Leviticus 26

Leviticus 26:1

Tertullian: For this reason, in order to root out the materials of idolatry, God’s law proclaims, “You shall not make an idol”; and by adding, “Nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven or in the earth or in the sea,” it utterly forbade such crafts to the servants of God. Enoch had anticipated this law when he prophesied that the demons and the spirits of the rebellious angels would turn to idolatry every element and property of the universe, everything which heaven and sea and earth contain, to be consecrated as a god against God. So it is that human error worships everything but the very Creator of everything. Their images are idols; the consecration of images is idolatry. Whatever sin idolatry commits must be put down to all the makers of all the idols. — ON IDOLATRY 4.1-2

Leviticus 26:4

Caesarius of Arles: If we faithfully and diligently pay attention to it, brethren, everything which was promised corporally to the Jews is fulfilled spiritually in us; for all the blessings of God which they received on earth we have obtained in our souls through the grace of baptism. Therefore, with his help, let us labor with all our strength so that we may be able to receive God’s blessings and avoid his curses. — SERMON 105.1

Leviticus 26:5

Caesarius of Arles: I do not consider this as a material blessing, as though the man who observes God’s law will obtain that common bread in abundance. Why not? Do not wicked sinners also eat bread, not only in abundance but even in luxury? Therefore let us look rather to him who says, “I am the living bread that has come down from heaven.” And “he who eats this bread shall live forever.” As we notice that he who said this is the word with which our soul is fed, we realize of what bread it was said by God in blessing that: “You will have food to eat in abundance.” Solomon proclaims something similar concerning the just man, when he says in the book of Proverbs, “When the just man eats, his hunger is appeased, but the souls of the wicked suffer want.” If this is understood only according to the letter, it seems utterly false, for the souls of the wicked eat more greedily and strive for satiety, while the just sometimes even suffer hunger. Finally, Paul was a just man, and he said, “To this very hour we hunger and thirst, and we are naked and buffeted”;8 and again he says, “In hunger and thirst, in fastings often.” How then does Solomon say that the just man eats and satisfies his soul? What we understood before concerning the rain we ought to consider at this point also with regard to the bread. That heavenly bread, that is, the Word of God who said, “I am the living bread,” none but the just eat, to whom it is said, “Taste, and see how good the Lord is.” With what kind of a conscience then do sinners who are defiled by many sins dare to eat? — SERMON 105.3

Caesarius of Arles: The wicked man is never secure but is always disturbed and wavering. He is tossed about by every wind of doctrine to deceitful error, by the craft of men. However, the just man who observes God’s law dwells in security on his land, because he governs his body in fear of God and brings it into subjection. His understanding is firm when he says to God, “Strengthen me according to your words, O Lord.” Strengthened, secure and well rooted, he dwells on the earth, founded in faith. His house is not built upon sand but is established on solid ground. — SERMON 105.4

Leviticus 26:6

Caesarius of Arles: Then follow the words “and I will establish peace in your lands.” What peace does God give? The peace which the world possesses? Christ says he does not give that kind of peace, for he declares, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as this world gives peace do I give to you.” Therefore he denies that he will give the peace of the world to his disciples. Do you want to see then what peace God gives in our land? If the land is good so that it produces fruit a hundredfold, sixtyfold or thirtyfold, it will receive from God that peace which the apostle describes: “May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts.” — SERMON 105.5

Caesarius of Arles: “You may lie down to rest without anxiety.” Moreover, Solomon says in the book of Proverbs, “When you sit down, you need not be afraid. When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet and you will not be afraid of sudden terror or of the attack of the wicked when it comes.” These words he spoke concerning the just and wise man. Furthermore it is said in blessing, “You may lie down to rest without anxiety.” If you are just, no one can frighten you. If you fear God, you will fear nothing else. “The just man, like a lion, feels sure of himself”;19 and in the words of David, “I shall not fear the terror of the night,” and so forth. He adds still further: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?” and again, “Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear.” Do you see the courage and constancy of the soul that observes the commandments of God? — SERMON 105.6

Caesarius of Arles: “I will rid your country of ravenous beasts and keep war from sweeping across your land.” There are many fights which pass over our land, if we do not observe the law of God and keep his commands. Let each one return to his own soul or conscience and examine himself with interior recollection. Let him see how our land, that is, our body, is oppressed at one time by the spirit of fornication, at another by anger or fury. Again it is disturbed by the darts of avarice or struck by the javelins of envy; then it is darkened by the vice of pride. In whatever way the flesh lusts against the spirit or the spirit against the flesh, our land is agitated by exceedingly dangerous battles. Therefore, if a man observes the divine commands, by the Holy Ghost brings his body into subjection, keeps God’s precepts and fulfills them, he suffers this fight and war less or endures them in such a way that he is victorious. Indeed, God takes them away from his land and does not allow them to pass over the land, that is, the soul of the just. — SERMON 105.8

Leviticus 26:7

Caesarius of Arles: “You will rout your enemies.” Of what enemies do we speak, except the devil himself and his angels? We rout them not only by driving them from our own hearts, but we repel them far away from others whom they disturb or attack or overcome. We do this by our advice or reproof or prayer, if we preserve the divine precepts. Thus through death the enemy falls in our sight. Whose death? I think it is ours when we mortify our members which are on earth, namely, fornication and impurity. If we bring this death to our members, that is, to our concupiscences and sins, our enemies, the devil and his angels, will fall in our sight. How will they fall in your sight? If you are just, injustice falls at sight of you; if chaste, lust falls; if devout, you kill the spirit of impiety. — SERMON 105.9

Leviticus 26:8

Caesarius of Arles: “Five of you will put a hundred to flight.” Who are those five who can pursue a hundred? The number five is applied to both the praiseworthy and the culpable, for there were five wise virgins and five foolish; so also the number one hundred can be accepted in either way. Therefore if we belong to the five laudable ones, that is, the five wise virgins, we pursue one hundred of the foolish. If we fight wisely in matters of God’s Word, if we discuss the law of the Lord prudently, we convince and put to flight a multitude of unbelievers. Similarly the number one hundred indicates both the faithful and the unfaithful. Under that number of years Abraham is recorded to have believed in God and been justified, while “the sinner of a hundred years shall be thought accursed.” Now here a hundred unfaithful souls are put to flight by five wise men. Again, a hundred just men, who are so designated because of their perfection rather than their number, pursue many thousands of unbelievers. Indeed, devout teachers drive away countless demons, so they will not deceive the souls of believers with their old deceits. — SERMON 105.10

Caesarius of Arles: “Your foes will be cut down by your sword.” Who they are we mentioned above, but let us find out by what sword they are said to fall. The apostle Paul teaches us what this sword is when he says, “For the Word of God is living and efficient and keener than every two-edged sword and extending even to the joints of soul and spirit, of the members also and the marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” This is the sword at whose edge our enemies will fall. For it is the Word of God which casts down all enemies and puts them under its feet, so that the whole world becomes subject to God. Do you wish to learn from still another epistle of Paul that the sword with which spiritual enemies are overcome is the Word of God? Listen to him as he provides arms for the soldiers of Christ: “Take unto you the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, that is, the Word of God. With all prayer and supplication pray.” By these words he declares very clearly that by the Word of God which is a two-edged sword our enemies will fall in our sight. — SERMON 105.11

Leviticus 26:9

Caesarius of Arles: “I will look with favor upon you and make you fruitful.” Full of blessedness is the man upon whom God looks with favor. Do you want to understand how great is the salvation of a man upon whom the Lord looks [with favor]? Peter had once perished and at the prompting of the devil through the lips of a servant of the high priest had destroyed the consecration of his apostolic rank. But when the Lord looked at him, he was lifted up at once. — SERMON 105.12

Leviticus 26:10

Ambrose of Milan: For just as the teachings of the new and old Testaments should come together, as it is written: “Consume the old things of the ancients, and remove the old things from the face of the new ones.” Let the knowledge of the patriarchs be food for us, let the soul feast on the oracles of the prophets: let the inner being be nourished by such sustenance. But now let it not be the appearance of a lamb, but rather the reality of the body of Christ. Let it not be the shadow of the law that blinds the eyes, but rather let the grace of the Lord’s passion openly reveal, and let the splendor of the resurrection illuminate the mind’s sight. — On Cain and Abel 2.6.19

Bede: And we eat the oldest of the old [grain] when we retain in our hearts the sweet memory of the old commandment which was given to the human race from the beginning, by loving the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul and all our strength, and by loving our neighbor as ourselves. And we cast away the old [to make room] for the new that is coming on when we cease to keep the typic statutes of the Mosaic law according to the letter but keep these same statutes quite gladly as they are understood through the Spirit. Our hearts [are] being renewed in the hope of the heavenly kingdom in accordance with that [saying] of the apostle: “If then anyone is in Christ a new creature, the old things have passed away; behold, things have been made new,” and [with that saying] in the Apocalypse: “And he that sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’“ — On the Tabernacle 1.9

Origen of Alexandria: For we eat with blessing the old things, the prophetic words and the old things of the old things, the words of the law. And, when the new and evangelical words came, living according to the gospel, we bring forth the old things of the letter from before the new. He sets his tabernacle in us, fulfilling the promise which he spoke, “I will dwell among them and walk in them.” — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF Matthew 10.15

Leviticus 26:12

2 Corinthians (6:14-18): Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [Leviticus 26:12] Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Augustine of Hippo: God will be the source of every satisfaction, more than any heart can rightly crave, more than life and health, food and wealth, glory and honor, peace and every good—so that God, as St. Paul said, “may be all in all.” He will be the consummation of all our desiring—the object of our unending vision, of our unlessening love, of our unwearying praise. And in this gift of vision, this response of love, this paean of praise, all alike will share, as all will share in everlasting life. — City of God 22.30