It is a source of great joy for us, and we ought to celebrate, as the Psalm directs us to do. It states, "Praise the name of the Lord" (Psalm 134:1). Herein lies the rationale for our worship of the Lord’s name. Let all who serve Him offer their praise. What could be more deserving of our adoration? What could be more gratifying? For if He instructs those who serve Him diligently—His messengers, the shepherds of His flock, those who honor His name and adhere to His commands—so that they may experience the joy of life within themselves and not be led astray by flattery or disheartened by human reproach, how much more esteemed is He, the Eternal One, who imparts such wisdom and understanding? As servants, it is entirely fitting for you to extol your Master. Even if you were merely servants eternally, praising Him should still be your duty; how much more should you, as His servants, glorify Him, so that one day you may attain the privilege of being His children?
Therefore, you who stand in the Lord's house, in the courts of our God, give Him glory (Psalm 133:2). Rejoice and be grateful; you were once outside, but now you are within. As you stand here, reflect on the importance of praising Him who lifted you from despair to stand in His dwelling place, allowing you to know Him and honor Him. Is it not a tremendous blessing that we are found in the Lord's house? If anyone recognizes this truth and does not harbor ingratitude, they would utterly neglect their own worthiness compared to the love of their Lord, who has performed such wondrous acts on their behalf. Since they are unable to repay God for His incredible gifts, all that remains is for them to give thanks. To give thanks requires taking the cup of the Lord and calling upon His name. For what can a servant offer to repay the Lord for all He has provided?
What rationale can I provide for your praise? Simply this: The Lord is good (Psalm 134:3). In a single word, this encapsulates the adoration we owe to our God. He is good, yet not merely in comparison to what He has created. For God has deemed all His creations very good (Genesis 1:31). He made the heavens, the earth, and everything therein, and declared them good, indeed very good. If He has created all these things in goodness, how much greater must He be, the Creator Himself?
How far can we even articulate His goodness? Who can fully grasp or capture in their heart how wonderful the Lord is? Yet let us return to ourselves and recognize Him through His creation, praising the Creator within His works, for we are unworthy to gaze upon Him directly. We hope that, when purified by faith, we might one day see Him and rejoice in the absolute Truth; and while He remains unseen to us at present, let us contemplate His works, ensuring that we do not fail to praise Him. Therefore, I declare, "Praise the Lord, for He is good; sing praises to His name, for He is delightful." He is our Mediator, and for that reason, He is sweet. What could be sweeter than the food of angels? How could God not be sweet if humanity partakes of angelic nourishment? For both men and angels are sustained by the same source. This is the truth, the wisdom, the goodness of God; yet, we cannot experience it in the same way the angels do.
To allow humanity to partake of angelic sustenance, the Creator of angels became flesh. If you taste and experience how sweet the Lord is, sing with joy; if that which you savor pleases you, express your gratitude. Who among us would neglect to thank the chef or provider for a delightful meal? If we respond in gratitude for mere physical nourishment, how much more should we offer thanks to the One who supplies us with all things?
For the Lord has chosen Jacob, Israel, as His treasured possession (Psalm 134:4). Jacob should neither elevate himself nor take pride in his own merits; he was known, predestined, and selected not for his own worthiness, but rather graced with life through the mercy of God. The same is true for all Gentiles; what merit had the wild olive to be grafted into the cultivated olive tree, given the bitterness of its fruit and its wilderness origins? It was an unrefined tree, yet through His mercy, God integrated the wild olive into the true olive tree, which had not occurred until this moment.
"For I know that the Lord is great, and our God is above all gods" (Psalm 134:5). If we were to question the speaker about the nature of His greatness, they might reply that the One they perceive, whom they cannot fully narrate or explain, reveals His greatness through His creation. Let them reflect upon His works and remember God's greatness, which they have witnessed and committed to our faith. Since we cannot see it as they do, may His works, which we can comprehend, inspire our praise.
All that the Lord desired, He created in the heavens, upon the earth, in the seas, and in the depths of the waters (Psalm 133:6). Who can parse the depth of His works? Who can catalog what the Lord has wrought in heaven and on earth, in sea and abyss? While we may not grasp it all, we must cling to these truths without doubt, for every element of creation, from heaven to earth to deep waters, was fashioned by the Lord.
He brings the clouds from the corners of the earth (Psalm 134:7). We witness these acts of God through His creation, as clouds emerge from distant places and rain falls upon the earth, often without understanding their origin. The prophet speaks of clouds arising from anywhere He wills, effortlessly transformed from moisture to rain. The lightening may inspire fear, but out of that very intensity, He brings forth rain, replacing terror with joy. The One who causes the winds to rise from His storehouses renders their source inscrutable; though we feel their presence, we do not know from whence they come. Yet we owe God our faith-filled worship, for the winds would not blow if not commanded by the Creator, nor would they exist without His will.
In observing His works, let us praise, wonder, and bless God. Consider all He has done for His people. Who struck down the firstborn of Egypt (Psalm 133:8)? Here we encounter divine actions meant to inspire love rather than fear. Even in anger, He executes His will—from mankind to livestock. He unleashed signs and wonders upon Egypt (Psalm 134:9). We know the accounts of what the Lord achieved through Moses to humble the proud Egyptians, Pharaoh, and his household. But what miraculous deeds followed the deliverance of His people from Egypt? Who smote numerous nations (Psalm 134:10), taking possession of the land God promised to His people? He defeated mighty kings—Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan (Psalm 134:11). These events, scribed in the Psalm and confirmed elsewhere, reveal the might of the Lord’s hand. When you witness the fate of the wicked, be vigilant lest you share their destiny. Furthermore, when a righteous individual observes the punishment of the unjust, they should purify themselves from all wrongdoing, for such punishment can befall them as well. This understanding allows you to grasp the reality of God’s actions. What did the Lord achieve? He expelled the wicked and bequeathed their land as an inheritance to His servant, Israel (Psalm 133:12).
Subsequently, a grand proclamation of His praise arises: "Thy name, O Lord, is forever and ever" (Psalm 134:13), in light of all His deeds. For when I gaze upon Your creations, I behold what You have made in the heavens, I perceive this earthly realm in which we reside, and witness Your provisions of clouds, winds, and rain. I honor Your people; You liberated them from bondage and performed majestic signs and wonders against their adversaries. You exacted justice upon those who troubled them, removed the wicked from their lands, silenced their kings, and given their territories to Your people. As I behold these acts, I am filled with joy and declare, “Lord, Your Name is eternal.”
God accomplished these works in the physical realm when our ancestors were liberated from Egypt, and He continues to do so in the spiritual realm. His Hand will not falter until the end. Therefore, do not conclude that these mighty acts of God ceased in that time. "Thy name, O Lord," he states, "is forever," which means that His mercy and deeds persist continuously. These narratives are recorded for our edification, as the culmination of the eras approaches (1 Corinthians 10:11). It is through one generation following another that we are made faithful and reborn in baptism, raised from death to dwell forever with the angels. "Thy remembrance, O Lord, is above this generation and the next," for He will not forget to summon us, nor to bestow crowns upon us in that coming time.
The Lord has adjudicated on behalf of His people and will be present with His faithful servants (Psalm 133:14). He has already rendered judgments among them. Excluding the final judgment, the people of Israel will face evaluation. What does this judgment entail? The righteous will be gathered, while the unrighteous will remain. If I am mistaken in saying it has already occurred, consider how the Lord professed, "I have come into this world to carry out judgment, that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind" (John 9:39). The arrogant are rendered blind, while the humble receive sight. This is the punishment He has decreed upon His people, as Isaiah proclaimed. "And now, O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord" (Isaiah 2:5). This is a profound statement; but more follows: He has rejected His people, the house of Israel. The house of Jacob is the house of Israel; for one known as Jacob is also Israel. Thus, God has judged His people, separating good from evil, and in the end, He will be acknowledged among His servants by the Gentiles.
How extensive are the nations that come forth by faith! Many now arrive from farms and desolate places, from places unknown and countless in number; they come desiring faith. We ask them, "What do you seek?" They respond, "To behold the glory of God." Believe me, dear friends, we are both astonished and delighted by the declarations of these humble individuals. They come from shadowy locations, awakened by an unfamiliar force. While we ponder the source of their arrival, we know by what means they arrive; it is through the One who states, "No one comes to Me unless the Father draws them" (John 6:44). They surge forth strangely from the forests, the wilderness, and the highest peaks into the Church; indeed, many of them, almost all, converse with us in our tongue, revealing the truth that God teaches them from within. The prophetic words of Scripture are fulfilled, "And they shall all be taught by God" (Isaiah 54:13). We ask again, "What do you yearn for?" and they answer, "To behold the glory of God" (John 6:45). For all have sinned and missed the glory of God (Romans 3:23). They believe, they are sanctified, and they desire the appointment of clergy for their community. Has it not been fulfilled that He would be acknowledged among His servants?
THEOSIS