Another King Has Arisen

Both Origen and Athanasius were conscious of the fact that they lived in Egypt, out of which God had called the sons of Israel.

These words were not written to instruct us in history, nor must we think that the divine books narrate the acts of the Egyptians. What has been written “has been written for our instruction and admonition.” (1 Cor. 10:11) Its purpose is to address you, who hear these words, who perhaps have already received the grace of baptism and have been numbered among the sons of Israel and received God as king in yourself. Then, if later you wish to turn away and do the works of the world, to do deeds of the earth and muddy services, you may know and recognize that “another king has arisen in you who knows not Joseph” (Exodus 1.8), a king of Egypt, and that he is compelling you to his works and is making you labor in bricks and mud for himself. It is he who leads you by whips and blows to worldly works with magistrates and supervisors put over you that you may build cities for him. It is he who makes you run about through the world to disturb the elements of sea and earth for lust. It is this king of Egypt who makes you agitate the forum with lawsuits and weary your neighbors with altercations… When, therefore, you see yourself acting in these ways, know that you are a soldier for the king of Egypt, which is to be led by the spirit of this world.

~ Origen, Commentary on Exodus

Our Lenten journey is a Passover journey out of Egypt, out from under the heavy labor imposed on us by Pharoah, to the Kingship of God.