We understand, the All-Knowing One states, that he will guide his children and household according to his own example; they will follow the ways of the Lord, practicing righteousness and justice. Abraham will instill godliness in his offspring and family, resulting in an abundance of fruitful descendants. He will pass on the truth to them, and they will receive a boundless, indescribable inheritance of universal blessings. This reflects the earliest insight, or rather, this is the promise of a secure future given by God Himself, articulated and continually verified through millennia of experience. Some might argue that Abraham’s situation is singular and exceptional among all humanity.
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Indeed, it is distinct, owing to the purity and strength of Abraham's faith amidst widespread superstition and wickedness, and it is unique due to the intent of the promise, which points to Christ. However, concerning the foundation for a hopeful future, this is not merely an isolated instance or an anomaly, but rather a clear illustration of the overarching principle by which Divine Providence operates. God, who favors righteousness and justice in humanity, is incapable of deviating from those same principles nor altering His eternal standards. If He pledged, and through that promise conferred upon Abraham a blessed future grounded in "that He will command His children and His household after Him; and they shall keep the ways of the Lord," He will certainly ensure a blessed future—be it personal or generational—for everyone who, after first embodying godliness, actively cultivates it in those under his influence, striving to spread it to his neighbors and eager to establish it for future generations. The Apostle declares, without hesitation, the universal advantageous effects of godliness for the times ahead. "Godliness," he asserts, "is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (1 Tim. 4:8).
The offspring of Abraham will constitute a numerous and significant people among the nations. But how and why will this occur? Abraham will impart a godly legacy to his descendants, and they will uphold that sacred tradition.
Here, initially, we are instructed in the fundamental principle of education through the commendation of the instruction Abraham will provide his children: “Command your sons... to keep the ways of the Lord, to do righteousness and judgment,” or to put it in contemporary terms—provide your children with pious and moral education in alignment with God's law. Moreover, the beneficial effects of such education are evident; “Abraham... shall be great and many in tongue.” The head of a household who imparts godly and ethical education to his children can anticipate a large, honorable, and thriving lineage. It is easy to see that one who neglects such education cannot hope for similar outcomes and may face opposite consequences.
For I came to know Him in order to fulfill what He will instruct His offspring and household to pursue. Here, knowledge signifies choice (Am. 3:2). While elaborating on the purpose of the forthcoming revelation, God also reveals the foundation of Abraham’s initial selection, which He considers in His foreknowledge (Rom. 8:29). To walk in the Lord's ways and to act in righteousness and justice is the essence of this gracious foreknowledge and the basis for election. The path of the Lord embodies the principles of law and love (Deut. 8:6, Deut. 10:12). Being good and just, or literally as translated from Hebrew, truth and judgment, includes all the responsibilities of one who seeks to please God. This distinction highlights that under the term truth, we find specific duties owed to God (Gen. 15:6, Luke 1:6), while judgment encompasses obligations toward one's neighbors (Isa. 1:17).
He instructed his children and his household to follow the ways of the Lord, to practice righteousness and justice. Since the year of the Tsar represents a year of life as well as a year of reign, it is fitting that today, as we mark the transition from the end of one year to the beginning of another under our revered Autocrat, all of Russia reflects thoughtfully on the past, anticipates the future, and gazes heavenward with gratitude, hope, and prayer.
An interesting aspect of this completed year of reign is that it coincides with the commencement of the Heir to the Throne's young adulthood, much like the waxing moon alongside the sun in a clear sky. I can still vividly recall that beautiful evening, truly deserving of a day dedicated to Christ. Within the grandeur of the temple, amidst the melodic prayers and hymns before the open altar of the Resurrected One, time was briefly halted as the living Word of Life was revealed, and before the saving Cross of Christ, the current King guides the future King. The symbols of reign—the crown, sceptre, and orb—rest upon the nation. How many profound insights can one garner from this silent spectacle! The ascension of the Heir must lead toward the altar, where commandments, vows, and prayers are precursors to receiving the crown. Hence, the cross serves as the initial crown, and the future royal authority will be rooted in the teachings of the Gospel.
To ensure the inheritance of the kingdom is firm, it seems essential to hear the sacred vow of the King's Son, revealing that the age of maturity, which He refers to modestly as 'early,' is, in truth, quite fully grown. For He comprehends the noble intentions of His Father and feels deeply the weight of the moment. Presenting Himself as a living offering to God, given by the King-Father for the future wellbeing of the kingdom, He willingly becomes a sacrifice. The tears welling in His eyes signify the rising incense of His pure heart amidst sorrow. It seems to me that you are also present at this royal sacrifice, for in your hearts you mirror the same prayer: a desire shared by our devout Emperor, who longs to be united with you in every aspect.
I can testify to you that just as the former sacrifice was wonderfully marked with a multitude of water libations that invited heavenly fire upon it, so is our priceless living sacrifice, awash in universal tears of love, joy, and prayer, inviting the life-giving fire of divine blessing. You witnessed this sacred moment before the King of heaven and eternity, who remembers every earthly instant. These sincere, united, and pure tears are offered, as only the Father of the Fatherland, alongside the sons of the kingdom, can share.
When our plight is laid before You, O Lord, and when You consider whether to unleash Your wrath upon us for our sins or shower us with Your bounty for our faith in You, remember this moment once more. Look upon these tears, and grant us again Your mercy; pour upon us the gifts of salvation and peace. To our humble King, who reigns not just for his contemporaries but also for generations to come, who holds great concern for both present and future reigns, and who, as the eternal King, presents his worries to You, may You extend his reign and abundantly bless him, further granting him, his heir, and his kingdom into the care of Your divine Providence.
Dear brothers and sisters! The situation we contemplate is a truth that merits our deeper attention and engagement: the welfare of the King and the people, the kingdom and the household, the ancestors and their lineage, who establish for themselves a secure future through God and devotion. Abraham was virtually alone, a wanderer without homeland or home, when God declared before him that "Abraham shall surely be a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him" (Genesis 18:18). Although Abraham was solitary and nomadic, he would become a Hebrew nation, a powerful kingdom, stretching from Egypt to Lebanon, and later scattered from Babylon to Rome, only to reassemble in the spiritual "Son of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1)—Jesus Christ; his legacy would flourish once more within the new spiritual Israel, Christianity, thereby blessing all nations of the earth with the greatest and most expansive blessings.
What a magnificent tree overshadows the universe, hidden within that small grain of a promise! God articulates this promise with majesty: "Abraham shall surely be," signifying His commitment. He does not say, "you will be," even while speaking directly to Abraham; instead, "Abraham shall be," as though the work will unfold apart from him, emphasized through grace. Furthermore, God does not declare, "I will make Abraham a mighty nation," but rather, "Abraham shall be," hinting that the fulfillment of this promise operates independently of human effort. The Lord conceals His omnipotence, showcasing the foundation needed for a bright future: godliness, which is underpinned by truth and virtue.
"Behold," the Omniscient One states, "he shall command his children and household; they shall observe the ways of the Lord to pursue righteousness and justice." Abraham will sow piety among his offspring, leading to fruitful and abundant generations. He shall pass down the truth: they will receive an immeasurable inheritance rich in universal blessings. This timeless wisdom reflects the theory of a secure future imparted by God Himself—verified consistently by thousands of years of experience. Some may argue that Abraham's fate is exceptional among humankind. While there is uniqueness in the purity of Abraham's faith amidst widespread idolatry and sin, and in the promise that leads to Christ, the principle of good futures hinges on the very foundation of godliness.
God, who blesses righteousness and justice in humanity, must abide by these eternal principles Himself. Should He promise a blessed future to Abraham based on the commitment, "He will command his children and household after Himself; they shall keep the ways of the Lord," He will assuredly extend a blessed future—be it personal or generational—to those who first practice godliness in their own lives and ardently seek to instill it in those around them, eager to establish it for future generations. The Apostle boldly proclaims the universal benefits of godliness for future generations, noting that "godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come" (1 Tim. 4:8).
In the wisdom of the worldly, two prevalent thoughts compel them to live either in blind optimism for the present or in utter despair regarding the future. The first is the belief that the universe and humanity operate by their own laws, leading individuals to futilely attempt steering this vast machine. The second posits that humanity is naturally evolving toward perfection, rendering individual contributions insignificant, akin to a feeble rower on a raging river of time that is inherently progressing toward various forms of perfection.
We may evaluate the validity of these ideas against one another. If the world, including humanity, functions by its own laws like a well-constructed machine, the notion of humanity self-propelled towards perfection becomes illusory. Machines cycle through established patterns of movement without intervention; if left unchecked, they move slowly toward decay. Conversely, if humanity certainly moves toward greater perfection, it indicates that either the world is not as mechanized as supposed, or humanity is not as attached to the worldly mechanics as machine-like thinking would suggest.
The world operates by its own principles! That may be true, but you—creatures of freedom and morality—are called to live by the higher laws of freedom and morality. Has not the wise and just God established specific laws for the soulless world while bestowing the spiritual realm with the gift of free will? No! In the physical realm, what is sown bears fruit according to necessity. Yet in the spiritual and moral domain, one reaps what one sows freely. Sowing godliness and truth reaps blessings and prosperity; sowing ungodliness and wickedness reaps calamity and destruction.
THEOSIS