Scripture
Reading: Exodus chapters 31,32 and 34.
Brief
outline of the chapters: Exodus 31 describes God’s appointment of Bezalel
and Oholiab, filled with the Spirit of God, to craft the tabernacle and its
furnishings. It also emphasizes the importance of observing the Sabbath as a
sign of the covenant between God and the Israelites.
Exodus 32
recounts the Israelites’ creation and worship of a golden calf while Moses is
on Mount Sinai. Angered by their idolatry, God intends to destroy them, but
Moses intercedes, pleading for mercy. Moses then destroys the calf, rebukes the
people, and calls for those loyal to God to execute judgment on the idolaters.
Exodus 34
describes God renewing the covenant with Israel after the golden calf incident.
Moses carves two new stone tablets, and God reaffirms His covenant, proclaiming
His attributes of mercy and justice.
St. Gregory
chiefly focuses the commentary on the tablets of stone.
Lessons
from St. Gregory of Nyssa (‘Life of Moses’):
Moses, who has
progressed to this level of spiritual ascent, holds in his hand the tablets
inscribed by God with the divine Law. These tablets are broken due to the
Israelites’ sin of creating and worshipping a golden calf. Moses pulverizes the
idol, mixes the powder with water, and makes the Israelites drink it,
symbolizing the complete eradication of idolatry. St. Gregory interprets this
as a prophetic sign of the disappearance of idolatry in his own time, as those
who once worshipped idols now embrace the true faith.
Moses then
arms the Levites, who then killed many Israelites without distinction, is seen
by St. Gregory as a lesson about collective responsibility and punishment. When
a whole community participates in evil, the punishment of some serves as a
warning and correction for the entire community. It is similar to punishing a
person for wrongdoing by whipping. Any part of the body that is struck will
experience pain, which affects the entire body. Similarly, when a group engaged
in wrongdoing is disciplined, the punishment of one member serves as a warning
or correction for the whole group emphasizing that the suffering of a part can
led to the repentance and purification of the whole.
St. Gregory
sees Moses' call to those who are on the Lord's side to join him, and their
subsequent killing of their brother, friend, and neighbour (Exodus 32:27), as a
symbolic call to spiritual warfare against one's own sinful habits and
thoughts.
St. Gregory
points out “brother,” “friend,” and “neighbour” do not always have positive
connotations. He cites the example of Aaron, who both helped Moses against the
Egyptians and also made the golden calf idol for the Israelites, is used to
illustrate the dual nature of 'brotherhood'. The same person can be both a helper
and a hindrance, just as our own thoughts and habits can be both beneficial and
detrimental. In this context, the terms “brother”, “friend” and “neighbour” can
also represent negative aspects of our inner thoughts and habits that lead us
away from God.
Therefore, the
act of using the sword against these “brothers,” “friends,” and “neighbours”
symbolizes the need to confront and eliminate our sinful thoughts and
behaviours. By doing so, we purify ourselves and bring about spiritual life.
The death of these evil habits leads to our spiritual life, while their life
leads to our spiritual death.
The historical
detail of the Israelites removing their earrings upon Aaron’s instruction to
create the golden calf is interpreted spiritually. Moses had adorned the
Israelites with the Law, symbolized by the earrings. However, through
disobedience, this adornment was removed by a false brother and repurposed to
create an idol.
St. Gregory
draws a parallel to the first sin in the Garden of Eden. The serpent was
perceived by Adam and Eve as a companion and neighbour when he advised them
that violating the divine commandment would be advantageous and beneficial for
them, meaning they should metaphorically remove the earring of the divine commandment
from their ears. Those who annihilate such ‘companions’ and ‘neighbours’, will
hear from Moses- “Today you have been ordained for the service of
the Lord, each one at the cost of a son or a brother, and so have brought
a blessing on yourselves this day.” (Exodus 32:29) [The commentary on
Tablets of Stone to be continued in tomorrow’s posting].
Questions
for Personal Reflection:
1. What “golden calves” or idols have I allowed into my life that distract me from my relationship with God?
2. How do I respond when it feels like God is taking too long to answer my prayers or guide me? In what ways can I cultivate patience and trust in God’s timing, rather than seeking quick fixes or alternative solutions?
3. In what ways can I contribute to the spiritual
well-being of my community/family? What steps can I take to ensure that my
actions and decisions positively influence others in their faith journey?
In Christ,
Rincy
Ref: Gregory
of Nyssa, Saint. The Life of Moses. Translated by A.J. Malherbe and E.
Ferguson, HarperCollins, 2006, pp. 95-98. 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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