GOD’S EXALTED GRACE AND CARE The people of God most probably used to sing this praise in one of the feasts. And some believe that it is a psalm of thanksgiving to God, after saving them from a famine that dwelt upon the land. The people of God give God thanks, being the Savior of man from his sins, the amazing Creator who cares for His creation, and for the sake of His work with them in His holy house. They also acknowledge His exalted care and divine gifts; and in particular, the gift of His Holy Spirit, who turns the wilderness of their life into a joyful paradise. According to St. Athanasius, this psalm includes a prophecy about those from the Gentiles who came to believe in Christ, thanksgiving God for leading them to faith; and seeking His forgiveness for their past worship of idols. Its divisions: 1- Praise be to You, O Savior 1 – 4 2- Praise be to You, O Creator 5 – 8 3- Praise be to You, our care-Giver 9 – 13 The title: Oppressed by the wicked, but rejoicing in the Lord To the Chief Musician. A psalm of David. A song. 1- PRAISE BE TO YOU, O SAVIOR: The people of God, as well as every one of them, stand in awe before the exalted love of God, who receives us as His own people; and sets us as members of His church, where they enjoy the abundance of His goodness, turning it into a storehouse of the treasures of His amazing grace. In the Liturgy of the feast of the renewal of the church of resurrection in Jerusalem; in the feast of the cross; and when reciting the gospel of Palm Sunday, the church sings the two verses 1 and 2 of this psalm, for the following reasons: a- The church, is the congregation of praise and inner joy; And the cross of the Lord Christ, is the source of joy, and the fountain that flows on us with the spirit of praise to God, the Lover of mankind. b- The gates of the church of the New Covenant are wide open before everyone; whatever is his citizenship, or the multitude of his sins. She invites all to enjoy the cross, on which the Word of God delivered Himself for the sake of the whole world. c- The word “prayer” in Hebrew came to mean (vow). Having proclaimed His love to mankind, God gladly receives the believers’ vow to respond to His love by their own. “Praise is due to You, O God, in Zion. And to You shall vows be performed” (1) The word “praise” originally came to mean standing in awe and silence, when the people, as well as every believer, contemplate in God’s gifts that surpass all thoughts. They stand in silence in anticipation of recognizing the will of their Lord who gave them such gifts in abundance. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 63 St. Augustine, in his interpretation of this psalm in some detail, says that it concerns the people who were captivated by force to Babylon, and were anticipating the realization of God’s promise, as it came in the book of Jeremiah, to bring them back after 70 years of captivity (Jeremiah 25: 11; 29: 10). Before man, there were two options: either to dwell in Jerusalem, which means (the vision of peace), or to dwell in Babylon, which means (confusion). St. Augustine says: [There were two kinds of love: the love of God, dwelling in Jerusalem; and the love of the world, dwelling in Babylon Let us now, O brethren, listen, praise, and long for that city in which we are citizens]. Our home country, being Zion; which is Jerusalem, it is befitting of us to know the interpretation of these two names. As “Jerusalem” is interpreted as (the vision of peace), “Zion” is interpreted as (beholding, vision, or contemplation). We were promised a great vision, difficult to interpret; as this city is built by God Himself. If this city is so beautiful and magnificent, how much more would be the One who built it?!“ Praise is due to You, O God” (1). But where? “in Zion”. Whereas in Babylon, it is unbefitting to praise! Once man starts to get renewed in heart in Jerusalem, he would sing together with the apostle, saying: “For our citizenship (behavior) is in heaven” (Philippians 3: 20). And: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10: 3). We indeed long for being there; we hope to be in that city (heaven), being a haven where we land, lest we would be swept away by the waves of this sea. Or we can truly say that it is (a ship) which is still being carried up and down on the waves; but once it reaches the land, it comes to be safe from the troubles of the wind and storms. Thus, confronting the temptations of this journey, our hope is founded on reaching that city of Jerusalem, so as not to be wrecked on rocks. Let him who has this hope, sing and say: “Praise is due to You, O God, in Zion” (1). (St. Augustine) What does performing of the vow means here, but offering the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, together with joyful obedience to the beloved commandment of God! “And to You shall vows be performed” (1). In Jerusalem, namely, in the resurrection of the righteous, we shall be perfect. There, all our vows will be performed, not only concerning the soul, but the body as well, which no more will be prone to corruption, for it will no more be in Babylon, but will rather change to a heavenly body. Peace will prevail, and war will come to an end; and when peace prevails, that city, “Jerusalem”, called (the vision of peace) will prevail. And there will be no more strife against death; How dangerous is death against which we are striving now! (St. Augustine) This saying reveals the longing of some of the captives to go back to their land, to present praise to God in Zion; and to perform their vows in Jerusalem, in the temple of the Lord. According to St. Athanasius, this concerns the believers from the Gentiles who say: [We, in the past, used to present praise to stones, wood, and demons; But now, by faith, we perceive that “Praise is due to You (alone)” in Your holy church. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 64 Unless the believer’s heart is raised up high to the heavenly Zion, and experiences the deposit of life in Jerusalem, he will not be able to present praise to God, nor to perform his vows of thanks giving to Him. “O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come” (2) The Holy Book often uses the word “flesh”, “body”, or “soul” to mean man as a whole. When it is said “The Word became flesh” (John 1: 14), it means He incarnated; namely, became Man, with body, soul, and mind; and likened us in everything except for sin. And when it was said about Joseph that “His (soul) was laid in iron” (Psalm 105: 18); it means the whole human body and where the imprisoned soul groans of distress. According to (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) that all sinner was human, as it comes to God, and enjoy with the company him has become more like a spirit. Those of knowledge are in no need to be told, that in the Holy Book, Christ is called “Man”, “The Son of Man”, etc. Nevertheless, if they persist on the letter of the text saying: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1: 14), and make this an excuse to cancel the most noble feature of man (namely the mind), connecting God merely to the flesh, It is high time to say, that, according to their literal interpretation, God would be God of flesh alone, and not of souls as well, based on the following texts: “As You have given authority over all flesh” (John 17: 2); “To You all flesh will come” (Psalm 65: 2); “All flesh shall bless His holy name” (Psalm 145: 21). By “all flesh” he means (all men). And our fathers must have gone to Egypt in an incorporeal and unseen forms. And Joseph’s soul alone (and not his body) was jailed by Pharaoh and put in iron; when the soul could not be shackled in iron. Where we read that those who were summoned to Egypt were "seventy-five persons" (Acts 7:14) and also " he was laid in iron: " (Ps 105: 18) Those who hold fast to the letter, disregard the principle that (the part could refer to the whole), as a form of eloquence. In this case, the ‘soul’ could refer to man as a whole with his soul, flesh, and mind; “the young raven” (Psalm 147: 9) could refer to all kinds of birds; (job38: 33, etc). “The evening star”, “the polar bear” could refer to all the celestial bodies, and their ordinances1. (St. Gregory the Nezianzen) “To You all flesh will come” (2); and, “All flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3: 6); and, “to you all flash come” (ps65: 2) what means the word “all flesh” however “all human beings”. “By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Romans 3: 20); What does “ all flesh” mean, but (all men)? This is more clarified by the apostle, saying: “Are you not still carnal, and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3: 3). When he called them carnal, he did not say: “and behaving like flesh”, but said like “men”. As truly, if he, who behaves like flesh is to be blamed, while he who behaves like men is to be commended, he would not rebuke them by saying: “and behaving like men”. 11 الرسالة الأولى إلى كلیدونیوس الكاهن. ، 1 رسالة رقم 101 https://coptic-treasures.com/ 65 Therefore, O brethren, Do not behave like men, but according to God who created you1. (St. Augustine) By saying: “To You all flesh will come” he means: (every kind of men). Will it be only the poor who come, and not the rich? the lowly, and not the elite?; the illiterate, and not the educated? men, and not women? masters, and not slaves? elders, and not young? young, and not kids? Jews, and not Greeks? Greeks, and not Romans? Romans, and not barbarians? All kinds of men from every nation on earth will come to Him! (St. Augustine) According to Pope Gregory the great, this verse is a prophecy about all the Gentiles receiving faith, when the whole earth comes to be for the Lord and His Christ. The church prays for the sake of all men, to enjoy the fellowship with God; a prayer wellreceived, and responded to by God, This net, at the end of times, will be utterly filled with all human races; will be brought over from the sea to the beach by the divine Fisherman to sort out; the sea refers to the present time; while the beach refers to its end2. (Pope Gregory the Great) Finally, we can perceive from this verse that men of God, by the spirit of prophecy, were eagerly anticipating, and perpetually praying, for the sake of the enjoyment by all mankind of the fellowship with God. It has been rather difficult for the regular Jew to cry out to God to let all kinds of men come to God; But men of God found pleasure in the fulfillment of the divine promises for the salvation of the whole world. “Deeds of Iniquity overwhelm us; As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them” (3) While nonbelievers will not cease to oppose the divine truth, and to persecute the believers in some way or another; believers seek from God to forgive the transgressions into which they fell because of the wicked. Here, St. Augustine feels bitter concerning those who were raised in pagan provinces, where children were raised on evil; Yet God would not forsake them in corruption, but opens before them the gate of salvation, and proclaims Himself as the Forgiver of sins. According to St. Augustine: [Wherever man is born, he learns the language, the ethics, and the way of life prevailing in that province, or city. What can a child do, who is born to parents who worship the stone, and inspire to him that kind of worship, except to learn from them the iniquity together with the milk he suckles? Children, raised in such nations that turned later to faith in Christ, would say together with the prophet Jeremiah: “Surely our fathers have inherited lies, worthlessness and unprofitable things” (Jeremiah 16: 19). They would deny the beliefs and blasphemies of their wicked parents]. “As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them”. The believer does not justify falling into sins by the opposition of the devil and his hosts; but he confesses his transgressions before God, trusting that He is the Forgiver of sins and 1 Conrinence, 11. 2 Forty Gospel Homilies 11: 4. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 66 iniquities; according to the words of the prophet Micah: “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity, and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?” (Micah 7: 18). There is no way to salvation other than to run to God, to cling to Him, and to confess sins and iniquities from the whole heart. This salvation is realized by the atonement work of the Lord Christ on the cross. “As to our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them”. For You are the High Priest, and You are the Sacrifice. You are the One who offers the sacrifice, And You are the offering as well. (St. Augustine) “Blessed is the man whom You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts, We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple” (4) If the enemy intends to rob us of everything; By entering into the house of the Lord, the gates of heaven will open before us, to see the eternal temple, and to enjoy the heavenly goodness. By entering into the house of the Lord, we experience the blessed heavenly life, and perceive that our entrance is not because of our worthiness, but through the love of God who chose us to approach Him, and made us his members of His household. The beatitude is given, not only to the people as a whole, being the body of Christ, but to every true believer as well, being a member of that blessed body. “Blessed is the man whom You choose”. According to St. Augustine, the Word of God, having incarnated for our sake, is chosen by the Father; for us, being His members, united to Him, to enjoy His choice as a choice of us; “till we all come to the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4: 13). “And cause to approach You”. Being His members, we are all under the control of one Head, one Spirit, and one Fatherhood, for which we long. And “dwell in Your court”; namely in Jerusalem; “to be satisfied with the goodness of Your house”. What are the goodness of the house of God? Let us talk about some of the goodness (the riches) of that house. The luxurious furnishing, the golden and silver vessels, the horses and beasts, the marble ceilings and pillars, etc. They are all things to be admired; but they are still the product of Babylon’s confusion. Let us then cut off those (Babylonian) desires, O citizen of Jerusalem; Cut them off, if you intend to return home; do not let the captivity confuse you!; do not look backward; do not linger on the way! There (in the house of God), there are no enemies to justify captivity to you. no one to stand against you by talking evil. The house of God longs for you; So, do not desire such things you used to seek in your own house, or in that of your neighbor. (St. Augustine) 2- PRAISE BE TO YOU, O CREATOR: In the name of the whole church, the psalmist sets forth to nature to seek the amazing might of God, the might that proclaims His divine authority, inseparable from https://coptic-treasures.com/ 67 His love and care. He is the heavenly Father who is perpetually preoccupied with man to whom He has given the earth to live on, and to be trained on the heavenly life to come, and to enjoy the eternal glories.’’ “By awesome deeds of righteousness You answer us, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth, and the farthest seas” (5) The deeds of God are indeed terrifying to the sinners, the wicked, and the disobedient; Yet they are awesome even to the righteous. The sinners are terrified as slaves who have taken the position of animosity and opposition against God, the Master of humanity. Whereas the righteous are awed as children who revere their heavenly Father. Although God is awesome to all, yet He responds to the supplications of His believers for the sake of the salvation of the world, by opening the gates of hope before all nations. As the Savior of the world, He is pleased to hear the voice of His church, full of love toward all humanity, for whose sake she prays to Him. Great is His free gift that invites all to enjoy it. St. Augustine believes the righteousness to be the goodness or the riches of the house of God. The temple of God is amazing, not for its marble pillars, its goldenpaneled ceiling, etc. but amazing in righteousness. The righteousness that may not bear beauty before the physical eyes, but before those of the heart There is a kind of beauty in righteousness, which we see by the eyes of the heart, and we love by the soul. These are the riches of the house of God, by which you promise to satisfy yourself. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5: 6). Your holy temple is amazing in righteousness! …. That temple, O brethren, is yourselves! Love righteousness to become the temple of God. (St. Augustine) According to St. Augustine, the sea here refers to the world where everyone devours the other. But the children of God have the Savior as their hope to protect them, yet not to isolate them from the wicked. For even in the same net there are the good and the bad together (Matthew 13: 47-49); And on the shore of the eternal life, they will be sorted out. “You answer us, O God our Savior” (5). Here he reveals to us, that the One he calls God, is our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, it is obvious, to whom will all flesh come. “You answer us, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and the farthest sea” They will come to You from everywhere “from the farthest seas” For the sea is the symbol of this world, being salty, bitter, and stormy; where there are people gone astray, with corrupt lusts; and like fishes, they devour one another. There are those who covet for inheritance through the death of the living; who seek profit through the loss of others; and who seek glory through their fall. O citizens of Jerusalem; Being good fish, you should endure the wicked, You may be together with them inside the same dragnet, but you will not end up in the same vessel https://coptic-treasures.com/ 68 on the shore. He who is the hope of the ends of the earth, is, Himself, the hope of the farthest seas. (St. Augustine) By so saying, the prophet clearly shows that our Lord Jesus Christ is God and Savior, He who saved us from the bondage of the devil. “those in the farthest seas”,… those who were in the sea of atheism, the very salty and stormy, far away from God; Yet through faith they were saved from the violence of the evil waves, and came to be near to Him. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) Those in the ends of the earth are those who practice iniquity in its fullness; and those in the farthest seas are those who are in great ignorance; And yet, Christ is the hope of them all1. (Father Dorotheos of Gazza) “Who established the mountains by his strength, being girded with might” (6) What are these mountains that seem well established and abiding forever, but the kingdoms and empires, thought by kings and emperors to be eternal; as king Nebuchadnezar said: “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power, and for the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4: 30). About those mighty mountains, it is said: “We will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the seas; though its water roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling” (psalm 46: 2-3); and yet, it is also said, “Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, who destroys all the earth, says the Lord, I will stretch out My hand against you, roll you down from the rocks, and make you a burnt mountain” (Jeremiah 51: 25). Referring to the haughty emperors and their empires; these mountains also refer to those mighty in faith who enjoy the steadfastness and strength, not on their own, but through the divine Might, and the rich grace working in them. “Who establish the mountains by His strength” (6). He establishes His great preachers by His strength, and not by theirs. Those he call mountains are humble in themselves, but strong in Him. One of those mountains, the apostle Paul says: “Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead” (1 Corinthians 1: 9). Those who put Christ in their midst; they (gird) the “girded” from all sides; they all acquire Him, for they believe in Him; Yet He is girded with His Might, and not with our strength. (St. Augustine) “You who silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves; the tumult of the peoples” (7) The Almighty God who establishes His holy mountains, namely His saints; also grants His holy seas quietness and inner peace. It is written: “He drew a circular horizon on the face of the water” (Job 26: 10). It is amazing that the frontiers put by God for the seas and oceans, are established by very 1 Fr. Dorotheos of Gaza: On Fear of Punishment.homilies on Statues, homily 9:9. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 69 tiny particles of sand. It is as though God confirms that whatever inner disturbances and outer tribulations, carried by man, He uses certain very tiny things like the sand of the sea to keep him safe amid all of them. When the Lord Christ came to our world He gave His command to the wind and the waves of the sea to calm down, and the nature instantly obeyed Him. God the Savior, working in the life of the nations, giving His preachers strength like haughty mountains, and girding Himself with His own believers, granting them His might; the sea is stirred up from its depths; the wicked of the world are stirred up to persecute His church; But the Savior provides us with the strength to endure persecutions and threats. (St. Augustine) He formed the mountains with his power, and sends them to preach have armed the believers with strength, and then move the sea, the world moves on and starts persecuting his saints “Having armed yourself with strength, which stilled the roaring of the seas”. Didn’t say: "disturbed the sea ", but “the depth of the sea.”Depth of the sea is the heart of the wicked. They are as deep trove arise all things, and prove all things from the rear. What is happening with the tongue or hands and the different forces to persecute the church out of depth if it were not the root of evil in the heart were all these things occur against Christ. Disturbed depths and it also may not empty the rear. In the case of some bad guys finished (God) of the depth of the sea, the sea and make the ground said this in another Psalm: “He turned the sea into dry land” (ps66: 6) All the bad guys and the pagans who believe they have become a land and sea. Were in the first sterile saline waves, and became then produce fruitful land. Who can estimated that the depth of the sea, and the noise of waves? ... Any person likely to sound waves of the sea and commands forces lofty world? ... We ourselves do not appreciate ourselves to endure the persecution, which did not give this power. (St. Augustine) Do you see how the vast sea with its mighty waves and violent currents, is reined by weak particles of sand? Do you see how God, with His wisdom, allowed the sea not to stand still; but to roar up high all the time with its mighty waves and violent swells. Yet, once they reach the shore, they are checked and broken by sand, to retreat back. This is to teach you that what is happening is not the work of the nature on its own, but that of the divine One with authority. God meant for that bound or frontier to be of such weakness; He did not support the shore with levees of wood, rocks, or mountains to check and break the waves of the sea; and drew the attention of the Jews to meditate in it, by saying: “Do not you fear Me? … who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it?” (Jeremiah 5: 22) 1. (St. John Chrysostom) The particle of sand, the weakest of the weak, breaks the violence of the mighty ocean2. (St. Basil the Great) 1 Homilies on Statues, homily 9:9. 2 Hexaemeron, ho,ily 4: 3. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 70 The symbolic interpretation, on the other hand is that the sea refers to the Gentiles whom God terrified, disturbed, and amazed by His wonders, by which He moved them from disbelief to faith. Now, the roar of their (waves), namely, their praise of God, heard in a multitude of tongues are beyond imagination or description. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) “They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs; You make the outgoing of the morning and evening rejoice” (8) Before the signs and wonders performed by God in the old, and is still performing; in particular the great wonder of the divine incarnation, the nations stand in awe. And as said by the prophet Isaiah: “The Lord Himself will give you a sign; Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7: 14). This is the sign of divine love that amazes the heavenlies and earthlies. The Sun of Righteousness shone over humanity, gave her a new morning, to experience the deposit of heaven; and granted her, as well, gladness in the evening; when the souls exult on setting forth from this world, to enjoy the light of eternity. According to St. Augustine, “the morning” refers to the life full of abundance, and “the evening” refers to the troubles of this world. When man is promised profits, life for him will be like morning; and when he suffers troubles, it becomes for him like evening. The believer, though, having got the light of the Lord, does not care much for the morning of the world; and is not disturbed by the troubles of its evening, for the sake of the Lord. When man does not find pleasure in the things of the world, he would not be disturbed by its troubles, but will find his pleasure, instead, in the promises of the Savior. The sea may keep on stirring up, and striking the mountains with his mighty waves; but will eventually calm down, and the mountains will not be shaken. “The nations are disturbed, and men are afraid”. See how men, who were disturbed, are now afraid! … Seeing the signs performed by the apostles, the farthest parts of the earth became afraid, and believed. (St. Augustine) Before Your signs You have done in the old in the land of Egypt and in Canaan, and those You will perform when You came in flesh on earth, the nations were disturbed and terrified. Then, perceiving that, by Your command, the mornings shine, and the evenings set; they rejoiced and became glad. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) 3- PRAISE IS TO YOU, OUR CARE-GIVER: The soul praises her Savior who grants her the forgiveness of sins, and opens before her the gates of heaven, the house of God, where she can practice her worship. She praises the Creator, who, in His love, provided man with all his needs, satisfied his inner depths and his body as well. Now, she praises God who cares for her, not only on the body level, but presents to her His Holy Spirit, to set out of her a holy garden, a spiritual paradise, and a kingdom, on a heavenly level. “You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it” (9) The Middle East, because of its sparse rain, cherish its rivers, like the Nile, the Jordan, the Tegris, and the Euphrates; as well is its springs. The rivers flow with fertility https://coptic-treasures.com/ 71 over the lands, and turn them into gardens filled with fruits. So God visits the earth, and waters it with His divine water. Here, the psalmist presents a portrait of how God, in his care for the whole humanity, visits the earth from end to end, directs the clouds here and there, sends the rain, fills the rivers and springs with water, so that man is in need of nothing. Christ came down to our world to set inside us springs of living water; And as said by St. John the Evangelist: “On the last day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying: ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’. This He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given” (John 7: 37-39). In the old, it has been one people of God; But now, the grace of God works in a multitude of peoples, to make them rivers of God, filled with living water, according to His divine promise (John 7: 37-39). “You visited the earth, and made her drunk”. You send over Your clouds, You rain the preaching of truth, that enrich the earth, and make it drunk. “The river of God is full of water”. (St. Augustine) According to father Onesimus of Jerusalem, the river of God here, refers to the goodness He flows on us; to the Holy Book full of His divine promises; and refers as well to the grace of the Holy Spirit that He sends over His believers. If we present the word of God to others, it is God Himself who prepares the food; He gives milk to the babes, and solid food to the mature. “You water its ridges abundantly; you settle its furrows; you make it soft with showers, you bless its growth” (10) The psalmist looks at God, as being the Unique Farmer, who visits the soul, to set out of her a fruitful garden. The human farmer, however great is his love for his field or vine, cannot do more than to plow the land, make ridges and furrows, cast seeds, adds manure, and water it one way or another, then goes home and sleep. But this Unique divine Farmer, is so much preoccupied with His field, to deliver His life for its sake, water it with His Holy Spirit, manure it with His holy body and His precious blood, shed for the sake of the world; flows his blessings on it, dedicate everything for its sake; and sends His angels to guard it. This is the perpetual work of God by His grace in the life of man. “You bless its grain”. When the preaching gives fruit by someone receiving faith, he draws to him another as well. “You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance” (11) The church sings this verse in the liturgy of the Coptic New Year (Neruz); confessing God’s favors and goodness; He who fills the church – His beloved field – with His goodness, and flows on it with the spirit of joy and praise. It is a praise of thanksgiving for the sake of His work all along the past year, and a supplication to Him to receive her as His personal field, and to keep on granting her His goodness, righteousness, and joy, by His Holy Spirit. While God does not cease planting his word through the preachers, the enemy will never cease sowing tares among the wheat in thedarkness of the night (Matthew 13: 25). https://coptic-treasures.com/ 72 Yet the Lord tells us not to get disturbed, and counsels us not to take out the tares with violence, but to let both the tares and the wheat grow together until the harvest (Matthew 13: 30). The secret of our conquest is the blessing of the Lord working all along the year, crowned by His goodness. According to the scholar Origen, the year crowned by God’s goodness concerns the period during which the Lord lived in flesh on earth. And according to St. Athanasius the apostolic, the “paths” of God, that drip with abundance, are the souls of the righteous. “They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, and the little hills rejoice on every side” (12) Here, the psalmist contemplates in the wisdom and love of God; If He turns some of the wilderness into gardens by the water of His Holy Spirit, He adorns some wilderness and hills with pastures, on which live flocks of sheep, cows etc. in a joyful and exalting atmosphere! Touches of God’s compassion and love pour the spirit of joy everywhere, into the life of everyone. The plains, hills, and mountains with their pastures, all sing praise to God. By the plains, hills, and mountains, he means men. The righteous are called “plains” because of their simple nature, and are called “hills” and “mountains” because of their exaltation; as God lifts up the humble in Him. The “wilderness”, on the other hand, are the Gentiles, to whom no prophets were sent; were like a desert through which no one passed, The word of God was not sent to the Gentiles, but the prophets were sent only to Israel. There are two harvests: The first harvest are the Jews to whom prophets were sent to proclaim the coming of the Savior. Hence, the Savior said to His disciples: “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest” (John 4: 35). And there will be another harvest in which the apostle will labor. And, at the end of time, God will send His angels for the ultimate harvest. (St. Augustine) “The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered with grain; they shout for joy, they also sing” (13) Here, the psalmist presents nature itself as a living portrait of an exultant chorus playing a symphony of joy and of thanksgiving to God; all sing; all rejoice; all exult. According to father Onesimus of Jerusalem, If the captivity has turned Jerusalem into a desolation, the prophet seeks from God to bring His people back to Jerusalem, for her pastures and valleys, to be clothed again with flocks, and her valleys to be covered again with grain. As to the symbolic interpretation, By the salvation work of the Lord Christ, the Gentiles, which were before more like dry wilderness, will turn into gardens through the work of baptism. As to the hills and mountains that will shout for joy, they are the elites and great men of the Gentiles who used before to offer sacrifices to the idols, have now chosen the angelic way, And made the wilderness and the mountains exult by their dwelling, and by their songs of praise to God, and their shouts for joy, that satisfy the soul as though by heavenly wheat. If you shout blasphemy, you would produce thistles and thorns; but if you shout praise, you will be covered with grain. (St. Augustine) https://coptic-treasures.com/ 73 AN INSPIRATION FROM PSALM 65 MY HEART SHOUTS FOR JOY FOR YOUR CARE You open Your house up for me, the house of joy and exultation; In it, my soul praises You, and fulfills her vows Vows of paying love, back with love; And of offering sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. My soul praises You, for You listen to prayers; Together with David, I pray to You; I seek nothing but that all men would come to You; Your grace covers me, and opens my heart with love to everyone; Together with Moses, amazing in his vision, I shall say: “Forgive them, or blot me out of Your book” And together with Paul: “I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Romans 9: 3). For the sake of the enjoyment of all mankind of Your salvation. My iniquities will not stand in my way, and will not keep me from working for the sake of my brethren. For You, Yourself, atone for them, and wipe them out by Your precious blood. My soul exults because, out of void, You set an established mountain; By Your might, You turn men into angels, and the earthlies into heavenlies. You calm down the roaring of the seas and the waves of the world; And grant the nations Your peace that surpasses the mind; O You, Maker of signs and wonders; Is there a sign, greater than Your incarnation? Is their a miracle greater than Your cross? Is there love greater than granting me the strength of your resurrection? Is there anything I would further seek, after You carried me to Your heavens? All those signs of Yours, have given my life a new taste; Together with the prophet Jeremiah cries out: “Your compassion fail not, they are new every morning” (Lamentation 3: 22, 23) And with the apostle Paul, I say: “I have the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1: 23) My morning becomes glad, and my evening exults, for You are perpetually present in my life. How amazing! You care for the whole earth! You visit men wherever they are; You pour on them the water of Your Holy Spirit. You turn their wilderness into heavenly gardens; You bless their produce; And You pour on them the fruits of Your Holy Spirit. My depths perpetually shout for joy; You crown the year with Your goodness; https://coptic-treasures.com/ 74 Your paths drip with abundance; My depths perpetually sing Your praise; For Your care surpasses every imagination.
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