Judges 6

"The land rests" as long as sin rests. But the land is said to be moved—that is, those who dwell in the land—when sins have begun to move and disturb the souls of men. And this is why what the present reading now contains has been written. "And the land rested," it says, "for forty years. And the children of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hands of Midian for seven years. And Midian prevailed over Israel." So then, as long as there was righteousness in the land—that is, in those who dwelt in the land—"the land" is said "to have rested"; but when iniquity increased and "they did evil in the sight of the Lord," then, it says, "the Lord delivered them into the hands of Midian for seven years." Nor are the Midianites said to have prevailed over the people of the Lord as long as the people kept the Lord's precepts. But when it began to neglect the divine commandments, the hand of the enemy became stronger and mightier against it. And against that former people bodily enemies rose up when it had transgressed; but against us, who are called Israel according to the spirit, a spiritual enemy without doubt rises up, and when we neglect the commandments of God, when we despise the precepts of Christ, the hand of demons is made mightier against us, and we too are handed over to our enemies when we are deserted by grace.

But let us see what befalls those who are handed over for their sins. "And the children of Israel made for themselves," it says, "because of the face of Midian, dens in the mountains and in the caves and in the strongholds; and it came to pass, when a man of Israel had sown, that Midian and Amalek and the sons of the East came up against them; and they came upon them and destroyed all the fruits of the land, until one came to Gaza." These things, indeed, that one suffered who was Israel according to the flesh; he sowed the land, but because he had been handed over for his sins to the enemies rising up against him, instead of crops "he reaped corruption." But as for us, who are named Israel according to the spirit, let us consider what such thing can befall us. There is a time when we sow and the enemies cannot corrupt the seeds that we sow, they cannot lie in wait for our husbandry; but there is also a time when we sow and what we sow is corrupted. Let Paul the Apostle teach us about this difference in sowing. Hear, then, what he himself says: "he who sows," he says, "in the flesh, of the flesh shall reap corruption, and he who sows in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life eternal." These, then, are they whose seeds the Midianites corrupt, who "sow in the flesh." These are they whose "fruits are destroyed" and perish. But those seeds which "are sown in the spirit" the Midianites cannot corrupt. For the adversary powers cannot ascend to the spiritual fields and defile the fresh-broken ground of the spirit belonging to those who "do not sow upon thorns, but break up for themselves fresh ground." But this too must be added; for I wish to admonish both myself along with you concerning wariness over the seeds and diligence over the spiritual fruits. It frequently happens that someone, toiling much in spiritual work, has produced very many fruits and filled his barns with the crops of righteousness and stored up many good works in the inner chamber of his conscience; but afterward, if he grows negligent and after his labor inclines too readily toward pleasures and self-indulgence, all those seeds of good things and the fruits of holy work will be corrupted under the dominion of lust. For when sin has entered in secretly and taken captive the mind of a man, so that he no longer looks to the commandments of God nor willingly climbs the steep road of virtue, all the things that had before been gathered into the barns of conscience perish. Therefore, then, we must keep the admonition of the holy Scripture which says: "with all watchfulness guard your heart." "The heart must" therefore "be guarded" from every sin, and especially in the time of persecution. For if it should befall someone that at a certain time he gather the fruits of righteousness, seek out the works of the virtues, and cultivate himself with all the most approved disciplines, but in the time of persecution deny the faith, that man has emptied out all his stores, and out of all his goods he is suddenly rendered naked and empty, because the whole labor that was long sought and gathered only with much sweat is suddenly poured out, and, as the prophet says, "all his righteous deeds which he did shall not be remembered." Therefore, then, brothers, let us beseech the Lord, confessing to Him our weakness, that He "hand us not over into the hands of Midian," that He "hand not over to the beasts a soul that confesses to Him," that He hand us not over into the power of those who say: When will the time come that power be given us against the Christians, when will these be handed over into our hands who say that they have or know God? And even if we should be handed over and they receive power over us, let us pray to receive strength from God, that we may be able to endure, that our faith may become brighter amid pressures and tribulations, that through our patience their shamelessness may be overcome, and, as the Lord said, "in our patience we may gain our souls," because "tribulation works patience, and patience proof, and proof hope." For our "proof" extends not only as far as blows, but reaches even to the shedding of blood, because Christ also, whom we follow, poured out His blood for our redemption, that from it we might come forth washed in our own blood. For the baptism of blood alone is what renders us purer than the baptism of water rendered us. And this I do not presume of myself, but Scripture reports it, the Lord saying to His disciples: "I have a baptism to be baptized with, which you know not. And how am I pressed until it be accomplished?" You see, then, that He named the shedding of His blood a "baptism." And if in saying these things I give no offense, I fear that this baptism may be more eminent than that baptism which is handed on through water. For of that one, once received, very few are so blessed as to have been able to keep it unstained even to the end of life; but whoever has been baptized with this baptism can sin no more thereafter. And if it is not rash to venture anything in such matters, we may say that through that baptism past sins are purged, but through this one even future sins are done away. There sins are forgiven, here they are shut out. If God would grant me to be washed in my own blood, to receive a second baptism by death undergone for Christ, I would depart from this world secure, so that "the prince of this world," coming to my soul as it departs from this life, would find nothing—nay rather, he would be lulled to sleep by the shedding of my blood, nor would he dare to accuse in anything a soul washed by its own gore, glorified by its own death, cleansed by its own blood. After this baptism the Midianites would no longer rush in to destroy and lay waste the fruits of the soul. For who could follow the soul of a martyr, which, having passed over all the "powers of the air," stretches toward the heavenly altar? For there the "souls of the martyrs" are said to be placed "beneath the altar" of God, "crying out" day and night, saying: "How long, O Lord, who art just and true, dost Thou not avenge our blood upon those who dwell on the earth?" For there, being placed, they stand in attendance upon the divine sacrifices. But blessed are they who merit these things. Blessed are they whose heart, when they depart from the world, does not tremble on account of sin, whom no dread of transgressions terrifies as they go on to the Lord. Blessed is that soul which, by the gore of blood poured out in martyrdom, casts down the airy throngs of demons that meet it. Blessed is he of whom, as he goes to heaven, the angels speak that prophetic word: "Who is this that comes up from Bozrah?"—that is, who ascends from the flesh to heaven. "Who is this that comes up from Bozrah, the redness of his garments?"—by the "redness of his garments" signifying the gore of blood. Blessed, then, are the souls that so follow Christ as Christ went before them. And therefore, because they so follow, they arrive even at the very altar of God, where the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is, the "high priest of the good things to come," "to whom is glory and power unto the ages of ages. Amen!"

Granted, the Midianites have gathered against Israel, they who are interpreted as "outside judgment." Granted, these have gathered against Israel, who are outside the judgment of God and "who have sinned outside the law and will perish outside the law." Granted, Amalek too has gathered, who himself is likewise interpreted as "a people that licks up." Granted, this nation too, earthly and given over to the belly and the gullet, has come to make war — a carnal Israel against the spiritual Israel. But what is this, that even the "sons of the East" are mingled with them and are said to come with them to make war on Israel? For my hearer says to me: if it had been written that the "sons" of the West "gathered with them," I would ask nothing; for you would tell me by the laws of allegory that the sons of the West are the sons of darkness, and that they join themselves to those nations, whether such as are outside the judgment of God or such as, given over to the belly, make war on those who strive to see God with the mind. But now, when it is said that the "sons of the East came with Midian and Amalek," how can these things be fittingly expounded? Let us see, then, whether in passages of Scripture so difficult we can find some sense worthy of the divine pages. Everyone who in any manner takes upon himself the name of Christ becomes a "son" "of the East." For thus it is written of Christ: "behold a man, the East is his name." Everyone, therefore, who takes the name of Christ is said to be a "son" "of the East"; but not always do those who receive the name of Christ also remain in the Church of Christ. If therefore you should see heretics who are indeed reckoned by the name of Christ, yet assail the Church of Christ and bring their arms against the faith of Christ, make war on the people of the Lord, and stir up wars against the catholic faith — do not hesitate to say of these that they are indeed "sons of the East," but that they come with the Midianites and with Amalek to assail the people of God, because together with pagans and with Jews the heretics too persecute the Church of God. And I think that it is these who are designated in the "sons of the East."

When Jerubbaal, as we read, was beating out wheat under an oak, he received a message from God in order that he might bring the people of God from the power of strangers into liberty. Nor is it a matter of wonder if he was chosen for grace, seeing that even then, being appointed under the shadow of the holy cross and of the adorable Wisdom in the predestined mystery of the future incarnation, he was bringing forth the visible grains of the fruitful corn from their hiding places and was [mystically] separating the elect of the saints from the refuse of the empty chaff. For these elect, as though trained with the rod of truth, laying aside the superfluities of the old man together with his deeds, are gathered in the church as in a winepress. For the church is the winepress of the eternal fountain, since from it wells forth the juice of the heavenly Vine.

When Gideon, the son of Joash, was beating the grain of wheat with a rod under an oak tree, he merited to hear an angel promise that he would deliver God's people from the power of their enemies. It is no wonder that he was chosen for a special grace, when by the predestined mystery of the future incarnation he was even then seated under the shade of the cross of holy and venerable wisdom. He was bringing the tangible grains of a fruitful field out of their concealment, separating choice holy men from the rubbish of useless chaff. Putting aside the superfluities of the old man and his actions by treating them with the rod of experienced truth, they are assembled in the church as in a winepress. The church is the winepress of the eternal fountain in which abounds the fruit of the heavenly vine.

And Gideon, moved by that message, when he heard that, though thousands of the people failed, God would deliver His own from their enemies by means of one man, offered a kid, and according to the word of the Angel, laid its flesh and the unleavened cakes upon the rock, and poured the broth upon them. And as soon as the Angel touched them with the end of the staff which he bore, fire burst forth out of the rock, and so the sacrifice which he was offering was consumed. By which it seems clear that that rock was a figure of the Body of Christ, for it is written: "They drank of that rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ." Which certainly refers not to His Godhead, but to His Flesh, which watered the hearts of the thirsting people with the perpetual stream of His Blood.

Even at that time was it declared in a mystery that the Lord Jesus in His Flesh would, when crucified, do away the sins of the whole world, and not only the deeds of the body, but the desires of the soul. For the flesh of the kid refers to sins of deed, the broth to the enticements of desire as it is written: "For the people lusted an evil lust, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?" That the Angel then stretched forth his staff, and touched the rock, from which fire went out, shows that the Flesh of the Lord, being filled with the Divine Spirit, would burn away all the sins of human frailty. Wherefore, also, the Lord says: "I am come to send fire upon the earth."

"But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." "The humour," therefore, "is wiped off," when sin is not only severed from the deed, but also from the thought. It is hence that Jerubbaal saw the Angel when he was winnowing corn from the chaff, at whose bidding he forthwith dressed a kid and set it upon a rock, and poured over it the broth of the flesh, which the Angel touched with a rod, and thereupon fire coming out of the rock consumed it. For what else is it to beat corn with a rod, but to separate the grains of virtues from the chaff of vices, with an upright judgment? But to those that are thus employed the Angel presents himself, in that the Lord is more ready to communicate interior truths in proportion as men are more earnest in ridding themselves of external things. And he orders a kid to be killed, i.e. every appetite of the flesh to be sacrificed, and the flesh to be set upon a rock, and the broth thereof to be poured upon it. Whom else does the "rock" represent, saving Him, of Whom it is said by Paul, "And that rock was Christ"? We "set flesh then upon the rock," when in imitation of Christ we crucify our body. He too pours the juice of the flesh over it, who, in following the conversation of Christ, empties himself even of the mere thoughts of the flesh themselves. For "the broth" of the dissolved flesh is in a manner "poured upon the rock," when the mind is emptied of the flow of carnal thoughts too. Yet the Angel directly touches it with a rod, in that the might of God's succour never leaves our striving forsaken. And fire issues from the rock, and consumes the broth and the flesh, in that the Spirit, breathed upon us by the Redeemer, lights up the heart with so fierce a flame of compunction, that it consumes every thing in it that is unlawful either in deed or in thought.

Then the man, instructed and fore-knowing what was to be, observes the heavenly mysteries, and therefore, according to the warning, slew the bullock destined by his father to idols, and himself offered to God another bullock seven years old. By doing which he most plainly showed that after the coming of the Lord all Gentile sacrifices should be done away, and that only the sacrifice of the Lord's passion should be offered for the redemption of the people. For that bullock was, in a type, Christ, in Whom, as Esaias said, dwelt the fulness of the seven gifts of the Spirit. This bullock Abraham also offered when he saw the day of the Lord and was glad. He it is Who was offered at one time in the type of a kid, at another in that of a sheep, at another in that of a bullock. Of a kid, because He is a sacrifice for sin; of a sheep, because He is an unresisting victim; of a bullock, because He is a victim without blemish.

"All Midian, therefore," it says, "and Amalek and the sons of the East gathered together and went up and came upon them and pitched their camp in the valley of Jezreel." These, who wish to assail the people of God, "pitch their camp in the valleys," in low and lowly places, "in the valley," it says, "of Jezreel." Now we find that Jezreel is interpreted as "the seed of God." Do you see where the adversaries "pitch their camp"? They did not dare to go there where the "fruits of the Spirit" are seen to have already been born, but where the seed of God still lies, where the fruit has not yet come up. For he who "went out to sow" "sows the word" over every place, but hear the Lord himself saying what the seed of God is wont to suffer: "some," he says, "fell by the wayside, and the birds of heaven come and snatch it away." Which, interpreting in what follows, he himself says: "but those who were sown by the wayside are they who hear the word of God and receive it with joy; but the devil comes and takes away from their heart what was sown." So therefore these too now come to the seed of God and wish to "take it away from the heart of those in whom it was sown," because they find them placed in the valleys and pursuing all that is lowest. For they belong to those who receive the word of God humbly and unworthily and, so to speak, with a Jewish understanding, and therefore the demons are able to "snatch it away from their heart." But he who ascends from the humility of the letter to the heights of the spirit, and, fleeing carnal understanding, pursues among the loftier things those which are of the Spirit of God — from him neither the Midianites nor the Amalekites can snatch anything, nor indeed will the "sons of the East" themselves be able to plunder him, set as he is upon the lofty summit of spiritual understanding.

They, therefore, "pitch their camp in the valleys." "But the Spirit," it says, "of God strengthened Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, upon the horn of the trumpet, and called Abiezer after him." The continuity of the exposition, indeed, required a different order, but because we are now speaking not so much to comment on the Scriptures as to console the people concerning those things which have been read, we treat here and there, as they occur, of individual points. "He called," it says, "Abiezer after him," who indeed was nowhere at all. Now "Abiezer" is interpreted as "the help of my father." Therefore Gideon seems to have called upon not some man, but the help of the highest Father. Meanwhile he also sends to summon reinforcements. The peoples come together, and the whole army is gathered to Gideon.

Some one perhaps will enquire whether he does not seem to have been wanting in faith, seeing that after being instructed by many signs he asked still more. But how can he seem to have asked as if doubting or wanting in faith, who was speaking in mysteries? He was not then doubtful, but careful that we should not doubt. For how could he be doubtful whose prayer was effectual? And how could he have begun the battle without fear, unless he had understood the message of God? for the dew on the fleece signified the faith among the Jews, because the words of God come down like the dew.

But what does this mean: "Until the day on which the Lord shall send rain on the earth"? except that he, too, "shall come down like rain upon a fleece, and like the drops that water the earth." In this passage the mystery of the old history is disclosed where Gideon, the warrior of the mystic conflict, receiving the pledge of future victory, recognized the spiritual sacrament in the vision of his mind, that that rain was the dew of the divine Word, which first came down on the fleece, when all the earth was parched with continual drought, and by a second true sign, moistened the floor of all the earth with a shower, while dryness was upon the fleece.

Again on this subject it is written: "For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now, apart from the law, the justice of God is made manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets." When he says "made manifest" he shows that it had existed but was like the dew for which Gideon asked; then it was not visible on the fleece, but now it is made manifest on the ground around. Therefore, since law without grace could only strengthen rather than kill sin—as it is written: "The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law"—and as many flee to grace for refuge from the face of sin which had been so enthroned, to grace lying manifest, as it were, on the ground, so at that time few fled to it [grace] for refuge, invisible as it were, on the fleece. Indeed, this division of times belongs to the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God, of which it is said: "How incomprehensible are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!"

"And he shall come down like rain into a fleece, and like drops distilling upon the earth." He has reminded and admonished us that what was done by Gideon the judge has its end in Christ. He asked the Lord for a sign, that a fleece laid on the floor should alone be rained upon and the floor should be dry; and again, that the fleece alone should be dry and the floor should be rained upon; and so it happened. This dry fleece, which lay upon a floor in the midst of the whole round world, signified the former people Israel. Therefore, Christ came down like rain upon the fleece while the floor remained dry; concerning this he said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." There [in Israel] he selected a mother through whom he would receive the [bodily] form of a servant in order to appear to humanity: there he gave this command to the disciples, saying, "Don't go in the direction of the nations or enter into the cities of the Samaritans: go first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." When he said, go "first" to them, he also showed that afterward, when the floor was to be rained upon, they would also go to other sheep who were not of the former people of Israel. Concerning these he says, "I have other sheep which are not of this fold; I need to bring in them also, that there may be one flock and one Shepherd." For this reason the apostle also says, "For I say that Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises of the patriarchs." Thus rain came down upon the fleece, while the floor remained dry. Regarding this he continues, "so that the nations should glorify God for his mercy," and, when the time arrived, that what he says by the prophet should be fulfilled, "a people whom I have not known has served me, in listening attentively it has obeyed me." We now understand that the nation of the Jews has remained dry of Christ's grace, and all the nations throughout the whole round world are being rained upon by clouds full of Christian grace. He has indicated this rain with another phrase, as he says that "drops [are] distilling" no longer upon the fleece but "upon the earth." For what else is rain but drops distilling? I think that the above [Jewish] nation is signified as a fleece either because they were to be stripped of the authority of teaching—just as a sheep is stripped of its skin—or because he was hiding that same rain in a secret place and did not desire that it should be preached to those who were not circumcised, that is, to be revealed to uncircumcised nations.

What did Gideon's fleece signify? It is like the nation of the Jews in the midst of the world, which had the grace of sacraments, not indeed openly manifested, but hidden in a cloud or in a veil, like the dew in the fleece. The time came when the dew was to be manifested in the floor; it was manifested, no longer hidden. Christ alone is the sweetness of dew: him alone you do not recognize in Scripture, for whom Scripture was written. But yet, "they have heard all the words of your mouth."

But some, like the Jews in former times, both wish to be called Christians, and—still ignorant of God's righteousness—desire to establish their own, even in our own times of open grace, of the full revelation of grace that was previously hidden, that is, in the times of grace now manifested in the floor, which had before lay hidden in the fleece.… Gideon, one of the righteous men of old, asked for a sign from the Lord, and said, "I pray, Lord, that this fleece which I put on the floor would be wet with dew, and that the floor would be dry." And it was so. The fleece was wet with dew while the whole floor was dry. In the morning he wrung out the fleece in a basin—since grace is given to the humble—and you know what the Lord did to his disciples [with water] in a basin. He asked for yet another sign: "O Lord, I [pray] that the fleece would be dry, and the floor wet with dew." And it was so. Consider how, in the time of the Old Testament, grace was hidden in a cloud, as the rain in the fleece. Note also the time of the New Testament: if you consider the nation of the Jews, you will find it like the dry fleece, whereas the whole world, like that floor, is full of grace, not hidden but manifested. Therefore we are greatly compelled to grieve for our brothers who strive against openly manifested, rather than hidden, grace. There is allowance for the Jews, but what shall we say of Christians? For what reason are you enemies of Christ's grace? Why do you rely on yourselves? Why are you unthankful? Why did Christ come? Wasn't [human] nature here before, which you only deceive by your excessive praise? Wasn't the law here? But the apostle says, "If righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." What the apostle says of the law, we say regarding nature concerning these people. "If righteousness comes through [human] nature, then Christ died in vain."

Now, although Gideon was brave and confident, still he sought fuller proofs of victory from the Lord, saying, "If indeed you are going to save Israel through me, as you promised, O Lord, I am putting this woolen fleece on the threshing floor. If dew comes on the fleece, while all the ground is dry, I shall know that you will save the people through me, as you promised." That is what took place. Afterwards, he added that the second time dew should pour over all the ground and only the fleece be dry; and so it happened. The dew on the fleece was faith in Judea, for the words of God descend as dew; for this reason Moses says, "May my discourse be awaited like the rain, and my words descend like the dew." Thus, when the whole world was dried up from the unproductive heat of Gentile superstition, then there was the dew of a heavenly visitation upon the fleece, that is, in Judea. However, after "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (foreshadowing, I think, the figure of the fleece of the Jews) refused the fountain of living water, the dew of faith dried up in the hearts of the Jews, and that divine stream turned its path to the hearts of the Gentiles. For this reason, the whole world is now moist with the dew of faith, but the Jews destroyed their prophets and advisers. It is no wonder that they submit to the dryness of faithlessness, since the Lord God deprived them of the fruitful rains of the prophets, saying, "I will command the clouds not to send rain upon that vineyard." Salutary is the rain of the prophetic cloud, as David said: "He shall be like rain coming down on the meadow, like showers watering the earth." The sacred writings of the whole world promised us this rain which watered the world at the advent of our Lord and Savior with the dew of the divine spirit. Thus, the dew has already come, and also the rain; the Lord came and brought with him heavenly showers. For this reason, we who thirsted before now drink, and by an interior drinking [we] absorb that divine spirit. Therefore, holy Gideon foresaw that by perceiving faith, even tribes and nations would drink the true heavenly dew.

"And then," it says, "Gideon said to God: if you save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken, behold, here I am, and I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor; and if indeed dew falls upon the fleece and there is dryness upon all the earth, I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken. And it was done so." Since there are so many and innumerable signs or prodigies which Gideon could have asked from God to confirm God's promise, why did it seem good to him, after the angelic voice and the heavenly promise, to ask of God this so novel a sign? For he says: "I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor, and if there is dew upon the fleece only and dryness upon all the earth, I shall be confident that you will save Israel by my hand." And when Gideon had asked this sign of God, he obtained its fulfillment. But granted, O Gideon, that you have obtained the efficacy of the sign; why do you also take the "fleece of wool" and "wring it out into a basin"? What moved you to do this? But granted that you obtained the first sign, why did you ask that a second sign also be given, in a reversed and altered order? For perhaps someone of those who listen more attentively to what is read says that these things do not seem to agree with what is written: "you shall not tempt the Lord your God," which the law commanded. But the outcome of the matter teaches that nothing was done against the commandment; for neither would God hear a petition demanding something against the law. But now, when we see that in the first sign "dew fell upon the fleece of wool, but on all the earth there was dryness," and in the second "dew fell upon all the earth, but there was dryness in the fleece" — in which Gideon also received confidence that the Lord would by his hand save Israel — the meaning of this mystery must be considered. Concerning it I recall that one also of our predecessors, in his little books, called the "fleece of wool" the people of Israel, and set down the rest of the earth as the rest of the nations, and said that the "dew" which fell "upon the fleece" is the word of God, which had been granted from heaven to that people alone. For upon Israel alone had come the "dew" of the divine legislation; but "dryness" held all the nations, because no moisture of the divine utterance was poured into them. But the meaning of the second sign, altered to the contrary, in which he says: "that upon all the earth the dew should descend, but upon the fleece dryness should remain" — such a meaning is discovered. Behold this whole people which throughout all the earth has been gathered from the nations, now having in itself the divine dew; behold it watered with the dew of Moses, bedewed with the writings of the prophets; behold it growing green also with the moisture of the Gospel and of the apostles; but that fleece, that is, the Jewish people, suffering the dryness and aridity of the word of God, according to what is written: "the children of Israel shall be a long time without a king, without a prince, without a prophet; there shall be no altar nor victim nor sacrifice." You behold how great a "dryness" abides among them, how great an "aridity" of the divine discourse befalls them. These things, indeed, as it is fitting to confess, have been furnished to us from the labor of our elders; but since we too, having heard a word from the wise, as it is written, ought to commend it and add to it, let us see what we too may build up upon such things. For indeed, when I was often examining the seventy-first psalm within myself, this moved me: that, when it describes the coming of Christ in it, in that very psalm it also asserts that this shall come to pass: "and he shall descend," it says, "like rain upon a fleece, and like raindrops dripping upon the earth." A "fleece" is named here, a "fleece" is written also in the psalms. For "he shall descend like rain," it says, "upon a fleece." He "descended," therefore, "upon" that "fleece" of the people of the circumcision, and "like raindrops dripping upon the earth," that is, upon the rest of the earth, "descended" our Lord Jesus Christ, "dripping" also "upon" us and bringing drops of heavenly dew to us also, the nations, that we too might drink, we who were dried up "over" all the "earth" by continual aridity. This order of the mystery, therefore, the holy Gideon, beholding it with prophetic spirit, not only asked the first sign of God, but also repeated a second in reversed order. For he knew that the divine "dew," which is the coming of the Son of God, was to come not only to the Jews, but afterward also to the nations, since indeed from the "unbelief" of Israel "salvation comes to the nations." And this is why, in place of the aridity of the fleece, the whole earth is watered with the grace of the divine dew. But this too, in this deed of the most faithful man Gideon, I think ought by no means to be passed over, since it can serve us as a pattern of spiritual caution. "He saw an angel," but as a learned man, and having now the example of Joshua his predecessor, he acts more cautiously. For he knew that even the angels of darkness could "transfigure themselves into angels of light," and therefore, with most cautious examination, "I wish," he says, "to test the spirit, whether it be from God," because "the spiritual man examines all things." For thus also his predecessor Joshua son of Nun had done; when he had seen "the prince of the heavenly host," he inquires and considers whether he is "ours or of the adversaries." In this manner also the most holy Gideon considers the angelic vision by the diversity and change of the signs.

Nor was it without a reason that he put the fleece neither in a field nor in a meadow, but in a threshing-floor, where is the harvest of the wheat: "For the harvest is plenteous, but the labourers are few;" because that, through faith in the Lord, there was about to be a harvest fruitful in virtues.

Nor, again, was it without a reason that he dried the fleece of the Jews, and put the dew from it into a basin, so that it was filled with water, yet he did not himself wash his feet in that dew. The prerogative of so great a mystery was to be given to another. He was being waited for Who alone could wash away the filth of all. Gideon was not great enough to claim this mystery for himself, but "the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." Let us, then, recognize in Whom these mysteries are seen to be accomplished. Not in holy Gideon, for they were still at their commencement. Therefore the Gentiles were surpassed, for dryness was still upon the Gentiles, and therefore did Israel surpass them, for then did the dew remain on the fleece.

Let us come now to the Gospel of God. I find the Lord stripping Himself of His garments, and girding Himself with a towel, pouring water into a basin, and washing the disciples' feet. That heavenly dew was this water, this was foretold, namely, that the Lord Jesus Christ would wash the feet of His disciples in that heavenly dew.

A figure preceded in the fleece and dew of Gideon. The history is that Gideon asked of the Lord that the dew falling would be entirely on the fleece, and the threshing floor would remain dry; and he filled a basin with dew. Who brought it about that the Virgin conceived? Certainly the Holy Spirit, who is a love fervent, fruitful, undefiled, virile, incorrupt, and deifying. That he is an undefiled love is signified in the completed fleece, because the dew did not soil the fleece but cleansed it.

Rightly, then, do we compare Mary with fleece—she who conceived the Lord in such a way that she absorbed him with her whole body; nor did she undergo a rending of that same body, but she was tender in submission and firm in chastity. Rightly, I say, is Mary compared with fleece—she from whose offspring saving garments are woven for the people. Clearly Mary is fleece since from her tender womb came forth the Lamb who himself, bearing his mother's wool (that is, flesh), covers the wounds of all peoples with a soft fleece. For every wound of sin is covered with the wool of Christ, tended by the blood of Christ, and, so that it may receive health, clothed in the garment of Christ.

But that also, which Gideon says: "I will place the fleece" — not just anywhere, not in a field nor in a woodland, but "on the threshing-floor" — how does it seem to you? "On the threshing-floor," where the "harvest" is: "for the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." "I will place," he says, "the fleece" there, where the "harvest" is. What had moved the holy man Gideon, or what had seemed good to him, that he should do this? For he foresaw through the Spirit that Christ "gathers" his people "into the threshing-floor" and there cleanses him, "holding the winnowing-fan in his hand," and there separates the "chaff" from the wheat. Not without cause, therefore, did so great and such a man — of whom the holy Apostle too, writing to the Hebrews, makes mention in the catalogue of the prophets — choose the threshing-floor for placing the fleece; nor without cause did he "wring out the fleece into a basin and fill it with water." Let us seek concerning this also in the holy Scriptures, whether any occasion of this understanding too is afforded us. Let us come to the Gospel. We find there our Lord and Savior "putting off his garments, and, girded with a linen cloth, pouring water into a basin, and washing the feet of his disciples." You see, then, that the prophets foreshadowed these things, which were to be fulfilled in the last times through the Lord. That "water," therefore, which "Jesus poured into the basin," was the dew of heavenly grace, with which "he washed the feet of his disciples." Whence also he rightly said to them: "but you are clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." But we too, if only we offer our feet, the Lord Jesus is ready to "wash the feet" of our soul and to cleanse them with the heavenly dew, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, with the word of doctrine. For he willed that not the Apostles alone should be "clean," but also all who believe through his word. And to all believers he says that which he said to Peter: "unless I wash you, you shall have no part with me." For it is certain that no one "has part with Christ" unless he has been washed and made "clean." Come, I beseech you, Lord Jesus, Son of God, "put off the garments" which you put on for my sake, and gird yourself for my sake, and "pour water into a basin and wash the feet" of your servants, wash away the filth of your sons and daughters. "Wash the feet" of our soul, that we, imitating you and following you, may "put off" our old "garments" and say: "by night I have put off my garment, how shall I put it on?", and may say again: "I have washed my feet, how shall I soil them?". For as soon as you "wash" my "feet," may you also make me recline with you, that I may hear from you: "you call me Lord and master; and you say rightly, for I am. If therefore I, the Lord and master, have washed your feet, you too wash one another's feet." I too, therefore, now wish to "wash the feet" of my brethren, to "wash the feet" of my fellow-disciples. And for that reason I take the water which I draw from the fountains of Israel, or rather which I "wring out" from the Israelite "fleece." For I now "wring out" water from the "fleece" of the book of Judges, and at another time water from the "fleece" of the Kingdoms, and water from the "fleece" of Isaiah or Jeremiah; and I "pour" it "into the basin" of my soul, conceiving the sense in my heart, and I take the feet of those who offer and prepare themselves for washing, and, so far as I am able, I desire to "wash the feet" of my brethren and to fulfill the commandment of the Lord, that by the word of doctrine the hearers may be cleansed from the filth of their sins, that they may cast away from themselves all the uncleanness of their vices and have clean "feet," with which they may rightly walk "to the preparation of the Gospel of peace," so that all of us together, purified in Christ through the word, may not be cast out from the bridal chamber of the bridegroom on account of filthy garments, but, white in raiment, washed in feet, "clean of heart," may recline at the banquet of the bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ himself, "to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen!".

The truth of the Lord reaches even to the clouds. The clouds are the apostles and prophets; to them he gave the command not to rain upon Israel. This is in agreement with history as recorded in the book of Judges, where it speaks of the fleece that was dry while rain fell upon the rest of the world. It means that Israel is dry and the rain is pouring down over the whole world.