THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
The Israelites had, I believe, an unquenchable yearning for their ancient freedom. Once they felt this longing, they stirred up a fierce anger in their oppressor who kept them bound in servitude. He perceived such aspirations as a result of laziness and responded by intensifying their labor, demanding swift completion of the harvest tasks while simultaneously halting the usual provision of straw. He declared: “You are idle, you are idle; therefore you say, ‘Come, let us go and sacrifice to the Lord. Go, then, and work; straw shall not be given you, but the appointed number of bricks shall be given.’” The overseers of the Israelites recognized their distress in the command that forbade any decrease in the daily quota of bricks.
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After leaving Pharaoh, they encountered Moses and Aaron, who awaited them, and said to them, “Let the Lord see and judge you, because you have made us abhorrent in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants, and have given them a sword in their hand to kill us” (Ex. 5:17-21). Is it not undeniable, dear friends, that when one seeks to liberate themselves from the dominion of the devil, desiring instead to bask in the brilliant and liberated glory of serving God, to take time to recognize the true Master—as captured in the Psalms: “Stop and know that I am God” (Psalms 45:11)—the adversary will accuse such aspirations for freedom as a lawless act, countering them with evil and unclean spirits. These spirits force us to cling persistently to the corrupt habits of the flesh and worldly distractions, preventing us from breaking free from our habitual sins.