Scripture
Reading: Exodus chapter 17
Brief
outline of Exodus 17: The Israelites, while camped at Rephidim, complain
about the lack of water. God instructs Moses to strike a rock at Horeb,
providing water for the people. The place is named Massah and Meribah due to
the people’s quarrelling and testing of the Lord. Later, the Amalekites attack
the Israelites. Moses appoints Joshua to lead the battle while he, Aaron, and
Hur go to a hilltop. As long as Moses holds up his hands, the Israelites
prevail, but when he lowers them, the Amalekites gain the upper hand. Aaron and
Hur support Moses’ hands, ensuring Israel’s victory. Moses builds an altar
named “The Lord is My Banner” to commemorate the victory and God’s protection.
Lessons
from St. Gregory of Nyssa (‘Life of Moses’):
St. Gregory of
Nyssa reflects on the spiritual journey of a believer. He compares leaving behind
a sinful past to the Israelites leaving Egypt and crossing the Red Sea. This is
followed by transforming the challenges of a virtuous life through the Cross of
Christ, symbolized by the story of bitter water made sweet by a piece of wood.
Like the Israelites who found twelve springs and seventy palm trees for shade
and refreshment, the traveller on the path of virtues finds spiritual joy in
the teachings of the Gospel spread throughout the world by the Apostles and
evangelists.
When someone has gone through these stages,
they are ready to receive God. St. Gregory interprets the rock that Moses
struck to get water as a symbol of Christ. To unbelievers, Christ might seem
unyielding or unhelpful like a resistant rock. However, those who believe in
Christ and approach Him in faith (symbolized by Moses’s rod/rod of faith) find
Christ to be a source of spiritual nourishment. "I and my Father shall
come to him and make our home with him" (St. John 14:23) is a promise from
Christ that those who believe and love Him will have Christ Jesus and God the
Father dwelling within them indicating a deep, personal relationship with God
that comes from true faith.
St. Gregory
uses the example of the modern military strategy wherein the army is first
provided with adequate resources and funding before signalling for battle,
likewise the “soldiers” on the path to virtue are given spiritual resources
before engaging the conflict with the enemy. When the Israelites were in Egypt,
Moses fought for them i.e. when an individual is weakened by mistreatment under
tyrannical rule, they are unable to defend themselves effectively and someone
else must fight on their behalf. However, when they have been liberated and refreshed
by rest and nourishment, they gain strength and vitality to confront their
adversaries independently. Then they are led into battle under Joshua’s
leadership.
The idea here
is that when a person is spiritually weak, due to the influence of sin, they
cannot fight evil on their own and need someone else (God’s servants) to fight
on their behalf. Once the individual leaves the sinful life, experiences the
sweetness of redemption (ref- the wood sweetening the waters), is refreshed by
faith and spiritually nourished by the teachings of the Gospel, they become
strong enough to combat the evil. The Law, being only a shadow of things to
come, is unfit for the real battle against sin. Joshua’s leadership of the
battle foreshadows the spiritual battle which a believer engages in with the
help of the ultimate leader- the One who fulfils and succeeds the Law- Christ
Jesus.
When the
Israelites saw Moses raising his hands, they found success in battle.
Conversely, when they observed his hands hanging limp, they retreated. The act
of Moses raising his hands represents a profound contemplation of the Law,
whereas the lowering of his hands indicates a shallow understanding and literal
interpretation and observance of the Law.
Aaron, along
with Hur, supports the tired hands of Moses. This symbolizes that the true
priesthood, empowered by the God’s word, elevates and restore the spiritual
principles of the Law that was previously tainted due to limitations of Jewish understanding.
When supported and elevated in this manner, the Law presents a ‘figure of
outstretched hands’. Those able to perceive will see the mystery of the Cross
in the Law.
The Holy
Gospel states that “not one letter [Gr. one iota] not one stroke of a
letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished” (St Matthew 5:18).
The iota and stroke combined form a ‘T’- an image of the Cross. Moses
symbolizing the Law, with outstretched hands is seen as the prefiguration of
the Cross. Just as Moses' outstretched hands signified victory for the
Israelites, so too does the Cross serve as a symbol of triumph for those who acknowledge
it.
Questions
for Personal Reflection:
1) As we commemorate the faith of the Canaanite woman on the fourth Sunday
of the Great Lent, reflect on the faith of the Canaanite woman, the Israelites’
struggles, and Moses’ role in the battle. What lessons can I learn about
maintaining faith and trust in God during difficult times especially when His
responses are not what I expect?
2) Who are the “Moses” figures in my life who fight on my behalf when I am
spiritually weak, and how can I support them in return? How can I ensure that I
am focused on regularly receiving spiritual nourishment through prayer,
scripture, and an active/diligent participation in the Holy Qurbana? What are
the specific “Amalekites” in my life—those persistent challenges or
temptations—and how can I prepare to face them while I look onto and
contemplate on the Cross?
In Christ,
Rincy
Ref: Gregory
of Nyssa, Saint. The Life of Moses. Translated by A.J. Malherbe and E.
Ferguson, HarperCollins, 2006, pp. 74-76. HarperCollins Spiritual Classics
series. (Original translation published by Paulist Press, 1978).
Disclaimer: The content presented here is a
paraphrased summary based on my reading and understanding of the book cited
above and is intended solely for educational and devotional purposes during
Lent. They are not intended to replace the original work or represent the views
of the author or publisher. Readers are encouraged to refer to the original
book for a comprehensive understanding.
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