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and was saved in Egypt, just as he too was plotted against when he was a child. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us. Again, nowhere a temple, nowhere a sacrifice. With the angel, he says, he received to give living oracles to us. Here he shows that not only did he perform signs, but he also gave the law, just like Christ. Therefore, just as he first performs signs, and then legislates; so indeed also did Christ. But they did not listen to him, having learned always to disobey, after the signs, after the wonders in the forty years. And not only this, but they also showed the contrary; which making clear he added: To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. The, Gave them up, here, is, Allowed. Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. And when there was a tabernacle, there were no sacrifices. And that there were not, the prophet makes clear, saying this: Have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices? The tabernacle of witness existed, and it did not benefit them at all, but they were consumed. Neither the signs before this, nor anything after this, benefited them. Which also our fathers that came after brought in. Do you see that a place is holy there, wherever God may be? For this reason also, In the wilderness, he said, that he might compare place with place. Then the good deed. Which also our fathers, he says, that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. David asked to build, and he does not receive it, the great one, the admirable one; but the rejected one, Solomon, builds. For this reason he says: But Solomon built him an house. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands. This was indeed shown both through what has already been said; and it is also shown through a prophetic voice; and how, hear what follows: as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things 60.136? Do not wonder, he says, if Christ benefits those who refuse His kingdom, if indeed this also happened in the time of Moses. For He did not simply deliver them, but also while they were living in the wilderness. Do you see that for their sake were also those signs? Therefore, he who conversed with God, he who was saved contrary to expectation, he who worked so many and such mighty things, shows that the prophecy must by all means be fulfilled, and he does not contradict himself. But let us look at what has been said from the beginning. This is that Moses, he says, which said, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me. To this I think Christ was referring when He said, Salvation is of the Jews, alluding to Himself. This is he, that was in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him. Behold, again he shows that he himself gave the law, if indeed he was with him in the congregation in the wilderness. And here he also reminds of the great wonder that happened on the mountain. Who received the lively oracles to give unto us. Moses is admirable everywhere, and more so when he had to give laws. What is, Living oracles? Either, those whose end was shown through words; or he means the prophecies. Then the accusation for a time upon

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καὶ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ διεσώθη, καθάπερ καὶ ἐκεῖνος παιδίον ὢν ἐπιβεβούλευτο. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ γενόμενος ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ μετὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου, τοῦ λαλοῦντος αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σινᾷ, καὶ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ὃς ἐδέξατο λόγια ζῶντα δοῦναι ἡμῖν. Πάλιν οὐδαμοῦ ναὸς, οὐδαμοῦ θυσία. Μετὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου, φησὶν, ἐδέξατο δοῦναι λόγια ζῶντα ἡμῖν. Ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσιν, ὅτι οὐχὶ σημεῖα ἐποίησε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ νόμον ἔδωκεν, ὥσπερ ὁ Χριστός. Καθάπερ οὖν οὗτος πρῶτον σημεῖα ποιεῖ, καὶ τότε νομοθετεῖ· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Χριστός. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἤκουσαν αὐτοῦ, μαθόντες ἀεὶ ἀπειθεῖν, μετὰ τὰ σημεῖα, μετὰ τὰ θαύματα τὰ ἐν τεσσαράκοντα ἔτεσι. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὐναντίον ἐπεδείξαντο· ὃ καὶ δηλῶν ἐπήγαγεν· Ὧ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ὑπήκοοι γενέσθαι οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' ἀπώσαντο, καὶ ἐστράφησαν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, εἰπόντες τῷ Ἀαρών· Ποίησον ἡμῖν θεοὺς, οἳ προπορεύσονται ἡμῶν· ὁ γὰρ Μωϋσῆς οὗτος, ὃς ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί γέγονεν αὐτῷ. Καὶ ἐμοσχοποίησαν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις, καὶ ἀνήγαγον θυσίας τῷ εἰδώλῳ, καὶ εὐφραίνοντο ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν. Ἔστρεψε δὲ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς λατρεύειν τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ τῶν προφητῶν· Μὴ σφάγια καὶ θυσίας προσηνέγκατέ μοι ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ; Καὶ ἀνελάβετε τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Μολὸχ, καὶ τὸ ἄστρον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν Ῥεμφὰν, τοὺς τύπους, οὓς ἐποιήσατε προσκυνεῖν αὐτοῖς. Καὶ μετοικιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐπέκεινα Βαβυλῶνος. Τὸ, Παρέδωκεν, ἐνταῦθα, Εἴασεν ἐστίν. Ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἦν τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καθὼς διετάξατο ὁ λαλῶν τῷ Μωϋσεῖ ποιῆσαι αὐτὴν κατὰ τὸν τύπον, ὃν ἑωράκει. Καὶ σκηνῆς οὔσης, θυσίαι οὐκ ἦσαν. Ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἦσαν, ὁ προφήτης δῆλον ποιεῖ, τοῦτο λέγων· Μὴ σφάγια καὶ θυσίας προσηνέγκατέ μοι; Ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἦν, καὶ οὐδὲν ὠφέλησεν αὐτοὺς, ἀλλ' ἀνηλίσκοντο. Οὔτε δὲ πρὸ τούτου αὐτοὺς τὰ σημεῖα, οὔτε μετὰ ταῦτα ὠφέλησέ τι. Ἣν καὶ εἰσήγαγον διαδεξάμενοι οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν. Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι ἐκεῖ τόπος ἅγιός ἐστιν, ἔνθα ἂν ᾖ ὁ Θεός; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ, Ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, εἶπεν, ἵνα τόπον τόπῳ συγκρίνῃ. Εἶτα ἡ εὐεργεσία. Καὶ εἰσήγαγον, φησὶ, διαδεξάμενοι οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν μετὰ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῇ κατασχέσει τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὧν ἔξωσεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἕως τῶν ἡμερῶν ∆αυῒδ, ὃς εὗρε χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ᾐτήσατο εὑρεῖν σκήνωμα τῷ Θεῷ Ἰακώβ. Ἠτήσατο οἰκοδομεῖν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, καὶ οὐ λαμβάνει ὁ μέγας, ὁ θαυμαστός· ἀλλ' οἰκοδομεῖ ὁ ἀπεῤῥιμμένος ὁ Σολομῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι· Σολομῶν δὲ ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτῷ οἶκον· ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Ὕψιστος ἐν χειροποιήτοις ναοῖς κατοικεῖ. Ἐδείχθη μὲν τοῦτο καὶ διὰ τῶν ἤδη λεχθέντων· δείκνυται δὲ καὶ διὰ φωνῆς προφητικῆς· καὶ ὅπως, ἄκουε τῶν ἑξῆς· Καθὼς καὶ ὁ προφήτης λέγει· Ὁ οὐρανός μοι θρόνος, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου. Καὶ ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι, λέγει Κύριος; ἢ τίς τόπος τῆς καταπαύσεώς μού ἐστιν; οὐχὶ ἡ χείρ μου ἐποίησε ταῦτα 60.136 πάντα; Μὴ θαυμάζετε, φησὶν, εἰ τοὺς παραιτουμένους αὐτοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν ὁ Χριστὸς εὐεργετεῖ, εἴ γε καὶ ἐπὶ Μωϋσέως τοῦτο γέγονε. Καὶ γὰρ οὐχ ἁπλῶς αὐτοὺς ἐξείλετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ διάγοντας. Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι δι' αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐκεῖνα τὰ σημεῖα; Ὁ τῷ Θεῷ οὖν διαλεχθεὶς, ὁ ἐκ παραδόξου σωθεὶς, ὁ τοσαῦτα ἐργασάμενος καὶ δυνηθεὶς, δείκνυσιν, ὅτι πάντως πληρωθῆναι δεῖ τὴν προφητείαν, καὶ οὐκ ἐναντιοῦται ἑαυτῷ. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν ἄνωθεν τὰ εἰρημένα. Οὗτός ἐστι, φησὶ, Μωϋσῆς, ὁ εἰπών· Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει Κύριος ὡς ἐμέ. Πρὸς τοῦτο οἶμαι τὸν Χριστὸν εἰπεῖν ἀναφέροντα· Ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἡσωτηρία ἐστὶν, ἑαυτὸν αἰνιττόμενον. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ γενόμενος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ μετὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου τοῦ λαλοῦντος αὐτῷ. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν αὐτὸν δείκνυσι τὸν νόμον δεδωκέναι, εἴ γε μετ' αὐτοῦ ἦν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ θαύματος ὑπομιμνήσκει μεγάλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ ὄρει γεγενημένου. Ὃς ἐδέξατο λόγια ζῶντα δοῦναι ἡμῖν. Πανταχοῦ θαυμαστὸς ὁ Μωϋσῆς, καὶ πλέον ὅτε νομοθετεῖν ἔδει. Τί ἐστι, Λόγια ζῶντα; Ἤτοι, ὧν τὸ τέλος διὰ λόγων ἐδείκνυτο· ἤτοι τὰς προφητείας λέγει. Εἶτα τὸ ἔγκλημα τέως ἐπὶ