Now, consider what follows: "Blessed are they who keep His testimonies and seek Him with all their heart" (Psalm 117:2). It appears that no other distinct group of the blessed is referenced here apart from those already noted. To examine the Lord’s testimonies and to pursue Him wholeheartedly is to be blameless on the path; it embodies walking in the law of the Lord. He then adds, "For they who do evil shall not walk in His ways" (Psalm 118:3). Yet we must recognize that those who commit iniquity do examine the Lord’s testimonies, preferring knowledge over righteousness. Others may also seek the testimonies not because they lead righteous lives, but to learn how they ought to live. Such individuals do not yet walk blamelessly according to the law of the Lord, and thus they are not blessed.
It is inscribed and acknowledged in this Psalm: "They who do evil walk not in His ways" (Psalm 118:3). However, we are called to strive—with divine assistance, as both we and our words reside in His hands (Wisdom 7:16)—to ensure that what is rightly expressed is also rightly understood, so as not to confuse the reader or listener. We must caution against suggesting that all saints, whose words proclaim, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8–9), might be perceived as not walking in the ways of the Lord, since sin is indeed evil; or, if they are recognized to be walking in the ways of the Lord, assumed to be without sin, which is certainly untrue. This assertion is not merely to curb arrogance and pride, for it would not include the statement, "And the truth is not in us"; rather, one would expect it to declare, "Humility is not in us," especially as the following words elucidate the meaning and clear any doubts. For after stating this, the blessed John continues, "If we confess our sins, He, being faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
What might it mean when he says, "You have accused us of keeping Your commandments too strictly" (Psalm 118:4)? Have You imposed too great a sum or left too much behind? Regardless of how we interpret this, the sense appears to be contrary to the esteemed sentiment lauded by both Greek sages and Latin thinkers: "Do nothing excessively." However, the Latin language occasionally employs the term "nimis" in a manner that finds expression in Scripture, and we convey it in our discourse as highly significant. In this context, the phrase "Thou hast accused us of keeping thy commandments too much" implies that we truly understand the depth of this accusation; if we were to profess to a dear friend, "I love you too much," we do not imply an excess but emphasize our profound affection.
Oh, if only, he says, "my ways would be made straight so that I might keep Your decrees" (Psalm 118:5). You have indeed undertaken a weighty charge: Oh that I could fully grasp what you have undertaken. When you hear this, recognize the voice of the willing; upon acknowledging this expression of desire, cast aside the arrogance of presumption. For who can claim a power so robust that they can achieve their desires without divine support? Therefore, if one longs for what God commands, one ought to pray to God to enable their fulfillment of such commands.
"And I will not be put to shame as long as I keep all Your commandments" (Psalm 118:6). We ought to regard God's commandments when they are read or recalled as we would a mirror, as the Apostle James notes (James 1:23–25). This individual seeks to align themselves with the commandments of God, desiring clarity in this reflection without confusion, choosing to be not only a hearer but a doer of them. Thus, he desires his paths to be straight and to adhere to God's statutes. How can one attain straightness if not by the grace of God? Otherwise, upon gazing into the law of God, they would find not joy but perplexity, should they seek to perceive commandments they are not yet following.
"I will confess to You, O Lord, in alignment with my heart; in this, I will comprehend the judgments of Your righteousness" (Psalm 117:7). This confession is not of sins but an expression of praise, similar to, "In whom there was no sin, I confess unto You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth" (Matthew 11:25) and as noted in Ecclesiasticus: "Confess all the works of God, that they are very good" (Sirach 39:15–16). I confess to You, he states, according to the guidance of my heart. Indeed, if my ways are made right, I will acknowledge You because You have wrought this, and it is Your glory, not mine.
He continues, "I will keep Your decrees" (Psalm 118:8). Yet what follows? "O leave me not, even too much!" or as some manuscripts express it, "even too much, not even excessively." Despite humanity's descent into sin, God would have abandoned it entirely in the wilderness, were it not upheld by such a powerful remedy—namely, the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, according to this supplication from Christ's body, He did not abandon the world even too much; for God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19).
THEOSIS