In this Psalm, we learn that when we proclaim Hallelujah, meaning 'Praise the Lord,' we should also respond to the command to “Confess to the Lord” (Psalm 116:1) with our own praise. The essence of our adoration for God can be captured simply in the words: ‘For He is good.’ Such brevity is deeply significant, for goodness is a divine attribute so profound that the Son of God Himself, when referred to as the Good Teacher by someone who perceived only His humanity, asked, ‘Why do you call Me good? There is none good but one, that is, God’ (Mark 10:17-18). This indicates that to recognize Him as good is to recognize His divinity. This verse speaks to a future revelation by a people liberated from toil and false worship, granted freedom through the goodness of God, who not only refrains from returning evil for evil but repays evil with goodness, making it fitting to add, ‘Because His mercy endures forever.’
Let Israel now acknowledge His goodness and the enduring nature of His mercy (Psalm 116:2). Let the house of Aaron also declare that His mercy lasts forever (Psalm 116:3). Indeed, let all who revere the Lord now affirm that His mercy is everlasting (Psalm 116:4). I trust that you recall what the house of Israel represents and what the house of Aaron signifies, both of which show reverence to the Lord. These groups embody both the small and the great, as joyfully depicted in another psalm, where we should rejoice in our unity through His grace. God is good, and His mercy is everlasting; we remember the words: ‘That the Lord may multiply you and your children,’ which implies that for those Israelites who trust in Christ—of whom the apostles are one—there shall be an addition of believers from among the Gentiles, for the glory of the perfect and the obedience of the innocent. Together, as we unite in Christ, we become one flock under one Shepherd, with the body of that Head proclaiming, ‘I called upon the Lord in trouble, and the Lord heard me’ (Psalm 116:5). The confines of our distress may seem limited, but the path we tread has no end. Who can bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? (Romans 8:33)
The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what people can do to me (Psalm 116:6). Yet are men the only foes of the Church? What is a man entirely devoted to flesh but flesh? The apostle reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, and the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, hear this proclamation: The Lord is my helper; thus, I will regard my adversaries with disdain (Psalm 116:7). No matter the source of my enemies—whether human or angelic—through the Lord's assistance, to whom we offer praise and sing Hallelujah, they shall be held in contempt.
However, when my adversaries are rendered insignificant, I must not be deceived by a friend who appears morally sound and suggests I place my trust in him; for it is more prudent to depend on the Lord than to trust in mortals (Psalm 116:8). And I must not regard any being, even if considered a 'good angel,' as one to whom I must turn for support; for only God is truly good (Mark 10:18). When help comes from man or angel motivated by genuine affection, it is ultimately through the power of Him who has endowed them with goodness. Hence, it is wiser to rely on the Lord than on earthly rulers (Psalm 116:9). Angels themselves are often called princes, as we see in Daniel’s writings where he mentions Michael, your prince (Daniel 12:1).
The nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord, I cut them down (Psalm 117:10). I was beset on all sides; yet, as I declare, in the name of the Lord, I avenged them (Psalm 117:11). This signifies the struggles and victories of the Church. In light of the seeming overwhelming evil, one might question how she prevailed, yet looking back, she draws from her initial experiences, adding, ‘They encircled me on every side.’ The phrase ‘all nations’ is notably absent here, as it reflects solely the actions of the Jews. These very people—the body of Christ, for whose sake all was accomplished in mortal form through immortal power—endured persecution from those whose nature embodied that malice inflicted upon Him on the cross.
Like bees surrounding a hive, they attacked me, burning fiercely among thorns; yet in the name of the Lord, I avenged them (Psalm 117:12). The sequence of these words mirrors the unfolding events. Christ, the Head of the Church, faced the wrath of His persecutors like bees clustered around their hive. The Holy Spirit conveys the events with sublime undertones, revealing how those who acted cruelly, in a paradoxical reality, sweetened the final outcome through His Passion, allowing us to savor how truly sweet the Lord is, who sacrificed Himself for our sins and rose again for our reconciliation (Romans 4:25). The ‘consumed’ here may relate to His Body—the scattered believers encircled by all nations, enduring the flames of persecution through the pains of this mortal existence. Their retribution may be twofold: either those who orchestrated this evil find redemption among Christ's followers; or those who rejected His mercy will eventually face the truth of their divine Judge.
I was thrust down like chaff, and though I stumbled, the Lord supported me (Psalm 117:13). While there is a multitude of believers, they may seem like countless grains of sand; yet collectively, they find unity as a single entity. What is man that You should remember him? The multitude of Gentiles could not surpass the number of the faithful, yet the Lord has sustained me despite this. The trials faced from the Gentiles did not dismantle the unity of believers living in faith.
The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation (Psalm 116:14). Who falters unless they choose to rely on their own strength and acclaim? No one fails in a struggle except the one whose strength and honor falter. And he whose strength is anchored in the Lord is as secure as the Lord Himself. This is why He became their salvation—not because He transformed into something different, but because, by believing in Him, they became what they were not and only then knew Him as their salvation, which was hidden from them before they turned to Him.
In the dwellings of the righteous, there is a sound of joy and deliverance (Psalm 117:15). Where those who opposed them believed there was only pain and disaster, they failed to see the deep joy that the saints experience in their hopeful expectation. Hence, the apostle states, ‘I grieve, yet I rejoice always’ (2 Corinthians 6:10), and furthermore, he states, ‘We glory in tribulations’ (Romans 5:3).
The right hand of the Lord has wrought marvelous acts (Psalm 117:16). What great feats has He accomplished? He mentions that the right hand of the Lord has elevated me. Great things include uplifting the humble, granting divinity to the mortal, transforming weakness into strength, and turning suffering into triumph—to offer aid and lift those in distress so that the true salvation of God is evident to those who suffer, while the salvation of men proves ineffective to their persecutors. These deeds are wondrous; yet, why should we be astonished? Hear the refrain: the right hand of the Lord has accomplished great things.
I shall not die, but live, proclaiming the works of the Lord (Psalm 117:17). While they sought to sow destruction and death among us, believing they were extinguishing the Church, behold, He now proclaims the works of the Lord. Indeed, Christ’s glory shines through the lives of the blessed martyrs—defeated, yet triumphing over His afflictors, enduring suffering with patience, and loving those who would revolt against Him.
Yet we must question why the Body of Christ, His Holy Church, the adopted people, have faced such humiliation. The Lord has chastised and corrected me, but He did not allow me to perish (Psalm 116:18). Let not the arrogant wicked presume their dominion is granted; they possess their authority solely because it has been bestowed upon them from above. Often, a father may instruct his sons to be disciplined by the most unworthy servants, while he reserves an inheritance for his true heirs. What, then, is this inheritance? Is it gold, silver, gems, land, or fine estates? Ponder what it truly entails.
‘Open to me, O Lord, the gates of righteousness’ (Psalm 117:19). We have heard of a gate—what lies beyond? ‘That I may enter in and give thanks to the Lord.’ This is a proclamation of thanksgiving, resounding through the house of God, marked by joy, a celebration of those who are blessed for their eternal dwelling in the Lord’s presence, where they continually offer praise.
Consider how one enters the gates of righteousness. ‘This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it’ (Psalm 116:20). Indeed, let no wicked individual enter into that holy Jerusalem which tolerates no unclean person, as it is written, ‘Outside are the dogs’ (Revelation 22:15). It suffices that throughout my long sojourn, I resided among the tents of Kedar, enduring the company of the wicked; yet, this is the gate of the Lord: only the upright shall pass through.
I give thanks to You, O Lord, for You have heard me and have become my salvation (Psalm 116:21). The acknowledgment of one who does not display his wounds to the healer, but rather offers gratitude for the health granted him, is truly commendable. For the Physician Himself is Salvation.
But who is this we speak of? It is the stone that the builders rejected (Psalm 116:22). This stone, now the cornerstone, was designed to unite both the circumcised and the uncircumcised into one new creation, thus establishing peace, reconciling both groups unto God in one body (Ephesians 2:15-16).
The Lord has made this to be (Psalm 117:23), namely, He appointed Him as the chief cornerstone. Though His suffering was a precondition for becoming this cornerstone, it was not through the actions of those who afflicted Him that He attained this status. The builders rejected Him, yet in the hidden construction that the Lord initiated, He has become the cornerstone that was dismissed. This remains a wondrous truth in our sight: the eyes of the inner man, those who believe, hope, and love; not the physical eyes of those who scorn Him as mere man, dismissing Him in disbelief.
‘This is the day which the Lord has made’ (Psalm 117:24). He recalls a previous psalm: ‘Since He has inclined His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live’—remarking on earlier times. Therefore, he declares, ‘This is the day which the Lord has made’—the day of salvation He has granted me. It is the day mentioned in Isaiah, ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you’ (Isaiah 49:8)—referring to the day when the Mediator became the chief cornerstone. Let us rejoice and be glad in Him.
‘Save me, O Lord; prosper my way, O Lord’ (Psalm 116:25). Since it is the day of salvation, O Lord, save me. We, returning from our lengthy journey, are distanced from those who loved the fleeting world, once at peace with them, yet now find they wage unprovoked war against us; prosper our return, for You have become our Way.
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’ (Psalm 117:26). Conversely, cursed is he who comes in his own name; as stated in the Gospel: ‘If another comes in his own name, him you will receive’ (John 5:43). We bless you from the house of God. These are words spoken from the great to the humble—those exalted in spirit communicating with the Word of God and dwelling in His presence, while simultaneously moderating their discourse so the little ones may truly express the words of the apostle: ‘Whether we are out of our minds, it is for God; whether we are in our right mind, it is for you’ (2 Corinthians 5:13-14). They bless the children from the heart of the Lord’s house, where this praise is continual, transcending generations. So consider what they proclaim from there.
THEOSIS