Freedom And Knowledge

Σκολάσατε καὶ γνῶτε, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεὸς, ὑψωθήσομαι ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὑψωθήσομαι ἐν τῇ γῇ.   Ἐπειδὴ λοιπὸν πέπαυτο τὰ τοῦ πολέμου καὶ λέλυτο τὰ τῆς ταραχῆς, ἐιρήνη δὲ βαρεῖα δέδοτο τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς ἄπασαν· εἰκότως βούλεται εἰς ἀγαθὸν χρῆσθαι τῷ καιρῷ, καὶ σχολὴν ἀναλαβεῖν ψυχῆς σωτήριον. Διό φησι· Σκολάσατε καὶ γνῶτε· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἑτέρως ἔστι γνώσεως μετασχεῖν θείας, μὴ σχολάσαντα τῶν  ἀφελκόντων ἐπὶ τὰνατια. Ἔνθεν εἰκότως ὁ τῆς Αἰγύπτου βασιλεὺς, πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην διαβεβλημένος σχολὴν, τοῖς φάσκουσιν· Ὁδὸν τριῶν ἡμερῶν πορευσόμεθα, καὶ λατρεύσομεν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ἀποκρίνεται λέγων· Σκολάζετε, σχολασται ἐστε. Εἶτα, μὴ βουλόμενος αὐτοὺς τῷ Θεῷ σχολάζειν, καταπνεῖ τῷ πηλῷ καὶ τῇ πλινθείᾳ. Ἀλλ' ἡμῖν γε οἱ καταστάντες ἄρχοντες ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γὴν ἐπιβοῶσι σχολάζειν, καρπὸν τῆς σχολῆς ἐπαγγελλόμενοι τὴν ἔνθεν γνῶσιν. Λαλεῖ δὲ ὁ Θεὸς δι' αὐτῶν λέγων· Γνῶτε ὅτι ἐγω εἰμι ὁ Θεὸς· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτι ὑψωθήσομαι ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὑψωθήσομαι ἐν τῇ γῇ. Πὰλαι μὲν γὰρ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἐγινωσκόμην μόνοις, ὅτε γνωστὸς ἐν  τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ μέγα τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· νυνὶ δὲ ὑμῖν παρακελεύομαι σχολὴν ἄγειν, ὡς ἂν μάθοιτε καὶ γνῶτε τίνα τρόπον καὶ παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὑψωθήσονμαι, δοξαζόμενος παρ' αὐτοῖς μᾶλλον ἢ παρὰ τοῖς πάλαι με εἰδέναι νομιζομένοις. Εὐσέβιος ὁ Καισάρειος, Ὑπομνηματα Ἐις Τους ψαλμους, ψαλμος ΜΕ' Source: Migne PG 23.412-413

Be free and know that I am God; I shall be exalted among the peoples and exalted on the earth. 1 Because wars have at last ceased and trouble has passed away, and deep peace is for all who were dwelling in that part of the earth, rightly He wishes for good in that time and to lead the soul at leisure to salvation. Whence he says, 'Be free and know,' for no one is able to partake of the Divine knowledge unless he is free from things that will drag him off to what is contrary. Whence with reason the king of Egypt against such leisure argued, opposing those who said, 'Three days we shall go on our journey, and we shall attend to the Lord our God,' to these words replying, 'You are at leisure, you are lazy.' And unwilling to give them leisure for God, he afflicted them with the making of mud bricks. 2 But to us who across the whole world have established rulers crying out that one should be free, the promised fruit of leisure is known there. And truly through them God speaks, saying, 'Know that I am God,' and even that,' I shall be exalted among the peoples, and exalted on the earth.' Of old only among the Jews was He know, when it was that, ' God is known in Judea, in Israel His name is great;' 3 But now indeed I exhort you to be free, that you might learn and know, and that I may be exalted among all the peoples, and indeed be celebrated more by them than by those who once thought they knew me. Eusebius of Caesarea, from Commentary on the Psalms, from Psalm 45 1 Ps 45.11 2 Exodus 5 1-18  3 Ps 75. 2