He who recognizes his state in the depths cries out, moans, and sighs until he is rescued from the abyss and comes to Him who reigns above all depths.... Indeed, those who reside in the abyss do not even produce a cry from their depths. Scripture states, ‘When the wicked has reached the depths of wickedness, he despises.’ Proverbs 18:3 Consider, brethren, the nature of the abyss where God is scorned. When each individual feels the weight of daily sins, burdened by the immense loads of wrongdoing, if it is suggested, ‘Pray to God,’ he scoffs. Why does he scoff? He argues, ‘If offenses were truly displeasing to God, should I have lived?’ If God were attentive to human affairs, given the magnitude of my wrongs, could I not only have lived but thrived? This attitude is common among those sunk deep in the abyss, flourishing in their iniquities; for false happiness is indeed a profound tragedy....
O Lord, hear my voice. Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my supplication Psalm 129:2. From where does he cry out? From the depths. Who is it that cries? The sinner. And with what hope does he weep? For He who came to forgive sins has granted hope even to the sinner in the depths. What follows these words, If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? Psalm 129:3. Thus he discloses the depths from which he cries. He cries under the burden and tides of his transgressions..... He did not say: ‘I cannot endure this,’ but rather, who can endure it? For he recognized that nearly all human existence is beset by sin, that every conscience is burdened by its own thoughts, that finding a pure heart resting in its own righteousness is an impossible task.
But why is there hope? Because with You, there is forgiveness. Psalm 129:4. And what is forgiveness except a sacrifice? And what is sacrifice if not a selfless offering on our behalf? The shedding of innocent blood has erased all transgressions of the guilty: such a great price paid has liberated all captives from the hand of their captor. Thus, you have a means of atonement. If You had not shown mercy, if You had chosen to be only a Judge and denied the path of grace, You would have observed all our wrongs and sought them out. Who could withstand it? Who could approach You and claim, I am free of sin? Who could resist Your judgment? Therefore, our only hope arises from Your law, for I bore You, O Lord. What law? The one that renders men guilty. A law, holy, righteous, and good, Romans 7:12 was given to the Jews; yet it condemned them. No law was provided which could grant life, Galatians 3:21, but which could reveal the sinner’s transgressions. For the sinner has forgotten himself and is blind to his condition; the law was given so that he may recognize himself. The law casts guilt upon him; yet the Lawgiver brings freedom: for the Lawgiver embodies supreme authority.... Therefore, there exists a law of God’s mercy, a law of God’s atonement. One represents the law of fear; the other embodies the law of love. The law of love offers forgiveness of sins, erases past offenses, and warns of future missteps; it does not abandon its companion along the way but instead guides and supports those it leads. It is essential to reconcile with the adversary while still journeying with him. Matthew 5:25 For the Word of God is your adversary until you come into harmony with it. This agreement takes place when you find joy in following the commands of the Word of God. Thereafter, the adversary transforms into a friend: and when the journey concludes, none will deliver you to the Judge. Therefore, for the sake of Your law, I have waited for You, O Lord; for You have pleased Yourself by enacting the law of mercy, to forgive all my sins and to provide warnings for the future, so that I may not transgress.... For the sake of this law, I trust in You, Lord. I have awaited Your coming to rescue me from every need, for even in my need, You have not forsaken the law of mercy.... My soul has waited for Your word....
Thus, we trust without fear in the promise of Him who cannot mislead. My soul has trusted in the Lord from dawn until night. Psalm 129:5. The morning watch signifies the end of night. This understanding is vital so that we do not presume our trust in the Lord should last only a single day. What does this signify, brethren? It suggests this: the Lord, through whom our sins are forgiven, rose from the dead at dawn, so that we may hope for what occurred in the Lord to also transpire in us. For our transgressions are already absolved, but we have not yet been resurrected: if we are not raised, what was manifested in our Head has not yet been actualized in us. What was manifested in our Head? Because the flesh of that Head has risen again; did the Spirit of that Head perish? That which perished in Him has been resurrected. Therefore, He rose on the third day; it is as if the Lord is telling us, What you have witnessed in Me, aspire for yourselves; that is, since I have risen from the dead, you shall also rise.
However, some may say, Behold, the Lord is risen; but must I then hope that I might also rise? Indeed, that is the purpose: for the Lord has risen in that which He accepted from you. He would not have risen unless He had died; and He could not have died unless He had taken on flesh. What did the Lord require of you? The flesh. What was He who came? The Word of God, who existed before all things and through whom all things were made. Yet, to obtain something from you, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He took from you all that He could offer you; just as a priest receives from you what he presents before God in your quest for atonement for your sins. It has already been fulfilled; it has been done in this manner. Our Priest accepted from us what He could offer on our behalf: for He received flesh from us, and in that very flesh He became a sacrifice; He was consumed as an offering, He was sacrificed. In His Passion, He was offered up; in His Resurrection, He revived what had been slain, presenting it as His firstborn unto God, and He declares to you, All of yourselves are now dedicated, for such firstlings from you have been offered to God; thus, hope that the same will occur in you as it did in your firstborn.
Since He arose at dawn, our soul began to hope from that moment: but how far reaches that hope? Even unto night; until we meet our carnal death, which is akin to sleep....
And he returns to this, ‘From the morning watch let Israel hope in the Lord.’ Let Israel not just hope, but from the morning watch. Do I then denounce worldly hopes when placed in the Lord? No; yet there is a distinct hope reserved for Israel. Let Israel not desire riches as its ultimate aim, nor physical health, nor worldly abundance: he will certainly endure tribulation here, if he is to suffer any trials for the sake of truth....
For the Lord shows mercy, and His redemption is abundant Psalm 129:7. Remarkable! This could not have been stated more eloquently in a separate context, thanks to the words, ‘From the morning watch.’ Why? Because the Lord has risen at dawn; and the body must hope for what was realized in the Head. But lest such a thought should surface: the Head may rise, for He was not laden with sins, and there was no sin within Him; what should we do? Shall we aspire to a transformation similar to that in the Lord while we bear the weight of our sins? Yet observe what follows: And He shall redeem Israel from all their iniquities. Psalm 129:8. Although burdened with sins, the mercy of God is still available to him. For this reason, He advanced ahead free of sin to erase the sins of those who follow Him. Do not place your hope in yourselves, but place your hope in the morning watchman....
THEOSIS