Anyone who diligently engages with the Acts of the Apostles will observe that this Psalm includes a prophecy about Christ, as shown by the statement, "let his days be short, and let another take his office," which refers to Judas, the traitor of Christ. Though the context is primarily about Peter, its true significance is only clear when viewed through the lens of the Church, which he symbolically represents due to his leadership role among the disciples, as indicated by the scripture, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 16:19). Judas symbolizes those Jews who opposed Christ, who initially despised Him and now, through their descendants, perpetuate this malice. From these individuals and this nation, we can easily comprehend both the clearer parts of the Psalm and the more straightforward statements concerning Judah himself.
The Psalm opens with, "O God, do not be silent to my praise" (Psalm 107:1). This underscores that the false accusations by the deceitful are baseless, while the praise from God is authentic. For God is truth, but every person is a liar (Romans 3:4); the only one who is truthful resides in whom God speaks. The highest praise belongs to the only begotten Son of God, affirming His identity. However, this was only revealed through His weakness, which was obscured when the malicious and deceitful spoke ill of Him; thus, His mouth opened in response to their contempt, as the deceit of hatred became apparent.
They have countered me with false tongues (Psalms 108:2), particularly highlighting their deceitful commendations of Him as a good teacher. It is further noted that "Those who praise me together swear against me." Their cries, "Crucify Him, crucify Him" (John 19:6), reflect their verbal assaults. Those who insincerely spoke words of affection, rather than true hatred, surrounded Him with hostility, waging war against Him without justification. Just as the righteous love Christ willingly, the wicked hate Him freely; likewise, just as the good seek truth for its own sake, so the wicked pursue evil nonetheless. Hence secular writers remark on a truly vile person as being malevolent and cruel for no valid reason.
Instead of regarding me with love, they have belittled me (Psalm 107:3). There are six behaviors belonging to this category, each easily remembered: (1) repaying good with evil, (2) failing to repay evil with evil, (3) repaying good with good, (4) repaying evil with evil, (5) neglecting to repay good with good, and (6) repaying evil with good. The first two are attributes of the righteous, with the first being preferable; the last two pertain to the wicked, with the latter being the worst; the middle two relate to a sort of morally ambiguous individuals, teetering between good and bad. This distinction can be seen in Scripture: our Lord reciprocates good for evil, justifying the ungodly (Romans 4:5) even from the cross, where He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).
He continues, "Instead of loving me, they belittled me," and what follows? "But I gave myself to prayer." He did not specify what He prayed for, yet we can surmise it referred to their actions. The mockery exhibited by those who crucified Him suggested they had bested Him, while from the cross, He proclaimed His forgiveness for them—replacing their evil for His good. Thus, divine teachings through our Lord exemplify that in moments of perceived ingratitude, not only when we are rewarded for our good with evil, but when others neglect to acknowledge our goodness, we should beseech the Lord. He stands with those who rebel against Him, either in sorrow or danger; however, we must first seek grace from God to conquer our minds that yearn for vengeance when humiliated—whether in our presence or absence.
He asserts, "Thus have I been repaid evil for good" (Psalm 107:4). When questioning the nature of this evil, it is centered on hatred borne from goodwill. This represents the height of their guilt, for how could the persecutors harm Him who willingly submitted to death, not by force? Yet, the utter contempt from their hatred remains the greatest offense, despite His voluntary sacrifice. He clarifies the meaning in "Instead of love to me," as their obligation was not merely a duty but a response to His love; He emphasizes my goodwill, which He references in the Gospel by stating, "How often have I gathered your children together, and you would not" (Matthew 23:37).
He then begins to foretell the consequences of their atrocious actions, outlining their fate potentially out of desire for retribution. Some, misunderstanding this prophetic approach, erroneously suggest that ill will begets ill will; yet truthfully, few truly grasp how the punishment of the wicked satisfies the accuser, eager to extinguish their enmity. Conversely, the judge punishes with a righteous soul, administering justice rather than retribution; thus, in executing punishment, He does so not out of delight in another's misfortune but out of a love for what is just.
"Set a wicked ruler over him; and let Satan stand at his right hand" (Psalm 108:5). While the prior complaint addressed many, now this Psalm focuses on one—referring to Judas, who, as the Acts of the Apostles indicate, would receive his deserved punishment (Acts 1:20). A wicked man is to be put over him, alongside the one specifically named next, "let Satan be at his right hand." The one who chose not to yield to Christ deserves the devil’s lordship, becoming subject to evil.
This is evident in those who, preferring worldly pleasures over God, categorized those materialistic individuals as blessed, proclaiming, "Blessed are those who have this and that," while their right hand signifies wrongdoing.
"When he is judged, let him be condemned, and let his prayer become sin." (Psalm 107:6). Prayer is deemed righteous only through Christ, whom Judas betrayed through his heinous sin; however, a prayer not presented through Christ cannot absolve sin but transpires into sin itself. Nonetheless, questions linger about Judas's potential prayers turning sinful—perhaps during his treacherous plotting, as he could no longer genuinely pray through Christ. If he had sought forgiveness post-betrayal, he would have hoped for mercy, which would have prevented his despair, leading to his tragic end.
"Let his days be short" (Psalm 108:7). The reference here signifies the brevity of his time as an apostle, which ended prematurely due to his offense and subsequent death before the Passion of Christ. One may wonder what fate awaited that sacred number twelve, which our Lord sensibly established for His first apostles; therefore, it is added, "let another take his office." This means that he should be punished correspondingly for his deeds, and let his number be increased.
"Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow" (Psalm 108:8). Following his demise, both his children were indeed left fatherless and his wife a widow. "Let his children be wanderers, and be led away, and ask for their bread" (Psalm 107:9). The term wanderers refers to those lost and without direction, entirely destitute. They were cast out from their homes, clarifying the earlier sentiment of being taken away. The details of his family's fate unfold in the subsequent verses.
"Let the extortioner search all his possessions, and let strangers plunder his labor" (Psalm 108:10). Let there be no one to assist him (Psalm 107:11), meaning no protector for his offspring, thus the fatherless should receive no sympathy.
However, even orphans, lacking assistance or guardianship, can grow amidst trials and wants, ensuring their lineage continues. Therefore, it is proclaimed, "Let his posterity be destroyed," and let his name perish in the next generation (Psalm 108:12), indicating that what he produced should not reproduce, fading away swiftly.
"But what follows?" Let the iniquity of his fathers remain before the eyes of the Lord, and may the sin of his mother not be erased (Psalm 108:13). Does this imply that the sins of his fathers shall be attributed to him? For those transformed in Christ are no longer sons of the wicked, unless they imitate their actions (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). The verse regarding punishing the sins of the fathers upon the children (Exodus 20:5) references those who harbor hatred against Him, emulating the animosity of their forebears, revealing that while the virtuous can erase their sins through good deeds, the wicked's imitation implicates them in both personal and ancestral sins.
"Let them always be against the Lord" (Psalm 108:14). This phrase indicates their standing in the presence of the Lord; other interpretations suggest they persist in His sight or even before Him, akin to "You have shown our wrongs before you." The word "always" signifies that this grave offense remains unforgiven, both in this life and the afterlife. "Let the memory of them, that is, his father and mother, vanish from the earth." Their remembrance signifies that which is preserved through generations: as prophesied, this legacy will cease to exist, as Judah and his offspring, who reflected on their ancestry, were eradicated within a single generation.
"The reason for this is that he remembered not to show mercy" (Psalm 108:15), whether referring to Judah or the people at large. The phrase "remembered not" better suits the people: had they recognized the weight of their actions in killing Christ, they might have recalled their deeds with remorse and shown compassion toward His persecutors. Therefore, it continues, "And they persecuted the poor and the needy" (Psalm 108:16). This too may be related to Judas; for the Lord willingly embraced poverty to enrich others through His deprivation (2 Corinthians 8:9). How can one comprehend "beggar" other than in the context where He asks the Samaritan woman, "Give Me a drink" (John 4:7), and expresses His thirst from the cross (John 19:28)? The passage further reveals that it is not mere mortals who pursue Him but the very embodiment of our Savior, whom Judas sought to destroy. By stating, "persecuted the poor and the needy," it implies intent to kill Him, as some translations convey of Him who was deeply wounded in heart, a phrase commonly used only in contexts of past sins and the pangs of penitence.
Lastly, the Psalm proceeds: "He delighted in cursing, and it will come upon him" (Psalm 107:17). Although Judas reveled in swearing—both in pilfering the money and in selling the Lord—others echoed his cursing with cries of "His blood be on us, and on our children" (Matthew 27:25). He did not cherish blessing; hence it will be distant from him. This holds true for Judas as he did not love Christ, the source of eternal blessings; even more so did the Jewish people reject this blessing, as exemplified when He asked, "Will you also be His disciples?" (John 9:27). He clothed himself with a curse as a garment, applicable to either Judah or his nation, and it entered into him as water. Outwardly and inwardly; externally as a cloak and internally as water, for he faced judgment from the One with power over both body and soul in hell (Matthew 10:28)—the body outwardly, the soul inwardly. "And like oil in his bones" portrays that he revels in wickedness and accumulates his own perdition, which signifies eternal punishment; the blessing being eternal life. Presently, his enjoyment stems from evil deeds, flowing like water inside him, akin to oil in his bones; termed a curse because God has allotted torment to such individuals.
THEOSIS