Now, consider what follows: "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and seek him with all their heart" (Psalm 117:2). It appears to me that no other group of the blessed is referenced here except for those previously mentioned. Indeed, to examine the Lord's testimonies and to earnestly seek Him is to be blameless on the path and to walk in the law of the Lord. He then states, "For they that do evil shall not walk in His ways" (Psalm 118:3). Yet we recognize that those who commit wickedness may scrutinize the Lord's testimonies, favoring knowledge over righteousness. Others may study the testimonies of the Lord not out of a desire to live rightly, but rather to understand how they ought to live. Such individuals do not yet walk blamelessly in the law of the Lord, and thus they have not yet attained true blessedness.
It is attested in this Psalm: "they that do evil walk not in His ways" (Psalm 118:3). However, we must strive, with God’s assistance, for in His hand are both we and our words (Wisdom 7:16), to ensure that what is rightly articulated is not misinterpreted by the reader or listener. For we should be cautious that all the saints, whose words declare, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8-9), are neither viewed as not walking in the Lord's ways—given that sin is evil, and those who do evil do not walk in His ways—nor misunderstood as possessing no sin, which is undeniably false. This assertion is not merely to counter arrogance and pride; otherwise, it would have stated, "Humility is not in us." The subsequent words indeed clarify the intent and eliminate any doubts. Following this, blessed John added, "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 could it mean, "You have accused us of keeping Your commandments too strictly?" (Psalm 118:4). Have you demanded too much? Or perhaps, have we withheld too little? For whichever interpretation we adopt, the sentiment contrasts sharply with the wise counsel celebrated by both Greek and Latin thinkers: "Do nothing to excess." Yet, in the Latin tongue, the term "nimis" conveys a weighty significance that we also recognize in Scripture and our dialogue. This passage implies that you have perceived us as adhering to Your commandments excessively, which offers considerable insight if understood correctly; for when we express to a dear friend, "I love you too much," we do not imply anything inappropriate, but rather, a profound affection.
"O, if," he declares, "my ways would be made straight, that I might keep Thy decrees" (Psalm 118:5). You have indeed taken upon Yourself a formidable task: oh, how I wish to fully comprehend what You have taken upon Yourself. When you hear this, recognize it as the plea of the willing; upon identifying the expression of desire, cast off the arrogance of presumption. For who claims to earnestly desire what lies within their grasp without seeking help? Thus, if one yearns for what God commands, one ought to beseech God to empower them to fulfill His commands.
"I will not be put to shame as long as I keep all Your commandments" (Psalm 118:6). We should view God's commandments, whether they are read to us or recalled, like a mirror, as the apostle James admonishes (James 1:23-25). This person seeks to align himself so closely with God’s commandments that he may reflect them in a mirror without confusion; he chooses to be not merely a hearer of the Word but a doer. Therefore, he yearns for his paths to be straight and to observe God’s statutes. How can one achieve true straightness except by God's grace? Otherwise, he will find within God's law not a source of joy but one of bewilderment, should he attempt to behold commandments that he does not heed.
"I will confess to Thee," he says, "O Lord, in the direction of my heart; in this, I shall know the judgments of Thy righteousness" (Psalm 117:7). This is not a confession of sins but a proclamation of praise, as exemplified in the words, "In whom there was no sin, I confess unto Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth" (Matthew 11:25), and as stated in the book of Ecclesiasticus, "Confess all the works of God, that they are very good" (Sirach 39:15-16). "I confess to Thee," he states, "according to the guidance of my heart." Indeed, when my paths are made right, I will confess to You, for it is You who have accomplished this; the praise belongs to You, not to me.
He further asserts, "I will keep Your decrees" (Psalm 118:8). But what comes next? "O leave me not even too much!" or as some translations express it, "Even too much, not excessively." Since God once abandoned the world in its wilderness of sin, He would have done so excessively had it not been upheld by such a potent remedy—that is, by the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. But now, in accordance with the prayer of the body of Christ, He did not forsake it even too much; for God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19).
THEOSIS