HERE is a
mystical exposition of Aaron's taking the earrings of the women to make the
golden calf, and of other details connected with it.
2. While Moses was receiving the Law on Mount
Sinai the people were with Aaron the Priest. Prone as they were to transgress,
we do not find that they committed sacrilege so long as the Law was being
delivered, but when the Divine Voice ceased, sin overtook them, so that they
required gods to be made them. Aaron, thus constrained, asked for their rings
and the women's earrings, which, when given to him, he cast into the fire, and
the head of a calf was molten of them.
3. We can neither
excuse this great priest, nor dare we condemn him. It was not however
unadvisedly that he deprived the Jews of their rings and earrings; for they who
designed sacrilege could have neither the seal of faith nor ornaments of their
ears. And he said well, Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of
your wives; not as leaving the men their earrings, but in order to shew that
they had them not. Fitly also are the earrings taken from the women, that Eve
may not again hear the voice of the serpent.
4. Because
they had listened to sacrilegious counsel, an image of sacrilege was formed by
the melting of their earrings; for he who hears amiss is wont to perpetrate
sacrilege. Why the head of a calf came forth, the sequel shews, for it was
signified thereby, either that in time to come Jeroboam would introduce this kind
of sacrilege, and that the people of the Hebrews should worship golden calves;
or else that all unbelief bears the semblance of brutal and savage folly.
5. Moses,
incensed by this unworthy act, broke the tables, and ground the head of the
calf to powder, that he might abolish all traces of their impiety. The first
Tables were broken in order to the restoration of the second, whereby, through
the preaching of the Gospel, unbelief was broken to pieces, and done away. And
thus Moses brought down this Egyptian pride, and repressed this self-exalting
arrogance, by the authority of the eternal Law. Wherefore David also says, The
Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus, and shall reduce them to pieces, as a
calf of Libanus.
6. The people drank up all their perfidy and
pride, that impiety and arrogance might not drink them up. For it is better
that everyone should prevail over the flesh and its vices, that it may not be
said that prevailing death hath swallowed him up, but rather, Death is swallowed
up in victory; O death, where is thy sting, O grave, where is thy victory? And
of the Lord it is said, He shall drink of the brook in the way; for He received
the vinegar, that He might drink up the temptations of all men.
7. But in his causing every man to slay his neighbor,
the parents their children, the brother his brother, we find an evident precept
that religion is to be preferred to friendship, piety to kindred. For that is
true piety which prefers divine things to human, eternal to temporal. Wherefore
also Moses himself said to the sons of Levi, Who is on the Lord's side, let him
come to me. And he said unto them. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every
man his sword by his side, and go throughout the camp, that thus, by the
contemplation and love of the Divine Majesty all human ties and affections
might be destroyed. It is written that three thousand men were slain, nor need
we feel any jealousy of the number being so great, for it is better that by the
punishment of a few the body should be exonerated, than that vengeance should
be taken on all; nor indeed does any punishment of wrong against God appear too
severe.
8. Again,
the ministry of the Levites, whose portion is God, was chosen for this work, as
being more holy than the others: for they know not how to spare their own who
know nothing of their own, for to the holy God is everything. Now he is the
true Levite and punisher and avenger, who kills the flesh that he may preserve
the spirit, such as he was who says, I keep under my body, and bring it into
subjection. And who are such close neighbors as the flesh and the soul? What is
so akin to us as the passions of the body? These the good Levite slays within
himself with that spiritual sword which is the word of God, sharp and powerful.
9. There is
also a sword of the Spirit, which pierces the soul, as was said to Mary, A
sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts
may be revealed. Is not the flesh united with the soul by a kind of fraternal
bond? Is not discourse also related and akin to our mind? When therefore we
check our discourse, that we may not incur the sin of much speaking, we put
aside the rights of blood, and loose the bonds of this fraternal correction.
Thus by the force of reason the soul severs from itself its irrational and, as
it were, cognate part.
10. And so
Moses taught the people to rise against their neighbors, by whom faith was in
danger of being mocked, and virtue hindered, that whatever in us was straying
from virtue, perplexed by error, or entangled in vice might be cut off. By this
direction to the people he obtained not only a mitigation of the Divine wrath
and a turning away of offence, but even conciliated for them grace.
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