THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Who is it within you that will impart these truths? And will one listen in the days to come? It is customary for the divinely inspired Scriptures to employ the term inspire when discussing essential matters that should not be grasped superficially or carelessly. Instead, they should engage our full attention, such that the truths proclaimed are cherished in both mind and heart. As the Psalmist declares, “I have hidden thy words in my heart, lest I sin against thee” (Psalms 118:11), and again in Psalm forty-eight, it is stated, “Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world” (Psalms 48:2). Hearing is a common experience for all who have once listened to any voice or sound. To inculcate, as I mentioned, means to instill within us the revealed truths.
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Thus, the prophetic word seems to seek the most attentive and discerning listeners, aiming to affirm future acts by recounting those performed in ages past, as Paul notes, “These things happened to them as examples, but they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). It is essential for us to study these accounts not frivolously, but to understand their significance for our souls, and to take care to avoid falling into the same transgressions, lest we suffer the consequences they faced.