Freedom And The Commandments

Omnis qui didicit contemnere praesens saeculum quod figuraliter Ægyptus appellatur, et per verbum Dei, ut secundum Scripturas dicam, translatus est, et non invenitur, quia ad sæculum futurum festinat ac tendit, de hujusmodi anima dicit Dominus: Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus, qui eduxi te de terra Aegypti, de domo servitutis. Non ergo hæc ad illos tantum dicuntur, qui de Ægypto profecti sunt, sed multo magis ad te, qui nunc audis ista, si tamen proficiscaris ex Aegypto,et Aegyptiis ultra non servias, dicit hæc Deus : Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus, qui eduxi te de terra Aegypti, de domo servitutis. Vide si non negotia sæculi,et actus carnis, domus est servitutis : sicut rursum econtrario relinquere sæcularia, et secundum Deum vivere, domus est libertatis, sicut et Dominus in Evangelio dicit: Si permanseritis in verbo meo, vos agnoscetis veritatem, et veritas liberabit vos. Ergo Aegyptus domus est servitutis, Judæa vero et Jerusalem,domus est libertatis. Audi et Apostolum de his secundum sapientiam quæ eiin ministerio data fuerat, pronuntiantem : Quæ autem sursum est, inquit , Hierusalem, libera est, quæ est mater omnium nostrum. Sicut ergo Ægyptus, ista terrena provincia, filiis Israel domus dicitur servitutis, ad comparationem Judææ et Hierusalem, quæ eis domus efficitur libertatis : ita ad comparationem cœlestis Hierusalem, quæ, ut ita dicam, mater est libertatis, totus hic mundus, et omnia quæ in hoc mundo sunt, domus est servitutis. Et quoniam de paradiso libertatis pro pœna peccati ad hujusmodi ventum fuerat servitutem, idcirco primus sermo Decalogi, id est prima mandatorum Dei vox de libertate profertur, dicens: Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus, qui eduxi te de terra Aegypti, de domo servitutis. Hanc vocem in Aegypto positus audire non poteras, etiamsi tibi injungatur ut Pascha facias, etiamsi accingaris lumbos , et sandalia accipias in pedibus, etiamsi virgam teneas in manu, et azyma cum amaritudine comedas. Et quid dico in Ægypto positus hæc audire non poteras ? Sed ne inde quidem profectus in prima statim mansione hæc audire potuisti, nec in secunda,nec in tertia, nec cum transires Rubrum mare, etiamsi ad Merrhain veneris, et fuerit ibi amaritudo in dulcedinem versa, etiamsi in Helim veneris ad duodecim fontes aquarum, et septuaginta arbores palmarum, etiamsi Raphidim præterieris , cæterosque profectus ascenderis : nondum ad hujuscemodi verba idoneus judicaris, sed cum perveneris ad montem Sina. Multis ergo ante laboribus peractis, multis ærumnis et tentationibus superatis, vix aliquando mereberis præcepta suscipere libertatis, et audire a Domino: Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus, qui eduxi te de terra Aegypti, de domo servitutis. Origenes, In Exodo, Homilia VIII Source: Migne PG 12.350a-351a

Everyone who has learnt to scorn the present world, which is figuratively named Egypt, even through the word of God, that is, according to he Scriptures, is one who has passed on and is not found, and he hurries to the future age and cleaves to it, and to his soul the Lord speaks in this way , 'I am the Lord your God who led you from the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude.' 1 Therefore these things are not only said to those who came out of Egypt, but much more to you, who now hear these things. If you have advanced from Egypt and no longer serve there, the Lord says this, 'I am the Lord your God who led you from Egypt from the house of servitude.' Consider whether it is not that the affairs of the world and the deeds of the flesh is the house of servitude, and again to give up worldly things and live according to God is the house of freedom, as the Lord says in the Gospel, 'If you remain in my word, you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.' 2 Therefore Egypt is the house of bondage, but Judea and Jerusalem is the house of freedom. Hear the Apostle declare with that wisdom that was given to him for his ministry  that the Jerusalem which is above is free, the mother of us all. 3 As, then, Egypt is this world and a house of servitude to the sons of Israel, in comparison to Judea and Jerusalem, which is made the house of freedom for them, thus in comparison to the heavenly Jerusalem, which as I have said is the mother of freedom, all this world and everything in this world is the house of bondage. And because we came into servitude from the paradise of freedom through the penalty of sin, therefore the first words of the Decalogue, that is the first words of the commandments of God, is given about freedom, saying. 'I am the Lord your God who led you out of the land of Egypt and the house of servitude.' You were not able to hear this voice while you were in Egypt, even if the Pasch was enjoined on you, even if you girded your loins and you put your sandals on your feet, even if you held your staff in your hand, and you ate unleavened bread with bitter herbs. Why do I say that you were not able to hear this when you were in Egypt? Because not even when you came to the first resting place could you hear it, nor at the second, nor at the third, nor when you crossed the Red Sea, nor when you came to Mara where bitterness was turned into sweetness, nor when you came to Elim with the twelve fountains of water and the seventy palm trees, nor even as you passed through Rephidim, and you rose up over others, not even there were you yet capable of judging these words, not until you came to mount Sinai. Therefore with many labours performed, with many pains and trials overcome, only then did you deserve to receive the commandments, and to hear the Lord say, 'I am the Lord your God, who led you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude.' Origen, On Exodus, from Homily 8 1 Exod 20.2 2 Jn 8.31-32 3 Galat 4.26