and envy which cannot be distinguished from the previous spoken of army. Cursing is a rock thrown straight from a sling. The hot temper is the quivering point of the spear. The passion inclined to pleasure is observed in the horses who with a fervent drive pull the chariot. There are three drivers inside the chariot which are called “viziers.” Because you were formerly taught about the mystery of the side and upper door posts, you will understand that these three, who are borne by the chariot, are the three-fold separation of the soul, which are the logical, appetite and spirit.

Thus all such things hasten into the waters with the Israelite who guides them into destruction. The staff of faith then guides them forward, and the cloud gives light, and the water provides life to all those who seek refuge in it. But the pursuers it brings to ruin.

By this the chronicle further instructs us what type of people pass through the waters bringing nothing of the army of the enemy with them as they emerge. Because if the enemy emerged from the water with them, they would remain in slavery after the waters, for they would have been accompanied by the despot, still living, who they did not drown in the sea. If someone desires to make more clear this figure, this should make it more obvious: those who desire to go through the mysterious waters of baptism should drown all the soldiers of wickedness, such as envy, unrestrained longing, greed, vainglory, arrogance, violent temper, impulsiveness, wrath, ill-will, covetousness, and other such things. Because the passions naturally pursue our natural state, we must kill them in the waters, both the carnal thoughts of the mind and the deeds which comes from them.

In the same way that unleavened bread was consumed in the mysterious Pascha, which is the appellation of the sacrificed victim whose blood stops the death of the one committing the sacrifice, so also the Law now instructs us to consume unleavened bread at Pascha (the unleavened dough not mixed with old yeast). The Law instructs us that this means that no evil should be mixed with the new life. Instead we must make a fresh start in life after these things, cutting off the continuity of evil, making a profound change for the better. So also he implies that after we have drowned the entire Egyptian army (all forms of evil), in the regeneration of baptism we emerge alone, bringing nothing alien into our new life.

This is what we see throughout the chronicles, which state that in the same water the adversary and the friend are separated by death and by life. The enemy is drown and the friend has a new life given to him.

There are many of those who receive the mystical baptism being ignorant of the ordinances in the Law and the mix the evil leaven of their old life with the new. Even after they cross the water they bring along with them the Egyptian army which abides with them in their dealings.

Take for example the one who has become wealthy through thievery and deception, or who has obtained property by perjury, or has dwelt with a woman in adultery, or partaken in any of the many other things which were forbidden even before the grace of baptism was given. Does he supposed that after he washes himself clean he should remain enjoying such wicked things which have now joined themselves to him, and suppose that he is free from the slavery of sin, as if he is unable to perceive that he is under a yoke with strict lords?

Because unrestrained passion is a violent and fierce lord over slavish thinking, torturing it with luxuries as if they were whips. Envy is a different lord who gives no repose to the slave, and even if the one under bondage should perform the commands of his lord and obtain his pleasures he will always be driven to obtain more. All the other matters which are done by wickedness are so many despots and lords. If one should be in submission to them, even if he passed through the water, by my thinking, he has not even touched the mystical water which is able to slay wicked tyrants.

The First Site in the Desert

May we again go on to the next matter in the text. Because the one who has crossed through the sea and observes these Egyptian dead, as we understand it, no longer regards Moses only as the bearer of virtue by his staff, but rather by abiding in his trust in God, as Scripture states, he becomes obedient to his servant Moses. We observe this thing occurring even now with those who genuinely cross over the water and then give themselves over to God, being obedient, as the Apostle states, to those in the holy priesthood.

Once they crossed the sea, they had to endure a three day march, at which point they encamped at a site where the water was so bitter that it was undrinkable. However a stick of wood is cast in the water which made it drinkable for the thirsty ones.

The chronicles now agree with what happens. Because to the one who has abandon the pleasures of Egypt which he was enslaved to before crossing the sea life seems unpleasant and hard at first. However if the wood, that is the cross, with the mystery of the resurrection, is cast into the water, then the life of virtue, which becomes sweetened by the hope of the things to come, becomes sweet and pleasant, even more so than the life of sensual pleasure.

The subsequent place of repose on their travels is full of palm trees and springs of water which were able to refresh the group. There were a total of twelve springs of pure and sweet water and seventy large date palms which had matured to a considerable height. What do we learn from these facts as we follow the chronicle? We learn that the mystery of the wood through which the waters of virtue became sweet to the thirsty guide us to the twelve springs and the seventy date palms, which are the Gospel teachings.

The Twelve Apostles are the springs which the Lord elected for his ministry and who well up His word. One of the Prophets foresaw grace welling up from the Apostles when he stated, “Bless God the Lord in the congregations, from the springs of Israel.” The seventy date palms are those other apostles beyond the twelve disciples, which bear the same number the palm trees in the chronicles.

But I believe that it is proper to hasten our travels through the text, making the meditation on the rest of the sties easier for those wish to examine them closely but supplying a few points. The sites whereupon one who is following the column cloud is refreshed as he moves forward, are the virtues.

Moving beyond the resting sites with a short account, I will bring to mind the wonder at the rock, whose stiff and hard form became water for the thirsty when its rigidity was softened into water.

It is not hard to fit the sequence of the chronicle with spiritual meditation. The one who has abandon Egypt which was drown in the water, has then been sweetened through the wood and further refreshed by the springs of the Apostles and the shade of the palm tree. He is then already able to receive God. Because this rock, as the Apostle states, is Christ, who is hard and waterless to unbelievers, but if one should use the staff of faith he becomes drinkable water to the thirsty and flows to those who are able to receive him. Because he says, “I and my Father will come to him and abide in him.”

The Manna

There is a further event which we should not speed past without pondering.

After those journeying in virtue had crossed over the sea, and the water had been made sweet for them, and they had been refreshed by the springs and palms, and by drinking from the rock, the provisions from Egypt were depleted. Then, having no more of the foreign provisions from Egypt, there came down from above food which was both diverse and uniform. The sight of the food was uniform, but the content of it was diverse, because it transformed itself according to each one’s taste.

So what do we discover here? We learn what type cleansing one should use to cleanse himself from Egypt and the strange life so that he drains his soul of all evil food from the Egyptians. In this manner he takes to himself, with his clean soul, the nourishment which descends from heaven, which was not made for us through any farming of the land. Descending from heaven, the bread is discovered to be upon the earth, already prepared without the need for wheat to be sown or mature.

You certainly see the genuine nourishment in the figure of the chronicles, that the bread from heaven is not a spiritual item. Because how could something immaterial be food for the body? Neither ploughing or sowing yielded the substance of this bread. Instead the earth which continued unaltered was discovered full of this holy food, which the hungry consume. This wonder foretells the mystery of the Virgin.

This bread which is not produced by the earth is the Word. He transformers his power in a number of ways to fit those who eat of it. He understands that not only bread but milk, meat, vegetables or other foodstuffs may be most appropriate for the one wanting to have them. Thus teaches Paul, the divine Apostle, who puts forth such as table as this for us by making his word hardy meat for the mature, and vegetables for the weaker and milk for the babes.

Whatever wonders the chronicles give in connection with that nourishment are instructions for a life of virtue. Because it says that all partook of the food in equal measure. The ability of those who collected it made no difference, they ended up with no more or less than they required. This is, in my view, a generally applicable counsel, that those forming their lives on material things should never go past the limits of need but should realize that the one normal measure for everyone in eating is to consume as much as one would receive in a day. Even if there was more readied that was needed, it is not in the nature of the belly to go beyond its proper bounds or to be expanded by a glut of desire. Rather, as the chronicle state, neither did the one who gathered much have any left over, there being nowhere to lay up the surplus, nor did he who gathered little lack because his needs were reduced with regard to the quantity which he found.

In this wise Scripture calls out to the covetous that his hoarded surplus of greed will be turned into worms. All things beyond what is truly needed, being amassed through covetous desire, will become on the following day, i.e. the future life, a worm to the one who hoards them. The one who hears of the worm surely sees the unending worm which is animated through envy.

However the following advise is supplied by the fact that only what was retained on the Sabbath provides sustenance: There is period of time during one’s life when one should take hold of things, since what is collected is incorruptible. Then when we go beyond the preparation of this life and arrive at the repose of death, it will be of benefit for us. The day which precedes the Sabbath is called the day of Preparation. This day is the present life which is used to prepare ourselves for the things of the coming life.

In that coming life all the things we do now are not done. There is no farming, trade, military training, or anything else. Instead we retire from such deeds, and we obtain the fruits of the seeds we currently sow in our life. Some are incorruptible, if the seeds of this life are good, while some are poisonous and ruinous, if the farming in this life yields such things. Because he who sows in the spiritual field, Scripture tells us, will harvest eternal life from it. But the one who sows in the fields of luxury will receive a crop of corruption.

The time of preparing for better things is appropriately called Preparation and is affirmed by the Law, because what is laid away during that time is incorruptible. Those things which are seen as being possessed by the opposite is not a Preparation and is not called as such, because no one would sensibly call such if there be poverty of good Preparation. Instead it should be called a want of Preparation. So then the chronicles assigns for men the Preparation of better things, and leaves room for the intelligent to see the opposite by its neglect.

The Battle with Amalek

Just as with a military conscription, the general of the army must first pay money and then he makes the sign for the battle. So also the troops of virtue obtain mystical money and then array for battle against their enemy, being brought to the war by Joshua, the one succeeding Moses.

Do you see the order of Scripture? So long as man is enfeebled through ill-treatment by evil oppression he is unable to fight off the enemy on his own. But someone can battle on behalf of the feeble one, striking the foe with numerous blows. When he is at liberty from oppression, he is sweetened by means of the wood and refreshed from this labor at the oasis in the midst of the palms and he comes to understand the mystery of the rock, and eats the heavenly food, so that he no longer needs another to fight off his enemy. But because he has already matured beyond a child and has taken hold of the energy of youth, he struggles with his foes on his own, no longer using Moses as a guide, the servant of God, but God himself. This is because the Law which was bestowed on them at the start as a type and shadow of the coming things is unsuitable for real wars. But the one fulfilling the Law and succeeding Moses acts as a guide. He was spoken of beforehand by the name which he shared with that guide before.

If the people observed the hands of their lawgiver being raised up, they dominated their enemy in war, but if they observed them hanging limp, they suffered loss. Moses holding up his hands signifies meditation on the Law’s higher insights while the limp hanging of his arms is a sign of the low literal exposition and strict observance of the law.

The priest raised the tired arms of Moses, using as an assistant one of his kinsmen. This is not outside the order of things contemplated, because the true priesthood with God’s word affixed to it, raises high again the powers of the Law which fell upon the earth on account of the weight of Jewish doctrine. The priesthood upholds the falling law at its foundation with a rock so that the Law, showing forth a figure of extended hands, demonstrates its own aim to those who see it.

For to those who are capable of seeing it, the mystery of the cross is pondered on in the Law. And so the Gospel declares that not one dot or stroke will vanish from the law, signifying in these words the vertical and horizontal lines with which the cross is engraved. The things which were perceived in Moses, who is seen in place of the law, is ordained as the cause and monument of triumph for those who gaze upon it.

The Mountain of Divine Wisdom

Again Scripture directs our consideration to the loftier heights of virtue. Because the man who has been strengthened by food and demonstrated his skill in battle with his foes, and has overcome his adversaries is then directed to the unspeakable knowledge of God. Scripture instructs us by these means the quality and the quantity of the things which one must do in his life before he would ever dare to draw near in his mind to the mountain of the knowledge of God, and to hear the sounds of those trumpets, entering into the darkness where God dwells, engraving the tablets with holy characters. And if these tablets should somehow be smashed by an offense, he must again present the hand-fashioned tablets to God and engrave with the holy finger the letters which were destroyed on the first tablets.

It would be more excellent next, in continuing with the progression of the chronicle to reconcile what is seen with the spiritual meaning. The one who looks to Moses and to the cloud, which are leaders for those who progress in virtue (Moses in this case would be the directives of the law and the cloud would be the correct knowledge of the Law ), and who has been cleansed by means of crossing the water, and who has put the strangers to death and removed himself from the foreigner, and has tasted of the waters of Marah, and then enjoyed the elegance of the palm trees and springs (those who announced the Gospel, being filled with the living water of the rock), and partaken of the bread from heaven, and who has set the man against the foreigners, and for whom the extended arms of the lawgiver became the reason for victory, which foretold of the mystery of the cross, is the one who then progresses to the meditation on the transcendent nature.

To such a one the way to knowledge is through purity, not just purity of a body cleansed by sprinkling, but also with garments washed clean with water from every blemish. This implies that the one person who would come to the contemplation of existence must be clean of all things so that his soul and body are pure, washed from every stain and spot so that he might look pure to the One who looks upon the hidden things so that visible decency aligns with the inward state of the soul.

On account of this all clothing is washed by the command of God before one ascends the mountain. The clothing represents the outward dignity of life. None would claim that a visible blemish on the clothing impedes the advancement of those ascending to God, but I believe that the outward deeds of life are well-termed clothing.

After this had been achieved and the multitude of senseless animals had been pushed back away from the mountain, then Moses drew near to the mountain of lofty perceptions. That none of the senseless beasts were allowed to approach the mountain indications, I believe, that by the meditation of the sensible we exceed the wisdom which has its source in the senses. It is a mark of senseless beasts that they are subject to the perceptions only, being without understanding. Their vision and hearing often guides them to what arouses their appetite. In addition, all other matters through which the senses become active take on an important role in animals.

Pondering on God is not effected through one’s vision and hearing, and it is not understood by any of the normal perceptions of the intellect. Because no eye has seen, and no ear has heard, nor is it part of those things which customarily enter into a man’s heart. He who approaches the understanding of excellent things should first cleanse his way of life from all carnal and senseless emotions. He should wash from his mind all beliefs taken from preconceptions and pull himself from his normal association with his own friend, which is his senses, which are bound to our nature as a companion. When he is cleansed as such, then he approaches the mountain.

The wisdom of God is a steep mountain, hard to ascend, the bottom of which most people can barely attain. If someone were Moses, he would go higher and hear the voice of the trumpets, which, as the chronicle tell us, becomes louder as one grows closer. Because the preaching of the nature of God is indeed the blast of a trumpet which hits upon the ears, being loud at the start but growing still louder at the end.

Both the law and the prophets trumpeted the holy mystery of the incarnation. However the initial voice was too soft to be perceived by the disobedient ear.

Thus the deaf ears of the Jews could not hear the sound of the trumpets. When the trumpets drew near, as we find in the text, their volume increased. The final sounds, which were from the preaching of the Gospels came into their ears because the Spirit by His agents makes a noise which rings louder and more vibrant with each successive preacher. The agents which act as the Spirit’s voice are the Prophets and Apostles whose voice, as the Psalms tell us, goes throughout the whole world, and their message to the ends of the earth.

The people were not able to hear the heavenly voice, but depended on Moses himself to learn the secrets and to in turn teach the multitudes whatever instructions he gained from above. This is also the case with the ordering in church. Not everybody pushes themselves forward to the fearful mysteries, but, some choose from among themselves someone who is capable of hearing heavenly things. So they thankfully listen to him, regarding as faithful whatever they might hear from one initiated into the heavenly mysteries.

It was once said, “Not all are apostles, not all are prophets.” But at present this is not followed in many churches. Because many, which are still in need of being purified from their manner of life, unclean and defiled from the clothing of their life and sheltering themselves only with their brute sense, make an attack on the holy mountain. So they are then stoned by their own thoughts, because heretical thoughts are really stones which strike the authors of wrong doctrine.

The Darkness

What is the meaning of Moses entering the darkness and then seeing God? What is described seems to be opposed to the first theophany, for at that point God was seen in light, but here he is seen in the darkness. May we not consider this to be contrary to the order of events we have spiritually considered. For by this, the text instructs us that divine wisdom comes first to those who accept it as light. So what is seen to be opposed to religion is darkness, and retreat from darkness happens when one partakes in light. But when the mind progresses and by means of a great and more exact effort, comes to see reality, as it draws still closer to meditating, it perceives in a more straightforward way the ineffable things of God’s nature. Leaving all things behind that are seen, not just what the senses understand but also what the mind believes it sees, it keeps going deeper until by the mind’s desire for comprehension it is granted access to the unseen and unknowable, and there it beholds God.

This is the full understanding of what one seeks. This is the perceiving that does not involve seeing, because what one seeks transcends all wisdom, separated from it on all fronts by the incomprehensibility of it as if by some sort of darkness. So the excellent John, who went into the luminous darkness, said, “No one has ever seen God.” He contends that knowledge of God’s essence is unreachable, not only by men, but by every sensible being.

So when Moses increased in wisdom, he announced that he had beheld God in the darkness, which is to say, that he had come to understand that the things of God are beyond all understanding, because the text says, “Moses drew near the cloud of darkness where God was.” Which God? It is He who created darkness as his hiding place, says David, and who was initiated in the mysteries in that same inner sanctuary.

When Moses came there, he was instructed through a report of what he had previously learned in the darkness, so, I believe, that the teaching on this point might be made stronger for us since it was given by the holy voice. The holy word at the beginning prohibits that the things of God be compared to the things understood by men. For every idea which comes from the intelligible image by a imprecise understanding, and by surmising what the nature of God is like sets up an idol of God and does not speak of God.

Holy virtue is split into two types: that which has to do with God and that which has to do with proper behavior, because a pure life is part of religion. It is Moses who learns first the things which should be understand about God, which is, that nothing from human understanding is to be assigned to him. Then he is instructed about the end of virtue, learning by what means a life of virtue may be perfected. Following this he comes to the tabernacle which is made without hands.

Who is able to follow someone who ascends through such places and raises his mind to such lofty heights? Who, as if traveling from peak to peak, comes ever higher than he was through his ascent into the heights? First of all, he leaves the base of the mountain and separates himself from all who are too feeble for the ascent. Then rising higher in his climb he hears the sound of the trumpets. Then he enters the inner sanctuary of holy wisdom. He does not stay there, but he continues on to the tabernacle not made with hands. Because, in truth, this is the boundary that someone attains who is lifted up through such ascents.

And I believe that in another sense the divine trumpet becomes a guide to the one climbing up as he forges his path to what is made without hands. For the marvelous harmony of heaven announces the wisdom which shines in creation and sets forth the wonderful glory of God through the things that are seen, fulfilling the statement, “The heavens declares the glory of God.” It becomes the sharp sounding trumpet of plain and harmonious teaching, as a Prophet said, “The heavens trumpeted from on high.”

When he who has been cleansed and has keen hearing in his heart hears this sound - I speak of the knowledge of God’s power which proceeds from the meditation of reality - he is directed by it to the point where his mind lets him enter where God is present.

In Scripture this is called darkness, which signifies, as I related, the unknown and hidden things. When he enters, he observes the tabernacle made without hands, which he reveals to those below through a material form.

The Divine Tabernacle

But what is that tabernacle made without hands, which was exhibited to Moses on the mountain, and which he was ordered to see as an archetype in order that he duplicate it by means of a hand-made building? God said, “Look that you make them according to the form which was shown to you on the mountain.” There were gold columns supported by silver foundations and adorned with silver tops. Then there were other columns whose tops and foundations were of bronze but had silver shafts. The inside of each column was wood that does not decay, while all around beamed the brightness of the metals.

Also, there was a wooden ark that does not decay, which was overlaid with a pure bright gold. There was also a candlestick with a lone base which separated at the top into seven branches, each of which supported a lamp. The candlestick was formed from solid gold and not from wood which had been overlaid with gold. There was also an altar and the mercy seat and the cherubim whose wings stretched out over the ark. These were all gold, not only just in appearance, but gold throughout.

Also there were curtains which were woven from a variety of colors. These bright colors were woven together to create an elegant fabric. The curtains partitioned the tabernacle into two sections: the one which was manifest and accessible to some of the priests and the other hidden and off limits. The name of the initial portion was the Holy Place while the secret portion was called the Holy of Holies. There were also lavers, copper-workings and hung items around the outside court and curtains of hair and animals skins dyed red and everything else which he relates in his account. What account could fully describe everything?

Which things made without hands are these imitating? And what gain does the physical imitation of those items which Moses saw afford to those who gaze upon them? It seems a good thing to me to leave the exact meaning of these things to the ones, who have through the Spirit, the ability to seek the depths of God, to someone who is capable, as the Apostle states, in the Spirit, to speak of the those mysterious things. We will leave aside what we speak of by conjecture and supposition and leave these things to the mind of our readers. Their keen minds must distinguish if it should be rejected or not.

Taking a cue from what Paul said, who unveiled part of the mystery of such things, we say that Moses was taught beforehand by an archetype in the mystery of the tabernacle which encompasses the entire universe. This tabernacle is Christ who is the authority and the wisdom of God, who through his own nature was made without hands, yet was able to be made when it was necessary for His tabernacle to be erected among us. So, this same tabernacle is in a manner both uncreated and created. He is uncreated in his ever-existence but created in that he took on physical matter.

What we speak of is not obtuse to those who have correctly received the mystery of our faith. Because there is one thing among all the others which both was before ages and will come to be at the conclusion of the ages. He did not require a temporal beginning. Because how could what was existing before all ages be in need of temporal start? However for us, who had lost our very existence through our thoughtless actions, He agreed to be born in a similar manner to us so that He might bring that which had abandoned existence back into existence. This is the only begotten God, who comprises all things in himself, but who also set up his own tabernacle among us.

However if we call such a God, tabernacle, the one who loves Christ should not be troubled at the suggestion that the phrase lessens the glory of God’s nature. For there is no other appellation worthy of the signified nature, but rather every name has failed to accurate describe Him, both those which are perceived as insignificant as well as those by which some worthy insight is gleaned.

However just as all the other names, in continuing with what has being recorded, are each used with piousness to declare God’s power. For example, doctor, shepherd, protector, bread, vine, gateway, door, mansion, water, rock, spring, and any other names are used for him. In the same manner he is given the title, tabernacle, in agreement with what is proper to God. Because the power which fills the universe, and lives in the fullness of God, and is the common shelter of all, and who encompasses all things within himself, is truly called tabernacle.

The vision should match the name tabernacle, so that all things seen guild one to meditate on the concepts proper to God. Now the excellent Apostle says that the curtain of the lower tabernacle is the flesh of Christ. But I believe, because it is made up of a diversity of colors, it is the four elements. Undoubtedly he had a vision of the tabernacle when he entered the supernatural sanctuary where the mysteries of Paradise were uncovered before him by the Spirit. It is worth then paying attention to the incomplete interpretation, and to fit the full contemplation on the tabernacle to it.

We can obtain insight as to the figures of the tabernacle from the words of the Apostle. Because he states somewhere with an allusion to the only-begotten, whom we have seen in place of the tabernacle, that in Him all things were created, both manifest and invisible, thrones, dominions, kings, authorities, and forces.

Then the columns which gleam with silver and gold, bear rods and rings, and the cherubim who cover the ark with their wings, and each of the other things which are contained in the written description of the construction of the tabernacle, all of these, if someone turns his gaze to heavenly things, are the divine powers which are pondered on in the tabernacle and which are the foundation of the universe in agreement with the will of God.

These are our true foundations, sent to aid those who will inherit salvation. They are put through the souls of those being saved as if through rings and by themselves lift us up who are lying on the ground to the lofty heights of virtue. In the account which speaks of the cherubim covering the mysterious things in the ark with their wings, the record affirms our meditation on the tabernacle. Because we have been taught that this is the name of those powers which we perceive being around God’s nature, which Isaiah and Ezekiel also saw.

The ark of the covenant, which was overshadowed by their wings, should be a foreign sound to your ears. Because it is possible to hear the same thing from Isaiah, the Prophet who speaks in an form about the wings. This same thing in one part is called the ark of the covenant, but in another the face. The ark is covered with wings in one, and in the other, the face covers it. It is as if one thing is seen in both, which implies to me the obscurity of pondering the indescribable secrets. But if you hear about lamps which have several branches extending out of a single candlestick so that a bright and full light illuminates all, you would rightly conclude that they are the diverse rays of the Spirit which radiate out from this tabernacle. It is this which Isaiah speaks about when he separates into seven the lights of the Spirit.

The mercy seat, I believe, requires no interpretation because the Apostle stripped bare what is secret when he declared, “Whom God has ordained to be a mercy seat for our souls.” When I hear of the offering altar and the incense altar, I perceive the worship of the heavenly creatures which is regularly offered in this tabernacle. Because he states that not just the tongues of those on the earth and those in the underworld, but even those in heaven give praise to the beginning of everything. This verbal sacrifice is what is well-pleasing to God, as the Apostle states, “the fragrance of prayer.”

Even if someone should see skin dyed red and hair woven, the steps of meditation are not shattered in this manner. Because the eye of the prophet, which achieves a vision of the things of God, will see the salvation of the Passion there prefigured. It is marked out in both of the elements which were mentioned, the red signifying blood and the hair death. There is no feeling in the hair of the body, so it is truly a mark of death.

The Tabernacle on Earth

When the prophet gazes up to the tabernacle above, he perceives the divine truths by these symbols. However if one would look at the tabernacle which is below, for in many parts of Scripture the church is also called Christ by Paul, it would be good to consider the names, “apostles, teachers and prophets” as alluding to those ministers of the heavenly mysteries which Scripture refers to as the pillars of the church. Because it is not just Peter, John and James, who are pillars of the church. And it was not only John the Baptist that was a burning light, but all those who support the church and are lights through their own deeds who are referred to as pillars and lights. “You are the light of the world,” the Lord tells the Apostles. Again, the holy Apostle summons others to be pillars, saying, Be firm and steadfast. He also made Timothy to be a glorious pillar, when he made him (by his own words) a pillar and foundation of truth.

Within this tabernacle are sacrifices of praise and prayer which are as incense which are observed being offered regularly morning and evening. The excellent David permits us to see these things when he lifts up as incense his prayer as an odor of sweetness, pleasing to God, performing his sacrifice by the raising of his hands. When one hears of the washings, one will surely see those who wipe off the stain of sin with mystical water. John was a laver, who washed men in the Jordan by means of the baptism of repentance. So also was Peter, who led three thousand to the water together. Philip also was a laver of Candace’s servant, and all those who dispense grace are lavers for those who partake of the gift.

The courts which are joined to each other and surround the tabernacle are well understood as the harmony, love, and the peace of all believers. This is David’s interpretation, for he says, “Who has given you peace on your borders.”

The skin which has been dyed red and the coverings made of hair, which adorn the tabernacle are seen as the mortification of the sinful body by the ascetic life. The figure of this is the skin dyed red. These items beautify the tabernacle of the church. By themselves these skins do not possess any essential power, but on account of the red dye they become a bright red. This informs us that grace, which blossoms by means of the Spirit, is not to be discovered in men unless they first die to sin. I leave it up to the reader to decide if Scripture signifies chaste modesty by the red dye. The woven hair, which made of a tough fabric that is firm to the touch, prefigures the tough self-control which devours the passions of habit. The chaste life reveals all such things, since it disciplines the flesh of all who dwell in this mode of life.

If the interior portion, which is referred to as the Holy of Holies, is not accessible to the people, let us not consider that this is at odds with the order of what has been seen. Because truth is indeed a sacred thing, a holy of holies, and is obscure and inaccessible to the people. Because it is placed in the hidden and unutterable parts of the tabernacle of mystery, the acquisition of the truths beyond understanding should not be interfered with. Rather one should trust that what is sought after does indeed exist, not that it is visible to everybody, but that it stays in the hidden and unutterable parts of the mind.

The Garments of the Priest

Having been taught these things and others like it by the vision of the tabernacle, the eye of the soul of Moses, which was cleansed and lifted up through visions like these, again is lifted up to the height of other insights when he is taught by means of the garments of the priesthood. Included in these is the tunic, the ephod, the shining breast-plate with the brightness of the precious stones, the turban of the head and the metal-leaf on it, the breeches, pomegranates, bells, and above all these the rational and the teachings, and the shoulder-plates bound together on each side, held together with the names of the patriarchs.

The names of the clothing keep away most people from pondering their details. What type of physical clothing is called rational, teaching or truth? For these names surely show that it is not the outward garment that is spoken of in the chronicle but a particular fashioning of the soul woven with good deeds.

The tunic is dyed blue. Those who have come before us claim the dye from this passage signifies the air. I am unable to to affirm if a color such as this has anything to do with the color of the air. Sill I do not dismiss it as false. This understanding leads to a meditation on virtue because it is necessary that the one who is a priest for God also provide his body as a sacrifice on the altar, not for death, but as a living and rational sacrifice of ministry. He should not impose on his soul the weighty and carnal clothing of life, but through a pure life he should make all the activities of his life as thin as the thread of a spider’s web. In this process of reforming the nature of our body we should draw near to that which ascends and is light and thin, so that when the final trumpet call is made we may be found airy and light responding to the voice of the One summoning us. Then we will be carried up high through the air to the be with the Lord, not pulled down to the earth by something heavy. The one who, in staying with the advise of the Psalmist, has as a moth slowly consumed his soul, has put on that light tunic which covers him from head to foot, because the Law has no desire for virtue to be interrupted.

The bells of gold which are ordered between the pomegranates signify the brilliance of good deeds. These are the two means by which virtue is obtained, that is, faith toward the divine and the conscience toward life. The most excellent Paul adds both pomegranates and bells to Timothy’s clothing, telling him that he should have both faith and a virtuous conscience. So may faith go forth pure and loud proclaiming the holy Trinity and may life mimic the nature of the pomegranate. For it is covered on the outside with a firm and bitter skin, which is inedible, but within it is pleasant to look upon with many well placed seeds, and it is even sweeter when consumed. The life of philosophy, although on the outside severe and uncomfortable, is full of good hope when it matures. When our Gardener opens the pomegranate of life at the appropriate time and shows the inner goodness, then those who eat their own fruit will be able to enjoy the sweetness of it. Because the holy Apostle says somewhere that every punishment is most grievous when it happens, which is the first contact with the pomegranate. However later in those with whom it has been used, it brings forth fruit with peace and goodness. This is the sweet food inside.

Scripture orders that this tunic is adorned with tassels. The tassels on a tunic are round pendants which have no other use but to serve as decoration. We are taught from this that virtue should never be measured only by what is demanded, but we should seek out extra things on our own, so that some extra decorations will be added to the clothing. So it was with Paul, who affixed his own wonderful tassels to the ordinances. Because while the Law orders that the priests ministering in the Temple take their food from the Temple itself and those who announce the Gospel should be provided for from the Gospel, Paul provides the Gospel without earning a wage, being in hunger, thirst and naked. These are the wonderful added tassels which decorate the tunic of the ordinances.

On top of the long tunic two pieces of cloth were worn which extended from the shoulders down to the chest and back and were attached to each other by means of a clasp on each shoulder. The clasps were made of stones with the names of six patriarchs engraved on them. The cloths were made with a diversity of colors, violet mixed with purple, and scarlet in the linen. A gold thread was woven throughout all this so that from the blending of the diverse colors a single beauty would emerge.

From this we discover that the upper portion of the outer clothing, which is, in a certain way a decoration of the heart, is made up of different virtues. The violet is woven together with the purple to signify royalty joined with a pure life. Scarlet is woven into the linen because the bright and spotless quality of life in some fashion mixes with the red of modesty. God who gives brightness to these colors prefigures the treasure in store for such a life. The patriarchs which are engraved on the shoulders assist greatly in our ornamentation, since a man’s life is ornamented by previous examples of virtuous men.

In addition, on the top of these elegant cloths there is another ornament. It is a small gold ornament like a shield which hangs down from each of pieces on the shoulder and holds an gold object with four-cornered which is brightened by twelve stones set in rows. There were four rows, with each one set with three stones. No row was the same, but each was adorned with its own brilliance.

This was the outer appearance of the adornments and its meaning is this: The shield-like adornments which hang down from either shoulder symbolize the double nature of our armor against the Adversary. So, as I described a moment ago, because the life of virtue is lived in a double way, by faith and a good conscience in life, the shields protect both. We continue unharmed by the darts of the enemy, being equipped with the armaments of righteousness on the right and left.

The ornament with four-corners which hangs from the shield-like ornaments and which also had on it stones engraved with the names of the patriarchs of the tribes which guard the heart. Scripture tells us with these figures that the one who wards off the evil bowman with these two shield will furnish is soul with all the good things of the patriarch, because each stone is illuminated by it own radiance on the virtuous cloth. May the four-cornered figure show you the firmness of what is good. Such a form is hard to alter, since it is held together by each of the four corners.

The straps of these adornments are fastened to the arms which seems to give an instruction for the more lofty life, which is that pragmatic philosophy should be merged with meditative philosophy. Thus the heart is a symbol of the meditative, while the arms of deeds.

The head is decorated with the diadem which denotes the crown which is reserved for those who have lived virtuously. It is adorned with the engraving of the inexpressible letters in a leaf of gold. Whosoever has put on such a ornament wears no sandals so he will not be constrained when running and impeded by the dead skin coverings, which agrees with the insight gained by our meditation on the mountain. But how is the sandal able to be an ornament for the foot when it is thrown off at the start as being a hindrance for an ascent?

The Stone Tablets

The one who has come this far by the ascents which we have meditated on bears in his hand the tablets, which are written by God and hold the divine Law. But these are shattered and broken by the tough opposition of sinners. Their sin was that they created an idol of the calf for their worship. The image was destroyed by Moses and mingled with water, and was drunk by those who had transgressed so that the matter which served the impiety of men was brought to ruin.

The chronicle foretells what has happened in our own time. The mistake of idol worship completely vanished from life, and was drunk down by holy mouths, which by means of a good confession bring the ruin of the matter of impiety. The mysteries confirmed long ago by idol worshipers became running water, a liquid, a water gulped down by the mouths of those who were once idol crazy. When you observe those who had previous crouched underneath such vain practices now bringing to ruin those things in which they had relied on, does the chronicle then not seem to you to yell out that every idol will be swallowed by the mouths of those who have abandon their errors for the genuine religion.

Moses equipped the Levites in opposition to their countrymen. And they killed without questioning, crossing the camp from one side to the other, their swords seeking out their own victims. Death was brought upon everyone they encountered, without prejudice. There was no distinguishing between friend and foe, foreigner and neighbor, family member and stranger. There was one thrust for all. With the same strength of the hand they pierced all they fell upon.

This report gives the following lesson. Since the Israelistes as a whole consented to be wicked, and the entire camp as if one man partook of it, so then they were all, without discrimination flogged. This is the same as one chastising a person caught in a wicked act by flogging him. Any portion of the body he hits, he rips to shreds with the whip, understanding that the harm inflicted on that one section goes through the entire body. The selfsame thing occurs when the entire body which is joined in evil is punished. The flogging on a portion disciplines the whole.

Therefore if at any point someone sees the same wickedness in many, but the anger of God is borne not by everyone but only a few, it is proper that one see the chastisement as given by a love for mankind. Although not everyone is hit, the strikes on some teach all to stop their wickedness. This understanding still bears on the literal record, but the spiritual understanding would benefit us in the subsequent form. The giver-of-the-law says in an announcement to all. If anyone is on the side of the Lord may he join me. This is an ordinance for all, “If anyone desires to be a friend of God, may he be a friend of me. Because the friend of the Law is truly God’s friend. And he orders those collected near him with a charge to use the sword upon his brother, friend or neighbor.

We see in the order of the meditation that all who look to God and the law are cleansed by the destruction of their wicked habits. Because not all are given the appellation brother, friend or neighbor, in the righteous sense by Scripture. It can happen that one is both a brother and a stranger, a friend and a foe, a neighbor and an adversary. These we see as our inner thoughts, whose life results in our death and whose death results in our life.

This understanding is in agreement with our previous study of Aaron, when in his encounter with Moses we saw the angel as an friend and aide who helped with the wonders against the Egyptians. He is well perceived as being older, since the angel-like and incorporeal nature was formed prior to our nature, but he is certainly a brother in regard to his mind being of a similar nature to ours.

So even though there is a contradiction, for how could one in a good sense understand Moses’ encounter with Aaron who would later become the servant of Israel in building an idol, still in a restricted sense, Scripture gives a clue of the two meanings of a brother. Because the same word does not always imply the same thing but may have opposing meanings. In one sense the one slaying the Egyptian ruler is a brother, but in another it is the one creating the idol for Israel. But the same appellation is for both.

Upon such brothers, Moses brings the sword, because he strictly sets for himself the same things that he requires of others. One slays this type of brother by killing sin, because all who kill some evil that the Adversary has planted in him destroys within himself the one who abides in sin.

The doctrine on this point may be more fully understood if we bear more details of the account to our reflection. It says that at the order of Aaron they removed their earrings. This provided the physical material for the idol. What should be said about this? Moses decorated the ears of the Israelites with a decoration for their ears, that is, the Law. However the fake brother by disobedience takes off the decoration from his ear and creates and idol out of it.

Upon the first entering of sin the counsel to disobey the law removed the earrings. The serpent was seen as a friend and neighbor by the first men when he counseled them that it would be helpful and advantageous for them if they broke the commandment of God. That is, if they took off from their ears the earring of the Law. So he who slays these types of brothers, friends and neighbors will hear in the Law, the statement which the chronicle says Moses declared to those who slew them, “You have gained today the right to be priests of God. However it comes at the expense of a son or a brother. Therefore, today he gives you a blessing.”

I believe it is the time to bring our attention to those who have given themselves up to sin. We should then discover how the tablets engraved by the finger of God with the holy Law, which were cast from the hand of Moses to the earth and were shattered on impact, were again recreated by Moses. The tablets were not exactly identical, save what was written on them. Having formed the tablets from the earth, Moses gave them to the power of the one who would engrave his Law on them. In this manner, while he bore the Law in letters engraved in stone, he revived grace just as God had printed such words on the stone.

It may be possible, as we follow these events, to have some understanding of God’s care and concern for us. Because if the holy Apostle spoke the truth when he referred to the tablets as hearts, which are, the first part of the soul. For certainly he who through the Spirit attains the profundity of God speaks the truth. So then, we can learn from this that human nature was, at the start, wholly sound and immortal.

Because human nature was created by the hands of God and was adorned with the inscribed letters of the Law. The purpose of the Law was to turn our nature away from evil and toward glorifying God.

When the sound of sin hit our ears, that voice which Genesis calls, the voice of the serpent, but which the account about the tablets refers to as “the voice of drunken singing,” the tablets were cast to the ground and broken. However the true giver-of-the-law, of whom Moses was a form, fashioned the tablets of human nature for himself from our ground. It was not marriage which made his “God-receiving” flesh, but rather he became a cutter of stone of his flesh, which was engraved by the finger of God, because the Holy Spirit lighted upon the virgin and she was overshadowed by the power from the Most High. When this happened, our fallen nature recovered its soundness, becoming immortal by the words written with his finger. The Holy Spirit is referred to as a finger in numerous parts of Scripture.

Moses was altered to be so glorious that the mortal eye could not look upon him. Surely the one has been taught the holy mysteries of our faith understands how meditation on the spiritual meaning is in agreement with the literal record. Because when the one who restores our fallen nature (you doubtlessly see in him the one who healed our fallen nature) had recovered the shattered tablets of our nature to their former beauty by the finger of God, as I stated, the eyes of the disgraceful could no longer see him. In his exceeding glory he becomes unavailable to those who desired to gaze upon him.

As the Gospel says, when he will come in his glory accompanied by all his angels, he is hardly visible even to the righteous. The one who is impious and goes after the heresy of Judaizing does not partake in that vision. Let the impious one be taken away, says Isaiah, he will not look upon the glory of God.

Everlasting Progress

By following these things in the course of our study we are brought to a more profound understanding by meditating on this scripture. Let us come back to the main issue. How is it that someone who Scripture claims saw God plainly in such a divine appearance, face to face, as a man talks with his friend, should then demand that God show Himself to him, as if he who is always manifest had not yet been observed, as if Moses had not achieved what Scripture witnesses he had achieved?

The voice from heaven now concedes to the petition of the one asking and does not reject this further grace. But again He brings him to a depressed state because He agrees that what the one entreating Him asks for cannot be achieved by a human. Nevertheless, God says there is place close to Himself by a rock containing a hole into which he bids Moses enter. Then God, putting his hand over the hole, calls to Moses as he goes by. When Moses was called, he left the hole and saw the back the One summoning him. In this manner he believed he observed what he was after, and what was promised by the voice of God was not false.

If these matters are examined literally, not only will the mind of those who seek after God be obscure, but their understanding of him will be lacking. The front and back refer only to those things which have a form. But all forms are limited. So he who imagines God in some form does not understand he does not have a body. Every body is complex, and that which is complex exists through the joining of its various parts. None would claim that what is complex cannot be broken down. But what breaks down cannot be incorruptible, because corruption is the dissolution of what is complex.

If one should imagine God’s back in a literal manner, he will be led to a foolish conclusion. Because front and back are in respect to form, and form is in regard to a body. A body by definition will be dissolved, because all things that are complex can be decomposed. However that which is being dissolved is not incorruptible, so he who is confined to the letter would thus suppose the Divine to be corruptible. But of course God is not corruptible, and does not have a bodily form.

But what meaning other than the literal one fits this account? If this account forces us to seek out another meaning, it is surely fitting to understand the entire thing in such a manner. Whatever we understand in part, we must understand as true for all, since the whole is made up of its elements. Therefore the location where God is present, the rock, the hole, Moses’ entrance, the placement of God’s hand over the hole, the passing by and the calling and after this the sight of the back, all this would be more appropriately pondered on for its spiritual meaning.

But what then is being indicated? Any body that is given an initial push downward, will move down by itself with greater velocity without any further help so long as the ground on which it moves is on steady slope and no resistance to its downward movement is encountered. So also the soul moves in the opposite direction. Once it is free from its attachments to the earth, it becomes light and nimble for its upward movement, flying up to the heights.

If there is nothing above which comes to impeded its upward movement, because the nature of goodness is that it attracts to itself those who seek it out, the soul is lifted higher and will always make its flight still higher by its yearning for the things of heaven pushing ahead for what is coming, as the Apostle states.

Created to yearn for and not to leave the transcendent heights by the things already accomplished, it moves upward without stopping, with its previous attainments renewing its desire for the flight. Actions set upon virtue causes its ability to grow through effort. This type of action alone does not lessen its intensity by the effort, but augments it.

On account of this we also say that the excellent Moses, as he was becoming even greater, at no point ceased his ascent, nor did he put a limit on himself in his upward climb. Once he put his foot on the ladder which God had placed for him, as Jacob relates, he ceaselessly ascended each step, because he always discovered a step higher than the one he had achieved.

He rejected the false kinship with the Egyptian queen.

The Hebrew he avenged.

He selected the life in the wilderness where no person would trouble him.

By himself he kept a flock of domesticated animals.

He observed the brilliant light.

Having removed his sandals, he approached the light unhindered.

He led his countrymen and kinsfolk to liberty.

He watched the enemy drowned in the sea.

He created camps below the cloud.

He quenched their thirst with the rock.

He brought about bread from heaven.

By extending his hands, he triumphed over the foreigners.

He heard the sound of the trumpet.

He went into the darkness.

He entered the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle made without hands.

He was instructed about the secrets of the holy priesthood.

He brought the idol to ruin.

He entreated God.

He restored the law which was brought to ruin by the wickedness of the Jews.

He radiated with glory.

And even though he was exalted by such lofty accomplishments, he is still hungry for more. He continued to thirst for that with which he regularly filled himself and which he sought to obtain as if he had never partaken, entreating God to reveal himself to him, beyond his ability to partake, but in accord with God’s true essence.

This sort of experience I believe to belong to a soul which truly loves that which is beautiful. Hope continually pulls the soul from the excellence which is visible to what is beyond, always igniting a longing for the secret by what is readily seen. So the true lover of excellence, although obtaining what is always manifest as an image of what he yearns for, yet still yearns to be filled with the very likeness of the archetype.

And the bold demand which ascends the mountain of desire seeks this: to enjoy the beauty not from a mirror or reflection, but face to face.

This request was granted by the divine voice in what was denied, demonstrating with a few words a profound depth of intellect. The excellence of God agreed to his desire, but gave no promise for such a desire ceasing.

He would never have revealed himself to his servant if the vision were to quench his desire, since the true sight of God is this: that the one who gazes up to God never stops yearning. Because he states, “You cannot behold my face, for man is unable to behold me and live.”

Scripture does not suggest that this results in the death of those who look, for how could the face of life itself bring about death for those who draw near? Rather, the divine by its very essence gives life. For the property of the holy nature is to transcend all properties. So, he who supposes that God is to be fully known does not yet have life, since he has turned away from the true essence to what he supposes by sense perception to have its existence.

True existence is true life. This existence cannot be attained by knowledge. So, if the life-giving nature transcends understanding, that which is seen surely is not life. It cannot be the nature of what is not life to be that which brings about life. So what Moses desired was satisfied by the things which left his yearning unsatiated.

He is instructed from what was related that God is unbounded, infinite. If God is seen as bound, one must consider the boundary and then what is beyond it. Because that which is bound stops at some point, just as air is the boundary of all that flies and the water for all that dwell in it. So a fish is encompassed by water, and a bird by the air. The boundaries which encircle birds and fish are clear. The water bounds what swims and the air what flies. God in the same manner, if he is thought to be bound, would by necessity be encircled by something of a different nature. It stands to reason that what bounds is larger than what is bounded.

Now, all agree that God is good by nature. That which is different from Goodness is something which is not good. What is beyond Goodness is thought to be evil. But it was demonstrated that what bounds is larger than what is bound. So it surely follows that those who consider God as bound conclude that he is bound by evil.

But since what is bound is surely less than what bounds, it must be that the more powerful triumphs. But then he who bounds God by any limit decrees that goodness is governed by the opposite. But this is not possible. So no thought will be afforded to such a bound for an infinite being. That which is unbound is not readily understood. However every longing for Goodness which is enticed by that ascent regularly expands as one advancing on to Goodness.

In truth this is the vision of God: not to be satisfied in yearning to behold him. One should always, by gazing upon what he is able to see, reignite his longing to behold more. For no bound would hinder an increase in the ascent toward God, because no bound for Goodness can be discovered, nor is the increase of longing for Goodness brought to a conclusion because it has been satisfied.

But what is that place which is perceived as being beside God? What is that rock? Again, what is the hole? What is God’s hand covering the hole? What is that passing by of God? What is God’s back which He promised to Moses when he requested to see him face to face?

Of course all these things must be very important and worthy of the generosity of the divine giver. Therefore we trust that this promise is better and higher than every theophany which had formerly been given to his servant. How should one then, from what was previous stated, understand this lofty height which Moses wants to reach after his former ascents and to which he who brings all things to their goodness, cooperating with those who love God, and who eases the ascent by his leadership? He says, “Here, beside me, is the place.”

This reasoning agrees readily with what was considered earlier. When speaking of a place he does not restrict the place implying something which is measured, for there is no measurement possible. Instead, by using an analogy to a measurable surface he brings the listener to the infinite. The text seems to imply such an understanding: “Moses your longing for what is still coming has grown and you have not been satisfied in your advancement and while you do not see any end to Goodness, your desire always seeks for more. The space to be with me is so vast that the one running in it never stops progressing.”

In a different passage of Scripture the advancement is a standing still, because it says, “You should stand upon the rock.” This is the greatest thing of all, that the same thing is both standing still and moving. Because he who ascends surely does not remain still, and the one who stands still does not ascend. But here the ascent happens by means of standing. By this I mean that the more steadfast and immovable one resides in Goodness, the more he advances in the path of virtue. The one who in his mind is unstable, is likely to trip up because he has no steadfast footing in Goodness but is thrown one direction and then the other, carried away, as the Apostle states being doubtful and wavering in his beliefs about the nature of things. Such a one will never achieve the peak of virtue.

He is as those who labor without end as they try to climb up through sand. Even though they use long strides, their footing in the sand makes them slip downwards. As a result there is much activity and no advancement. However if someone, as the Psalmist states, pulls up his feet from the mire of the ditch and sets them on the rock, which is Christ, the one perfect in virtue, then the more firm and immovable, according to Paul, he is in Goodness, the more quickly he finishes the race. It is as if using stillness as if it were a wing while his heart ascends by its steadfastness in what is good.

So, he who revealed to Moses the place encourages him on his way. When he vowed that he would set him on the rock, he displayed to him the nature of the divine race. The opening in the rock which Scriptures refers to as a hole, the holy Apostle interprets as the heavenly houses made without hands which is laid up in hope for those who have dissipated their earthly tabernacle.

For, as the Apostle says, the one who has run the course in that broad and spacious stadium, which the holy voice calls “a place,” and has kept the faith and, as the expression states, has kept his feet on the rock, such a one will be given the crown of righteousness from the hand of the judge of the contest. This reward is expressed in a number of different ways by Scripture. Because the same thing which is called a hole in the rock is elsewhere called: the pleasure of paradise, timeless tabernacle, house with the Father, bosom of the patriarch, land of the living, column of strength, comfort on a table, assemblies of God, throne of judgment, place of name, and secret tabernacle.

So we declare that the entrance of Moses into the rock has the same importance as these titles. Because Christ is known by Paul as the rock, all hope of righteousness is entrusted to Christ. We have discovered that all the treasures of good things are in Him. He who discovers any good thing discovers it in Christ who encompasses all that is good.

The one who has achieved this and has been overshadowed by God’s hand. Because Scripture has promised (for God’s hand would be the creative power of what is, the only begotten God, by whom everything was made, who is also a place for those who are running, who is, using His own words, “the way”, and the “rock” to those who have a good foundation and a “house” to those who need repose) that he will hear the One who calls and will see the back of Him who calls, which means he will follow after God, as the Law directs.

When the excellent David listened and understood this, he said to one who lives in the shelter of the Highest, “He will overshadow with his shoulders, which is the same thing as being behind God, because the shoulder is part of the back of the body. About himself David declares, “My soul clings close behind you, and your right hand upholds me.” See how the Psalms are in agreement with the chronicle. Because as says one, “the right hand assists the person who has bound himself to be close behind God,” so also the other says, “the hand touches the one who waits in the rock for the holy voice and prays that he might trail behind.”

However when the Lord who related these things to Moses came to fulfill His law, he, in a similar manner gave a plain description to His disciples, laying before them the meaning of what had formerly been said in a figure when He declared, “If anyone wishes to follow me,” and not “If anyone will go before me.” And to the one seeking eternal life he puts forth the same thing, saying, “Come, follow me.” Now, the one who follows beholds the back.

Therefore Moses, who desires to see God, is now instructed how he can see Him. He must follow God wherever he leads. The passing by is a sign of him leading the one who follows, for one who does not know the way will not be able to finish his travels safely by any other means than by following behind his leader. The one who leads, by his leadership shows the path to the one following him. The one who follows will not turn from the straight path if he always keeps the back of his guide before him. Because he who shifts to one side or comes to face his leader goes astray on different path from the one his leader shows him. So he says to the one who is being led, My face is not to be looked upon, which is, “Do not face your leader.” If he does this, his path will surely be in the opposite direction, for goodness does not look goodness in the face, but rather follows after it.

What is seen to be the opposite is face to face with the good, for that which looks in the face of virtue is evil. However virtue is not seen in contrast to virtue. So Moses does not look upon God’s face, but rather his back. Whoever looks at Him face to face will not live, as the voice of God testifies. Man is unable to see the face of God and live.

You perceive how excellent it is to learn how to follow after God and those high ascents, with fearful and glorious theophanies close to the conclusion of his life. The one who knows how to follow after God hardly thinks himself worthy of this grace. No longer will any offense which happens because of evil overcome the one who in this way follows after God.

Moses Being Envied

After these things happened, his brothers envy rose up against him. Envy is a passionate cause of evil, a father of death, the first gateway for sin, the root of vice, the birth-giver of despondency, the mother of disaster, the foundation of disobedience, the start of shame. Envy casts us out of Paradise, having become a snake opposed to Eve. Envy barred us from the tree of life, stripped us of holy clothing, and, in an embarrassed state, led us away robed only with fig leaves.

Envy equipped Cain against nature and brought about death, seven times vindicated. Envy turned Joseph into a slave. Envy is the sting of death, the concealed weapon, the illness of nature, the bitter venom, the atrophy of self, the harsh dart, the soul’s nail, a fire in the heart, and a fire burning within.

For envy, it not one’s own misfortune that is unfortunate, but another’s good luck. Again, conversely, achievement is not the good fortune of one’s self but rather the ill-fortune of a neighbor. Envy laments the good works of men and profits from their ill-fortunes. It has been said that the vultures which consume corpses are brought to ruin by perfume. Their nature is similar to the vile and corrupt. Anyone under the authority of this illness is distraught at the joy of his neighbors as if by putting on some perfume, but if he should observe any bad experience he jumps to it and directs his warped beak to it, and pulls out the secret tragedy.

Envy battled against many who were living before the time of Moses. However when it assaulted this excellent man, it was shattered like a earthenware vessel cast upon a rock. By this, in particular, was shown the advancement which Moses made in his trek with God. He ran in the divine place, and took a stand on the rock, was held back at its opening which was covered over with the hand of God, and he followed his guide, not looking in his face, but rather at his back.

The fact that he appeared more lofty than the bow that is able to shoot demonstrates that he had become truly blessed by following God. Because envy sent an arrow against Moses. But it did not reach Moses’ lofty height. The string of the bow of wickedness was too slack to cast the passion far enough to reach Moses from those who were formerly sick. However Aaron and Miriam were struck by the passion of its wicked power and became as a bow of envy, casting words at him instead of arrows.

Moses held back from being involved in their illness to such a degree that he even tried to help the condition of those who had become sick. In addition to not defending himself against those who caused him such grief he also entreated God to have mercy on them. He demonstrated by what he did, I believe, that the one who is well protected with the armor of virtue will not be easily pierced by the tips of arrows.

He deadens the spear, and his armor repels them. The armor that guards against such arrows is God himself, whom the virtuous warrior dons. Because Scripture says, let your armor be the Lord Jesus, which is to say, the armor which cannot be breached. Being protected as such, Moses made the wicked archer useless.

He did not hurry to protect himself against those who made him grieve, even though the impartial judgment had condemned them and he understood that it was the right course, he still entreated God on their behalf. He would never have done this had he not followed behind God, who had revealed to him his back as a reliable guide to virtue.

Joshua and the Scouts

Let us continue. When man’s natural enemy found no opportunity to hurt Moses, he set the struggle against those were were weaker. He cast the passion of gluttony at the people like an arrow, causing them to yearn for the meats of Egypt over the bread from heaven.

However Moses lifted up his soul and flew above such passion. He was completely devoted to the forthcoming inheritance which had been pledged by God to those who had left Egypt in a spiritual sense, and traveled to the land flowing with milk and honey. For this cause he ordained scouts to be educators of the wonders of that land.

The scouts, I believe, are those who provide a hope of better things, which are the thoughts proceeding from faith which affirm the hope of the good things waiting for us. By contrast the thoughts belonging to the adversary would be those which dismiss hopes for better things and dull the faith of those reports. Moses did not trust any account from the opponents, but rather only accepted the one who gave the good account of the land.

Joshua was the leader of the good mission and by his own confirmation made the the account reliable. When Moses looked upon him, he had a steadfast hope for the future, receiving evidence of the abundance of the land by the grapes which Joshua brought back on rods. When you hear Joshua speak of the land and about the cluster of grapes dangling on the rod, you see why he is firm in his hope.

What is the cluster of of grapes hanging from the rod but the cluster which hung on the wood in the final days, through whose blood believers have their saving drink? Moses told us about this beforehand in a figure when he said, “They drank from the blood of the grape.” By this he means the salvific passion.

The Bronze Serpent

Yet again the way led them through the desert. And there the multitudes lost their hope for better things which were promised them and they thirsted. But again Moses made the water to flow in desert. When this is examined spiritually the narrative instructs us concerning the the mystery of repentance. Those who turn to the belly, that is to the flesh, and to the pleasures of Egypt, having tasted the rock, are punished by being barred from enjoying good things.

However through repentance they can rediscover the rock which they forsook, opening for themselves a spring of water to again have their fill. The rock brought forth water for Moses who trusted that Joshua’s report was more reliable than his adversaries. Moses who looked upon the cluster of grapes which on our account was hung and shed blood. And Moses, who, by means of the wood, caused the water to come forth again from the rock.

However the multitudes did not yet understand the excellence of Moses. They were still attracted by the slavish passions and were disposed to the pleasures of Egypt. History demonstrates through this that human nature is particularly attracted to this passion, being led to this illness through a thousand different paths.

As a doctor through his treatment hinders an illness from dominating the body, so also Moses does not allow this illness to be mortal. Their undisciplined passions made snakes which inserted lethal venom into whomever they bit. But the most excellent lawgiver made the true snakes ineffective through the image of the serpent.

This is an appropriate time to explain this image. All these wicked passions have a single antidote, which is, the cleansing of our souls through the mystery of piety. The primary work of faith in the “mystery” is to behold him who endured the passion on our account. The passion is the cross, so that anyone who beholds it, as Scriptures says, is not hurt by the venom of desire.

To look upon the cross means to mortify one’s entire life and crucify it to the world, and to be unaffected by wickedness. Indeed it is as the prophet declares, “They nailed down their flesh with the fear of God.” The nail is self-control that grips the flesh.

This figure is a likeness of a serpent and not a serpent itself, as the great Paul himself says, in the likeness of sinful flesh. Sin is the true serpent, and the one who leaves to take up sin takes on the form of the snake.

But man becomes free from sin through Him who took the form of sin and became similar to us who had taken the nature of the serpent.

He stops the bites from resulting in death. However the beasts themselves are not killed. The word “beasts” here means desires. For even though the evil of death which comes after sin does not overcome those who look upon the cross, the passion of the flesh over the spirit has not fully ceased.

For the yearnings of desire are often active even among the faithful. But, the one who gazes upon the One raised up on the wood disdains passion, watering down the venom with the fear of the law as if by a drug. The Lord’s voice plainly teaches that the serpent raised in the desert is a symbol of the cross’ mystery when he says, “The Son of Man must be raised up, just as Moses raised the serpent in the wilderness.”

The True Priesthood

Again sin progressed in a set of evil steps, as is customary, advancing regularly in an evil progression. But the lawgiver, as a doctor, provides the most appropriate medicine to treat the illness. When the bites of the snakes became ineffective against those looking at the image of the serpent, you surely see the image by what has been said, another scheme was hatched by the one who with a diversity of wiles plots against us.

One is able even today to see these things occurring. Because when certain people chastise the passion of desire by abiding in a self-disciplined life, they push themselves into the priesthood, and with human enthusiasm and self-seeking ambition they take over for themselves the ministry of God. The one whom the chronicle blames for creating evil among men guides them to the ensuing sin.

When those who were filled with passion trusted the one raised up on the wood the earth ceased bringing forth snakes to attack them, but then they considered themselves to be superior to the snake bites.

So it is when lustful desire departs, that the sickness of pride takes its place. Deciding to maintain their allotted place was too low a thing, they cast themselves into the glory of the priesthood and forcefully push out those who had received this ministry from God. These were devoured by the gaping chasm and were brought to ruin. Everyone left on the earth were burned by lightning into ashes.

I believe, as Scripture instructions through history, that when one pridefully exalts himself he finishes by falling down, even as far as under the earth. And so, if seen by these events, pride might not irrationally be called a descent.

Be not amazed if the prevailing opinion is the opposite. People believe that the word pride means being above others. But this account affirms our definition. Because if those who exalt themselves above others in some sense go down, just as the earth opens a gorge for them, none should disagree that pride means a terrible fall.

Moses taught those who observe this to be self-controlled and not to be prideful by their correct behavior but always to maintain a good temperament in the present. Conquering one’s desires does not imply being no longer apt to be caught by another type of passion, because every passion is a fall. The different types of passions does not mean different types of falls. The one who slid on a slippery passion has fallen, just as the one who was tripped up by pride. The wise man should desire no type of fall, but rather all falls should likewise be avoided, so long as it is a fall.

Thus, if you should see someone cleansing himself to some measure from the sickness of luxury, and with great enthusiasm thinking himself greater than others, and thus pushes himself into the priesthood, understand that this man is falling to earth by his exalted pride. Because those things that come after the Law instruct us that the priesthood is a matter of the divine and not from man. It demonstrates this in the following way.

Once he marked the staffs which he obtained from each tribe using the names of those who gave them, Moses put them on the altar. The consequence was the one staff became a witness to a heavenly ordination, because it differed from the other ones by a miracle of God. This is what occurred: The staffs of the other ones stayed in their same state, but the staff of the priest suddenly took root of its own accord, not with any extra water, but by the power which was put in it by God, and it produced branches and fruit, and the fruit became ripe. And the fruit it yielded was a nut.

By this occurrence the multitude were taught about discipline. From the fruit that Aaron’s staff made it is proper to see the type of life that must identify the priesthood. That is, a life which is self-controlled, rough and dry in form, but hidden within it is that which is edible. This becomes manifest when the fruit becomes ripe and the tough shell is pulled off and the woody cover of the fruit is stripped off.

If you should find the livelihood of the priesthood we are relating to be like fruit, fragrant and red, like the lives of many who are furnished with linen and purple and who enlarge themselves at elegant tables and who drink pure wine and sprinkle themselves with the best quality myrrh and who use whatsoever seems good to those who enjoy a life of luxury, then it would be good for you to ponder these words from the Gospel, “When I look upon your fruit, I do not see a priestly tree.” The priesthood has one type of fruit and this type of life a different one. Self-control is the fruit of one type and indulgence the type of the other. The priesthood bears fruit which does not ripen from earthly water, but rather this type of fruit has rivers filled with pleasure which flow beneath by which the fruit of life ripens.

The Regal Road

When the multitudes are cleansed of this passion, then they are able to cross over, away from the foreign life. For the Law guides them on the regal road, and so they are not misled. But for a traveler it is easy to turn aside. Consider two cliffs that form a constricted way. From the middle the person crossing over deviates at his risk in either direction because the gorge on each side engulfs the one who deviates. In the same manner the one who keeps in step with the Law is not allowed to depart to the left or right from the way, which the Lord tells us, is narrow and difficult.

This instruction shows that virtue is found in the medium. For all wickedness functions with a lack of, or a surplus of virtue. In the instance of courage, being cowardly is the want of virtue and recklessness is its excess. The pure way of virtue is seen to lie between these two evils. In the same manner that all things which work for better things also in away take the middle road between evils.

Wisdom claims to be between cleverness and simplicity. For neither the cleverness of the serpent nor the simpleness of the dove is to be exalted, if one would select either alone. Instead it is the inclination to the middle which joins these two that is true virtue. As the Apostle tells us, the one who does not have moderation is dissolute, and one exceeding moderation has his conscience seared. The one has given himself over to pleasure without restraint, and the other, as if in adultery, corrupts marriage. The inclination perceived in the middle, in between these two is temperance. Because as the Lord states, this world resides in evil, and all things in opposition to good, that is, wickedness, are alien to those who pursue the Law. The man who during his life makes his path through this world will securely finish this necessary trip of virtue if he sincerely stays on the road which is made hard and smooth by means of virtue, and will in no way be turned off the path by any bypass on account of wickedness.

Balaam and Moab’s Daughters

As stated earlier, the attacks of the Adversary accompany the upward climb of virtue and look for occasions to move one to evil. As one advances in a pious life, the Adversary makes his attack with the skill of an expert in warfare. These later ones, when the see that their foe has more power than them in open war, use an ambush. In the same manner the general of evil ceases to war in the open against those strengthened by virtue and the law, and instead he preforms his attack in secret setting ambushes for them.

He uses sorcery as his aide in such attacks. The chronicle tells us this sorcery was present in a magician who derived his power from demons and used it against enemies, and he was paid by the king of the Midianites to curse those who live for God, but that the curse became a blessing. We see through the order of events and the things formerly described, that sorcery is useless against those who live virtuous lives. For those who are protected by God’s help triumph in all struggles.

The chronicle bears record to his sorcery when it says he had divining powers and took guidance from birds of the air. Prior to this it claims that he was instructed about his current work when the donkey spoke to him. This was normal since he usually took counsel from the voices of senseless beasts under the authority of demons. Scripture plainly relates the donkey talking. It demonstrates that those who had formerly been overcome by the guile of demons have arrived at a point that, rather than reasoning, they receive the instruction which comes by paying attention to the sound of senseless beasts, for he was instructed by those things which had previously deceived him and learned that the authority of those against whom he was employed was invincible.

Also, in the account of the Gospel, the Legion of demons was prepared to resist the power of the Lord. When the one who has authority over everything approached, the Legion bowed to his superior authority and did not conceal the truth that he was divine and at the proper time would punish those who have done wrong. Because the voice of the demons told Him, “We know who you are, the Holy One of God. And that You have come here to torture us before the appointed time.” The same matter occurred before when the demonic power, which was the sorcery, instructed Balaam that God’s people are indestructible.

Clearly the chronicle agrees with our previous study. So we concluded that whoever desires to call down a curse upon those who dwell in virtue can bring about no hurtful noise, but rather that such a curse will become a blessing. What we are saying is this: A rebuke will not touch those who live upright lives.

Because how is the man who lacks any material possessions able to be rebuked for coveting? How can one go about preaching about recklessness to the one who dwells in a secluded mode of life? Or concerning wrath to a mild mannered man? Or about pleasures to the man of self-controlled habits? Or about any other reprehensible thing to those who are famous for the opposite? Their aim is to show forth their life spotless, so that, as the Apostle tell us, “any adversary will have no charge to lay against us.” The voice of the one having been summoned to impart a curse will say, “How will I curse him in whom God does not curse?” Or again, “How will I rebuke the one who gives no room for a charge, and whose mode of life is impregnable to wickedness since he looks to God?”

When the doer of wickedness failed at this, he still did not cease plotting against those he was attacking. But taking refuge in his craftiness which is his characteristic, he, by means of pleasure drew nature to wickedness. For indeed, pleasure is the bait of wickedness. When it is cast out lightly, it pulls in souls caught up in gluttony to the fish hook of death. Particularly by means of wanton pleasure nature, when it is not prepared, is easily taken to wickedness. This is truly what happened at that time.

For the ones who overcame the weapons of the enemy, who showed that every attack with iron weapons was weaker than their own abilities, and who through their power turned back their enemies troops were themselves wounded by luxury’s feminine arrows. Those who are more powerful than men were overcome by women. When the woman appears, showing her beauty rather than weapons, they forget their human strength and squander their power in luxurious pleasure.

It was predictable that some of them would be overcome with desire for forbidden relations with foreigners. But close association with wickedness meant distancing themselves from the aid of the God, and straightaway God started to battle with them. But the zealous Phineas did not delay in taking away a sin through a heavenly judgment. In this way he became both judge and jury.

Having been stirred to anger upon men who were filled with lust, he performed the work of a priest by cleansing the sin with blood. But not the blood of an innocent animal which had no role in the wickedness, but rather the blood of those who had linked themselves with each other in wickedness. The spear which was thrust through the two bodies together, halted the divine vengeance, combining pleasure with the destruction of the sinners.

The chronicle, I believe, provides some beneficial counsel to men. It instructs us that of the diverse passions which attack the thinking of men there is none so powerful as the sickness of luxurious pleasure. The Israelites, who were clearly more powerful than the cavalry of the Egyptians and had overcome the Amalekites and had demonstrated themselves to be fearful to the next country and had destroyed the armies of the Midianites, were trapped by this illness the moment they beheld the foreign women. This only demonstrates, as I have related, that luxury is an enemy of ours that is difficult to fight and triumph over.

Pleasure, by her mere appearance, overcame those who had not been conquered by arms, and she lifted up a trophy of dishonor upon them holding them up to public shame. Pleasure demonstrated that she turns men into animals. The senseless brutish desire for dissipation made them neglect their human form. They did not conceal their wantonness but rather clothed themselves with the disgrace of passion and adorned themselves with shame as they publicly rolled like in the mud of uncleanness like pigs.

But what do we learn by this report? We learn what great strength the sickness of luxurious pleasure holds for wickedness. Therefore we should live our lives as far from it as we are able. Because otherwise the illness may discover some opening against us, just as a fire whose closeness results in an wicked flame. Solomon imparts this same Wisdom when he states that one should never walk on hot coals with naked feet or conceal fire in his bosom. So too it is within our authority to be unmoved by passion if we keep distance from the matters which kindle fire. If we draw so near as to step on this fiery heat, the flames of desire will scorch our chest and thus our feet and our chest will be burned.

So that we keep far away from such wickedness, the Lord’s voice in the Gospel strikes at the very root of this evil, which is a craving that comes from sight, when he instructs us that the one who receives passion by looking gives an opportunity for the harmful illness. Because the vices of the passions, like a scourge, when they have a foothold in the important members, will only cease at death.

Making the Perfect Servant

I believe there is no need to lengthen this discourse by offering to the reader the entire life of Moses as a paradigm of a virtuous life. Because anyone striving for the loftier life from what has been said will be well supplied with wisdom. To all who show weakness in laboring for virtue there will be no benefit even if many more matters were written than what has already been described.

Still, may we not neglect our definition from the preface. There we claimed that the perfect life was of such a manner that no account of its perfection could slow its advancement. The endless progress of life to what is better is the way that the soul moves to perfection. It would be good to move our discussion to the conclusion of the life of Moses, to demonstrate the surety of the definition of perfection which we have put forth.

Because the one who raises his life above the things of the earth by such ascents never ceases to become higher than he was. That is, I suppose, until as an eagle, all matters of his life are seen from above as the clouds swirling around the air of the spiritual ascent.

When he was born, those in Egypt thought a Hebrew birth was an offense. When the despot, governing at that time, used his law to destroy every male child, Moses overcame the murderous law with help from his parents and then later by the very ones who created the law. And those who wanted him dead by the law instead afforded great concern not only for his life but also for his education, showing the young boy all types of wisdom.

Following this he stood high above the honor of men and royalty, believing it to be powerful and regal to keep guard over virtue and to be adorned with its ornaments rather than be a spearman and be clothed in regal garments.

Next he vanquished his kinsman and slew the Egyptian. In this we observe spiritually both the friend and the foe of the soul. Then he made his solitude the instructor of higher doctrines, and in this manner his mind was enlightened by the light which came from the bush. He hastened to share with his race the wonderful things which he received from God.

At that time he showed his strength both by fighting off his adversaries with clever strikes, one after the other, and also by acting righteously on behalf of his people. He guided, on foot, his countrymen through the sea without using a navy of ships. Rather he used their faith as a ship to traverse the sea. He made the ocean floor dry land for his people and then the dry land he made an ocean to the Egyptians.

He sang the song of triumph.

He was guided by the pillar.

He was enlightened by means of the fire from heaven.

He readied a table from the food which descend from above.

He drew water out of the rock.

He extended his hands to devastate the Amalekites.

He climbed up the mountain.

He drew into the darkness.

He heard the sound of the trumpet.

He drew near the divine nature.

He was engulfed by the divine tabernacle.

He ordained the priesthood.

He constructed the tabernacle.

He structured life according to the laws.

He effectively fought his final battles in the way we related.

Among his final deeds he chastised wantonness by the priesthood. The sign of this was the anger that Phineas displayed against passion. At the conclusion of these matters he went to the mountain of repose. He did not set a foot on the land below in spite of the people’s desire to do so because of the promise. He who would rather live by what was poured out from above ceased to eat earthly food. But having arrived at the very peak of the mountain, like a excellent sculptor who has sculpted the statue of his life, did not simply end his creation but put the final touches on his work.

What does the chronicle say concerning this? Moses the servant of God died as God ordered, and no one has ever been able to find his grave. His eyes and face were still fresh. We are taught from this that when one has achieved great things, he is thought worthy of a great name, that is to be referred to as the servant of God. This is the same as saying that he is more admirable than the rest. Because no one would minister to God unless he was superior to all those in the world. For him this is the conclusion of the life of virtue, an end brought about by God’s word. The chronicle describes the death, a living death, which did not result in a grave, or a tomb, or give dimness to the eyes and old age.

What do we learn from this? That we should have only one aim in life, to be called a servant of God on account of our lives. Because when you overcome all your foes, the Egyptians, the Amalekites, the Idumaeans, the Midianites, and gone through the water, become enlightened by means of the cloud, been sweetened by the wood, have drunk from the rock, tasted the food from heaven, made your ascent up the mountain by a pure and holy life, and when you have arrived, you are taught by the holy mystery through the sound of the trumpets and in an impervious darkness you come close to God through your faith, and there you are instructed in the mysteries of the tabernacle and the honor of the priesthood.

And then when you, as a sculptor, engrave in your own heart the holy oracles which you have received from God, and when you have brought the golden idol to ruin, which is removing from your life the longing for material goods, and when you are lifted up to such lofty heights that you seem to be indestructible with regard to the sorcery of Balaam, by sorcery you will see the wily deceit of this life through which men seem drugged as if by some potion of Circe and are transformed into senseless beasts and abandon their nature, and when you go through all these things, and the staff of the priesthood blossoms within you, taking no water from the earth, but rather having its own special power for yielding fruit, which is the nut which is first bitter and hard but whose innards are sweet and tasty, when you have brought to ruin all things which fight your goodness, as Dathan was engulfed by the earth and Core was devoured by fire, then you come close to the true aim.

By “aim” I mean that which everything is done for. For example the aim of farming is the fruits. The purpose of constructing a house is dwelling in it. The aim of business is riches. And the aim of struggling in contests is the prize. So also the purpose of the excellent manner of life is being called God’s servant. In addition to this glory is an end, which is not within a tomb, but rather we refer to a life lived plainly and at liberty from wicked additions.

Scripture relates another property of this ministry to God: The eye is does not dim nor does the body age. Because how can an eye which has always been in the light become dimmed by darkness from which it was always divided? And the one who by all means accomplished incorruption in his life allows no corruption within himself. For the one who has in truth become the image of God and who has in no way turned away from the divine bears within himself its distinctive signs and demonstrates in all things his similarity to the paradigm. He adorns his soul with what is incorruptible, unchanging, and does not partake in vice.

CONCLUSION

These matters about the perfection of the life of virtue, O Caesarius, man of God, we have, in short, written to you, outlining the beauty of Moses’ great life, so that all of us may copy the beautiful image which has been demonstrated for us by mimicking his manner of life. What greater witness of the perfection that Moses achieved would it be possible to find than the holy voice which said to him, “I know that you are greater than all the others.” It was also demonstrated by the fact he was named by God, “God’s friend.” And by him being willing to die with the rest if God did not by his good will remit their sins, he stopped the wrath of God in opposition to the Israelites. God stayed His judgment in order to not trouble His friend. All manner of things are a unambiguous witness that the life of Moses ascended to the highest peak of perfection.

Because the aim of the life of virtue was the thing we have been searching for, and this aim was been discovered in what we have related. It is the time for you, most excellent friend, to examine this great model and by conveying to your own life what was meditated on spiritually from the literal things, that is to be known by God, and ultimately to become his friend. This truly is perfection. Not to merely stay away from a life of vice as a servant fearing punishment, nor is it to do good with the aim of receiving a reward, as if simply being repaid for a life of virtue in some commercial transaction. No, rather dismissing all those things which we have hoped for and which have been kept aside by promise, we consider losing God’s friendship the one thing most fearful and consider becoming the friend of God the only thing worth desiring. As I have stated, this is the perfect life.

As your mind is raised up to what is excellent and divine, whatever you may discover, and I know you will discover many things, will surely be for the benefit of all in Christ Jesus. Amen.