Joshua under Moses; cross-shaped hands defeat Amalek

Palladius: And what would the mind of what is written be? for I do not understand very much.

Cyril: And yet, as I think, there is nothing hard for those who wish to see; for having thought of Joshua being ordered by Moses, what else would one suspect than that altogether, that the Word being God came under law, according at least to the schema of the humanity, and was somehow subjected to the commandments through Moses in various ways—here enduring the circumcision according to flesh, here paying the didrachms, and ranging himself with those under law as under law, and saying clearly: ‘I came not to dissolve the law, but to fulfill.’ But even if he came under law because of the human, yet even so he was God, Savior and Redeemer of the whole people. For choosing from the whole people Israel, and from every nation powerful men—I mean again the holy apostles and those called through faith, to whom it would be said well: ‘But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people unto acquisition’—he arrayed with them against the ruler of this age; concerning whom the master of all, himself the one conquering all, says: ‘Now is judgment of this age; now the ruler of this age will be cast outside.’ And the divine John also crowns with a bright vote those who have conquered with him and through him: ‘I write to you,’ he says, ‘young men, that you are strong, and you have conquered the Evil One.’ Or is what I say not true?

Palladius: Very much.

Cyril: And Moses said the arraying must be completed unto tomorrow; for Christ’s achievements did not appear in the time according to him; but they have rather been done in the next and neighboring—that is, after Moses and law. Then Moses goes up toward some hill and upon a crest of a mound, so that he might be able to look down upon the battle and Jesus’ achievements of all in it. For the mystagogy according to law also proportionately leads up toward being able as it were from afar to look upon Christ’s generalships. And when Moses was stretching up the hands, Israel was prevailing; and when letting them down, it was weak, and Amalek was prevailing; for unconquerable to the devil himself and to every enemy, and to the one wishing to ravage bitterly, has become not indeed all Israel, but as many as have honored the conformation toward Christ, through wearing his reproach—that is, the precious cross; for hands shown stretched out into air write clearly the schema of the cross. And as many as did not accept the cross have become easy to overrun for the enemies, not having the helper. When therefore Moses stretches out the hands for us, showing the schema of the cross, and Amalek falls having grown feeble, the schema signifies altogether for us those conquering Satan through the precious cross, and prevailing over the enemies. And when we see him letting the hands down, then Amalek prevailing, those who have come to be under the devil