THANKSGIVINGS FOR THE SALVATION FROM DEATH AND FOR THE DEDICATION OF DAVID’S HOUSE Psalms 30 to 34 are psalms of thanksgiving; the first of them (30) is an appreciation and thanksgiving for the sake of a healing, probably miraculous of someone gravely ill, on account of that verses 3 and 9 refer to death and the grave, and to a marvelous healing that motivated the psalmist to offer a joyous thanksgiving; and to show the lessons he learned from his sufferings. According to its title, this psalm was sung on the occasion of the dedication of David’s house. Although the relationship between seeing this psalm as thanksgiving for being healed from a serious illness, and the dedication of David’s house, seems as vague; Yet, there is actually a close relationship between the two. For our good nature, having lost the image of God, and the likeness of its Creator, has suffered a grave (illness), Then the Savior came to heal it, and to restore it to its first beauty, renewing its creation to set out of it a palace for Himself, or a sanctuary dedicated to God. The following is a parade of the different views concerning the author and the occasion of writing this psalm: 1-According to some, it was written to celebrate a healing from a grave illness, in which the expectation of early death was extremely https://coptic-treasures.com/ terrifying; probably because the person in question was a young man belonging to a group who ministered so close to the God of life in His temple (Psalm 16). 2- According to Pope Athanasius the apostolic, this psalm was sung by the prophet David Himself when he knew that God has forgiven his iniquity, and when by repentance, his soul, dwelling in the house of the Lord, and, herself a house of God, is renewed. 3- According to St. Gregory, this psalm is a prophecy about what was going to happen to king Hezekiah, whom God is going to deliver from the threat of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19), to extend his life 15 years (2 Kings 20), and to save the temple from the enemies, He sees it, as well, as a prophecy about our Lord who, by the power of His resurrection, has renewed our human nature, being His own dwelling place. Many fathers see this psalm through a mystical vision, as the human nature, the house which was renewed by the power of the resurrection of the Lord Christ; and believe that the illness here concerns the soul, that dwelt upon her through falling into sin; so is the healing of the soul through the salvation work of Christ. 4- This psalm was assumed to be prophetically written for the sake of the dedication of the first temple; although there is no proof, nor even a probability of this assumption. According to ‘Plumer’, the best view is that this psalm was written on the occasion of the dedication of the altar to the Lord erected on the threshing floor of Arraunah the Jebusite on Mount Moriah (2 Samuel 24: 18-25; 1 Chronicles 18 – 30); called by David as “the house of the Lord” (1 Chronicles 22: 1). 5- This psalm was used in the dedication of David’s own palace, built by the wood of Hiram (2 Samuel 5: 11; 1 Chronicles 14: 1); which https://coptic-treasures.com/ conforms to its title, and the Jewish godly customs (Deuteronomy 20: 5); the same godly feelings borne by David when he dedicated his own house (2 Samuel 7: 2). We, as well, should dedicate to God the houses in which we live, and set them as little sanctuaries, We are committed to dedicate ourselves, our families, and all our affairs under the care of God; and to seek His presence and blessings. 6- Bishop ‘Weiser’, believes that this psalm – according to its title – was used in the dedication of the ‘Hanukah’ of the temple, annually celebrated as a memorial of the return to worship in the temple which was destroyed by Antichus Epifanius. Starting in the year 165 B.C. a celebration was held at the same day as a memorial of the miraculous salvation from the authority of the Aramites (the Syrians) (1 Kings 4: 52 etc.; John 10: 22); although, according to ‘Weiser’ this psalm was not written for this goal. 7- According to some scholars, David was the author of this psalm after being saved from an anticipated death for ordering a census of the people (2 Samuel 24). Having no knowledge that David has ever suffered from a serious illness, as it happened with king Hezekiah; or that he cried out to the Lord to deliver him from it, to which He responded by restoring him to his health and strength; We see what came in this psalm as only symbolic and prophetic; revealing to us how the Son of David resurrected from death, as though healed of His wounds and delivered from death, and set His house; namely His church; according to what is written: “He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed” (Isaiah 53: 5). https://coptic-treasures.com/ + We glorify God when we dedicate in our souls a dwelling place for God; on account of that the title of this psalm is: (A song at the dedication of the house of David). (The scholar Origen) + It is the joyful song of the resurrection which renewed the body, not only that of our Lord, but that of the church as well, giving eternity to her body. In the last psalm, we find the tabernacle in which we should dwell, has been consummated; and this psalm came concerning its dedication, to make it stay forever in peace, not to be destroyed. (St. Augustine) The title: A psalm; a song at the dedication of the house of David. 1- The double name “a psalm, a song”, or “a psalm and a song”, implies the use of string musical instrument (a psalm) together with other instruments (a song), when sung in the temple. According to some scholars, this means the use of voice together with musical instruments, mixed together during the ministry in the temple. Saying: “a psalm, a song” means that the musical instrument precedes the voice. 2- Referring this psalm to the prophet David, ‘Gaebelein’ says: [Those who tend to ignore the title and to deny referring this psalm to David, believe its author to be the prophet Jeremiah, when he was lifted up from the pit; depending on the verse, saying: “For You have lifted me up” (1); but it does not need to be literally interpreted as being lifted up from a pit, but to be seen as a symbolic expression https://coptic-treasures.com/ referring to lifting up from the depths of sorrow and affliction]. We, in our turn, are in need of this psalm to reveal to us, by the spirit of prayer, the presence of God who listens to our supplications in the midst of our liturgical assembly. Its general frame: 1- Singing praise for the sake of healing 1 - 3 2- A call to remembrance 4 - 5 3- Looking back at the past experience 6 - 10 4- Renewal of praise 11 - 12 1- SINGING PRAISE FOR THE SAKE OF HEALING: The obvious goal of the psalmist is to glorify the Lord who saved him from the pit and the grave, referring the salvation wholly to God. It is the song of the resurrection, sung by our Christ, risen from the dead. And we – as members of His body – sing it while enjoying His resurrected life. According to St. Augustine: [This song of conquest sung by Christ today would eventually become our song]. a- “I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me” (1) David was thankful for being lifted up was not by his own effort, nor by any other’s; he did not ascend on any man-made ladder, but it is God who lifted him up. According to Onesimus, bishop of Jerusalem, it is a prophecy about king Hezekiah who he was saved from his enemies; And, at the same time, is a thanksgiving prayer raised by the human nature that was saved by the cross of the Lord Christ, from the demons, and from death. https://coptic-treasures.com/ I praise Your glory, O God, for You have granted me the resurrected life, You have not let my foes rejoice over me; and even death has no more authority over me. + Satan and his angels were confused before the resurrection of our Lord. The prince of death, seeing the defeat of death, entered into it. (St. Augustine) + The resurrection of the Son, has set peoples free from vanity. + The Son of God is risen with great glory; and by His resurrection, the whole world was enlightened (Mar Jacob El-Serougi) “And have not let my foes rejoice over me”(1). In the background, there are always enemies who rejoice over the suffering of the righteous, and who would wish them dead. We all have wicked enemies who lie in wait like vultures of prey, whom nothing would make them happy like seeing some of the righteous trample and fall; about whom the Lord Christ said to His disciples: “Because you are out of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15: 19). When king David angered the Lord by ordering a census of his people, to boast his might and possibilities, God gave him the choice of one of three chastisements; And with great distress he said to the prophet Gad: “Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man” (2 Samuel 24: 14). It is horrible to be delivered by God into the hands of the devil or that of a man! Blessed be the Lord who keep us from enemies. https://coptic-treasures.com/ b- “O Lord, my God, I cried out to You, and You have healed me” (2) We see how the Holy Book binds between heath, sickness, sin, and virtue, and our relationship with God; summarized in the Book of Deuteronomy by saying on the tongue of God: “I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal” (Deuteronomy 32: 39). Healing is used to express reforming the evil heart (Isaiah 6: 10); healing the broken bones (Psalm 60: 2); healing the soul from the spiritual deflection (Jeremiah 3: 22); healing the broken–hearted (Psalm 147: 3); and making whole a broken potter’s earthen vessel (Jeremiah 19: 11). By healing he probably means saving from a devastating pestilence; like when God said to the destructive angel: It is enough, now restrain your hand” (2 Samuel 24: 16) Being the Physician of the soul and the body, and having the healing of our whole being in His hand, God says: “I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15: 26). He is our Maker and our Physician, who can heal our ailing health; By a mere touch of the border of His garment, the woman with a flow of blood was healed; and by a word from His mouth sickness were cured. The Lord bore our wounds to cure us from them through His wounded body; And risen from death, “death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15: 54). + Having cried out to You, O Lord, my God, I am no more burdened by the frail body, prone to illness and death. (St. Augustine) C- You have granted me victory over the pit: “O Lord, You have brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit” (3) https://coptic-treasures.com/ As a Savior, God brings our soul up from the grave of sin; uproots us from the pit of despair; lifts us up from the trash heap, and brings us into the throne of His grace. He, who rescued Jeremiah from the mire dungeon; and who delivered Joseph from the well, to set him up glorified in a foreign land. He came down to the pit of Hades to save us from the authority of darkness, and to bring us up to the kingdom of light. With a language of surety, the psalmist says: “You have healed me”; “You have brought my soul up from the grave”; and, “You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit”; For he harbored no doubt in his mind concerning the salvation work of God with him; based upon actual experience. Here on earth, we enjoy the deposit of eternity in our daily life. T he anticipated healing realized by the fellowship of the eternal glories, we enjoy its deposit now through our experience of the resurrected new life; we experience the inner glory, the heavenly life, and the fellowship with the heavenly creatures; to say, together with the apostle Paul: “(God) made us sit together in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 2: 6) 2- A CALL TO REMMEMBRANCE: (4 – 5) In the initiative call (1 to 3), we encounter the divine name “Jehovah –Lord” three times; and in each of them we find a personal motivation for the psalmist to give thanks to the Lord. Now verses 4 – 5, are a call to the whole congregation to partake of expressing thanksgiving. By this, the psalmist does not separate his personal worship from the collective worship; and his godly life from the holy life of the church. “Sing praise to the Lord, You saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name” (4) https://coptic-treasures.com/ Having experienced the life of praise and joy in the Lord, the psalmist calls on all the Lord’s saints to partake of such an angelic life, through remembering God’s work along history, and in their life through His dealing with them. For whoever loves God from his whole heart and thanks him faithfully, would like everyone to partake of his work (4). The psalmist calls the believer saints; for, although holiness concerns God alone, yet He grants it to His people to practice the holy life. The Lord Jesus Christ granted us His Holy Spirit, as a Spirit of sanctification, who grants all goods, and unites us as a holy praising congregation. If sin corrupts the peace of heart, denies joy to the soul, and deprives man of his fellowship with the heavenly creatures, perpetually singing praise to God, Yet the fruit of the Holy Spirit who lifts us up to the heavenly life, is the inner joy that plays on the strings of our life to produce a symphony of joyful love. . Granting us holiness, we sing by both the heart and the tongue, remembering God’s dealings with us, and glorifying His holiness working in us. In other words, there is no separation between holiness and the life of praise. Calling the holy congregation to remember the holiness of God, or His holy works, the psalmist concentrates on the work of the cross and the resurrection, being an exalted salvation work, by which God’s anger is taken away, to be replaced by His pleasure; sorrow and weeping are taken away to be replaced by joy and gladness. “For the anger is but for a moment, his favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (5) The psalmist probably refers here to the chastisement that came upon him for ordering a census of the people, when God sent a plague upon Israel caused by His anger and wrath. But the angel of destruction was commanded by the Lord to restrain his hand before the consummation of the days of chastisement; “For which David built an altar to https://coptic-treasures.com/ the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord heeded the prayers for the land” (2 Samuel 24: 25). According to the Hebrew text, God’s anger was meant for instruction and not for perdition; His motive for anger was not for personal revenge, but to present His grace for chastisement, to help the people to forsake their crooked ways, and to walk along the way of righteousness. + “For the anger is but for a moment, his favor is for life”. God took away from you the punishment of the original sin, for which you paid by death; “But His favor is for life”; For He granted you the everlasting life, which you gained not for the least effort on your part; for it was according to His good pleasure “for His favor”. (St. Augustine) According to ‘Hengstenberg’: [In the second part of the fifth verse, there is a show of someone weeping, coming into a house in the evening, to leave it in the morning, to be replaced by another guest who comes to the house, namely, joy]. As sin conceals the light from our hearts, to be replaced by the darkness of sunset, weeping comes to dwell in our tent, counting itself a perpetual resident, not ever to leave it. But thanks to the Sun of righteousness who shone upon our life to scatter its darkness, turning our sunset into a day of light; and driving the weeping away, to be replaced by the inner joy, to dwell in our hearts forever. Hence it was said to the bride of the song: “Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense” (Song 4: 6). https://coptic-treasures.com/ Our shining Groom, by His grace, scattered the darkness of sunset, to turn our life into a joyful wedding, of unceasing feast, and glorious celebrations. At sunset, weeping dwelt, when our Lord, by His cross, proclaimed the bitterness of sin which He bore on our behalf. And in the morning, He was risen from the dead to grant us His joyful righteousness and His resurrected life. At sunset ‘Rabshakeh’ threatened Hezekiah to destroy Jerusalem; but “now it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when the people came early in the morning they were corpses – all dead” (2 Kings 19: 35). At sunset, the people all wept, and in the morning they rejoiced in the salvation of God. It was a prophecy about the salvation work of our Lord; who died at sunset, and was risen in the morning from the dead to grant us His joy. According to St. Onesimus, bishop of Jerusalem, our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of Righteousness, who was rejected by the Jews, to come to be as though at sunset, denied the joyful divine light. The Christians, on the other hand, who believed in Christ, came to be in a morning filled with joy. The word “night” (5) in Hebrew, means (sunset). + “At sunset, weeping sets up its tent”. Evening dwelt once the light of wisdom was put off in the sinner, and he fell under the verdict of death. Since then the people of God were committed to shed tears amid the labor and temptations, anticipating the dwelling of the day of the Lord. It is befitting of man to anticipate https://coptic-treasures.com/ the morning to testify to the joy of the Lord’s resurrection, whose light emerged when our Lord was risen at dawn. (St. Augustine) + Concerning our Lord, sunset was the time of His burial, and the third day was that of His resurrection. You, as well, were buried at unset in paradise, and were risen on the third day! How?! … We can summarize the whole time as follows: There was one day before the law; Then came a second day after the law; Then followed a third day under the grace; the day designated and shown by our Head Himself through His resurrection on the third day.. The present time is that of tribulation and endurance; But the morning is the time of hope and joy. (St. Augustine) 3- LOOKING BACK AT THE PAST EXPERIENCE: (6 – 10) Verses 6 to 12 represent a sudden change in the nature of the psalm, as the psalmist talks about the tribulation that dwelt upon him, praying and seeking the divine help. In some detail, the psalmist talks about the time when he was feeling secure and selfconfident, thinking that he would never be moved (6). Then once he trusted in himself, God hid His face from him, namely, showed anger against him, and he came to be denied God’s grace and mercy.. By arousing God’s anger, we may bring upon ourselves God’s wrath and judgment; “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6: 23); whereas by doing according to God’s will, we shall find life, heath, and happiness (1 John 2: 17; 3: 14; Romans 14: 17). The psalmist cried out to the Lord, his only refuge, https://coptic-treasures.com/ and made supplication (8), when he was surrounded by enemies who threatened him with death and perdition; and the response came through the divine love, brought him strength and an inner beauty (7); turned his mourning into dancing; put off his sackcloth, and clothed him with gladness (11). By anguish we come to be very close to God. … What was David’s experience? + When victory was his ally, and all the possibilities were within his hands, When he was in prosperity because of his many conquests, he trusted in himself, saying: “Now, in my prosperity, I said, I shall never be moved” (6); Whereas in the time of anguish, he cried to God and made supplication (8); saying: “If (God) says thus: ‘I have no delight in you’, here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him” (2 Samuel 15: 26) . (St. John Chrysostom) “In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved” (6) Those who think that they are secure, and in prosperity, who trust in their strength, honor, and wealth, count themselves as will never be moved; Yet they are building their strongholds on sand to fall under the impact of wind and rain. According to At. Basil the Great, David’s fall into sin came to be the result of his pride. He, who used to refer his security and prosperity to God’s strength and love, in his weakness, fell into self-pride and vain glory, when he ordered a census of his people; disregarding Joab’s faithful counsel (2 Samuel; 24: 3). Doing a census, in itself, was not an evil act, as is obvious in the Holy Book (See Exodus 30: 12); Yet doing it out of self-pride and vain glory is an abomination against God. + Whoever finds his comfort and prosperity in the temporal things would be filled with pride, will be moved, and will perish. Whereas he who, in His Christ finds his https://coptic-treasures.com/ joy and prosperity, will truly abide in Him, and will never be moved. According to the scholar Origen, the soul in true comfort would never be moved. Our Lord is our comfort, in Him we will never be moved, but shall forever partake of His glory. He grants us success in all aspects of our life; and without Him we would enjoy no strength, wisdom, joy, nor abidance. Having fallen in temptation, and perceived that his thoughts were wrong, he started to refer every success he already had, every inner and outer glory, and even every spiritual beauty, as a fruit of God’s favor, according to God’s will and strength, saying: “By Your favor, O Lord, You had established me as a strong mountain; You hid Your face, and I was troubled” (7) If David rose to the throne, and has got consecutive victories, it was all according to the will of God; But now, as God hides His face from him, he is moved and troubled, until he returns to his God with repentance. What we say concerning David, we may also say concerning humanity; whom God granted authority and beauty; But once man assumed that he would never be moved, he broke God’s commandment, lost every inner beauty, and collapsed by the spirit of anxiety and trouble. + Although I was beautiful by nature, yet I died by sin, through the deception of the serpent. To the beauty You have granted me when You first created me, You added strength to fulfill Your will. (St. Basil the Great) https://coptic-treasures.com/ Our spiritual beauty, being created according to God’s image and His likeness; and the strength You granted us to keep Your commandment; have been lost because of the pride of our heart; … “You hid Your face, and we were troubled”. Talking about this beauty granted by God to the soul, father Dorotheos of Gaza says: [Let us cleanse that likeness (to God), granted to us; Let us wipe out from it the dust of sin, to let it show with all its beauty by virtues … For God desires to see what He granted to us, without blemish, spot, or wrinkle (Ephesians 5: 27). Now, as God hid His face from David who abused the beauty and strength granted to him by God, he has had cry out to the Grantor of gifts. However great our sins are, God’s mercies anticipate to restore to us His splendor in us. God hides His face from us only for a certain time, to motivate us to cry out to Him, to respond by being transfigured inside us, and working in us; … Hiding His face from us, He desires from us to make our prayers more fervent, more faithful, and more trusting. Yet, It does not stop at prayer; but in the midst of his anguish, the psalmist seeks from God to open up his heart to confess and sing praise. He perceived that, as long as man is in sin, namely, going down to perdition, and attached to dust and ashes, he would benefit nothing, and would not be able to praise God. “What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?” (9) In the daring of love, and begging for God’s mercies, and seeking the realization of His divine promises, the psalmist says to God: [What profit is there if my blood is shed, and I perish?! Will You not lose one of Your beloved who praises and glorifies You?! … When I come to lose my https://coptic-treasures.com/ heavenly nature and turn to dust, can my life proclaim Your love or truth, O Beneficent?! According to Pope St. Athanasius the apostolic, those words are a prophecy about the Lord Christ who went down to the grave, but not without profit, For by so doing, He gained the whole world, and restored to us the joy of salvation.. .. The psalmist probably perceived that work of salvation, when he added:: “Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper” (10) Through such vision, seeing God a Savior of His believers, and not a terrifying Judge to them, St. Ambrose says: [Is it possible that Christ would condemn you, He who saved you from death, and delivered Himself a sacrifice for your sake, when He knew that it is your life you would acquire by His death? … Will He not say: “What profit is there in My blood? if I condemn him, whom I save? … Moreover, thinking of Him as a judge, and not as an Intercessor; … Would it be possible for Him to issue a harsh verdict, when He perpetually seeks for us to have the grace of reconciliation with the Father?]. The Lord heard my prayer and had mercy on me by going down to Hades, to carry me from there, to bring me forth to His kingdom; and to set His kingdom in me. … Let me sing His praise, saying: “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness” (11) https://coptic-treasures.com/ Not keeping silent, the psalmist wished for everyone to know the changes that happened in his life; from mourning to dancing; from putting on sackcloth to being clothed with gladness; and from silence to singing praise to God. David changed the sackcloth of repentance that clothes his body, into a wedding garment, to partake of a joyful celebration and spiritual dancing (Psalm 118: 27; 149: 3)… Changing the outer garments reveals an inner change in the soul of the psalmist, whose prayer was heard, and moved from repentance to thanksgiving and joy. + What are those sackcloth? … They are bringing oneself to death! … For the sackcloth used to be woven of the hair of goats which were counted as unclean animals. … Our Lord, being one of us, has been clothed with sackcloth, yet not as a punishment, for He has done nothing that warrants death; … By His own will, He put on Himself a mortal body for our sake. (St. Augustine) “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3: 4). Our Lord, the Fountain of eternal joy, wept and shed tears; … We are committed to know how to partake of His weeping and mourning! … By true repentance, by crying out for the sake of the salvation of every soul; and with every anticipation of the grace of God, working in our life and the life of others, His soul will exult. … By that, mourning will be mixed with joy; and every sorrow will turn into gladness and joy in the Lord. + Anticipating our lamentation here, namely at this time, God will grant us the everlasting things. … Anticipating our tears, He will flow His goodness upon us. (St. Ambrose) https://coptic-treasures.com/ + The gift of gladness is Christ Himself. (St. Ambrose) + Thanks be to You, O Lord, For it was not through an ambassador nor a messenger, but You Yourself saved Your people; “You have put off my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness”. (St. Ambrose) Enjoying the spirit of joy and gladness, the Lord Christ Himself, who grants the soul fulfillment and exultation, the psalmist says: “To the end that my glory may sing, praise to You and not be silent, O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever” (12) No wonder that he says: “My glory may sing praise to You”; for by granting us glory, God will be glorified in us. Glorifying God is not praising Him by words, but proclaiming His work in us; having lifted us from the trash heap up to glory; and from the Hades of sin up to His joyful paradise. Singing praise is a fundamental task of the believer, whatever his position in the church; It is befitting of us, even in the midst of our sorrows, to dedicate time to sing praise to the Lord,, which would reveal the inner life of joy amid the sufferings. That is what the psalmist meant by saying: “and not be silent”; as the true believer would never cease to sing praise. The psalmist ends his psalm by a commitment of thanksgiving, to his Lord and God who cares for him personally. Instead of the death https://coptic-treasures.com/ confronting him, for which he cried out, he came to be in a new life on a heavenly level, knowing nothing but singing praise under all circumstances. --------------------------- AN INSPIRATION FROM PSALM 30 SET YOUR HOUSE IN ME, O GRANTOR OF LIFE + O Grantor of life, raise my life from death; Sanctify my heart a dwelling place for Yourself; Turn my inner grave into a Sanctuary for Yourself. + You went down to Hades to bring me up from the pit of sin to the paradise of Your righteousness. + Remembering Your works with me and with all Your people; My heart opens up with exultation, and my tongue utters glory. + You are the secret of my beauty and my strength; By Your cross, You entered into sorrow, so that by Your resurrection, you would bring us forth to joy; + At the sunset of this world, the grief of repentance would dwell upon us; But our Christ will shine on our life by the joy of His righteousness. + Put off me the sackcloth of bitterness; and give me Yourself, a joyful garment of righteousness; By Your glory, turn my life into unceasing praise.
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