THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
This Psalm marks the beginning of those introduced by the term Alleluia, which signifies Praise the Lord. Therefore, it commences with thanksgiving: Confess unto the Lord, and call upon His Name (Psalm 103:1). This acknowledgment functions as praise, echoing our Lord's affirmation: I confess unto Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth (Matthew 11:25). Following such praise, it is customary to invoke God, as seen in the Lord's Prayer, which initiates with a brief exaltation: Our Father, who is in heaven (Matthew 6:9). What is invoked thereafter follows upon this praise; hence, we are instructed to declare to others the wonders He has accomplished (John 21:17). More accurately translated from the Greek, it conveys a command to “preach the gospel of His works among the Gentiles.” This directive is evidently directed toward the evangelists in the prophecies.
Sing to Him, and play instruments to Him (Psalm 104:2). Offer praise through both speech and action, as we sing with our voices and play with our hands. Let your discussions revolve around His magnificent deeds. Exalt His holy Name (Psalm 104:3). These two verses can serve as a paraphrase of the earlier phrase, as our conversations about all His marvelous works reflect the exhortation to sing to Him. In similar fashion, praising His holy Name can pertain to speaking and playing instruments in His honor; the former pertains to the good words we use to sing praises, recounting His wondrous acts, while the latter relates to good deeds expressed through the pleasing music created for Him. Thus, no individual should seek glory for good acts without recognizing His power in performing them. Consequently, having stated: “Be glorified”—an assertion those worthy of praise can legitimately make—the addition of “in His holy Name” emphasizes that any glorification attributed must be rooted in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31). Hence, it is through His holy Name that praise is rendered.
Furthermore, we read in another Psalm: My soul shall glory in the Lord; let the humble hear, and rejoice. Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice, for this is how the humble find joy, steering clear of envy directed at those they emulate in doing good. Seek the Lord and be strengthened (Psalm 103:4). This phrase, while translated literally from the Greek, may not be immediately recognizable in Latin variations: some read confirm, while others emphasize bolster. The text invites action—seeking the Lord and finding strength in Him. What does it convey to seek the Lord’s face forever? It certainly is beneficial to hold fast to God. Yet, if He is always being sought, when is He to be found? Might “forever” refer to our entire earthly life, suggesting that we are to seek Him continuously, as faith recognizes Him, yet hope continues to look for Him? Faith acknowledges His presence, while hope aspires to His vision, providing satisfaction while ultimately ceasing the search.
If faith had not discovered Him in this life, the call to “Seek the Lord” would not arise. Furthermore, if, upon finding Him through faith, He no longer awaited our diligent seeking, it would not be stated: “For if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8:25). Thus, the phrase “Seek His face forever and ever” implies that this pursuit should not end; rather, the love that seeks is an unending increase in its quest for the One who has already been found.
Remember, He instructs, His marvelous works which He has performed, the wonders of His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth (Psalm 104:5). This line reflects the divine pronouncement: “Say unto the children of Israel: I am He who sent Me unto you”—an assertion that is profound yet subtly grasped. Mentioning His own Name, He graciously reassured the people: “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 manner, He implies that those whose God He declares Himself to be dwell with Him eternally, sharing truths even comprehensible to children. Those who, through deep love, can persist in seeking His face forever are poised to understand: “I am what I am.”
To whom it is said, “Ye seed of Abraham, His servant, the children of Jacob, His chosen ones?” (Psalm 104:6). He further declares: He is the Lord our God; His judgments are everywhere throughout the earth (Psalm 103:7). Is He merely the God of the Jews? (Romans 3:29). Certainly not; He is the Lord our God, for the church where His judgments proclaim is present throughout the world.
He has always remembered His covenant (Psalm 104:8). Some copies refer to it as forever; this is due to linguistic ambiguity in Greek. If we take this to mean permanence rather than eternity, what sense does it make to specify the covenant He recalled as “the word which He gave to a thousand generations”? This passage can allow for some nuance, but it reinforces His covenant with Abraham (Psalm 103:9); the oath sworn to Isaac; with Jacob, it established a law, and an everlasting covenant with Israel (Psalm 103:10). If this Old Testament reference pertains to the land of Canaan—expressed in the words: “To you will I give the land of Canaan; the lot of your inheritance” (Psalm 104:11)—how is it to be understood as eternal, if this earthly inheritance cannot endure? Thus it is referred to as the Old Testament since it has been superseded by the New.
While a thousand generations may not seem to suggest eternity, they do imply an end; yet the duration is considerably larger than that of this temporary existence. Regardless of how long a generation may span—some argue it begins at fifteen years when one can bear offspring—what do these thousand generations signify not only from the time of Abraham unto the New Testament, but extending from Adam to the end of the world? Who is bold enough to assume this world will last 15,000 years? Thus, it appears that the Old Covenant cannot be intended here, as it has been prophesied to be annulled by the New: “Behold, the days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant” (Jeremiah 31:31-32).
The phrase encompasses “He remembered His covenant forever.” This must be understood as an everlasting covenant—the covenant of justification and the eternal inheritance promised by God to faith—along with “the Word which He commanded to a thousand generations.” What does “commanded” denote? The command implies that the righteous shall live by faith (Romans 1:17), and prior to this faith, an everlasting inheritance is offered. The thousand generations are understood as reflective of a perfect number for all; that is, as long as lineage carries forth, we are directed to live by faith. This faith is manifested among the people of God, the children of promise, who inherit by birth and pass on through death until the conclusion of each generation; hence, the number one thousand signifies the last essence of time, as the solid square of ten—ten times ten—extends to one thousand.
He speaks also of the covenant made with Abraham, the oath sworn to Isaac, and the law appointed to Jacob—these three patriarchs, whose God He identifies Himself in a unique manner, whom the Lord similarly recognizes in the New Testament when He states: “Many shall come from east and west, and shall lie down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11). This denotes the eternal inheritance.
He recounts a familiar narrative, stating: When they were few, very few, and were strangers in the land (Psalm 104:12), this refers to Canaan. In some copies, they are characterized as extremely few and foreign, the translator having rendered the Greek phrase too strictly. However, if we translate the entire phrase in this manner, we see that they were very few and became strangers; yet the phrase “while they were” carries the meaning implicitly found in the Greek, as the verb in question does not take the accusative case.
In the time they moved from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people (Psalm 103:13), this reiterates the prior assertion of their transition between nations. No one harmed them; even kings were rebuked for their sake (Psalm 103:14). “Touch not My anointed, nor do My prophets any harm” (Psalm 104:15). This pronouncement recalls God's own words rebuking kings to protect these holy patriarchs in their time of weakness and foreignness in Canaan. Despite the absence of these words in the historical texts, they may be understood either as being perceived internally, as God speaks in the hearts of men through invisible, genuine visions, or conveyed by an angel's announcement. The kings of Gerar and Egypt were warned from heaven against harming Abraham, and others likewise with Isaac and Jacob, during their modest number and foreign state before setting out for Egypt.
However, a query may arise regarding how these individuals were considered anointed or Christed prior to any actual anointing, by which kings received such titles. How could these patriarchs be referred to as anointed? Indeed, Abraham's prophetic status foretold of things to come, suggesting a broader understanding that would encompass others as well. They are identified as Christs, as they were, though subtly, indicative of Christianity, even before Christ's flesh was borne of them. He stated in reply to the Jews, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). How could they not have known Him or believed in Him? They are acknowledged as prophets precisely because of their foresight of the Lord's coming. In His own words, “Thy father Abraham desired to see My day, and he saw it, and rejoiced” (John 8:56). Thus, no one could be reconciled to God apart from the faith in Christ Jesus, whether before His incarnation or after; as aptly expressed by the Apostle: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Next, it is conveyed how they transitioned from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another nation. A famine arose in the land, causing the bread supply to fail (Psalm 103:16). Consequently, they shifted from nation to nation; yet, the expression employed in Scripture deserves attention. He states that He called for a famine upon the earth, as if famine were a person or spirit responding to Him. Historically, Romans dedicated deities to such phenomena, like Fever and Pale. Alternatively, the phrasing might suggest He prophesied famine, with the act of calling being synonymous with naming; speaking as if commanding. Thus, as the Apostle has expressed, God calls non-existent things into being, as if they were present. For in God's sovereign wisdom, those future events have already transpired in His plans, for it is recorded elsewhere, He who appoints what is to come (Isaiah 45:11). When the famine arose, it was then described as being called, signifying the fulfillment of His secret governance. Ultimately, He illustrates how He summoned the famine, stating, He broke all the staffs of bread.
“But He sent a man before them” (Psalm 104:17). Who was this man? Not Joseph alone. How was he sent? Joseph was sold into slavery—his brothers' transgression, yet it was God who set Joseph on the path to Egypt. We should reflect deeply on how God draws from human evil to orchestrate good, while humanity too often misuses divinely ordained goodness.