The False Horse and the Fear of God

Everything comes to an end. And a great giant will not be saved by the abundance of his own strength. This also contains a history: Goliath was a great giant and had an abundance of strength, and he believed in nothing other than in his own luck and his own strength and greatness. And he was also arrogant; therefore he was not saved; for he, having armed himself in the 'name of the Lord' (1 Sam 17:45), was defeated and brought down. And we find many in the Scriptures being cast down great, because they cast great confidence upon themselves.

The Amalekite was prepared for war and seemed to be stronger than Israel; for Israel was not fully prepared for military matters, and yet, as the hands of Moses were being lifted up, the Amalekite was being subdued and humbled, and the lifting of the hands was happening to him, and he was not saved because of his own strength. We say again: if anyone, having a god-fighter's attitude, 'building up lofty things against the knowledge of God,' falls by the strength which he had and is swallowed up, he is by no means saved. Sometimes the God-wise one contends with him and casts him down from where he has conceit.

A false horse for salvation. Again, many think greatly upon a horse, but the God-Word shows that even the conceit of horses is easily broken; for 'these are in chariots and these in horses, but we in the name of the Lord our God shall be magnified' (Ps 20:7). See, 'a false horse for salvation.' To many it was promised that Pharaoh would capture the Hebrews with horses. But they did not even possess one horse, and their salvation has become false, having sinned and having failed. And also in Proverbs: 'A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but salvation is by the Lord' (Prov 21:31). You see that it is false for salvation, if this does not exist from the Lord, even if it is according to a spoken word.

And for thought: it is often said that the body is a horse of the soul, and the soul is the rider or the one mounting it; 'I will strike,' he says, 'the whole horse in frenzy and its rider in madness.' When anyone carries...

When one, enjoying pleasures upon the body and fulfilling his own desire, receives a foolishness, then salvation occurs. A horse is trodden down by God in frenzy, becoming outside of itself; for indeed, being subdued and led away as a slave, it no longer moves according to its own impulses, but stands out from these.

Barhesanes lived in former times, in the days of Antoninus the Roman king. He was at the beginning of the school of Valentinus, moved into the church, and became a presbyter.

17 And in the multitude of his power he shall not be saved. That is, either the one using horses or the power of many horses; for both are true: 'a false horse for salvation,' even if it be many; for it is not upon one horse alone. Often the whole cavalry is a horse. That is, therefore, the multitude of the power of the cavalry used by the riders does not save him, nor the multitude and power of the horses.

18 Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him (Ps 33:18). It is equal to: 'the eyes of the Lord upon the righteous' (Ps 34:8). And this again in the twelfth psalm says: 'Look, hear my prayer, O Lord my God' (Ps 12:2). Therefore, 'the eyes of the Lord upon those who fear him' is not a fear of passivity, but 'him'; for there is also a passive fear, which perfect love casts out from those having the fear of God. There is fearing and fearing God; for the fear toward God is not passive, but signifies the surpassing of all. Thus indeed it says: 'the fear of the Lord surpassed all' (Ps 111:10), and: 'there is no deficiency to those fearing him' (Ps 112:7). Being righteous, they are worthy of being watched over by God.

18 Those hoping in his mercy. Behold, those fearing God hope in his mercy; for having done all things, they expect to be shown mercy by him, as it was said a little earlier: 'not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of the God who shows mercy' (Rom 9:16). And no one is able to keep himself unblemished.