Is 8:23 In the former time the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali was lightened; and in the latter time the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.
Is 9:1 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; for those who dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, a light has arisen.
Now the discourse concerns that time when the Lord, dwelling among men, deigned to preach the Gospel by himself. For after his baptism, Matthew writes that he withdrew into Galilee, and leaving the city of Nazareth came and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region of the shadow of death a light has arisen.” And from that time Jesus began to preach and to say: “Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:12–17).
Thus, in the first time of the Lord’s preaching, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali was lightened from the burden of sins, because there the Savior, before he chose his disciples, began to preach the remission of sins and to promise entrance into the heavenly kingdom to those who did penance. But the region of the way of the sea—that is, the maritime region—was in the latter time of his preaching weighed down by the burden of sins, as he says later in the Gospel: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, exalted unto heaven, shall be cast down to hell” (Matthew 11:21–23).
Therefore the way of the sea, Galilee of the Gentiles, which lay beyond the Jordan, was in the latter time weighed down in its iniquities, because it contemptuously rejected the Lord’s preaching with hardened heart. But the people of the Gentiles, who formerly were placed in the darkness of ignorance and walked along the broad road of the world that leads to destruction, saw a great light when the Lord preached and shone forth by miracles. They saw not a small light, such as that of other prophets, but a great one—namely, of him who says: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).
And for those dwelling in the region of the shadow of death—that is, of sins and unbelief—a new light of justice and faith has arisen. For a distinction can be made between death and the shadow of death: death is understood of those who, with dead works, descended into hell, “for the soul that sins, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20); but the shadow of death is of those who sin but have not yet departed from life, because if they wish to do penance, they are able to do so.
Yet these things can also be understood otherwise. For it says: “In the former time the land of Zebulun was lightened,” and so forth. Now Zebulun is interpreted “his oath,” and Naphtali “separation.” And the people of the Jews had received the oath of God, as is said through Zechariah: “He swore to Abraham our father that he would grant us” (Luke 1:73). And they were separated, that is, set apart from all other peoples. Therefore, in the former time the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali was lightened, because the Lord taught in the land of the Jews, to whom he had formerly sworn, and whom he had chosen from all the peoples under heaven, and there he first sent disciples to preach.
It follows: “And in the latter time the way beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, was made heavy.” What is signified by “the way” if not action? And what by “the sea” if not the world? And what by “the Jordan” if not baptism? Hence the descent of the Jordan is interpreted of those who are baptized, because those who are baptized descend from their pride into the depths of humility. Galilee, which is said to be a “passing over,” signifies the transition from sins to justice.
Therefore the way of the sea—that is, worldly action—which lies beyond the Jordan, after baptism, among the Gentiles, was in the latter time weighed down by sins. For we also, who have been called from the Gentiles to Christ, after we have passed through the sacraments of baptism, after we have migrated to virtues, now near the end of the world, when the charity of many has grown cold and iniquity has abounded, return again to the way of the world and become entangled in secular affairs, though we ought to be serving God. Thus we are weighed down exceedingly by the burden of sins, so that we can scarcely lift our hearts toward heavenly desire.
These words may also be explained in another way. When Christ shone forth by his preaching, first the land of Zebulun and Naphtali was freed from the errors of the scribes and Pharisees and shook off from itself the most grievous yoke of Jewish traditions. Afterwards, through the Gospel, the preaching of the apostle Paul—who was the last of all the apostles (1 Corinthians 4:9)—was made heavy, that is, multiplied, and the Gospel of Christ shone forth to the borders of the Gentiles and along the way of the whole sea, that is, of the world. For the Gentile, who formerly sat or walked in darkness and was held fast in idolatry and the bonds of death, beheld the light of the Gospel. Hence it is added: “For those dwelling in the region of the shadow of death, a light has arisen.”
The region of the shadow of death is the land of the Gentiles, because by the “shadow of death” the imitation of the ancient enemy is understood. For he himself is called death, since he brought death into the world, as John bears witness when he says: “His name was Death” (Revelation 6:8). Therefore, by the shadow of death his imitation is signified, because just as a shadow follows a body, so the actions of the wicked are fashioned according to his likeness. The prophet, therefore, lamenting that the peoples had fallen into imitation of the ancient enemy, foretells their rising at the coming of the true Sun; and what he knew would certainly come to pass, he narrates as though already accomplished, saying: “For those dwelling in the region of the shadow of death, a light has arisen for them.”
And concerning the multitude of the same Gentiles who had not yet known the joys of that light, he adds:
Is 9:2 You have multiplied the nation, you have not magnified the joy.
For the nation had indeed been multiplied throughout the breadth of the whole world, but joy had not yet been magnified, while God was known only in Judea, because it had not yet been fulfilled: “I bring you good news of great joy, which shall be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). But now he goes on to speak of its magnification: “They shall rejoice before you, as those who rejoice in the harvest,” and so forth.
Indeed, the apostles gathered an abundant harvest of the human race when they assembled not only Jews but also Gentiles to the faith. Hence it had been said to them: “Lift up your eyes and see the fields, for they are already white for harvest. And he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit unto eternal life, so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. I sent you to reap what you did not labor for; others labored, and you have entered into their labors” (John 4:35–38). Therefore, in this harvest the holy preachers rejoiced before the Lord when they delighted in the conversion of the Gentiles.
Having also received the Holy Spirit from above, they overcame the ancient enemy and his entire host, “for whatever is born of God overcomes the world” (1 John 5:4), and they exulted as victors. And exulting, they divided the spoils, because they distributed the sacred oracles to all nations throughout the world. For by the name of spoils the divine words are signified, as it is written: “I rejoice at your words as one who finds great spoils” (Psalm 119:162).
Or else: “You have multiplied the nation of the faithful, O Christ, you who have dedicated your Church throughout the whole world, but you have not magnified the joy,” because through the unbelief of the Jews you have left sorrow for us. But when you come again and the whole nation of Christians is gathered together, then the apostles will rejoice before you like harvesters, because the fruit of the human harvest will be gathered into eternal life; and like victors who divide captured plunder, because then the devil will be perfectly conquered and human beings will be divided to the right and to the left.
But why these victors rejoice in the division of the spoils is shown when he adds concerning the Gentile people:
Is 9:3 For the yoke of his burden, the rod of his shoulder, and the scepter of his oppressor you have broken, as in the day of Midian.
For in rescuing the Gentiles, the Lord broke the yoke of their burden when by his coming he freed them from the servitude of demonic tyranny. He broke the rod of their shoulder when the Redeemer restrained that persecution by which the enemy grievously oppressed the human race through perverse works. He broke the scepter of their oppressor when he destroyed from the hearts of the faithful the kingdom of the devil, who used to exact the debts of punishment through the pestilential practice of vices.
But let us hear how these things were done: “As in the day of Midian,” that is, just as Gideon, with three hundred men, defeated the countless multitude of the Midianites. At this point it is fitting to make a digression as to why the triumph of Christ’s victory is shown through the victory of Gideon.
For it is written in the Book of Judges: “All the Midianites and Amalekites and the eastern peoples gathered together, crossed the Jordan, and camped in the valley of Jezreel. But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and sounding the trumpet, he summoned the house of Abiezer to follow him. He also sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too followed him, and others to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, who came out to meet him.
And Gideon said to the Lord: If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken, behold, I will place this fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there shall be dew on the fleece alone and dryness on all the ground, I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said. And it was so. Rising at night and wringing the fleece, he filled a bowl with dew. And again he said to the Lord: Let not your anger burn against me if I test one more time; I beg that the fleece alone be dry and the ground be wet with dew. And the Lord did that night as he had asked, and there was dryness on the fleece alone, and dew on all the ground (Judges 6:33 ff.).
Therefore Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, rising at night, and all the people with him, came to the place that is called Harod. Now the camp of Midian was in the valley, toward the north side of the high hill. And the Lord said to Gideon: The people with you are too many for me to give Midian into their hands, lest Israel boast against me and say, “I was delivered by my own strength.” Speak to the people and proclaim in the hearing of all: “Whoever is fearful and fainthearted, let him return.” And from Mount Gilead twenty-two thousand men departed and returned home; only ten thousand remained.
And the Lord said to Gideon: The people are still too many. Bring them down to the waters, and there I will test them for you. Of whom I shall say to you, “This one shall go with you,” he shall go; but of whom I shall forbid, he shall return. When he had brought them down to the waters, the Lord said to Gideon: All who lap the water with their tongues as dogs are accustomed to lap, you shall set apart by themselves; likewise all who bend their knees to drink shall be in another group. And the number of those who lapped the water, bringing it to their mouths with their hands, was three hundred men; all the rest of the people drank with their knees bent.
And the Lord said to Gideon: With the three hundred men who lapped the water I will deliver you and give Midian into your hand; let all the rest of the multitude return to their homes. So, taking provisions and trumpets according to their number, he sent away all the rest of the people to their tents, and he himself remained with the three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian lay below in the valley.
That same night the Lord said to him: Arise and go down into the camp, for I have delivered them into your hand. But if you fear to go down alone, let Phurah your servant go down with you. And when you hear what they are saying, then your hands shall be strengthened, and you shall go down more confidently against the enemy camp. So he went down with Phurah his servant to the edge of the camp, where the armed guards were stationed. Now Midian and Amalek and all the eastern peoples lay scattered in the valley like a multitude of locusts; their camels also were innumerable, like the sand that lies on the seashore.
When Gideon arrived, a man was telling a dream to his companion, and he related what he had seen in this way: I saw a dream, and it seemed to me that a cake of barley bread, baked under ashes, rolled down into the camp of Midian. When it reached a tent, it struck it, overturned it, and leveled it completely to the ground. And the one to whom he was speaking replied: This is nothing else than the sword of Gideon, son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has delivered Midian and all its camp into his hand.
When Gideon had heard the dream and its interpretation, he adored God and returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for God has delivered Midian into your hands.” Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave them trumpets in their hands, and empty jars, with lamps inside the jars. And he said to them, “What you see me do, do likewise. I shall enter one part of the camp, and what I do, you shall imitate. When the trumpet sounds in my hand, you also shall sound the trumpets all around the camp and cry out, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”
So Gideon and the three hundred men who were with him entered the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch of the night, just as the guards had been awakened. They began to blow the trumpets and to smash the jars against one another. And when in three places around the camp they sounded the trumpets and broke the jars, they held the lamps in their left hands and the sounding trumpets in their right, and they cried out, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” Each stood in his place around the enemy camp. And so the whole camp was thrown into confusion, and crying out and howling, they fled. Yet the three hundred men pressed on, sounding their trumpets. And the Lord sent the sword throughout the whole camp, and they struck one another with mutual slaughter, fleeing as far as Beth-shittah and the border of Abel-meholah at Tabbath.
Then the men of Israel from Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh were summoned and pursued Midian. And Gideon sent messengers throughout the whole hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down to meet Midian and seize the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.” And all Ephraim was called out, and they seized the waters as far as Beth-barah, and they captured two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the Rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And pursuing Midian, they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan (Judges 6 and following).
Thus far we have set forth the words of Sacred History. But what profit is there in having set forth the words, unless we at least briefly touch upon their mystical meaning?
Gideon therefore, coming to battle, signifies the advent of our Redeemer, of whom it is written: “Lift up your gates, O princes, and the King of glory shall enter. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle” (Psalm 23[24]:7–8). Our Redeemer was foretold by Gideon not only in deed but also in name. For Gideon is interpreted as “one who goes around in the womb.” Our Lord indeed encompasses all things by the power of his majesty, and yet by the grace of his saving plan he came within the womb of the Virgin. For what is “going around in the womb” except that the omnipotent God, redeeming us by his saving plan, embraces all things by his divinity and yet takes humanity within the womb? He was incarnate in the womb, yet not enclosed there, because he was in the womb according to the substance of weakness and outside the womb according to the power of divinity.
Midian, however, is interpreted as “judgment.” For that the enemies were to be driven back and destroyed was not due to any fault in the one who repelled them, but to the judgment of the just Judge. And therefore they are called “judgment,” because, being alien to the grace of the Redeemer, they bear in their very name the merit of just condemnation.
Amalek is interpreted as “a people who lick.” And what is signified by a licking people except the minds of worldly men, who, clinging to earthly things, as it were lick them while delighting only in temporal matters? They are called “easterners” because, just as they are born, so they remain—neither circumcised nor baptized.
Therefore all Midian and Amalek and the eastern peoples gathered together and crossed the Jordan, because all these, in one conspiracy, rushed upon those who are baptized. For we have crossed the Jordan, as it were, under the leadership of Jesus, and we now dwell in the land of promise, that is, the Church. When the unbelievers therefore come against us, they hasten as if to lay waste those who are in the land beyond the Jordan. And they encamped in the valley of Jezreel, because in the pilgrimage of the present life they tyrannically oppressed and trampled upon the humility of the faithful. Jezreel means “the seed of God,” and “the one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the good seed are the sons of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:37).
The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, because when Jesus had been baptized and was praying, the Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, like a dove (Luke 3:22). He sounded the trumpet and gathered Abiezer, because Jesus began to preach and chose disciples. Abiezer means “my father is help,” and by this name is designated the company of prophets and ancient fathers, whose household became the fellowship of the Lord’s disciples.
He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, that is, the apostles, saying, “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5–6). Manasseh, which is interpreted as “necessity,” is a figure of that people who served God out of necessity, that is, out of fear. He also sent others into Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, because he sent Paul and Barnabas to the Gentile people, who in Christ became blessed, strong, and enlarged in love. For Asher means “blessed,” Zebulun “dwelling of strength,” and Naphtali “expanded” or “he has enlarged me.”
The dew on the fleece and dryness on all the earth signifies faith among the Jewish people and unbelief among the Gentiles; then, when faith arose, grace was taken away from the Jews and given to the Gentiles. Rising in the night and wringing the fleece, he filled a bowl with dew, because Christ, rising from death before dawn, filled the minds of the disciples with grace. Again, dryness on the fleece and dew on all the earth signifies unbelief among the Jews and faith throughout the whole world.
Gideon, that is, Christ, is also called Jerubbaal, meaning “having a judge for reproach,” namely the devil, who possesses the reprobate but cannot truly judge or avenge the destruction of idolatry. Rising at night, he came to the spring called Harod, because before dawn he rose from the tomb and came to the immortal fountain by ascending into heaven. Harod is interpreted as “awakening of descent.” And all the people of believers, rising with him, came to this fountain, because “God has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).
Midian was in the valley, that is, in the depth of vices, on the northern side, that is, in the left-hand region of cold and dark unbelief. The lofty hill is the Church, standing at the side of Christ opened by the lance, who is the mountain set on the summit of mountains. Mount Gilead, which means “heap of testimony,” is the exalted and manifold testimony which the martyrs rendered in their passions.
From this mountain twenty-two thousand fearful men returned, that is, the multitude of transgressors of both Testaments and apostates. For twenty-two is twice eleven, and eleven signifies transgression, while ten signifies observance of the commandments. Ten thousand remained with Gideon. But since not all who are believed to keep the law are able to preach or suffer for Christ, the people were still too many.
They were therefore led to the river to lap the waters. Those who drank the water kneeling were removed from the intention of battle. Water signifies the teaching of wisdom, while standing upright on one’s knees signifies upright action. Those who bent the knee while drinking were recalled from the battle, because Christ goes to war against the enemies of faith with those who, while drinking the streams of doctrine, do not bend the uprightness of works, so that they may excel both in the teaching of wisdom and in the strength of works. For the weakening of works is signified by the bending of the knees, as Paul says: “Lift up your drooping hands and your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet” (Hebrews 12:12–13).
Thus the number of those who lapped water with their hands was three hundred men. In the number one hundred is understood the fullness of perfection; therefore what is signified by one hundred taken three times, except perfect knowledge of the Trinity? With these the Lord destroys the enemies of faith; with these he descends to the wars of preaching, who know how to hold a perfect belief concerning the Trinity, which is God.
On the same night on which the Lord supped with the disciples, he was told, “Rise from supper and go down into the camp,” that is, to the place where Judas would come with the crowd of Jews. “But if you fear to go alone, let Phurah your servant go down with you.” Mark says similarly: “He took Peter and James and John with him, and he began to be distressed” (Mark 14:33). Phurah, whose name means “jar,” is a type of the apostles, who were filled as it were with new wine.
Thus he himself and Phurah his servant went down to the edge of the camp, where the armed guards were stationed, because he came with his disciples to the garden where he knew he would be seized by the Pharisees and a cohort of soldiers. Camels signify the distortion of vices, and locusts the inconstancy of minds. The one who narrated or interpreted the dream signifies divine men and wise men of the world, and even certain Gentile seers, to whom many things concerning Christ were revealed, such as the Sibyls and Nebuchadnezzar.
The barley cake baked under ashes signifies Christ, who is harsh and sharp and piercing to sinners. For just as bread is baked under a heap of ashes, so Christ endured the fire of his Passion under the multitude of the Jews and was hardened unto the power of resurrection. It rolls among the tongues of preachers so as to descend to human understanding. It struck the tent and overturned it and leveled it to the ground, either when he reduced to dust by death the flesh of persecutors in which their souls dwelt, or when, striking their flesh with the sword of preaching in mercy, he destroyed it and rendered them humble.
Or rather, the bread of barley may signify the Scripture of the Old Testament, whose inner sense is most tenaciously covered by the chaff of the letter. Thus also the five barley loaves signify this in the Gospel, with which the Lord fed the multitude (John 6). This bread is said to be baked under ashes because the Old Scripture, according to the carnal sense, lies in the dust of earthly things. This is nothing other than the sword of Gideon.
Joash, whose name means “hoping,” signifies the people of God who hoped that the Savior would be born from among them. When our Gideon heard the dream and made it known to his own, he was filled with joy in all his members and kindled thanksgiving. He divided the three hundred men, that is, the holy preachers, into three parts of the world, namely Asia, Europe, and Africa. He gave them trumpets in their hands, empty jars, and lamps within the jars. The trumpets signify the cry of preaching, the lamps the brightness of miracles, and the jars the fragility of bodies.
Gideon and the three hundred men entered the edge of the camp because Jesus, through his preachers, began to attack the realm of unbelievers in order to conquer them healthfully and subject them to himself. “At the beginning of the middle watch of the night,” that is, in the depth of error, and when the guards were awakened, because the rulers of the world began to appoint more cunning guardians of old errors against the new preaching of the apostles. They began to blow the trumpets, that is, they began to preach. They smashed the jars, that is, they shattered their bodies in passion. They sounded the trumpets when they preached; they broke the jars when they offered their bodies to hostile swords in martyrdom.
When the jars were broken, the lamps shone forth, and after the dissolution of their bodies they shone with miracles. Immediately the enemies were turned to flight, because when they saw the bodies of the dead martyrs shining with miracles, struck by the light of truth, they believed what they had persecuted. They sang the trumpets so that the jars might be broken; the jars were broken so that the lamps might appear; the lamps appeared so that the enemies might flee. That is, they preached until their bodies were dissolved; their bodies were dissolved in death so that they might shine with miracles; they shone with miracles so that they might strike down their enemies with divine light, so that they might not resist God when raised up but submit to him in fear.
It is noteworthy that they resisted while the jars stood, but fled before the lamps, because persecutors resisted the preachers of faith while they were still in the body, but after the dissolution of their bodies, when miracles appeared, they fled in fear and ceased from persecuting the faithful.
When they sounded the trumpets in three places around the camp—that is, when they preached in Asia, Europe, and Africa—and broke the jars, they held the lamps in their left hands and the sounding trumpets in their right. We say that we hold in our right hand what we value greatly, and in our left what we count as nothing. Therefore the martyrs of Christ rightly held the trumpets in their right hands and the lamps in their left, because they esteemed the grace of preaching as great, and counted the usefulness of their bodies or even the glory of miracles as nothing.
The Lord then sent the sword of the divine word into all the camps, and they cut one another down by mutual slaughter, that is, abandoning their former way of life, they destroyed it within themselves. They fled as far as Beth-shittah and Abel-meholah in Tabbath. Beth-shittah means “house of thorns”; Abel-meholah “mourning of the one in labor”; Tabbath “exception.” What is the house of thorns except the mind pierced with compunction for its sins? What is the one in labor except the Church, which does not cease to give birth to spiritual children for God? And what is the border of the mourning of this one in labor except the wound in the side of Christ, from which the Church draws the cause of her mourning? They fled as far as Beth-shittah when, pierced by compunction for their crimes, they did penance; and as far as the border of the one in labor, that is, to faith in the Lord’s Passion, from which the Church’s mourning began. They fled into Tabbath, that is, into good exception.
Then the men of Israel, that is, the faithful who see God with the eyes of faith, cried out with the voice of preaching—from Naphtali, that is, from the breadth of charity or the expansiveness of the world; from Asher, that is, from the blessed people; and from all Manasseh, that is, from those who forget what lies behind—and they pursued Midian, armed with heavenly weapons. Naphtali means “expanded,” Asher “blessed,” Manasseh “forgetting.”
Gideon sent messengers throughout all Ephraim, which means “fruitfulness,” that is, Christ sent preachers throughout the whole world. “Go down,” he said, “to meet Midian,” that is, take up humility in order to resist the pride of the enemy. “And seize the waters of wisdom as far as Beth-barah,” that is, as far as the Church, where the well of living waters is. Beth-barah means “house.” “And as far as the Jordan,” that is, to descent and humility—for Jordan is interpreted as “their descent”—or it may be understood as baptism.
They captured two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and killed them. Oreb is interpreted as “raven,” Zeeb as “wolf.” Both raven and wolf feed on corpses. The wolf seizes and kills animals and feeds on their flesh; the raven eats flesh but cannot kill. By the wolf is signified the insatiable rage of those who killed the martyrs and fed on their deaths; by the raven those who, though black with sins and delighting in the torments of the righteous, were not able to destroy them.
Oreb is interpreted as “hole,” and the serpent is accustomed to enter a hole. By this are signified those hearts into which the ancient serpent was accustomed to enter and dwell. Ephraim therefore killed Oreb and Zeeb, because the Gentiles either converted them to the faith or overcame them by patience—both those who delighted in the punishments of the righteous and those who actually killed the martyrs. Oreb, that is, the hardened ones, and Zeeb, that is, the ravagers and devourers of the saints, were killed in the winepress of Zeeb, that is, in the very oppression by which they afflicted the righteous. For in that the saints endured them unto death, those who thought they were killing the righteous were themselves slain.
Their heads, that is, the triumph over them, the martyrs carried to Gideon, that is, to Christ, across the waters of the Jordan, that is, across the sacraments of baptism by which passage to him is made. Therefore it is rightly said of the Gentiles to God: “You have broken the yoke of his burden, the rod of his shoulder, and the staff of his oppressor, as on the day of Midian,” because now the scepter of the oppressor has been overcome,
CONTINUE
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