A SONG OF CONQUEST AND JOY Its relationship to psalm 32: It is obvious that this psalm was written as a consummation of the line of thought that came in the last psalm; adding additional reasons for the exultation of the righteous, and their rejoice in the Lord. In the last psalm the psalmist proclaims beatitude for those whose sins are forgiven through baptism, as well as through continuous repentance and confession; and it ended with a call to the people trusting in God to rejoice, exult, and shout for joy in the Lord. Now the psalmist presents to us a psalm of praise, in which he refers to the new condition of the repentant believer, in whom fountains of praise and inner joy spring up as a divine gift; about which the Lord Christ says: “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst, but the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4: 14). We are not able to enjoy the sweetness of praise, unless we walk along the way of repentance, and live it. If the last psalm is the psalm of repentance, it ends with a call to joy, gladness, and shouts; namely, to a life of praise. The present psalm, on the other hand, as a psalm of praise, ends up with a supplication: “Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us” (22); namely, seeking the mercy of the Lord, the Forgiver of sins. … Hence, as we may see, there is no separation between the life of repentance and that of praise; they are one and the same integral life; God’s single royal path. A psalm of praise, wisdom, and liturgy: The purest of singing is the praise of God, for His own sake, as well as for the sake of His dealings with His people. For which this psalm would be a marvelous example. It is https://coptic-treasures.com/ a glorious symphony of praise presented to the Lord, the Creator, the Lord, the Judge, and the Savior. This psalm could have been written as a thanksgiving for the sake of an enjoyment of a conquest or victory, or as a memorial of the glorious works of God in the wilderness after the crossing of the Red Sea, and His high arm with His people. It is a song of love sung by every heart that experienced the amazing works of God and His personal care…. He looks down from heaven, preoccupied with those on the earth, embracing them with love, to carry them up to His heavens. The musicians in the temple used to sing this psalm, as though on the tongue of both the heavenly and the earthly creatures; proclaiming the joy of the heavenlies in their Creator, the Grantor of strength; and the faith of the earthlies, glorifying the Creator who cares for them. The works of creation harmonize with the Word of God, and with His works along the history to save with His high arm. The psalm starts and ends with presenting two elements of worship: Presenting a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God, the great and glorious King, and trusting in Him, in whom, all, humbly hope in His salvation. This psalm of praise could be considered as a psalm of wisdom, teaching, and liturgy, at the same time. … According to some, it is a praise concerning a certain feast, commemorating a covenant with God, celebrated at the commencement of the new year; glorifying the plan of the great God in His care of His people, something that brings forth hope in the future. It is a new praise (3), used in the circumstances concerning the renewal of a covenant with God. The Word of God in the Old Testament: The Word of God – as proclaimed here – is a Being: Dependable, Lover, Faithful, Provider of all the needs and requirements of His created universe, through His church, https://coptic-treasures.com/ who renews our life, particularly through the words of His Holy Book, which are read on and on in the liturgical assemblies. Its liturgical construction: As suggested by some, its liturgical construction is as follows: Verse 1 -- A call to praise, sung by the whole congregation together. Verses 2 & 3, sung by Choir 1 Verses 4 & 5, sung by choir 2 Verses 6 & 9, sung by Choir 1 Verses 10 to 12, sung by choir 2 (Quoted from the human history concerning the nations) Verses 13 to 19, sung by choir 1 (Quoted from the human history concerning individuals) Verses 20 & 21, sung by the two choirs 1 & 2 together. Verse 22, sung by the whole congregation together. Its general frame: 1- A call to praise 1 -- 3 2- God’s faithfulness 4 -- 5 3- God’s dealings with the nations 10 - 17 4- God’s goodness 20 – 22 1- A CALL TO PRAISE: ( 1 – 3) The last psalm ends with a call to praise God with joy, gladness and boasting. Now, the present psalm starts by the same call, in which the psalm presents additional motives to praise: https://coptic-treasures.com/ “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!, For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument with ten strings. Sing to Him a new song. Play skillfully with a shout of joy” 1-3) In this call, we notice the following: 1- According to some, the Hebrew word meaning “rejoice” originally means (dance for joy); a strong expression of living exultation, when the inner being of man shakes for joy, for the sake of his encounter with God; as the prophet David danced before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; (2 Samuel 6: 14; 1 Chronicles 15: 29); and as the babe leaped in Elizabeth’s womb, when St. Mary visited her.(Luke 1: 41). This praise, or this dance of the inner being, is a divine gift as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, the Grantor of Joy. 2- The secret of rejoice or praise is the Lord: “Rejoice in the Lord”. We rejoice in Him, and not in ourselves; We rejoice in His presence, and not in His temporal blessings. For the rejoice in the temporal things is mortal, and the rejoice in sin is perishable; whereas the rejoice in the Lord is eternal. It is the task and the language of the heavenlies. Whoever intends to partake of their glories, let him learn their language, and start here by the inner joy, namely with the praise of the heart and the tongue. 3- “For praise from the upright is beautiful”. If praise is a divine gift, the fruit of the Holy Spirit to the believers, to make them practice the joyful heavenly life; It is, at the same time a commitment; For it is befitting of the believer who practices the godly life, to enjoy his privilege, and praise God like an exultant angel. https://coptic-treasures.com/ The praise emerging from a heart, holy to the Lord, is the wedding garment worn by the believer before the divine throne. Whereas that, emerging from a wicked heart, is like “a ring of gold in a swine’s snout” (Proverb 11: 22) 4- Use the inner instrument of praise: … The psalmist counsels us to use a harp and an instrument with ten strings. Here, some may ask: May the church of the New Covenant use musical instrument to praise the Lord? According to ‘W. Plumer’: [ It is positive that the early Christians have not used any musical instrument in their collective worships; which is obvious in the teachings of Justine the martyr, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Theodort. In Chrysostom’s commentary on psalms 143 and 149, and Theodort’s commentary on the present psalm, both present a definite testimony concerning this issue … According to St. John Chrysostom, the musical instruments, God allowed only for the Jews, because of the hardness of their hearts, for they have only recently forsaken idol worship…. But, as far as we are concerned, we use our bodies instead of the harp, to praise God. The early Christian church did not use musical instruments anywhere, until it was recently used in the middle of the thirteenth century A.D., as stated by Thomas El-Akuiny, saying: [Our Church does not use musical instruments like the harp or flute to praise God, to distance herself from the Jews; as testified by the Protestants and the Catholics, until the time of the great Sharleman, in the year 1250 A. D.]. It is obvious, according to the Holy Book, that the musical instruments were used before the time of the prophet Moses, to express the joyful feelings of the heart (Job 30: 31). https://coptic-treasures.com/ How can we then praise God spiritually with a harp and an instrument with ten strings? a- Since her beginning, the church acknowledged the name “Jesus” as the source of joy and strength; and used to utter it with the spirit and truth to enjoy His presence. This name for them was the harp of the spirit, on which the melody of gladness and salvation was played. + What is the instrument with ten strings but the word “Jesus”, proclaimed through the Greek letter ‘Juta’, (the first letter in the name ‘Jesus’ in Greek), which represents number 10 in the Greek alphabet (St. Clement of Alexandria) b- The psalmist mention two musical instruments, namely the harp and the one with ten strings, probably to proclaim that we are committed to praise God with our bodies, as well as with our souls; with our tongues, as well as with our hearts; or in public, as well as in secret. The righteous, praise God “with their bodies which they present a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God” (Romans 12: 1). According to St. Augustine: [Use your body members to minister to the love of God and of your neighbor; by which you may observe the three commandments (concerning the love of God), and the seven commandments (concerning the love of the neighbor)]. I wish no one consider the use of the musical instruments of the theaters; as it concerns here inner issues, as it is written: “Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God, I will render praises to You” (Psalm 56: 12)]. The harp refers to the holy body that glorifies God, praises Him, and gives Him thanks, not only by the tongue, but by the whole being of man -- The body with its https://coptic-treasures.com/ five senses, and the soul with its five inner possibilities. It is as though the letter 10 refers to the body, the soul, the mind, the emotions, and the feelings…. All praise God with harmony under the leadership of the Holy Spirit through the possibilities, manifest and the hidden. According to St. Didymus the blind, in the harp, the tunes come from its lower extremity, referring to the body which was created from the earth; Whereas, in the instrument with ten strings, the tunes come from its higher extremity, referring to the soul, soaring high up in the heavenlies with the spirit of thanksgiving. c- The ten strings refer to the ten commandments. He who does not keep the commandment would be like a musical instrument with no strings, which would not be able to produce a sweet tune that bring joy to heaven. d- The musical instrument with ten strings refers to the church whose members enjoy many gifts, like different strings, which, although producing several tunes, yet in harmony; produces a sweet symphony by the Holy Spirit, Grantor of unity and of harmony. 5- Anew song: “Sing to Him a new song” (3) We often read about “the new son” in the book of psalms (96: 1; 98: 1; 149: 1); as we hear about “the new song” in heaven (Revelation 5: 9; 14: 3). If “the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before the Lord” (Isaiah 55: 12); “valleys shout for joy, and sing” (Psalm 65: 13), “the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord” (1 Chronicles 16: 33), and “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted of joy” (Job 38: 7); … Namely, if the heavenly and earthly creatures, the rational and the irrational creations, all praise God, being their Creator, who cares for all; We, who have enjoyed His salvation work, as new mercies which we experience every day in His dealings with us, should Sing to Him “a new song”. https://coptic-treasures.com/ Here he refers to “a new song” without any reference to musical instrument; for it is a heavenly song that needs no earthly musical instrument. The psalmist counsels us to sing to Him “a new song”, which comes from the inner man, perpetually renewed by the work of the Holy Spirit; to praise Him for the sake of His mercies, new every day; as the Son of Righteousness shines in us, granting us a spiritual enlightenment; to sing to Him by our new man; on account of that the old man was crucified with his evil works. The newness here, may be literally understood, as being a new role given to the old praises, or as a new experience for God’s care, the Grantor of salvation, new in our life through the cross. + Now you know the new man, the new covenant, the new song. The new song does not belong to the old man, for only the new man can learn it, he who is born anew for the new covenant, namely, for the kingdom of heavens. + Sing the song of grace of faith … Sing with your whole energy, to Him, for the sake of the joy itself. (St. Augustine) It is befitting of him who sings the new song of salvation, to be prepared for it by his holy life, as a befitting musical instrument; not to practice it with the spirit of slothfulness, but with the strength of the Spirit, with the shouting of the heart; hence the psalmist goes on to say: “Play skillfully with a shout of joy” (3) https://coptic-treasures.com/ “skillfully” means preparing the heart with all the energies of man to produce spiritual tunes that would bring joy to heaven. Saying: “with a shout of joy” means with the shouts of conquest and gladness for seeing the victorious King dwell in our hearts. 2- GOD’S FAITHFULNESS: (4 – 5) “For the Word of the Lord is right; and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” (4, 5) Here the psalmist presents to us one of the motives that bring forth in us the spirit of praise; namely, our enjoyment of the Word of God. For the divine Word – as presented by the psalm – is not a voice nor letters, but a living Being with divine features; Right, faithful, Lover of righteousness and justice, and Creator of heaven and earth (6). He is worthy of every praise from His creation, which encounter Him through His just work, full of love and compassion. + “For the Word of the Lord is right”; Capable of making you in a state, which you cannot be on your own … Man should never think to attain faith for the sake of his own works; For by faith itself, work may be well received by God. (St. Augustine) + “All His work is done in truth” , means that heavens and its systems testify to their Maker; and the earth and its systems increase your faith in God. However, it would not be through us, by our physical eyes, that we believe in Him; But, by the power of the mind, we can perceive the unseen through the evidences of the seen. (St. Basil the Great) https://coptic-treasures.com/ “He loves righteousness and justice” (5). In His creation, He proclaims His righteousness and justice; And in His divine economy of the entire universe, all shine with unutterable splendor in His salvation work. How amazing is the Right Word of God, He who created nothing unclean or pervert; … Any perversion is caused by our sins; and every corruption is a product of our own will. If we return to Him, righteousness would return to our life, and even to our earth; For He is merciful, and anticipates to proclaim His love and compassion, without committing or forcing us to return to Him. When the glory of the Lord passed before the prophet Moses, he got in touch with the amazing righteousness and justice of the Lord; It is said: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty” (Exodus 6, 7). On the cross, God’s righteousness and justice were realized, when the Word of God delivered His life for our sake, and paid the price in full. By the cross, “the earth is full of the goodness of he Lord” (5); For faith is no more confined to a certain people, but all nations received the gospel, and exulted in the exalted righteousness of God. It became possible for every man to call the Lord and be saved, to encounter His Savior wherever he is. God’s righteousness and justice are un-separable; He is fully Righteous, Just in His righteousness, and righteous in His justice. We can, however, say that we live in the era of grace, where the righteousness of God transfigures to bring us up from the pit of perdition, to carry in Himself, by His justice, the price of our sins. But, in the time of judgment to come, He will act as the divine Judge to deal with everyone according to his own works. He who acquires the righteousness now will escape the condemnation later on; whereas he who is slothful, would fall under the divine justice. https://coptic-treasures.com/ + “He loves righteousness and justice”. For “He loves”, you should experience this righteousness and this justice. Now, it is the time of righteousness, while later it will be that of the justice. (St. Augustine) + Although He is Righteous, yet He is Just as well. You may see how He grants His righteousness; Yet He is not Righteous without justice; nor Just without righteousness. “Gracious is the Lord and righteous” (Psalm 116: 5). (St. Basil the Great) 3- GOD’S JUSTICE: (6 – 9) a- The justice of God, who founded heavens and gave them strength: If the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord (5), it is befitting of the earthly creatures not to despise God’s mercy and longsuffering; but “all the inhabitants of the world should stand in awe of Him” (8), For “by the word of the Lord, the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (6); “For He spoke and it was done” (9). “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them; by the breath of His mouth” (6) God who suffers long on the man of dust, is the Creator of the high heavens with all their host; namely, He is in no need of the service of man; but He condescends to love man, and to care for his salvation and eternity. The psalmist probably intends to confirm that man will never escape from the divine justice; on account of that the heavens, with https://coptic-treasures.com/ all their possibilities and capabilities are His handwork… Where then, would he escape? And what power would support him if he chose to oppose his Creator? According to St. Athanasius the apostolic, St. Basil, St. Gregory, bishop of Nyssa, St. Ambrose, and St. Augustine, this phrase refers to the Holy Trinity: The Father, His Word, and His Holy Spirit. + You should then perceive three things: The Father gave the order, His Word created, and His Spirit abides. (St. Basil the Great) + Here, is a hint to the Holy Trinity. (Pope St. Athanasius the apostolic) The Word of God, the Savior, who descended to us, is the Creator of heavens; “By the Word of the Lord, heavens were made”. + “The Lord said” is explained in “the Word”; for it is said: “In wisdom You have made them all” (Psalm 104: 24); “By the word of the Lord, heavens were made”; “For us there is One Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8: 6) (Pope st. Athanasius the apostolic) + For the care for all things is referred to Him, by whom they were created; namely, the Word of God, about whom it is said in the psalm: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them, by the breath of His mouth: (6); We were told that “Everything by and in Him, everything were made”. https://coptic-treasures.com/ (Pope St. Athanasius the apostolic) + “All things were made through Him” (John 1: 3); and, “By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made” (6). This makes it clear that everything was made by the Son; in order not to separate the Son from the Father by any means, but unifies them together. + There is no doubt that all things in heaven draw their power in the Holy Spirit, as is clear in: “By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made, and all the host of them, by the breath of His mouth” (6). He, then, is above all, through whom all the power of the heavenly and earthly things originate, and to whom is the privilege of the divine authority. (St. Ambrose) + God is in no need of all these things; For by His Word and Spirit, He creates, ordains, and controls everything; “For He spoke, and it was done” (9). (St. Erinaos) + Everything, whether angels, archangels, thrones, or rulers, were founded, and created by God, who is above all, through His Word, as said by John; who, speaking about the Word of God, being in the Father, he added: “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1: 3). Also, telling us about the praises of God, David mentioned by name, all what I referred to: “the heavens were made, and all the host of them”; He gave the command, and they were created; “He spoke, and it was done”. … Who gave the command? He, no doubt, was the Word, by whom “All the heavens were made, and all the host of them, by the breath of His mouth”. https://coptic-treasures.com/ (St. Erinaos) The Holy Trinity is the Creator, and who renewed His creation through His salvation work; realized in the water of baptism, through burial together with the Lord Christ, and the enjoyment of the Holy Spirit (John 3: 3-6). + Man was re-created in the water of baptism; For, in Christ, man is a new creation. (St. Basil the Great) + Not by father and mother; nor by the union of men; nor through the pains of labor, we are re-born; but by the Holy Spirit, the tissues of our new nature are woven; in the water they are conformed; and from the water we are secretly born, as though from the womb. In the womb, though, it takes a long time for the body to be conformed, but from the water and the Spirit, the life of the Spirit is conformed in a moment, in the blink of an eye. (St. John Chrysostom) Talking about the Word of God as the Creator and the Founder of heavens, St. Augustine does not raise his eyed up to heaven, but brings his sight into his own depths, to see the inner heavens, founded by the Lord Christ by His precious blood, to say: [In the righteous man, our Lord looks with His mercy to all those born in the newness of life]. b- “He gathers the waters of the sea as in a bottle; He lays up the deep in storehouses” (7) https://coptic-treasures.com/ If the righteousness of God, that filled the earth exhort us to praise Him; His righteousness as we already said, is not separated from His justice; For He is God the Just, who is to be feared…. If man attempts to escape up to heaven with its highness and might, there, he will find God, its founder and who gives it strength; … And if he gets down to the depths of the oceans, in an attempt to hide from the face of the divine Judge; he will find out that all the oceans and seas, in the sight of God, are like little water in a small bottle; the water, easy to leak and pour, are in God’s strong hand; For He gathers the waters, and knows their volumes. The waters of the sea, here, refer to the persecution against the church, with all its waves and currents stirred against her. God, who gathers the waters, however, does not keep the affliction away from His church, but controls its impact, and turns its bitterness into sweetness, worthy of being gathered in a small bottle, as a precious treasure. + Having been before stirred up beyond control, the bitterness of the seas came to an end; for He who has put a limit for the sea, caused its currents to chase and cancel one another. (St. Augustine) If God allows for the afflictions, they are, however, like the waters of the seas or the oceans, which, although their currents could swallow many, but they are a blessing in the life of humanity, that knows how to benefit from them. To them, God has set limits, which they could not go beyond; saying to men: “Do you not fear Me? Says the Lord; Will you not tremble at My presence, who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss to and fro, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it” (Jeremiah 5: 22). https://coptic-treasures.com/ “Who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth, and issued from the womb” (Job 38: 8). “Who has set a boundary that they may not pass over; That they may not return to cover the earth”(Psalm 104: 9) Now, according to scientists, if the balance between earth and moon is disturbed, tides would be created in the oceans to drown the entire earth … But God has set a boundary for the water that they may not pass over. If the depths of the oceans are extremely terrifying; that people of the old counted the waters as the center of the kingdom of the devil, whom they called the greatest dragon; Yet, according to the psalmist, the waters are storehouses of goods set by God for man, His beloved creature. And in the new covenant, we see the waters of the River Jordan a fountain of the new birth, where God opened in them the doors of baptism as a precious treasure! … Now, we can understand the psalmist’s words: “He lays up the deep in storehouses” (7)/ c- God is worthy of awe: God, the Creator of the higher heavens, who controls the water depths, and turns its bitterness into sweetness, is truly an extremely fearful Being; and a greatly awesome Lord; with limitless glory, to whom worship should be given with reverence; whose goodness should be perpetually blessed; and whose un-perceptible wrath should be feared; about whom the psalmist says: “Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast” (8, 9) https://coptic-treasures.com/ + Let all the inhabitants of the earth fear the Lord, because of their past condition, having been idol worshippers. (Pope St. Athanasius the apostolic) Let us fear Him, being the Creator of heaven and earth with wisdom and justice; And let us fear Him as a Savior, who set us children for the Father; lest we wound His compassionate fatherhood, or hurt His eternal righteousness. + This earth is created by His Word, We are told by the book of Genesis; that He made everything. (St. Erinaos) 3- GOD’S DEALINGS WITH THE NATIONS: (10 – 17) Turning back to meditate in history, the psalmist demonstrates the majesty of God’s power, in a way not less than that demonstrated by God’s creation of nature. God, mighty in His creation of heaven and earth, is mighty as well in His care for man along the history. The eyes of faith see the hand of God behind the controversies and bonds between the nations; the hand that conforms the history of the world according to His divine goal. History is nothing but an extension of the work of creation, which shows more perfectly God’s justice through remembering the promises of His abiding love. In this psalm, after presenting God’s might that tells us about the greatness of His presence, the psalmist refers to God’s dealings with His creatures as worthy of praise and thanksgiving, being the whole in wisdom, who sees everything, and controls all nations. “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel https://coptic-treasures.com/ of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations” (10, 11) God did not create the world with all its mighty laws of nature, to forsake and to separate Himself thereof; but created it to move it by His laws, granting man the whole freedom, to remain, Himself, the Creator and Controller of His creation… He may leave the wicked to think and to plan, and probably to start putting their plans into action, with the hope that may return from their evil and repent. But if they persist on their evil schemes, He intervenes at the right moment, either to turn their evil into blessings for His children, or to scatter and to put an end to their plans; as according to the prophet Isaiah: “Thus says the Lord God: ‘It shall not stand, nor shall it come to pass” (Isaiah 7: 7); and, “Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries, gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing. Speak the word, but it will not stand; For God is with us” (Isaiah 8: 9, 10). He brought the counsel of Ahithophel, against the prophet David to no avail (2 Samuel 17: 23); So He did to Haman’s plots against Mordecai and his people (Esther 6, 7); and that of Diocletian against the church in the whole world! … In every generation God was oppressed in His children; yet oppression did not prevail for long, affliction eventually came to an end, and God’s children were glorified forever. The wisdom of the wicked was always brought to nothing; whereas God’s plan for salvation always prevailed and stood fast. It was said to the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God, that “they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed” (Revelation 6: 6: 11). God will realize His plan in all ways, even if it implies the martyrdom of some of his children; His eyes will always be upon His children, even in the moments of their sufferings and martyrdom. God’s children are not disturbed by the plots and plans of the wicked, for history is in the hands of God their Father -- the whole in wisdom, might, and love; He who is able to https://coptic-treasures.com/ destroy the counsel of the wicked, or to turn them into good, even if He allows them to kill His own children;…. But what preoccupy them is the beatitude that came to be theirs, not for their own righteousness, but through God’s choice of them to become His people and His children, and of Him to become their God and Father. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people He has chosen as His own inheritance” (12) Let us then rejoice and be glad that God has chosen us, Him to be our portion, and for us to be His people. The psalmist joyfully testifies that God proclaims Himself as being our God, whom we acquire as the source of our blessing, protection, guidance, peace, joy, and success, to need nothing more. + “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (12) … You have heard that His nation possesses Him; … Now you also hear that He possesses them: “The people He has chosen as His own inheritance”. Blessed is the nation in what it posses; and blessed is the inheritance in Him who posses it. (St. Augustine) The psalmist praises God for the sake of such mutual possession: We have Him as our portion; and He has us as His inheritance. Let the Lord be my God; Let me possess Him, so as not to seek any physical covetousness, the love of the riches of the world, vain glory, or a human look of compassion! Let Him have me as His inheritance; Let Him be glad in His work in me; in His righteousness dwelling in me, and the joy of His kingdom in my depths. I wish I become His servant, and not to be enslaved to many other masters, for my servitude to Him is the perfection of my inner freedom. https://coptic-treasures.com/ While exchanging love and possession, God’s eyes will never forsake me; for the psalmist says: “The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His habitation, He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth” (13, 14) Speaking about how God looks on men, we should discern between His look, being the Creator, who search everything; and His looks, granting grace to the souls that received sonhood to Him. God knows everything, searches all minds and hearts; Yet He has the knowledge of attachment and unity with those who receive Him as a Father and Savior. God is Omnipresent; Yet He has the presence that grants grace in the hearts of His believers, who work with love. God looks on His church, recognizes her as His bride; is present in her, being His own kingdom on earth. He looks as well on the world, and searches its hidden things, and knows its secrets. Although He is Omnipresent, yet there is great difference between His dealings with those who seek Him, and those who deny Him. The Lord looks on His people as a Father on His beloved children, and not as a negative by-stander. He sees us in His beloved Son, to find us bearing the righteousness of Christ, and counted the subject of His pleasure. He looks “from heaven”, “from the place of His habitation”, namely, from the hearts of His believers and those who preach Him; not only looking on us as a Father, but He dwells in us, and looks on others through us. https://coptic-treasures.com/ + “From the place of His habitation, He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth” (13). He looks on us through those who preach the truth; He looks on us through the angels He sends, being His perpetual place of habitation, being the heavens that reveal His glory. (St. Augustine) Looking on us, He looks into the depths, into the hidden secrets of the hearts; Being the Creator of the hidden soul, he knows our works, not according to appearances, the way men look, but through the inner intention, without partiality to a king or a ruler. “He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope of safely; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength” (15 – 17) The Maker of the heart knows its secrets; as according to Solomon the Sage: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water, He turns it wherever He wishes. Every way of man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts” (proverbs 21: 1, 2); and according to the blessed David: “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my standing up. You understand my thoughts afar off; … my frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret” (Psalm 139: 1, 2, 15). + “He fashions their hearts individually” (15). By the hand of His grace; by the hand of His mercy, He made and fashioned our hearts, individually, one by one, yet kept our unity together. https://coptic-treasures.com/ “He considers all their works” …Man sees the work of another through his apparent physical actions, but God sees the depth of the heart, hence it is said: “He considers all their works”. (St. Augustine) Considering all our works, God is capable of setting us kings, of saving us, not by our own strength, by our own mental, by our material possibilities, nor by horses and chariots, but by His strong arm, and by dwelling in us. By the gift of His Holy Spirit, God granted us the grace of royalty, to make us spiritual kings, united to the King of kings, and trust in Him. Salvation, even from death, could be realized by God alone; Our life is in His hands, and He can keep it, even amid any tribulation, unconquerable by man. He granting us Himself as our strength, let us therefore, trust in Him, not negatively, but, positively strive by Him, being our strength; for it is written: “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord” (Proverbs 21: 31). + Let God be your hope, your ability to endure, your strength, your propitiation, your praise, your goal, your place of comfort, and your help in your strife. A “mighty man” is an arrogant man who haughtily raises himself above God, counting himself as something. Such a man will not be delivered by his own strength… In the time of danger, if he thinks that his strong, sound, and a swift horse can deliver him? Let him hear the words: “A horse is a vain hope of safety”. We may take the horse as symbolizing the possessions in this world, or of any kind of honor on which we may proudly trust, wrongly assuming that the higher we get, the more secure we are. Do not you perceive that the higher you get, the more https://coptic-treasures.com/ severe would be your fall?! … How then could security be realizes?... It would never be realized by strength, nor by authority, honor, glory, or by the horse! (St. Augustine) In the old, chariots used to be the main support of armies, giving to their rider a feeling of security, enabling him to flee in the time of danger. Yet, many have perished while riding on chariots and horses. Sennecherib, with his mighty army could not stand before a single angel of God; and Pharaoh, with all his chariots drowned in the Red Sea…. Whereas he, who leans on the chest of God will be secure, even from death, according to the words of the Lord: “He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11: 25) According to the scholar Origen, the horses here, refer to the devil and his hosts, saying: [The horses represent those who were in heaven, then were brought down from it because of their pride and haughtiness …. Those who followed him who said: “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14: 14). For this reason, I assume, the prophet David says: “A horse is a vain hope of safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength” (17). Likewise it is also said about those who trust in the devil: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20: 7)]. Let us then forsake the chariots of this world, and ride on that of the fear of God, that divine chariot, capable of raising us high above all tribulations and afflictions; of delivering us from death, and of keeping us alive in famine; as according to the psalmist: “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine” (18, 19) https://coptic-treasures.com/ 4- GOD’S GOODNESS: (20 – 22) “Our soul waits for the Lord, He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You” (20 – 22) Those who fear the Lord enjoy His compassionate looks, the Grantor of graces, that reveal His personal care, and His appreciation of the human soul …. Something that bring joy to the His believers’ hearts. Together with his enjoyment of salvation, and his perception of the power of the holy name of God, the psalmist does not cease to cry out seeking the mercy of God, even in the midst of his praise, perceiving that what he gets here is only a deposit of inexpressible glories in the eternal life; as though, with every conquest, and every success, his longing for the perfect satiety in the eternal kingdom would increase; that the joy would mix with the hidden cry-outs of the heart; and the groaning with the enjoyment of the everlasting encounter with God, face to face. ---------------------------- AN INSPIRATION FROM PSALM 33 O ETERNAL LOVE + O, Source of Love, Teach me how to love You! Perpetually, renew my depths, to sing for You with the harp of the Spirit; And in my depths, I would play music on the strings of Your ten commandments. + By Your word You have created heavens; and by Your Spirit all their host; Work, O divine Word in my heart, Your new heavens; https://coptic-treasures.com/ And, with Your Holy Spirit, ignite all the possibilities and strengths, You have granted me;. + Grant me Your fear, as a divine chariot that supports me in the time of affliction; Having neither horses nor chariots, let Your fear be my strength; Let Your fear carry me above all the currents of affliction. + Look on me with Your eyes; for I am in need of Your love; Look on me, that I would forsake everything and run after You.
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