O GOD, HAVE YOU CAST US OFF FOREVER? Asaph, a contemporary of David, around 1000 years B.C. wrote a prophecy about what was going to happen when Nebuchadnezzar put Jerusalem under siege (2 Kings 25: 1-17). This psalm represents a collective lamentation, or a prayer by the Jews to remember the devastation and defilement of the temple on the ninth of the month of ‘Ab’ every year. This lamentation is also be a church prayer that the believers should always raise from their hearts because of the anguish which keeps on dwelling upon the church all the time. The author of the psalm1: 1- Many believe that it is written by Asaph the seer, or by David the prophet, who delivered it to Asaph to put it into tunes to be sung by musical chorus. It is a prophetic psalm, written in the past tense to confirm that what it prophesies will be definitely fulfilled. In its Syrian version it came that it was written by Asaph, concerning what happened when the angel of the Lord appeared to David for the destruction of the people; when David, greatly distressed said: “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house” (2 Samuel 24: 17). Yet some believe that it is a prophecy about what was going to happen to the Jews around the year 70 A.D. when the Roman commander Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, and slained thousands of Jews. 2- Patrick believes that Asaph here, refers to the ‘keeper of the king’s forest’ in the days of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2: 8). 3- Others believe that Asaph refers to a descendant of Asaph, a contemporary of David the prophet. 4- Few believe that the author of this psalm is Jeremiah the prophet, a view rejected by many. 1- A cry by the righteous: 1-3 2- A description of the horrifying events: 4-9 3- How long will it be, O Lord? 10-11 4- The divine work: 12-17 5- A PLEA FOR RELIEF FROM OPPRESSORS: 18-21 7- A CONCLUSION: 22-23 A contemplation of Asaph. 1- A cry by the righteous: “O God, Why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?” (1) He begins the lamentation by asking “Why?” a word used in several of the lamentation psalms, like 10: 1; 22: 1; 44: 24; 79: 10, etc. This is not a sign of doubt, as it is rather a sign of faith. What dwelt upon the people by the Chaldeans, by Antichus 1 W. S. Plumes: Ps. 74. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 109 Epiphanius (in the days of the Maccabees), or by the Roman Titus, have come as a divine chastisement, like smoke coming out from the nostrils of huge beasts against weak sheep helpless to defend themselves When anguish dwells upon the believers by the wicked, they, counting it as a chastisement from God, raise their eyes up to Him with repentance. They believe that the wicked would have no authority over them unless it is allowed by God; as according to Amos the prophet: “Does disaster befall a city, unless the Lord has done it?” (Amos 3: 6). He does not criticize (rebuke) what happened, but he rather wonders: “Why?”; For what reason did You allow it to happen?; “Why have You cast us off forever?” By “forever”, he probably means ‘until the end of the world’. ‘Have You cast us off until the coming of Christ, which is the end to everyone who believes? (Romans 10: 4) 1. (St. Augustine) It is not a sin to enter into a debate with God to admonish Him, or to ask Him the reason for what He allowed to dwell upon us. That was what the righteous ‘Job’ did when temptations dwelt upon him. “Remember Your congregation which You have purchased of old, the tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed – this Mount Zion where You have dwelt” (2) The psalmist has nothing to present except the mercies of God; He who has purchased His congregation of old, the day He brought them out of the land of Egypt by a strong hand and a mighty arm; And, by His compassion, transfigured proclaiming Himself to them on Mount Zion. According to St. Augustine, God’s care for His people goes back long before the exodus from the land of Egypt, to the days of the fathers, when He dealt with such personalities as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and others, to the account of the people to come from the twelve tribes. “Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations. The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary” (2) Saying “raised His voice” (Genesis 39: 18); or “lifted up His hand” (Isaiah 26: 11), means (stroke and chastened). Here, “Lift up Your feet” or Your steps, means (come, or hasten to come). He calls on God to come and see by Himself what dwelt upon His sanctuary, which turned into an eternal desolation. According to St. Augustine, the psalmist prays to the Lord to lift up His hands on the cross in the locations which were defiled and devastated; for by the cross He draws “ all the kings of the earth to fall down before Him; all nations to serve Him” (Psalm 72: 11). That is the way to mend the eternal desolations, and to turn the nations from idol worship to worshipping the true God. 2- A description of the horrifying events: “Your foes roared within Your holy place; they set up their banners as signs” (4) The psalmist portrays the foes as lions roaring against their preys – the people of God; setting up their banners in the sanctuary as a sign of their complete authority over it. 1 On Ps. 74. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 110 He prays to God to notice how the followers of the devil, the servants of the idols; namely the nations at that time, how they destroyed the temple and the city of God; how they boasted in the midst of His feast; how they assembled together, and set up their banners, carrying their Roman signs of eagles and dragons; and how they even set up the images of their idols within the temple. Yet they could not perceive what the Lord Himself said to Pilat “You could have no power at all against Me unless it has been given you from above” (John 19: 11). How great goodness has God granted us through the betrayal of Judas! How the evil of the Jews eventually led to the Gentiles receiving faith! How the Lord Christ was slain on the cross, to let those struck by the serpent look up to Him and be healed1! (St. Augustine) Because the devil proclaimed his wrath, trampled upon the believers in the coming of the Lord, and brought upon them a multitude of afflictions and calamities; David attempts by a prophetic prayer, to hasten to render His help, and not to postpone His support. In a previous like text the psalmist says: “O God, why have you cast us off forever?” (Psalm 74: 1); in which he mourns with tears, and proclaims that God has forgotten His people, and cast off from Himself the scepter of His inheritance; and proclaims that the enemies have come against the people of God (psalm74: 2- 3); have roared within His holy place. This short text probably refers to the Assyrians who have overcome the Jewish people, who have “setup their banners as signs” (psalm74: 4). In wars, there are always banners that are set ahead of the advancing armies; every legion or group follows its own banner; and in case they scatter up over the battle field, they reassemble around their banner2. (St. Ambrose) “They seem like men who lift up axes among the thick trees” (5) According to St. Augustine, the invaders held axes to destroy the beautifully ornamented cedar gates and furniture of the temple (see I kings 6: 18) with violence and arrogance, as though they were nothing but thick trees in a forest. “And now they break down its carved works, all at once, with axes and hammers” (6) So came the description of the destruction of the temple, when Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard of Nebuchadnezar, king of Babylon, came against Jerusalem, burned the house of the Lord, the king’s house, and all the houses of the great men of Jerusalem with fire… and the bronze pillars, the carts, and the bronze sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried their bronze to Babylon (See 2 Kings 25: 8-17; Jeremiah 52: 12-23). When the devil sees that truth is not on his side, he attacks and breaks down the gates of those who allow him to enter into their souls, by axes and hammers. Whereas our compassionate Savior does not commit whoever intends to follow Him and become His disciple, to come to Him, but He would come Himself to Him, and addresses him 1 On Ps. 74. 2 Prayer of David 4: 7: 26. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 111 as “My sister and bride”; and in case he opens up to Him, He would enter; but if he is reluctant to open, He would forsake him1. (Pope St. Athanasius the apostolic) “They have set fire to Your sanctuary; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground” (7) This saying conforms to the defilement of the holy city by the Chaldeans, by Antiochus Epiphanius, and by the Romans. Although Antiochus did not set fire to the temple, but only to its gates, he defiled the altar by offering a pig on it; it was the Chaldeans who set fire and destroyed it to the ground; And it was the Roman Titus, who left no stone upon another, that he did not throw down. “They said in their hearts: ‘Let us destroy them altogether’; They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land” (8) It did not stop at the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, but the enemies put in their hearts to wipe out every single place of worship; by which he means the Jewish synagogues, where they used to read the law every Sabbath. The people were committed to appear in Jerusalem in the temple three times every year (Deuteronomy 12: 5-6); and it was not allowed for the tribes to offer any sacrifice outside Jerusalem, but only on the bronze altar in the temple; except in certain circumstances for individuals and families; as for example when Elijah the prophet built an altar and offered a sacrifice outside the temple (1 Kings 18: 30-38). “We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet; nor there is any among us who knows how long” (9) According to St. Augustine, the talk here represents the situation of the Jews after the captivity, when they lost everything; when they no longer saw signs which reveal the presence of God in their midst; and when there were no longer prophets, except for a very few. They became as though in darkness, and did not know how long it was going to last (see 1 Kings 4: 46; 9: 27; 14: 41). That also applies to the situation of the Jews from the days of the prophet Malachi until the coming of St. John the Baptist; and from the days of the Roman Titus until our present day2. As it came in Ezekiel: “Disaster will come upon disaster; and rumor will be upon rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; But the law will perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders” (Ezekiel 7: 26). And in the lamentations of Jeremiah: “The law is no more; and her prophets find no vision from the Lord” (Lamentations 2: 9). And Amos the prophet says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8: 11). And Micah the prophet says: “Therefore you shall have night without vision, and you shall have darkness without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be dark for them” (Micah 3: 6). 3- How long will it be, O Lord? “O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?” (10) 1 History of the Arians, 33. 2 Plumer, Ps. 74. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 112 The psalmist stands astonished before God’s longsuffering on the wicked who keep on reproaching Him and blaspheming His name; hoping for them to repent and return to Him; for then He would forgive them and embrace them. “Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them” (11) Now he cries out to God to stretch His hand, rescue His people, and punish the wicked; he says to Him: Do not stand silent, as though You do not care about the anguish of Your people! By the right hand of God he means His power, capable of saving; and refers as well to the eternal Word of God, the Creator, “through whom all things were made, and without whom nothing was made that was made” (John 1: 3). Here, the psalmist asks Him to come soon to save the world from the devil, the enemy of humanity, and from sin. According to St. Augustine, the author of the book recalls here what happened when God said to Moses the prophet: “Put your hand in your bosom, and he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. And He said, ‘Put your hand in your bosom again’, so he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh” (Exodus 4: 6-7). Taking the hand our the first time, leprous like snow, refers to the first coming of the Lord Christ, when He carried our sins in His body on the cross to save us. So the call here is for the lord Christ to come in His second coming, to find us sanctified, justified, and qualified for the heavenly wedding; To come to find His church prepared for the wedding; To find the wicked no more mix with the righteous; and to separate these from those. In his essays against the Arius heresy, Pope Athanasius, referring to this phrase, seeks from the Father to stretch His right hand, and take it out of His bosom. What is this right hand but the eternal Son in the Father’s bosom, by whose incarnation He says: “I came forth from God” (John 16: 27); this phrase refers therefore to the incarnation of the Word of God. The Son is the Word, and the Life who is with the Father; As, by saying: “The only begotten Son in the bosom of the Father”, St. John the evangelist shows that the Son was there from eternity. He, whom John calls “the Son”, is referred to by David in the psalm as “the Hand of God”, saying: “Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it out of Your bosom” (11 LXX) 1. (Pope Athanasius the apostolic) 4- The divine work: “For God is my King from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth” (12) As the psalmist asks the Lord to hasten His ultimate coming, for the true believers to enjoy the kingdom of God, and for every believer to see that His Savior is his King, who, although He reins on all, yet he has a special place in His divine bosom. Although He presented salvation to all mankind on earth, He presented it especially to every single believer, as though he is alone the subject of care of the Savior King. 1 Four Discourses against the Arians 4: 26. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 113 According to St. Augustine, although the Lord Christ is the Savior of the whole earth, yet the psalmist, in the midst of his anguish, feeling as though the Savior has forgotten him, cries out to Him. On one aspect we cry out: “There is no longer any prophet, nor there is any among us who knows how long” (9); but on another aspect we know that our God is our King from of old; as He is Himself “the Word who was in the beginning” (John 1: 1), by whom the world is created, “working salvation in the midst of the earth” (12) And yet I cry out as though I am forgotten…. While the nations have all waked up, we are fast asleep, as though forgotten by God; and hallucinating in our dreams1! (St. Augustine) On the cross He stretched His hands to embrace the whole world; Calvary being the center of the earth; as, according to the prophet: “working salvation in the midst of the earth” (12). He, by whose spiritual hands He created the heaven and earth, stretched His human hands, nailed on the cross, carried the iniquities of men, and died; that our iniquities would die with Him, and we rise in righteousness. “As through one man (Adam) death entered the world; also through One Man – Jesus Christ, there will be life” (Romans 5: 12, 17). That One Man died by His own free will; as according to Him: “I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (John 10: 18)2. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem) “You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents (the dragons) in the waters” (13) The “dragon” is mentioned 13 times in the book of Revelation, by which it means the devil: “The great dragon was cast out, that serpent of the old, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12: 9); And, “He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20: 2). He is also called “the red dragon”, being a shedder of blood. In his message to ‘Oceanus’, St. Jerome wrote about the blessings of baptism that destroys the power of the devil, saying: [“The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1: 2); from which He brought forth the empty earth (the infant world), a symbol of the Christian child coming out of the font of baptism. “God made the ‘firmament’, and separated the waters that were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament. God called the firmament ‘sky’” (Genesis 1: 6), meaning in Hebrew ‘Shemaim’ or (that comes out of the water). That is why in the vision by the prophet Ezekiel we see “the likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads” (Ezekiel 1: 22); namely, compressed dense waters. The first beings came out of the water. And the believers come out of the font of baptism, as though flying with wings up to heaven. Man was created from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2: 7); And God held the secret waters in the palm of His hand. 1 Plumer, Ps. 74. . 2مقال 28 :13 https://coptic-treasures.com/ 114 “In Eden in the east the lord God planted a garden; A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches” (Genesis 2: 8, 10)…. That was the same river mentioned in the vision by Ezekiel: “There was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east; goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed; and everything will live wherever the river goes” (Ezekiel 47: 1, 8, 9). When the world fell into sin; nothing but a great flood could cleanse it anew. Pharaoh and his army who chased the people of God coming out of the land of Egypt, drowned in the Red Sea; While the children of Israel crossed over its dried up bottom; a symbol of our baptism1]. The Lord Christ was baptized, not that He was in need to be cleansed, but to make my cleansing His cleansing; to “break the heads of the sea serpents (dragons) in the waters” (Psalm 74: 13); to cleanse the sin, and to bury all what is for the old Adam; to proclaim the secret of Deity; and to become for us an example to receive baptism2. (Father John of Damascus) “The great fiery red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his head; whose tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to earth; And stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born” (Revelation 12). He is the devil who lies in wait to destroy the mind of the newly baptized who receive Christ, and the image of the Word, and His features are obviously transfigured on them. But he fails to catch his prey that is renewed and ascends to the throne of God3. (Father Methodeus) I wish we are not ashamed to confess the Crucified. Let us draw the sign of the cross, our seal, with courage, with our fingers on our foreheads and on everything: on the bread we eat; on the cup we drink; on entering in and on getting out; before we get to sleep, and when we awake; when we walk, and wherever we go. Great is its activity; free for the poor; and easily applied for the sake of the sick; It is the sign of believers, and the terror of the devils; “Having disarmed principalities and powers, and made public spectacle of them” (Colossians 2: 15). For once they see the cross, they remember the Crucified, and get terrified from Him who broke the heads of the dragons (Psalm 74: 13) 4. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem) In the book of ‘Job’ it came that in the water there was a dragon “in whose mouth the Jordan gushed” (Job 40: 23); And because his heads had to be broken (Psalm 74: 13), the Lord descended and bound the mighty in the waters; “To give us the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions” (Luke 10: 19). 1 Letter 69, to Oceanus, 6. 2 Orthodox Faith, 4: 9. 3 Ibid 10. . 4 مقال 36 :13 https://coptic-treasures.com/ 115 Down to that dragon, that was so great and horrible that no fishing boat could endure one stroke of its tail1, the “Life” descended to encounter, to shut down the mouth of death there; and we could then say: “O death, where is your sting” (1cor15: 55); The sting of death was taken out by baptism2. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem) The wolves saw the clouds, the rain, and the storm. Stirred up, they called one another, and charged like wild beasts against the blessed herd. Yet their scepter was broken down, and ended up in regret. “A broken reed”, was the support of their left hand (Isaiah 36: 6). They retreated back to their dark and ancient caves. After being depressed, the creation shines and exulted; For the foes were trampled; “And the heads of the sea dragons were broken in the waters” (Psalm 74: 13). And the tail of Leviathan dragging along the dry earth was broken in peaces (Psalm 74: 14) 3. (St. (Mar) Ephram the Syrian) “You broke the head of Leviathan in pieces, and gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness” (14) Father Theodore clarifies how the newly baptized get liberated from the authority of the devil, to enter into a covenant with God as His children, enjoying freedom. And speaking of the gift of baptism as liberation from the authority of the devil, the dragon inhabiting the depths of waters, St. Cyril of Jerusalem says: {It so came in the book of ‘Job’, that “in the water there was a dragon in whose moth the Jordan gushed” (Job 40: 23). To break his heads, the Lord descended and bound the mighty in the waters, in order to gain strength in it; and “to give us the authority to trample over the serpents and the scorpions” (Luke 10: 19). To that monster which was so great and horrible that nobody could endure the stroke of one harpoon-like scale on his tail (Job 41: 7), the “Life” descended to encounter, there to shut off the mouth of death; and when we are saved we can cry out: “O death, where is your sting”? (1 Corinthians 15: 55). The sting of death was taken out by baptism! You enter into the water loaded with your sins; and by the seal of grace on your souls, that horrible monster would have no authority over you4. According to the scholar Origen5, the Jewish people enjoyed three kinds of food: the first was when they got out of the land of Egypt, “the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders” (Exodus 12: 34); which they ate for a short time. The second kind of food was when God rained on them the daily manna in the wilderness (Psalm 74: 14); and the third kind was when the manna ceased to come, and they started to eat the produce of the land of Canaan (Joshua 5: 11-12). The first food was the simple teaching we receive once we enter into faith; which is a temporary kind of food. The second food is our entry into the 1 الترجمة السبعینیة أي 26 :40 عوض أي 7 :41 ز . 2 مقال 11 :3 3 ت ا رنیم ضد جولیان الملك الذي ارتد عن الایمان وضد اله ا رطقة والیهود 1، تعریب عایدة بشاي. 4 Cat. Lect. 3: 11, 12. 5 On Joshua, homily 6: 1. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 116 depth of the divine law; like the manna coming down from heaven. The third kind is our food when we see our Christ face to face in eternity, where we enjoy “what eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2: 9). Man having lowly tendency, used to feed on nothing but sin; That is how the Holy Spirit describe the sinners, and talk about their food; referring to the devil by saying: “gave him as food …” (Psalm 74: 14). Our Lord and Savior, being the heavenly bread, He is the food of the saints; hence He says: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood ….” (John 6: 53); The devil is the food of the unclean, who do, not the works of the light but the works of darkness. And to draw them away from their evil, the Lord counsels them to feed on virtue, particularly on the humility of the mind, poverty of the spirit, endurance of reproach, and on thanksgiving to God1. (Pope St. Athanasius the apostolic) As we are committed by the commandment to partake of the communion in the Lamb, only in one place – the church, the house of God – It is thus obvious that, in all the assemblies of the heretics where the deviated teachings are taught, as they do not eat the Lamb in the church, it is not the flesh of the Lamb they eat, but the flesh of the dragon2. (St. Jerome) We know, O God, that You control the world by a royal divine policy. Before time, of old, You made salvation for us in the midst of the earth; namely, publicly among all men; when You dried up the bottom of the Red Sea, let Your people pass; crushed the heads of the Egyptian aggressors like dragons in the waters of the sea; and broke the head of the great Pharaoh; namely his kingdom. We confess that the Son of God is God and King before all time; equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit in eternity and in essence. Having incarnate in the fullness of time, He made salvation for the whole world in Jerusalem, said to be “in the midst of the earth”. The life of men is, likewise, called ‘a sea’, on account of its frequent disturbance and tumult; whose violent waves were calmed down by the Lord Jesus Christ. The dragons are the evil spirits and the controversial hosts, and their heads are their rulers, through whom are sorcery, divination, idol worship, and the like. All these dragons used to disturb and move the sea of the world by their heads, which was broken by our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters, when He was baptized in the River Jordan, granting us the gift of baptism by water. As to the great dragon who crawled into paradise and deceived our early parents, He, as well, broke his head and brought him to death…. Those who, after believing, have been baptized, have got the authority and power to take off the flesh of the ancient dragon; namely his evil, and to break his head and destroy him. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) “You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers” (15) If the Lord Christ, by His baptism, has broken the heads of the dragons in the waters (13); He has the power to dry up the mighty rivers; as 1 Paschal Letters, 1. 2 Homily 91, On the Exodus, The Vigil of Easter. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 117 He did when he made way for His people in the Red Sea, and in the River Jordan. He has the power, as well, to break open fountains of water from the rocks, as He did by the rod of Moses, also called the rod of God. According to St. Augustine, God could bring forth from the unbelieving Gentiles, who were like the rocks, fountains of water of wisdom and spiritual riches. “You broke open the fountains and the flood” (15); You broke open rivers of wisdom, and riches of faith; and turned the saline water of the unbelieving Gentiles into the sweetness of faith The word of God in some people “have become a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4: 14); Whereas others who hear the word and do not preserve it by the good life; and, at the same time, do not keep their mouth shut, are worthy of being called “floods”, on account of that they are temporary and not permanent; run for sometime and come to an end; not like the fountains that steadily run1. (St. Augustine) According to St. Augustine, As the devil made the waters his dwelling place, the Lord Christ dried up the rivers where the enemy dwells to destroy him in his abode; as according to the Lord Himself: “How can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?” (Matthew 12: 29). St. Augustine also says: The Lord dries up the rivers of the heathen nations; namely, their faulty teachings, until he lets their minds flow with the gospel of truth. Father Onesimus of Jerusalem presents to us the following views: 1- The fountains and valleys refer to the waters broken open from the rock in the wilderness to quench the thirst of the children of Israel. The rivers of ‘Etham’ (as it came in the Septuagint version) are rivers that flow in the River Jordan. 2- ‘Etham’ refers to forests dense with trees and rich in waters, where king Solomon used to go hunting and fishing. And according to Jusiphus the historian, Once God got angry with Israel, He dried up the waters there. 3- ‘Etham’ means (blood). God took the blood of the sacrifices to the idols away from His people. 4- The symbolic meaning of the phrase: [The sayings of the prophets were like fountains of running waters healing and satisfying the hearts of the Jews. But because of their hypocrisy, God dried them up, and denied them their benefit; as He did with the rivers of ‘Etham’. The Gentiles, on the other hand, who were before barren wilderness with no water, He broke open from them running waters of His divine gifts]. Resorting to God, He will turn our life into valleys where fountains of the gifts of the Holy Spirit flow; will make us bear His fruits, to become a holy garden for the Lord; And the deception of the devil will no more be able to crawl into our hearts. “The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun” (16) According to St. Augustine, the Lord Christ longs for the salvation of all; He works in those enlightened by Him, and seeks to work, as well, even in the children of the night, to turn their darkness into light. “The day is Yours”… Who are these? They are the spirituals; “The night also is Yours” Who are these? They are the physicals. “You have prepared the light and the 1 On Ps. 73. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 118 sun” The ‘sun’ is the spirituals; and the ‘moon’ is the physicals. He does not forget the physical, but wishes to make him spiritual. The ‘sun’ is the wise man whom You never forget; as it is written: “The conversation of the godly is always wise, but the fool changes like the moon” (Sirach 27: 11) And the apostle says: “I am a debtor both to wise and unwise” (Romans 1: 14) 1. (St. Augustine) After that the number of types of charities Prophet of God to the Jews, gave charities to all creatures. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) A brother asked an elder: If it so happens that I overslept and missed the time of prayer, and I was so sad that could not pray, what should I do? The elder said: Even if you oversleep till the morning; get up, shut your door, and resume your rite, remembering what the prophet David said to the Lord: “The day is Yours; the night also is Yours” (Psalm 74: 16); meaning that our God is so compassionate and merciful that if He is called at any time, day or night, He will respond. (Garden of the fathers) “You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made all summer and winter” (17) God, with His might and care, knows the size and form of the earth, the rivers, seas, and oceans, and the borders and inhabitants of every nation with accuracy; even the seasons are in His hands; He is the Creator of all nature, and the Father of all nations. “When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, When He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel” (Deuteronomy 32: 8). “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness; the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters” (Psalm 24: 1-2).“ And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the world, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation” (Acts 17: 26). How wonderful it is, when the Creator of spring describes the beauty of this season in the Holy Book! He took away the gloom of the winter, and proclaimed that the rains that wearied us have come to an end; He covered the fields with flowers, ready for plucking to be enjoyed, and be made into perfumes; the birds are singing for joy ; the fig trees and the grapevines started to bud and produce their fragrant smells to fill our hearts with gladness. Let us then, put aside the gloom in our hearts, and enjoy the awesome description of the beauty of spring by the Holy Book2. (St. Gregory, bishop of Nyssa) 5- A PLEA FOR RELIEF FROM OPPRESSORS: “Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Lord. And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name” (18) 1 On Ps. 74. 2 عظة 5 على نشید الأناشید ترجمة الدكتور جورج نوّار. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 119 Despite all that exalted care by the Almighty God for the earth and everything on it, and the seasons for the peace of man; yet there are wicked people who reproach and blaspheme the name of the Lord. They have reproached the incarnate Word of God, claiming that he is a sinner, Samaritan, and even “Belzeebub’, the ruler of the demons. Sad over the old blindness in understanding, Asaph says: “The enemy has reproached, O Lord, and a foolish people have blasphemed Your name”. It was said of Christ: “We know that this man is a sinner” (John 9: 24); “We know that God spoke to Moses; As for this fellow, we do not know where He is from” (John 9: 29); “He is a Samaritan and has a demon” (John 8: 48) "The ignorant people have insulted the name" [18], do all those? God forbid Even the Apostle Paul, who is broken because of a lack of faith has its roots in the reformed faith1. (St. Augustine) “Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever” (19) Here he calls the church a turtledove, helpless to defend itself, hates controversy, and does not practice it; meek and calm, weaponless, and beloved by God who cares for her. According to St. Athanasius, this prophetic saying concerns some of the Jews who repented and believed in Christ, whom God “would not forget forever”. If God had not spared His own chosen people, how much more would He not spare us?! If we do not keep God’s commandment and the words of the gospel, He would say to us anew: “Come, assemble all the beasts of the field, Bring them to devour” (Jeremiah 12: 9)... Yet we dare to say in our prayers: “Do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beasts” (19); or: Do not deliver to the wild beasts the soul that confesses her sins. Let us then confess our sins and repent them, so as not to be delivered to the beasts, but to the saintly angels who would embrace us to their chests, and help us to pass over through this world to the world to come in Jesus Christ, To whom be the power and the glory, forever, Amen2. Those evil spiritual beasts, the apostle Paul calls “the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6: 12). About them it is written: “The serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal” (Genesis 3: 1); and, “Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5: 8-9). If you wish to know other evil beasts, Isaiah will tell you: “Through a land of anguish, from which came the lioness and lion, the viper and the flying fiery serpent. They will carry their riches on the back of young donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people who shall not benefit them” (Isaiah 30: 6). Could this be done with the physical beasts of the wilderness?! How could the lioness, the lion, the viper, and the fiery serpents carry their riches on the back of a donkey or a camel?! It is therefore obvious that the prophet, filled with the Holy Spirit, means the wicked powers of the worst devils put their riches, which are their deception of the souls, through the foolishness (the donkey) and the 1 On Ps. 74. . 2 عظات للعلامة أوریجینوس على سفر إرمیا ترجمة جاكلین سمیر كوستى، 8 :10 https://coptic-treasures.com/ 120 defilement (the camel). And in order not to be delivered to those beasts, our souls that fear God, are committed to say: :Do not deliver Your turtledove to the wild beast” (19) 1. (The scholar Origen) “He (Jesus) was there in the wilderness …, with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him” (Mark 1: 13). It is written: “Do not deliver to the wild beasts the soul of him who believes in You” (19). Those are the beasts on which the Lord has trampled under the foot of the gospel: the lion and the serpent (Psalm 91: 13) 2. We are committed to behave in a certain way, so as not to be expelled from this house, and become prey for the wild beasts; and cry out together with the prophet: “Do not deliver to the wild beasts those who lean upon You” (19) 3. (St. Jerome) We read: “I will rid (your) land of evil beasts” (Leviticus 26: 6). The material beasts, being irrational by nature, are not altogether evil, nor altogether good, but rather somewhere in between; But there are other kind of beasts, the spiritual beasts, called by the apostle: “the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6: 12); Those are the evil beast about which the Holy Book says: “The serpent was more crafty than any other animal” (Genesis 3: 1). Those are the evil beast of which God promises to rid our land if we keep His commandments. Another evil beast is described by the apostle Peter: “Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5: 8, 9)…. So as not to let our soul (the turtledove) that fears God be delivered to the beast (the eagle) (19) 4. (Father Caesarius, bishop of Arle) “Have regard for Your covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the haunts of violence” (20) That which He called a meek turtledove, whose only weapon is God Himself, He also calls the heavenly bride with whom the Lord has entered into a holy covenant. Living still on the earth that became dark because of the oppression prevailing on it, she is in need of His care The world is so full of violence everywhere, that the church cries out to God to keep her safe against the wicked adversaries of the truth. I am not asking You to have regard for Your Covenant; not the Old Covenant. I am not asking for the sake of the land of Canaan, nor of the temporary submission of the adversaries, the physical fruition of my children, the worldly wealth, the earthly riches, the temporary happiness; but I am asking You “to have regard for Your covenant”, by which You promised to give the kingdom of heaven5. (St. Augustine) Remember what You promised our fathers, and look at the earthly men who are fond of the earthlies, and at those in the darkness of idol worship; whose houses are filled 1 In Lev. Hom 16: 63. 2 Homily 76 on Mark 1: 13-31. 3 Homily 93 on Easter Sunday. 4 Sermon 105: 7. 5 Op Ps. 74. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 121 with what they have unjustly confiscated from us…. Those in the darkness are also the devils who possessed the souls of men before the coming of Christ; who are meant by the prophet’s saying: “Remember, O Lord, Your covenant and Your promise through Your prophets, to rid us from hell, the haunts of the wicked. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) “Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name” (21) Here he talk about the “poverty in spirit” (Matthew 5: 3), by which the believer lean upon God; for God to become his treasure and riches; to have his soul perpetually exult, and never cease praising His name. Christ loves poverty: He who, by His own free will, became humble for our sake; and came to be in extreme poverty, to say: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matthew 8: 20). He so loved poverty that He wishes for those who love Him not to acquire any earthy possession! He who does not intend to acquire anything in the world, He recognized and loved from His whole heart. The soul that hates the adornments and pleasures of the world is His home where He dwells. The two mites of the widow, once He came to her place, she gave them away. Simon cast the little net he used to have, and followed the Son of God. The apostles, as well, cast away their nets which they had on earth; and behold; they are rich in the kingdom of heaven. The tax collector, once Christ entered into his house, gave away all the riches he had; for he saw that the Lord loves poverty The Lord will never dwell in a house full of gold; for gold took over His place. Gold, would become the master wherever it is, and would despise any other master. “No one can serve two masters: God and mammon” (Mathew 6: 24). One of them you will honor, and the other you will despise, for you cannot honor both equally. Having commanded you to love the Lord by your whole heart; if you acquire gold beside Him, you do not love Him. Gold would prevail on your whole heart, and would possess it; pushing aside any love for God1. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) The mind is committed to get perpetually attached to this phrase, to give him strength. By continuously meditating in it, he would drive away and disregard all the other foolish thoughts…. He would be so satisfied with the poverty of this single phrase, that he would very soon reach the beatitude mentioned in the gospel, and taking the 1 المیمر 66 على شجرة معرفة الخیر والشر وعلى الصداقات وعلى الفقر ( ا رجع نص بول بیجان والدكتور بهنام سوني). https://coptic-treasures.com/ 122 foremost place among them; namely: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5: 3). And once man becomes so poor, in him would be realized the prophet’s saying: “Let the poor and the needy praise Your name” (21). Yes indeed, what would be poorer than he who confesses that he is helpless to defend himself, and seeks a daily help from another?! He would realize that every moment of his life depends upon the divine care; to cry out daily to the Lord: “But I am poor and needy; but the Lord thinks upon me” (Psalm 40: 17). He thus ascends through the spiritual enlightenment to the knowledge of God on several aspects, and feeds upon exalted holy secrets; according to the saying of the prophet: “The high hills are for the wild goats; the cliffs are a refuge for the rockbadgers” (Psalm 104: 18). This conforms completely to the meaning we present; for he who walk in innocence and simplicity, harming no one, just striving to protect himself against the harm by his adversaries, would be like a spiritual rockbadger, perpetually taking refuge in the rock of the gospel; namely in his remembrance of the passion of the Lord About such a spiritual rockbadger, it came in the book of proverbs: “The rockbadgers are a feeble folk; yet they make their homes in the crags (the rocks)” (Proverbs 30: 26) 1. (Father Isaac) The Holy Book talked about the riches and the possessions in three ways: What is good; what is bad; and what is neither good or bad. The bad possessions are those about which is said: “The young lions (the rich) lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing” (Psalm 34: 10).; and: “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation” (Luke 6: 24). To disregard such riches implies an exalted perfection; the Lord says about the poor: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5: 3); And as it came in the psalm: “This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him” (Psalm 34: 6); and: “The poor and needy praise Your name” (21). The good possession is what is sought by him who seeks to do the great virtue out of worthiness; the good doer commended by David, saying: “His descendents will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever” (Psalm 112: 2-3). And it is also said: “The ransom of a man’s life is his riches” (Proverbs 13: 8). And about him who lacks such riches it is written in the book of revelation: “I will spew you out of my mouth, because you say: ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich, and white garments that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed” (Revelation 3: 16-18). Then there is the riches which is neither good nor bad: It could be either one according to the wish of its user and his personality. About this the blessed apostle says: “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them be good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for 1 Cassian, Conferences 10: 11. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 123 themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6: 17-19). Such riches, the rich man mentioned in the gospel kept for himself, and did not share it with the poor; “while poor Lazarus was laid at his gates desiring to be fed by the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table”. That is why he was condemned to torment in Hades, by the flames of the eternal fire (Luke 16: 19) 1. (Father Pavnotius) Everyone offers the temple according to as much as he or she can afford; some offer expensive silk fabrics woven with gold; But I am content to offer goats’ skin the temple of the Lord. Let those who are risen up to perfection offer to God their virtues and exalted meditations; but as for me, I am content to offer Him my humiliation, lowliness, and confession that I am a sinner, burdened with iniquities and transgressions, and utterly lacking every good thing. (St. Jerome) 7- A CONCLUSION: “Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; remember how the foolish man reproached You daily” (22) His believers’ cause is His own. Any reproach or persecution directed against them is counted as directed against the Lord personally. This, the Lord Christ Himself proclaimed when He said to Saul of Tarsus: “Why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9: 4). By saying “Your cause”, and “reproached You”, he means to say that what dwell upon them dwell upon God, their Father. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) “Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; the tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually” (23) Seeking the intervention of God to rescue His people from their adversaries; the psalmist asks Him not to forget the way the wicked talk against Him, and the tumult and violence they use without cause, against the meek and calm turtledove which has no hope except in God’s support! 1 St. Jon Cassian: Conference 3: 9. (See also Conf. 6: 3 Abbot Theodore). https://coptic-treasures.com/ 124 AN INSPIRATION FROM PSALM 74 UNTIL WHEN, O LORD, WILL YOU FORGET US? Behold, the vicious devil pours all his evil energy against us; He will never despair or calm down, hoping to acquire us for himself; You are the Savior of the whole world’ Before we even exist, You have planned for our salvation. Your works from the old testify to Your compassion toward us. You are our portion; and we are the portion of Your inheritance; We cherish You, for You died and saved us; And You cherish us, for You are the whole love! You made us a sanctuary for Yourself; Yet the enemy persist on forcing himself upon Your sanctuary; He wishes to bring desolation upon us, as it came upon him; He roars to persecute You in our persons! The enemy strikes as though with axes and hammers; To destroy everything Your hand has done in us; He kindles the fire of his evil on us; But You descended to us as the mighty hand of the Father; On the cross, You stretched Your hands to acquire us; You granted us sonhood to Your Father to enjoy the fellowship of the eternal glories. Behold, the dragon in the waters intends to devour us; But You descended to him in the waters, You broke open the sea, and dried up the rivers.; For our sake You broke the heads of the devil; You made him a laughingstock even to little children; The monster has no more authority upon the simple turtledove; You set us forth like a turtledove flying in the sky; The enemy can no more catch up with us; He has no more authority over us; Let the enemy be ashamed; let all his nets be broken; and let all his tricks come to no avail; Glory be to You, O Helper of the poor, and the contrite of heart; Praise be to You, O Savior of the weak and miserable; You are our perpetual strength, praise, and exultation of our souls!
Welcome