Among horned animals, it is said that they resist. Yet, what of mankind who lacks horns? Let us turn to Scripture for insight: “With Thee, we will strike our foes with our horns.” Our horns are the Lord Jesus. As we do not depend on physical strength, our defense is not through horns, but in Christ. Faith possesses its own strength, which Christ imparts. The words from Moses’ blessing carry profound significance: “He who appeared in the bush of thorns, let Him come upon the head of Joseph, and upon his flesh, that he may be glorified as the firstborn among his kin.” His beauty resembles a bullock, and his horns are likened to those of a unicorn; through them, He shall gather all nations to the ends of the earth: these represent the darkness of Ephraim, and these signify the multitude of Manasseh (Deuteronomy 33:16-17). Who else but the firstborn Son of God manifested to Moses in the thorny bush, declaring, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Ex. 3:6)? He made Himself visible to humanity as it was destined that He would come, for all to behold. The bush burned with fire yet was not consumed, symbolizing His decree: this land, once yielding only thorns and thistles, should ignite with passion against temptation, and that inevitable death should not prevail against it. Thus, the prophet states, “Melt my innermost being and my heart” (Psalm 25:2). The Lord has revealed a glimpse of that glory intended for the body; following the resurrection, our flesh will radiate. What does a fire that does not consume signify? Is it not the brilliance emanating from resurrected beings? Therefore, the apostle perceives that as one star differs from another in glory, so too will be the resurrection of the dead. This is encapsulated in the exhortation: “Let Him come upon the heads of Joseph's lineage, that the head of His people may be exalted; let Him also come upon their names, and let Him pierce their hair to the forehead, eliminating the unnecessary (meaning the sinful), so He may adorn their heads with holy virtues.” Christ was exalted among His kin, as stated, “I will proclaim Your name to my brethren” (Psalm 21:23). What could be more glorious than leading the hearts of nations to the knowledge of God? Joseph envisioned it in his dreams, where his sheaf was adored by those of his brothers and by the sun and moon. This sheaf should be understood allegorically as flesh, for “all flesh is grass” (Isaiah 40:6). He took these ears of ours to cultivate His wheat, which would yield the fruit of resurrection. Is this reasoning sound? Let us heed the Lord's own testimony: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). To further affirm that Moses refers to the Son of God, it is written, “Let him be glorified as the firstborn among his brethren” (Deut. 33:17). The firstborn among Jacob's sons was undeniably Reuben, as Joseph was born later. Yet, He who was destined to unify various nations is called the firstborn. The Scripture rightly states, “His beauty is like a bullock” (Deuteronomy 33:17). Just as the bull leads its flock, so Christ guides the multitudes of the Gentiles into the Church, leading them into His pastures. Hence, it may be said, “In a place of green pastures, He made me lie down; beside still waters, He leads me” (Psalm 22:2). He went ahead, and as far as our fallen nature permitted, the flocks pursued this beautiful calf, yearning for eternal life. The bull roared, and death withdrew. Who would not be frightened by the roar of a lion? Truly “the calf is the most precious sacrifice,” as our opponents assert. Is there any sacrifice more valuable than that whose blood cleansed the sins of the entire world? Furthermore, the holy prophet James, in reference to the Passion of the Lord, identifies the bullock as He who was later persecuted by the Jews: “In their rage they cut the veins of the bullock” (Genesis 49:6). To clarify that this refers to the Jews, he adds, “I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel” (Gen. 49:7). This pertains to the One who wrestled with Jacob and touched his thigh, severing a vein, which signified that from the lineage of the patriarch would emerge in the flesh the One whose veins the people of Judah would pierce, tormenting His body. Since the Israelites failed to perceive this profound meaning, they established a law: to avoid eating the vein upon the thigh. Thus, they deprived themselves of the redemption offered by His holy blood, rejected the bountiful gifts brought forth by His saving Passion, and denied themselves eternal life, for it is written: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. He who consumes my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (John 6:53-54). Let us consider an additional perspective. What are the veins? They are the vital channels of the whole body. And the body of Christ is the Church, held together by the bonds of love. Were these bonds not wholly severed in Christ by the Jews? Conversely, Peter was justly chosen to be a priest, as he was thrice reawakened by the spirit of divine love. Let us observe what else is stated about him in Moses’ blessing: “His horns are as the horns of a unicorn; with them, he chooses the nations” (Deuteronomy 33:17). We need not dread his horns; for it is stated, “I will strike, and I will heal” (Deuteronomy 32:29). His horns are good: with them, He has embraced the entire world, and through them, He has seized our foe, likened to a ferocious lion; with them, we need not fear the enemy's horns. For Satan too possesses horns, as Daniel stated: “I saw this horn warring against the saints and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came” (Dan. 7:21-22). Who else could Moses refer to as the unicorn but the only begotten Son of God, the sole Word who was with the Father in the beginning? This Word, through His horns, vanquished the pagan nations and brought them to life, so that the shadows of Ephraim would encompass the earth, and the multitudes of Manasseh might find faith in Him, that all the earth might be filled with His glory; and that the Jewish people might also turn to Him, moving from forgetfulness to grace: they had overlooked their salvation and would finally believe in Christ. Saul struck thousands, and David tens of thousands (1 Samuel 29:5), because the ruthless gain favor with a select few, while the humble earn it from the many. I believe it unnecessary to debate with those who think that the words in question may pertain to Joseph, and interpret the text as claiming: “His beauty is like the firstborn calf” (Deuteronomy 33:17). For God bestowed horns upon His saints; He elevated the horn of His people; and Anna, the mother of the prophet Samuel, proclaimed: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted in my God” (1 Sam. 2:1). Indeed, Joseph also possessed his spiritual horns in the Lord, allowing us to interpret this as referring to Joseph, bearing in mind he serves as a symbol of Christ. The words, “Joseph, my son, who is returned, my youngest son, return to me” (Genesis 49:22) are directed at Christ, who, having risen from the dead, returns to God the Father, as it is written, “From the ends of the heavens is His departure and His circuit to the end of them” (Psalm 18:7). However, one could argue it pertains to Joseph: “Return to me, for the people are returning to Canaan, the land where the patriarchs previously dwelt” (hence Isaac instructed Jacob, “Do not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan” (Genesis 28:1); he sent him to Mesopotamia to find a wife from there). Are the words, “The archers maligned him” (Genesis 49:23), referring to Joseph? Was it not our Lord Jesus, born of a virgin, who has been blessed throughout the world by the blessing of his mother’s womb? Certainly, He is blessed above men, and even surpasses the angels, archangels, and all heavenly powers, as the Scripture attests: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. God is the Lord, and He has shone upon us” (Psalm 117:26, 27). The Lord God reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15) over all that exists in heaven. Additionally, the subsequent scriptural references concerning the horns of the Lord Jesus are relevant: David, who sounded the trumpet, was heard by Christ, and Moses instituted the accompaniment of sacred rites with the sounds of trumpets. It is proclaimed, “You shall sound the trumpet in the new moon” (Psalm 80:4). Isn’t this intended for us? Traditionally, the months were counted by the new moon, and the moon is the Church, exalted by the rich evangelical doctrine, as foretold by the prophet. Thus, with Christ, we defeat our adversaries through the horns. “And by Your name, we obliterate those who oppose us” (Psalm 43:6). What is a name? It is an identifier assigned to each person, distinguishing them from others. “Man” is a generic term; without a specific name, identity is unclear. Therefore, a name embodies the unique attributes of each individual, allowing recognition. I believe Moses inquired of God, “What is Your name?” because he desired to understand His distinctive attributes, which are not shared with heavenly powers. God, understanding his quest, responded not with His name but with His essence (indicating He disclosed the nature of the object but not its title): “I am Who I am” (Exodus 3:14). For no attribute is more defining of God than His eternal existence. Thus, those who deny Christ’s co-eternity with the Father must recognize that they deny God, who is existence eternal, for there never was a time when He was not. Through this understanding of God's unique attributes, Moses aimed to vanquish those who rose against him, or as Aquila or Symmachus translate, to trample down those who opposed him, akin to scorpions and serpents, which the Lord Himself beckons us to trample underfoot with our spiritual might, so they do not obstruct our journey to the divine mansions of paradise. We harbor a sincere desire to know God; we possess the Word of God, which is the name of the Father. Indeed, recognizing Him as the Father of Christ is a unique attribute of God, thus, in the name of the Father, He who came to fulfill the Father's will arrived. Therefore, He states, “I came in my Father’s name, and you did not receive me; but if another comes in his own name, him you will accept” (John 5:43). This indicates that the Jews refused to believe in Christ but would come to believe in the Antichrist. Whoever places their faith in Christ does not rely on bow or sword, but places all hope of triumph in His name.
THEOSIS