DWELLING IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD The author of this psalm is most probably the prophet David; It is a magnificent song about the longing toward the dwelling in the house of the Lord, or even standing at its threshold as doorkeepers. The sons of Korah used to sing this joyful psalm. The wrath of the Lord has indeed dwelt upon their father Korah, together with Dathan and Abiram and their folks, because of their rebellion and their aggression on the priesthood; when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up (Numbers 16: 32); But the descendants of Korah were gatekeepers for the tabernacle of meeting (1 Chronicles 9: 19; 26: 1-19). Their name came as the sons of Korah in ten psalms: 44 – 48; 84 – 88; all of which are psalms of joy, without any reference to grief. They experienced the sweetness of service in the house of the Lord, even standing as gatekeepers; they tasted the sweetness of the fellowship with God. These psalms open the doors of hope before everyone; Even if we had parents or grandparents who rebelled against the Lord, God will not hold us accountable for their sins, but will give us heavenly comforts if we walk along His path. Some believe that the psalmist wrote this psalm to be sung by those who are unable to go to the house of the Lord because of something beyond their ability, as illness for example. The Jews were commanded to ascend to Jerusalem three times a year, to celebrate the feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and the tabernacles. Yet, in the case of any compulsory reason that may keep someone from doing that, he would, by this psalm, proclaim his longing to go to the house of the Lord, and to stand at its threshold. The psalmist believes that dwelling in the house of the Lord, refers to the longing of the soul to set forth to the High Jerusalem, the city of God. Here the psalmist proclaims three kinds of beatitudes: 1- The blessedness of dwelling in the house of the Lord 1 - 4 2- The blessedness of longing to dwell in the house of the Lord 5 - 7 3- The blessedness of leaning upon God 8 – 12 The Title: Commenting on the title saying: ‘Of the sons of Korah’, St. Jerome says that they are a symbol of (the sons of resurrection) who experience the deposit of the eternal life in Christ Jesus, risen from the dead. I shall present to you a rule to help you to read the Holy Book. Any psalm with the title ‘Of the sons of Korah’, will always be joyful, with no touch of grief. While Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, were punished for their rebellion against Moses (Numbers 19), we shall find that the sons of Korah, who did not partake of the rebellion of their father, were blessed by an eternal joy. Beside that, the name Korah means (Golgotha), which obviously symbolizes the location of the resurrection. Whoever is the son of Korah, is to be the son of resurrection, who would never be sad1. 1 On Psalms, homily 16. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 2 (St. Jerome) To the chief Musician on the instrument of Gath, A psalm of the sons of Korah. ‘Gath’ is a musical instrument like a guitar; And probably refers to a musical melody used to be played in the city of ‘Gath’ in Palestine. 1- THE BLESSEDNESS OF DWELLING IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD: “How lovely are Your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!” (1) The believers in the Old Covenant always longed to dwell in the tabernacles of the Lord; all their inner and outer being; namely, their hearts and all the body members, exulted in the house of the Lord, where the believer longed to dwell together with the Lord forever. In the New Covenant, however, the Father sets out of us a temple for His Holy Spirit, built on the Rock (Matthew 7: 21-29); namely on our Christ the Rock of ages; to turn our depths into exalted sanctuaries. St. Jerome distinguishes between three dwelling places: the tabernacles (tents) of the Lord (1); the courts of the Lord (2); and the house of the Lord (3).. The believer finds sweetness in the tabernacles of the Lord, however temporary, movable, and without foundations; Then he moves to the courts of the Lord, with some foundations; and from there to the house of the Lord with the real foundations. Y ambition of some people is to acquire temporal possessions; some to get rich with the wealth of this world; while some others dream of having prominent positions in the society and among people. For me, however, I have only one longing: to see Your eternal dwelling places, where the pure, and not the corrupt, gather together. “My soul longs for the courts of the Lord” (2);. Notice the order: He first longs for the tabernacles (tents) with no foundations, that could be easily moved or disassembled and carried along here or there. As to the courts, on the other hand, although not houses, yet through them we get access to the house. Our psalmist therefore, longs first for Your tabernacle; then, with great love, he longs to see Your courts; And once there, he cries out: “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house” (4) 1. “How lovely are Your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts”; the storehouses of an abundance of spiritual wheat. “Make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations” (See Luke 16: 9) “How lovely are Your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts”; Through them, man transforms his residence from earth to heaven2. (St. Jerome) This psalm could have been sung by the Jewish captives in Babylon, who were longing to get back to Jerusalem, where their temple was. It however could come from those who believe in the Lord Christ, longing for the churches found all over the world, the courts and alters of the Lord, toward which they exultingly long by their hearts and bodies. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) 1 On Psalms, homily 16. 2 On Psalms, homily 63. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 3 “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (2) Wherever man may be, he most probably would suffer between the longings of the flesh and those of the Spirit; He would feel as though a battle stirs up in his depths between the two. But once man enters into the house of the Lord, under the cover of His Holy Spirit, the battle would then transform into a magnificent harmony, and the soul would be satisfied from the fountains of love of the Lord, and the body would exult with its whole being. Fruitful and happy would be the mind and heart that, day and night, would be filled with longing for the tabernacle of the Lord. … When death approaches the sinner, his mind would not be preoccupied with this tabernacle, but rather with the punishments to come; He would not meditate in the kingdom of God, but with terror in the fire of hell. Just think about the extent of love and longing in the soul of the saint for the courts of the Lord. How excellent is the saying of the psalmist: I meditate in the entrance, whereas, what is inside, I know nothing about. “My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God”. As you see, the soul and the body partake together of the longing for the kingdom of heaven. If it is true that the body deteriorates and ends up to nothing, and would not rise again, as claimed by the heretics, how could the body of the prophet long for the kingdom of heaven?! “My heart and my flesh” equally suffering and laboring, they would anticipate the same reward! If out strife is mutual, why should not be our reward? I beg you to listen carefully to what I say: The body in the present world labors more than the soul; the soul commands, and the body serves. The labor of the servant is something, and the exultation of the commander is something else. The soul longs for the Lord; but it is the body that fasts; lies on the ground in the cold winter; cast in prison; scourged, reviled, and roughed up, and finally martyred The soul may suffer as well, but suffering would reach it through the body1. “My heart and flesh cry out for the living God” (2). It may be difficult for the body and the soul of man to be in complete harmony. It is indeed as said by the apostle: “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh” (Galatians 5: 17). What then is the meaning of the words: “My heart and flesh cry out for the Lord”? Such a prayer only comes from him whose soul completely abides in the love of God It is the same thought expressed by another psalm, saying: “My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You” (Psalm 63: 1). This is the flesh that longs for the Lord, about which it is written somewhere else: “All flesh shall see the salvation of the Lord” (Luke 3: 6). Whereas that flesh about which the Book says: “All flesh is grass” (Isaiah 40: 8), does not long for the Lord2. (St. Jerome) Entering into the amazing tabernacle; into the house of God, “with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast” (Psalm 42: 4), David truly cries, because he dwells on earth while the eternal tabernacles are waiting for him, to enter in due time into the sanctuary of the Almighty (Compare psalm 84: 2, 3, 10). He 1 On Psalms, homily 63. 2 On Psalms, homily 16. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 4 actually prefers it to all the wealth of his kingdom, as he testifies somewhere else, saying: “One thing I have desired from the Lord, that I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (joy) of the Lord” (Psalm 27: 4); the (joy) of the Lord in His church. The church is the icon of the heavenlies; and once the shadow is taken away, the icon will appear more clear and perfect (Compare with Hebrew 10: 1; Colossians 2: 17). The shadow is the Jewish synagogue and the law; but the icon of the truth will shine in the light of the gospel. That is why the psalmist cries because of the postponement of the good things, the cup filled to its rim by grace and joy1. (St. Ambrose) “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God” (3) Let our souls fly to the house of the Lord; let our depths settle down in the divine bosoms; and our hearts burn with longing for the heavenly home. Here the psalmist speaks allegorically: the birds fly free in air everywhere; and yet they remember their nests, and return to them. ….. So, if the birds seek their nests, why then, would the human soul not seek her dwelling place prepared for her by the Lord? “Your altars, O Lord, My King, and my God” In his revelation, John saw the altar of the Lord, and under it, the souls of the righteous (Revelation 6: 9) They are under the altar of God, for they were offered as sacrifice in martyrdom for the sake of Christ; the sacrifice of the Lord Savior is worthy of being in heaven under the altar2. “Even the sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young” (3) … I long for a dwelling place for myself, for a nest for my soul and body. The birds after flying here and there with no hindrance, would seek someplace to find comfort; How much more would it be for my soul and body3? As the clean birds – like the sparrow and the swallow – set their nests in high up places; So are the tabernacles, the courts, and the houses of the Lord, they are not on lower places, but high up in the kingdom of heaven4. (St. Jerome) We, who belonged to the Gentiles before Your incarnation, O Lord, used to be lost like a bird with no nest; So were our prudent teachers. But now, having found Your beloved and beautiful tabernacles, and having taken them as (nests) to lay our young; namely, our disciples, who open up their mouths wide to feed on Your delicious words, they take them from their teachers, who are like eagles, presenting them to their young. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They are ever praising You” (4) We have no work in the church of God, like sharing with the heavenly creatures their eternal praising. 1 Prayer of David 4: 2: 9. 2 On Psalms, homily 63. 3 On Psalms, homily 16. 4 On Psalms, homily 16. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 5 “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house”, namely, in Your church; whether the present church or that of the firstborns (Hebrew 12: 23). “They are ever praising You”. Notice the work of the martyrs, and that of the angels; For whatever they do in heaven, we should follow their lead on earth. When we are called to praise by the psalms, and come to be slothful in our ministry, we are actually disregarding the glorification of God1. “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house”. We do not dwell in tabernacles, nor in courts; For however long we stay in either of them, we shall eventually move into the house, to hear the psalmist say: “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house”; the house with foundations, from which we shall not depart2. (St. Jerome) But when this life comes to an end, we shall not seek the regular bread to satisfy our hunger; nor shall we even have communion from the Sacraments on the altar; for there, we shall be with Christ whose body we take now. You will not be in need of the talk I am giving you now; nor even of reading the Holy Bible; for we shall be seeing Him who is the Word of God, by Whom all things were created; by whom the angels feed, and become enlightened and wise, with no need for continuous debates; but drink from the only begotten Word, whom they unceasingly praise, according to the psalm saying: “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, They are ever praising You” (4) 3. (St. Augustine) The prophet says: Blessed are those, not who hold fast to the statutes of Moses, namely the circumcised, who keep the Sabbaths, and offer sacrifices and burnt offerings; but those who regularly go to the houses of God, namely, to the Christian churches; where the Holy Spirit speaks through the apostles, the preachers, and the prophets; and where, as well, there are every kind of medication for the spiritual infirmities. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) 2- THE BLESSEDNESS OF LONGING TO DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD: “Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage (to Zion)” (5) In the Septuagint version it came as: “Blessed is the man whose conquest is from You; Whose heart is set on ascent”. “Blessed are those whose strength is in You”. We indeed long for Your tabernacles, courts, and house; Yet to gain the desire of our hearts, which are beyond our capacity, it does not depend on our strength, but on Your help The blessed men who find their strength in the Lord are those who set their mind on ascent, a step after another. The saints reach the good things before You day after day, not thinking about the past. 1 On Psalms, homily 63. 2 On Psalms, homily 16. 3 Sermon on NT Lessons, 9: 6. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 6 The saint set his heart on ascent; whereas the sinner sets it on descent. As the holy man makes progress day after another, the sinner, on the other hand goes down day after another. Blessed is the man who sets his heart on ascent1. (St. Jerome) Blessed is the man, with perfect prudence, who does not degrade himself to the earthly things of this world; but ascends with his heart up toward heaven, and thinks about the ultimate day of judgment; For such a man, his conquest comes from You. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) St. (Mar) Ephram the Syrian2 believes that the two Cherubs above the Ark of the Covenant refer to the priest and the deacon who minister to the body and the blood of the Lord … They are committed to be always pure and sanctified, and to minister without slothfulness. “Blessed are those whose strength is in You”. It is our responsibility to work; and the Lord’s role is to help us … “whose heart is set on (ascending one step after another)”, who meditate in how to keep ascending one day after another, and not to trip. The heart of the sinner, on the other hand, is set, not on ascending but on descending. We plan to do good works, but we should leave the result completely to God. It is our responsibility to make a decision, and He brings it into effect3. (St. Jerome) “As they pass through the valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools” (6) Wondering why would God put us in an arena of contest, St. Jerome answers, that He so does in order to grant us the blessedness of conquest and coronation, and to set forth from strength to strength. I wish we meditate for a moment, that we are in this valley; not on a mountain, not in the garden of Eden, and not in the heights of paradise; We are in the low reaches of the earth; the earth on which the curse has dwelt; the earth which produces thorns and thistles, the food of serpents, about which Adam was told: “You are dust, and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3: 19). As long as we are in the valley of Baca (of tears), we are committed, not to laugh, but to weep; as the Lord Says: “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (Luke 6: 21). We are now in the valley of tears, and this world is the place of weeping, and not of rejoicing … The world to come is the world of joy… We are now in the valley of tears, where there is no peace nor security, but it is an arena of contest and endurance4. We should take into consideration where he has designated the place of ascent: “through the valley of Baca (tears)” (6).In the Book of Judges we read that when the angel came and preached repentance to the people, saying: “As you have forsaken the Lord, the Lord will forsake you”; “When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice and wept. Then they called the 1 On Psalms, homily 16. .22- 2 تفسیر خر 10 :25 3 On Psalms, homily 63. 4 On Psalms, homily 16. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 7 name of that place ’Bochim’, namely (the valley of weeping)” (see Judges 2: 4-5 Let us understand the valley of weeping allegorically as being this world; We are not on a mountain, namely, in the kingdom of heaven, but we are in a valley, in the darkness of this world. Through the sin of our parents we were driven out of paradise, together with Adam, to the valley of tears, where there are repentance and weeping. The prophet means that God created this world to be an arena where we strive against the devil, against sin, to be granted the crown in heaven. Why did God set up such a contest? Was it not possible for Him to save us without it? He gave us an arena where we struggle against the iniquities, to become worthy of being crowned; not as slothful, but as warriors1. By reading the Holy Scriptures, we understand how, by obeying his belly, and not obeying God, the early man was driven out of paradise to the valley of tears; How the devil used hunger to fight against the Lord Himself in the wilderness (Mathew 4: 2-3); And why the apostle cries out, saying: “Foods for the stomach, and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them” (1 Corinthians 6: 13) 2. (St. Jerome) “The early rains also cover it with pools” (6); namely the early rain will cover them with blessings. “They go from strength to strength; everyone of them appears before God in Zion” (7) According to St. Jerome, in this contest here, we gain strength, to become worthy of a greater strength there. He who does not experience the life of strength here, will not enjoy it there. Unless we are strong here, we would not be in greater strength there. The psalmist does not say: “from weakness to strength”, but “from strength to strength”. If you wish to be a man of strength there, Be such a man here. If you wish to be crowned there, Fight here! … He who has strength here, will acquire Christ, the ‘Power’ Himself there3! (1 Corinthians 1: 24). What will be the profit of those who go from strength to strength? What will be their reward? They will see the God of gods in Zion (7). “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5: 8). Seeing the face of Christ; will be a great enough reward, the ultimate Crown for the victors. “They will see the God of gods in Zion”. What a joy! What blessedness! What a fitting reward4! (St. Jerome) The God of gods is the true God who appears incarnate, and is seen by the human eye in Zion. He sets forth a covenant and a statute; those who keep them, will be rewarded with blessings by their author; and will grow and ascend from a virtue to a virtue, and from sanctification to sanctification. As to saying: “from strength to strength”, it may be interpreted as, from this age to eternity. 1 Homilies on Psalms, Alternate Series 63 )PS. 83). 2 Letter 22 to Eustochium, 10. 3 On Psalms, homily 16. 4 On Psalms, homily 63. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 8 (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) Faith is tested by temptations; and when man is a victor over a temptation and his faith abides, he would come under another temptation; and so on. Going forth victoriously from temptation to temptation, he is said to grow in the virtues he practices one after another; and in him the words of the Scripture are realized: “They go from a virtue (strength) to a virtue (strength) (7); until the soul reaches her goal, namely, reaches the climax of virtues, passes through the rivers of God, and gets the inheritance promised by God1. Unless the soul is salted by continuous temptations, it becomes weak and frail; according to the saying: “Every offering you shall season with salt” (Leviticus 2: 13) 2. I believe that temptations give a kind of strength and self defense; for temptations mix with virtues; that no virtue would appear befitting or perfect without temptations3. (The scholar Origen) It is the right of the soul to rejoice for reaching a high position during her ascent to the climax of her desires. What would be a greater happiness than seeing God? Yet what she realizes is but a beginning of what she hopes to achieve later on. Again she hears her Groom encourages the laborers to save the spiritual vineyards, and to chase away the little foxes that corrupt the fruits. And once this is realized the bride and Groom would unite: God in the soul, and once again, the soul would dwell in God. The soul says: “I am my lover’s and my lover is mine; he browses among the lilies. He Himself who changed the human life from the shadow to the climax of the Truth. Notice the height that the bride has reached, progressing from strength to strength (7), and how she seems as though she has got all what she hoped for. What is greater than to be in the beloved, and He to be in your soul4? (St. Gregory, bishop of Nyssa) The brethren once asked an elder: [Abba Arsany said: ‘If we seek God we shall find Him; and if we hold fast to Him, He would abide with us’; What does he mean by that? The elder answered: He means that we should love tranquility, and abide in works, strife, prayer, and humility, in order to purify our hearts, and to behold Christ, according to what is written: “They go from strength to strength” (7); namely, from work to work, and from step to step, until the God of gods appear in Zion; and as the blessed Paul says: “We are transformed from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3: 18). That will be if we hold fast to Him]. (Paradise of the fathers) Like when the fetus in its mother’s womb reaches its complete term; so are the righteous who separate themselves from the worldly life, to start the journey of ascent, according to the words: “They go from strength to strength” (7). Whereas the sinners, like a fetus who dies in the mother’s womb, are delivered from darkness to darkness; 1 In Num. hom 27: 5. 2 In Lev. Hom 27: 12. 3 In Lev. Hom 27: 12. 4 عظة 6 على نشید الأناشید ترجمة الدكتور جورج نوّار. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 9 they are actually dead on earth, strangled by their many sins; and once they are taken away from this life, they are led to places of darkness and Hades. We are born to life three times: the first is crossing over from the wombs of our mothers, and brought from dust to dust; Then the two following births lead us from dust up to heaven: the first of which is through the grace we get in the holy baptism; which is truly called ‘a second birth’; Then we are granted the third birth as a result of being changed and for the sake of our good works. … We are now in the third stage. (Mother Sneklitiky) In the past (through the Mosaic law) terror was put in the minds of non-believers. Whereas now, through the gospel, the gift of blessedness is poured over the believers1. (Father Khromatius) 3- THE BLESSEDNESS OF LEANING UPON GOD: “O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer, Give ear, O God of Jacob” (8) Lest the Jews would literally concentrate their thoughts on the temple of Solomon, the goal of talking or praying to the Lord of hosts in His temple, is to encounter the God of Jacob. Jacob has not enjoyed the entry into the temple of Solomon, Yet he enjoyed the heavenly ladder, and saw the gate of heaven! … God who proclaimed His glory in the temple on the day of its dedication, was not a New God, but an everlasting One. The prophet says: “O God of Jacob!”, to proclaim that the Christians do not worship a New God, but the God of the fathers, who was seen by the righteous and the prophets, through the vision of the mind, enlightened by the Holy Spirit. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) “O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of Your anointed” (9) With a strong daring, we talk to the Father, being our Stronghold, Refuge, Spiritual Weapon, and Shield; Who finds pleasure in seeing the face of His Christ the Savior in our depths. The psalmist says: Look at us, and You will see the face of Your Christ dwelling in us2. (St. Jerome) The face of Christ the God is said of His presence and incarnation, by which He visited the world and made salvation; We, as well, who believe in Him, are called His face and members. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (10) What is that one ‘day’ in the courts of the Lord, but the great day of the Lord, when He brings us forth into His eternal courts; one day with no night! 1 Tractate of Matthew 17: 3: 4. 2 On Psalms, homily 16. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 10 That is the meaning of the “one day”: The kingdom of heaven is one day, where there is no night nor darkness, but perpetual light. He who is in the kingdom of heaven for one day, will be there forever1. By saying, “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God”, the prophet means that he would rather be the least in heaven, than to be the most prominent in this world2. (St. Jerome) In case someone chooses to live in the iniquity of Babylon, and does not present repentance, his perdition would be only natural. Notice how, the Old Covenant, despite being translated from the Hebrew language to the Greek, yet it manages well to express the words, and to clarify the differences between them, to a great extent. For example, it did not say: “I would rather be (driven out) of the house of my God”, but said: “I would rather be (rejected) in the house of the God” 3 (10). (The scholar Origen) Normally, men long for (thousands of days), and wish to live a long life. I wish they, instead, long for the “one day”, that has neither sunrise nor sunset; an eternal day, that has neither a yesterday, nor is pressed by a tomorrow! I wish we all long for such a day. What would we do with these thousand days? Let us, instead, hasten to that “one day”, to go from strength to strength4! “I would rather be (rejected) in the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10 LXX). He found the valley of Baca (weeping); he found the humility by which he would stand. He knows that if he attempts to stand by himself, he would fall, and if he gets humble, he will rise up. He chose to be rejected so as to rise; he chose to be in the house of the Lord, in any place in it, rather than to be out of its threshold5! (St. Augustine) Concerning the three young men (Daniel 3), Do not talk to me about the honor that they would have gained in the royal court; But, having been righteous, they, thousand times, chose, over that honor, their humble belongings in their Father’s house, and the enjoyment of the goods of the temple; as though they say, together with the prophet: “A day in Your court is better than a thousand; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (10). They would, thousand times, rather live in their own homes, than to reign in Babylon6. I ask you to meditate in how Abraham has been a lover of peace and tranquility, perpetually drawn by the divine worship. The text (Genesis 13: 3) says: “He journeyed as far as Bethel, to the place where he had made an altar”. By calling the name of God in truth, he realized beforehand the saying of David: “I wood rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God, rather than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (10). In 1 On Psalms, homily 16. 2 On Psalms, homily 16. .L.II: 3 عظات للعلامة أوریجینوس على سفر إرمیا ترجمة جاكلین سمیر كوستى، 4 4 Om Psalms 84 (83). 5 Om Psalms 83 (82). . 6 الأب الیاس، 365 2 https://coptic-treasures.com/ 11 other words he preferred the seclusion that helped him to call on the name of the Lord, to life in cities. Above anything else, he realized that the greatness of the cities is not in the number of their inhabitants, but in their virtues. Hence he considered that the wilderness over-shines the whole world1. (St. John Chrysostom) According to the great St. Athanasius, the Mosaic law worship lasted more than a thousand years from the time of Solomon, and the building of the temple, to the coming of Christ. The prophet would be right to say that the Sunday of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, is better than the thousand years of the old law; for that one day is said to be the day of the courts of the Lord, by which the churches of the Lord exult. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) “For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; The Lord will give mercy and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (11) In the house of the Lord, the believer longs for the day of his departure to the eternal glory, which he enjoys through the mercies of God toward those who are faithful in their repentance and their spiritual growth, by the divine grace. “The Lord will give mercy and glory” (11). He first grants forgiveness to the sinner, then He grants him a crown2. The love of God embraces both the mercy and the faithfulness. If He is only merciful, He by this, encourages us all to sin, that He would have mercy on us. And if he is only faithful (just), No one would have hope in repentance. That is why God has both (mercy and justice), each compensates the other. If you are a sinner, resort to the mercy of God, Do not despair, but repent. And, on another aspect, Do not be slothful; as God is Righteous, and loves the faithful3. (St. Jerome) “God loves mercy and truth” (11 LXX); He loves the mercy, by which He comes first to help me. And He loves the truth, to give the believer what He promises (Romans 11: 20). Remember the case of Paul, who has been formerly, Saul the persecutor. He needed mercy, which he has eventually got. “Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief , that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life” (1 Timothy 1: 13, 16). So that, as Paul gets forgiveness on such serious crimes, no one should despair being forgiven for whatever sins he may commit We see Paul acquire it, gaining the mercy, and seeking the truth The Lord made Himself, not by taking something, but by giving promises. He is not required to give back what He has taken, but to fulfill what He has promised. ”He loves mercy and glory”. He gives grace and glory; the grace about which the same person (Paul) says: “I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain” (1 1 Homilies on Genesis 33: 5. 2 On Psalms, homily 16. 3 On Psalms, homily 16. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 12 Corinthians 15: 10)? And the glory that about which he says: “There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4: 8) 1. (St. Augustine) I mean to say that God does not care for the Mosaic sacrifices, as much as He cares for the work of mercy, and the love for the Truth, that is our Lord Jesus Christ who says: “I am the Truth”. He who makes mercy and loves the truth, God will enrich him with His grace in this present world, and with the glory in the time to come; with a multitude of goodness in the two times, for he trusted in Him. (Father Onesimus of Jerusalem) “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in you” (12) In the house of the Lord, the soul, trusting in Him, will find peace; and will enjoy His power of forgiveness of sins, and of granting the eternal glories. “Blessed is the man who trusts in Him”. He who trusts in the Lord, is he whose conscience is free of sins, who trustingly lifts his eyes up to heaven; he who with a great confidence, knows and confesses that he has delivered himself to disobedience against his Lord2. (St. Jerome) 1 Om Psalms 83 (82). 2 On Psalms, homily 16. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 13 AN INSPIRATION FROM PSALM 84 LET ME ENTER INTO YOUR HOUSE AND ENJOY YOUR HEAVEN How lovely are Your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts. Where my heart becomes on fire for transforming my residence from earth to heaven. Let me see Your house here, so as to long for dwelling in it; And to present my heart to become a dwelling place for You; How I long for You to accept dwelling in it!. Entering into Your holy house, I get sanctified; And entering into my heart, You sanctify it for Yourself. How amazing is Your house; Entering into it, the battle between the body lusts and the spiritual lusts in me, would turn into a magnificent symphony. My spirit, together with my body, shout for joy for You; Your Holy Spirit would play on their strings an unceasing song of love. Your house is an icon of heaven; Entering into it, my heart flares with longing for my heavenly home; My soul moans, as in her, sadness and joy would mix. I wonder when shall I set forth and be with You! When shall I abide in Your bosom! When shall I live in heaven! The sparrow sets forth to its nest; When will my soul set forth to Your bosom? Your house draws my whole being to You! Let me set forth to Your house; There, I shall partake of the perpetual praises of the heavenly creatures. There, I shall set forth, from the valley of tears to the blessed heavenly life. Let me ascend up to Your house; As he who sets forth with his heart to You, will only know ascent, and no descent. He will ascend, not on stony or marble steps; But on a heavenly ladder; On which he will go from strength to strength. My soul desires to stay in Your house; For there, You will rain on me a flood of Your grace; For there, I shall gain strength by Your power; and become worthy of a greater heavenly strength; Here, I enjoy the beauty of Your face; And there, I shall enjoy Your eternal encounter, face to face. Let me encounter You in Your house, O my Lord; As Jacob did on his way to his uncle Laban; As Solomon did on the dedication day of the temple he built for You; You show Yourself to the believers in all generations. Let me stand before You, O Father, in Your house; You will have the pleasure of seeing Your only begotten Son in me; https://coptic-treasures.com/ 14 When my soul sets forth to You, I desire to enjoy eternity; To enjoy the eternal day, with no night nor darkness!
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