I have enclosed him with My borders Job 38:10. The Lord establishes boundaries for the sea, controlling the fury of those who persecute through the governance of His judgments, such that their tumultuous wrath crashes upon the shores of His hidden purposes. Thus, it follows, Job 38:10-11. I have ordained locks and doors, proclaiming, You have come this far, and you shall advance no further, and here the tumultuous waves shall be halted. What is implied by ‘doors,’ if not the sacred ministers, and what by ‘bolts,’ if not the Lord Who became flesh? He has indeed placed within these doors firm locks to guard against the onslaught of the raging sea. The doors of the Holy Church are fortified by these locks, ensuring that while the waves may crash against them, they remain unbroken; persecution from without cannot invade their innermost being. Holy preachers, who open themselves to their congregation yet close off to their adversaries, are rightly termed ‘doors,’ welcoming the humble while rebuffing the proud. Consider Peter, a true door of the Church, who discerned Cornelius inquiring after faith, yet turned away Simon seeking power for profit, declaring to one, I perceive that God shows no partiality Acts 10:34, thereby revealing the mysteries of the kingdom; while to another, Your silver perish with you Acts 8:20, thus sealing off the heavenly treasures with a word of condemnation. Are not all the apostles akin to the doors of the Holy Church when they heed the voice of their Redeemer, saying, Receive the Holy Spirit; if you forgive anyone their sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven? John 20:22-23. This implies, Those to whom you open yourselves shall enter into Me; those to whom you close yourselves shall be excluded. Even though the sea rages, the Lord secures it with locks and doors; for amid the increasing storm of persecution in the world, affecting bitter and faithless souls, God elevates the glory of His only Son and the honor of His ministers, revealing the mysteries of the Divine will and quelling the waves of unrighteous rage.
There is a definite point declared: hitherto you have come, and you shall not advance any further. There exists indeed a limit to hidden judgment, dictating when the storm of persecution should arise and when it must come to an end; for otherwise, it would not aid the elect if not unleashed, nor would it save them if unyielding. When the heart of the persecutors comes to know faith, the turmoil they endure is subsided, as they confront the truth and shy away from every wicked action within themselves. The waves, once fierce, retreat upon realizing the truth; for evil, once conquered, reproaches itself and endures a sort of torment due to its guilt. As it is written by Paul, What fruit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Romans 6:21. In essence, the waves of your iniquity that once buoyed you now recede under the transformation you undergo, by the same authority that previously elevated your sinful state. Therefore, it is rightly said, And here the tumultuous waves shall be broken.
In this context, ‘the sea’ can represent not just the multitude of persecutors, but the world at large; the Lord established a barrier against the sea twice, first through the commandments of the law, and then through the gift of grace. He restrained the sea’s fury the second time by introducing the gate of the law, keeping those who follow His will from idolatry and leading them away from carnal ways via the revelation of Grace. The sea obtained its second gate as God first prohibited unholy behaviors and then guarded against unrighteous thoughts. Observe how He first established a gate against the violent sea. He pronounced the law: You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness Ex. 20:13-16; Deuteronomy 5:17-20. Now note how our Lord confines this sea by the second gate. He said in the Gospel, You have heard it said to the ancients, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart Matthew 5:27-28. And again, You have heard it said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you Matthew 5:43-44. Thus, the One who first forbids wicked actions also confronts the deceitful inclinations of the heart, thereby establishing a second gate against the turbulent sea, ensuring it does not transgress the boundaries of justice set around it.
Yet, when He declares, Who shut up the sea with a gate, when it burst forth as if from the womb, He connects it to timing, as if originating from birth. This was indeed when He spoke to humanity under the law, as the world, having moved a bit beyond its inception, was advancing towards the fullness of carnal existence. To come from the womb signifies the appearance in flesh in the splendor of grace. And rightly joined is this: When I made the clouds His garment. For at that time, God did not reveal Himself to mankind openly, yet He saved them from error and sin without manifesting His brightness. He lifted them from darkness but veiled them in clouds, allowing them to forsake their earlier unrighteous acts, even as they remained ignorant of the brighter rewards that awaited. Hence, it follows: and darkness with His swaddling clothes. Because, in the absence of teaching through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, He bound them with literal commands, wrapping their nascent knowledge in figurative speech, akin to swaddling clothing, so they might gain strength through these elemental laws, avoiding the downfall brought about by unrestrained freedom in their desires.
No less than love, rather fear at first urged them toward righteous paths, as God’s grace drew them closer, nourishing their spirits. While frail souls may have begrudged the swaddling of commandments, they nonetheless found fortitude, transitioning to a more powerful condition. The very fear that initially held them back from sin now leads them into the freedom of the Spirit. The swaddling that the Lord entrusted to the neophytes is spoken of disapprovingly by the prophet Ezekiel, who states, I gave them commands that were not good Ezekiel 20:25. Indeed, evil appears less evil when compared to worse, and good deeds likewise lose their brilliance against superior acts. As reflected upon Sodom and Gomorrah, to chastise Judah: You have justified your sisters by those abominations you wrought Ezekiel 16:51, indicating that the worthy commandments imparted to the ignorant are described as not good, given better commandments of the New Testament follow in their wake.
It was unworkable for those entrenched in the vice of carnality to elevate their state without traversing the path of gradual preaching. Just as, for example, when the Israelites were settled in Egypt, their love grew through attentiveness and righteous patience, being instructed to depart only after they had taken the gold and silver vessels from their neighbors. Upon arriving at Mount Sinai, they were warned not to covet Ex. 20:17, yet by the same Law, they were commanded an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth Ex. 21:24, until ultimately, by grace revealed, they were taught to turn the other cheek when struck Matthew 5:38-39. The wrath of the ungodly seeks revenge beyond what was inflicted; learning first to not repay offenses exponentially, they then come, in later times, to bear them patiently and even multiply kindness amid transgressions. The Lord thus forbade these ignorant people from certain acts while retaining others under a new context, to serve as a prototype for something greater.
In Egypt, they sacrificed to idols, but He preserved animal sacrifice for the law’s observance while forbidding idol worship; thereby, having relinquished some customs, they found comfort in keeping remnants of the past. Through a marvelous dispensation of wisdom, the Lord transformed these carnal practices into a magnificent spiritual meaning. What else do these sacrifices signify but the death of the Only-Begotten? What do these offerings represent but the cessation of our carnal existence? By lowering Himself to the weakness of those without understanding, the greater power of the Spirit is expressed through concealed allegories. Thus, it is rightly said, and darkness with His swaddling clothes; for He bore fragility with gentleness, lifting up spiritual truths alongside.
Yet, because He kept them within the purview of the law, He justly adds: I have surrounded it with My borders. And having constrained human movements through sending the Mediator, He fittingly states: I have set locks and doors. For indeed, He has instituted locks and doors, confirming the preaching of the new life by sending our Redeemer to abolish the sins of the guilty. Closed doors are fortified with locks, thus God, having secured them, sent His Only Begotten to eradicate the foolish intentions of humankind, affirming what He taught through actions aligned with His words. It is fitting to connect: hitherto you have come, and you shall move no farther, and here the surging waves shall break. For this sea indeed passed beyond its previous portals, as the torrent of human hubris often transgressed the barriers set against it. Yet after the world comprehended how distinct the Only Begotten was, it succumbed to pride’s dissolution, unable to cross that boundary as He established them and sealed them. Thus, the prophet rightly proclaims, The sea saw and fled Psalms 113:3.
The sufferings endured by Him may also be understood under these doors, where He firmly placed locks, empowering them through the invisible God. Against Him, the waves surged, yet they were broken and dispersed; for the arrogant ridicule them until they come to know their might through experience. Initially, humanity scorned and later trembled at the sufferings of the Only Begotten, experiencing pride rising like a tempest about to strike at the doors, only to be suddenly quelled. All of this is addressed to blessed Job, to temper the praise within his heart stemming from his numerous virtues, lest he inadvertently ascribe to himself what is due to his high estate. If we also consider these words for moral edification, we glean how far they were spoken for uplifting purposes. Thus, it is stated: I have surrounded him with My borders Job 38:10.
For the Lord encloses this sea within His borders, controlling our hearts still afflicted by desires and the plague of corruptions; ensuring that though the heart may yearn for more, it does not overflow past the ordained limit. Moreover, the Lord encompasses this sea within His confines, calming our hearts beset by temptations through the secret distribution of His gifts; at times halting evil thoughts from manifesting into grievous actions, and at other times preventing the heart from yielding to those very actions. He, therefore, watches over the illicit movements of the heart, restraining them in action at times, and at others, preventing them from yielding delight even amid actions accomplished, thus establishing limits on the tumultuous sea, ensuring it does not breach its shores, causing the waves of temptation to draw back into the depths of the mind. Yet even when deeply affected, as they clash against the love of God and the encouragement of virtues, it is apt to connect: Job 38:10-11. I have set up locks and doors, and said, You have come this far, and you shall not advance any further, and here the tumultuous waves shall break.
THEOSIS