THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
This Psalm is the inaugural one that begins with the word Alleluia, which signifies Praise the Lord. For this reason, it commences with praise: "Confess unto the Lord, and call upon His Name" (Psalm 103:1); this confession aligns with praise, comparable to our Lord's words, "I confess unto Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth" (Matthew 11:25). Typically, after praise commences, an invocation of God follows, to which the supplicant adds their desires. Thus, the Lord's Prayer also begins with succinct praise: "Our Father, who is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9). Following this, there is a directive to proclaim His deeds to all people (John 21:17), or more accurately from the Greek, "Preach the gospel of His works among the nations." To whom is this message directed if not to the evangelists mentioned in the prophecies? "Sing to Him and play instruments to Him" (Psalm 104:2). Praise Him both in speech and in action; we sing with our voices and play with our hands. Let your discussions revolve around all His wondrous works. "Praise His holy Name" (Psalm 104:3). These two verses can reasonably be interpreted as a restatement of the previous phrases; that your conversations reflect on His marvelous acts expresses the idea of "Sing to Him," while the following call to "praise His holy Name" pertains to both verbal expressions and instrumental music. The former refers to the uplifting words we sing to Him, recounting His marvelous deeds; the latter pertains to the righteous actions through which we produce delightful music for Him, safeguarding against the temptation to seek credit for one’s own capabilities. Thus, when the words "be glorified" are uttered — a task achievable by those who work earnestly and deserving of recognition — it is followed by "in His holy Name," emphasizing that true glorification must be attributed to the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31). This too honors His holy Name. Moreover, in another Psalm, it states, "My soul shall glory in the Lord: let the meek hear and rejoice,” which implies that the hearts of those who seek the Lord should be joyful since the humble will rejoice without competing with those they emulate who do goodness.
"Seek the Lord and be strengthened" (Psalm 103:4). This can be directly translated from the Greek, although it may not seem Latin. Other versions express it as "confirm." While the phrases "Come unto Him and be enlightened" focus on sight, those in the text refer to action: "Seek the Lord and be strengthened." But what does it mean to "Seek the Lord's face forever"? I recognize that drawing near to God is beneficial; however, if He is consistently sought, when will He be encountered? Might "forever" refer to our entire earthly existence, suggesting that our pursuit should continue as even after He is found, we continue to seek Him? In this sense, faith has found Him, yet hope continues the search. Love, however, has found Him through faith and seeks Him through vision, where He is ultimately found to bring fulfillment, ceasing the need for further pursuit. If faith had not revealed Him in this life, the command to "Seek the Lord" would not exist. Similarly, if after finding Him through faith there were no need for ongoing seeking, it would not be written that "if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience" (Romans 8:25). This truly embodies the essence of "Seek His face forever," indicating that the search fueled by love should never cease, but rather grow in intensity as our love grows towards the One discovered.
"Remember His marvelous works which He has performed, the wonders of His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth" (Psalm 104:5). This passage resembles the declaration, "Say unto the children of Israel: I am He that sent Me unto you," a phrase that may not be immediately grasped. When mentioning His own Name, He graciously mingled His grace with the people, stating, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; this is My Name forever" (Exodus 3:14-15). In this declaration, He wished to convey that those whose God He proclaimed Himself to be dwell with Him eternally, expressed in terms that even children can understand: "I am what I am."
To those who are addressed, "You seed of Abraham, His servant, the children of Jacob, His chosen ones?" (Psalm 104:6) He further states, "He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth" (Psalm 103:7). Is He solely the God of the Jews? (Romans 3:29) Absolutely not; He is the Lord our God, as the Church, where His judgments are proclaimed, exists throughout the world.
"He has always remembered His covenant" (Psalm 104:8). Other translations read "forever," highlighting a nuance inherent in the Greek language. If we interpret this to mean only this world and not eternity, then why address the covenant He recognized by saying "the word which He gave to a thousand generations"? This may have certain limitations; nonetheless, it also states the covenant made with Abraham (Psalm 103:9), the oath sworn to Isaac, and the law appointed to Jacob, making it an everlasting covenant with Israel (Psalm 103:10). If we understand the Old Testament in this context, associating it with the land of Canaan — as the Psalm states, "To you, I will give the land of Canaan, the measure of your inheritance" (Psalm 104:11) — how can this be viewed as eternal if this earthly inheritance is not everlasting? Consequently, it is termed the Old Testament because it has been superseded by the New. The notion of a thousand generations does not appear to imply eternity, as it suggests an ending; nevertheless, this number is substantial even for this transient domain. Despite how long a generation may last, historically, in Greek it is referred to as γεν-α, where its shortest duration is considered around 15 years, leading to the capacity for producing descendants. Then, the significance of these thousand generations unfolds — not merely from the time of Abraham unto the New Testament but encompassing all from Adam until the world’s culmination. Who would courageously assert that this world might persist for 15,000 years? It appears, therefore, that the Old Covenant is not intended here, the one proclaimed by the prophet as canceled by the New: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant” (Jeremiah 31:31-32).
The phrase "He remembered His covenant forever and ever" should be understood as an everlasting covenant — the covenant of justification and the eternal inheritance promised by God to faith. He adds, "and the Word which He commanded to a thousand generations." What does it mean to say "commanded"? The command indicated that the righteous should live by faith (Romans 1:17), and eternal inheritance is offered before this faith. Thus, the phrase "a thousand generations" symbolizes the ideal number for all; that is, as long as one lineage succeeds another, we are called to adhere to faith. This is observed in the people of God, the sons of promise, who inherit by birth and depart by death until each generation concludes; this is represented by the number one thousand, as it reflects the perfect square of ten (ten squared is one hundred, multiplied by ten gives one thousand). It again mentions the covenant made with Abraham and the oath sworn to Isaac, meant for Jacob, signifying Jacob himself by law. These three patriarchs are invoked as their God, a claim He makes in a special manner, echoed in the New Testament when He affirms, "Many will come from the east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 8:11). This signifies the eternal inheritance.
The subsequent verses narrate a well-known account derived from the Scriptures. "When they were few in number, very few, and were strangers in the land" (Psalm 104:12), referring to Canaan. Some copies state "very few" in a slightly different construction in the accusative case. If rendered fully, it might say they were very few and strangers, but the phrasing "while they were" translates more accurately from the Greek; the verb taking the nominative rather than the accusative.
"In the time when they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another" (Psalm 103:13). This reiterates the previous mention of transitioning from one nation to another. "Let no man do them harm, but even kings He rebuked for their sake" (Psalm 103:14). He instructed, "Touch not My anointed, nor do My prophets any harm" (Psalm 104:15). This cites God’s directive against kings harming His patriarchs, despite their small and outsider status in Canaan. These words, though not explicitly documented in historical accounts, can be inferred as being pronounced quietly, like God's communication to the hearts of men through invisible, genuine visions, or perhaps even announced by an angel. Both the king of Gerar and the king of Egypt were divinely warned against harming Abraham and Isaac, respectively (Genesis 26:8-11), among others not to harm Jacob, during their vulnerable state before settling in Egypt with their families. Yet, prior to their crossing and subsequent growth in Egypt, a question arises: how could such a small group survive as foreigners in a foreign land? The text resolves, "He allowed no one to harm them," etc.
One might ponder why they were referred to as "anointed" before any form of anointing took place. ...Were these patriarchs called anointed simply because they were, in essence, early Christians? Though Christ's flesh came from them, He existed before them; He declared "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58). Yet, how could they be unaware of Him or fail to believe? They are called prophets because, albeit dimly, they foretold the Lord. For He affirmed, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; he saw it and was glad" (John 8:56). No one has ever been reconciled to God outside of faith found in Christ Jesus, neither before His incarnation nor after, as the Apostle aptly states: "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).
The passage continues with how they transitioned from one nation to another, where a famine spurred this movement, "and all the bread supply was broken" (Psalm 103:16). Consequently, they traveled from one nation to another. Notably, the language of Scripture should not be overlooked. The text states, "He called for a famine in the earth," implying the famine was likened to a sentient entity or spirit in obedience to Him who summoned it. This recalls ancient Roman traditions of worshipping deities like the goddess of Fever and the god Pale. Alternatively, it may suggest He prophesied a famine, with "to call" meaning to proclaim by name; thus, "mentioning" is akin to "commanding". The Apostle mentions that He calls into existence things that do not exist yet, as if they were. For God perceives what lies ahead, establishing what is preordained: "He that made the future" (Isaiah 45:11). Upon the onset of famine, it is stated that it was called forth, indicating the fulfillment of what was determined through His secret governance. He declares how He called for the famine, signifying, "He broke all the staff of bread."
"But He sent a man before them" (Psalm 104:17). Who was this individual? It was not Joseph directly; rather, it concerns Joseph sold into slavery. This incident reflects the wrongdoing of his brothers, yet God’s design sent Joseph to Egypt. We must contemplate this essential and profound theme: how God skillfully utilizes human evil while humans often misuse the good He provides.