It is fitting for us to experience joy and gladness as this Psalm encourages us to do. We read, "Praise the name of the Lord" (Psalm 134:1). Herein lies the justification for such praise: "Praise the Lord, you His servants." What could be more deserving of our admiration? If He educates His faithful servants, the heralds of His Word, the leaders of His Church, those who honor His name, and those who follow His commands, then how much greater is He, the Immutable One, who imparts wisdom to all, equally through acclaim and admonition? As servants, it is proper for you to exalt your Lord. If you were merely servants eternally, praising the Lord would still be essential; how much more, then, should you, being His servants, exalt Him in order to attain the status of sons in the future.
Therefore, all of you who dwell in the house of the Lord and in the courts of our God, let us exalt His name (Psalm 133:2). Give thanks; once you were on the outside but now you stand within. Is it not a small thing to consider where to honor the One who lifted you from despair and brought you into His dwelling to know and glorify Him? Can we undervalue the blessing of standing in the house of the Lord? If anyone thinks deeply about this and remains ungrateful, they do so at their own expense when compared to the love of their Lord, who has accomplished such mighty deeds for them. Lacking the ability to repay God for His tremendous kindness, what remains for them is to express gratitude and to give Him thanks. Truly, the act of thanksgiving includes taking the cup of salvation and calling upon the Lord's name. How can the servant reciprocate for all that God has bestowed upon him?
What shall I say to urge you to offer praise? Because "the Lord is good" (Psalm 134:3). The essence of our God’s praise can be summed up in this one thought: "The Lord is good." He is good, yet His goodness surpasses all creation. For God declared all things to be very good (Genesis 1:31). The heavens, the earth, and all that is contained within were made good and exceedingly good. If everything He created is good, how much greater must He be, the Creator Himself?
How far can we even begin to articulate His goodness? Who can truly fathom or appreciate just how good the Lord is? Yet let us turn our attention inward and recognize the Creator through His creation since we are unworthy to behold Him directly. With the faith that will purify our hearts, we hope to one day rejoice in Truth; for now, as He remains unseen, let us admire His creation, ensuring we do not live without praising Him. Therefore, I proclaim, "Praise the Lord for He is good; sing praises to His name, for He is delightful..." He is the Mediator and thus worthy of sweetness. What could be sweeter than the food of angels? How could God not be sweet if mankind has partaken of the food of angels? Men and angels share the same sustenance, for this is the truth, this is wisdom, and this is the essence of God's goodness, though we do not experience it as the angels do. In order for man to partake of angelic food, the Creator of angels assumed human form. If you partake and experience this sweetness, sing praises; if what you sample is pleasant, acknowledge it; who among us would fail to express gratitude to the chef or provider for a delightful meal?
The Lord has selected Jacob, Israel, as His treasured possession (Psalm 134:4). Therefore, let Jacob remain humble and not boast or claim credit for his own selection. He was known beforehand, predestined, and chosen not for any merit of his own, but because he was graced with life by God's mercy. The same is true for all the Gentiles; what merit did the wild olive tree possess to be grafted in given the bitterness of its fruit and wild nature? It was part of the wilderness and not the Lord’s fields, yet through His compassion, He grafted the wild olive into the true olive tree, but not before this moment.
For he stated, "I know that the Lord is great, and our God is above all gods" (Psalm 134:5). If someone were to ask him to explain God’s greatness, surely he would confess that he could not fully express it due to its vastness. Instead, let him recount the Lord’s deeds. He should keep in mind the greatness of God that he has witnessed, which is entrusted to our faith, and recount some of the works done on our behalf; that through these creations, which we can comprehend, even those who cannot perceive His greatness may find Him delightful.
All that the Lord desired, He fashioned in the heavens, on the earth, in the sea, and in its depths (Psalm 133:6). Who can grasp these wonders? Who can enumerate the Lord’s works across the heavens, the earth, the seas, and in the great depths? If we cannot grasp them all, we must accept and believe without question that all creation, whether in heaven, on earth, or in the seas, was established by the Lord.
With the clouds rising from the edges of the earth (Psalm 134:7), we witness the manifestations of God in creation. The clouds come from the outermost ends towards the center, bringing rain, yet we do not question their origin. Thus, the prophet emphasizes that from the corners of the earth—whether from below or from beyond—He brings forth clouds solely from the earth. He converts lightning into rain. For lightning alone would terrify without providing any benefit, but by turning it into rain, He transforms fear into joy. The One who once frightened us now brings us gladness. He who summons the winds from His storehouses, their origins remain hidden; we feel their presence yet know not from where they come (John 3:8). However, we owe God our faith and adoration, for the wind would not blow unless commanded by its Creator.
We see this through His works; let us offer praise, marvel, and bless God. Let us reflect on what He has done for His people. Who struck down the firstborn of Egypt? (Psalm 133:8) Such are the accounts of divine deeds which may inspire love rather than fear. Even when angry, He acts with intention from human beings to beasts. He sent signs and wonders upon you, Egypt! (Psalm 134:9). You know the accounts of what the Lord's hand accomplished through Moses to demolish the proud Egyptians, including Pharaoh and his servants. Yet, this is not the entirety of His actions in Egypt; after liberating His people, who smote many nations (Psalm 134:10) and seized the land intended for His people? He struck down kings of formidable nations, namely Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, along with all the kingdoms of Canaan (Psalm 134:11). These events are outlined in the Psalms and corroborated by other accounts depicting the might of the Lord's hand. When witnessing the fate of the wicked, let us heed caution lest we suffer their fate. Upon seeing a wicked individual punished, let the righteous cleanse themselves from iniquity lest they receive similar penalties. When we understand these truths fully, we comprehend what God accomplished: He cast out the wicked and granted their land as an inheritance to Israel, His servant (Psalm 133:12).
Next comes the jubilant cry of praise: "Thy name, O Lord, is forever and ever" (Psalm 134:13), following all that You have accomplished. For what do I perceive of Your creation? I behold the heavens and observe the lower realms we inhabit, where I witness Your gifts of clouds, winds, and rain. I honor Your people; You have delivered them from captivity and demonstrated signs and wonders to their foes. You have punished oppressors, driven out wickedness from their land, defeated their kings, and given their territory to Your people. Witnessing all these acts of deliverance brings me joy as I proclaim, "Lord, Your name endures forever."
All these acts of destruction were fulfilled in a corporeal sense when our ancestors exited Egypt, and now they resonate in the spiritual realm. His work continues until the end of time. Hence, do not imagine that God's magnificent deeds concluded at that point. "Thy name, O Lord, is forever," speaks to the eternal nature of His mercy and the continual action of His hand in what He has articulated within creation. These truths are inscribed for our guidance, as the culmination of ages approaches (1 Corinthians 10:11), bridging one generation to another; the generation that renders us faithful through baptism, the generation that raises us from the dead to coexist with angels forever. Your remembrance, O Lord, transcends both this generation and the next, for He will never forget to call us and will not overlook the promise of our future crown.
The Lord has rendered judgment upon His people and will be made known among His servants (Psalm 133:14). He has already passed judgment upon the people. In the final judgment, the righteous shall be taken, and the unjust shall remain. But should you think I am mistaken in claiming judgment has already occurred, heed these words of the Lord: "I have come into this world for judgment, that those who do not see may see, and that those who do see may become blind" (John 9:39). The proud become blind, while the humble are illuminated. Thus, He pronounces judgment upon His people, as foretold by Isaiah. "Now, O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord" (Isaiah 2:5). This is but a small matter; what ensues? For He has rejected His people, the house of Israel. The house of Jacob represents the house of Israel; for Jacob is also called Israel. Therefore, God adjudicates His people, distinguishing between good and evil; He shall be made known among His servants by the Gentiles. For how abundant are the nations who arrive through faith! How many come to us from desolate lands? They arrive in numbers beyond reckoning, seeking to know the glory of God. I assure you, dear brethren, we are amazed and filled with joy by the declarations of these villagers. They journey from the unknown, stirred by an unseen force. They query, "What is your desire?" They respond, "To see the glory of God." Believe me, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). They have faith, they are sanctified, and they seek clergy to be appointed for their guidance. Has this not been fulfilled, and shall He not be renowned among His servants?
Finally, following this divine orchestration and allocation, the Spirit of God redirects attention to the derision and scorn directed at idols that now render their worshippers a target of mockery. "The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold" (Psalm 134:15). Since God, the Creator of all that exists in heaven and on earth, enacted His will, what can be the product of human creation but an object of ridicule rather than reverence? Did He mention the idols of the Gentiles for us to dismiss them entirely? Was it to critique mere stone and wood, plaster, and pottery? No, these materials are trivial, but I speak of what is cherished and esteemed. "The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the work of human hands." Surely, it is gold; indeed, it is silver, glistening, and gleaming. But do they possess sight? If all these things are empty, why forge gods from silver and gold? Do you not notice that the deities you have fashioned cannot see? They may have mouths but cannot speak; they may have eyes but cannot perceive (Psalm 134:16); they may have ears but cannot hear; and there is no breath within their mouths (Psalm 134:17); they have nostrils yet cannot smell; they have hands yet cannot act; they have feet yet cannot walk. The carpenter, silversmith, or goldsmith may create eyes, ears, nostrils, mouths, hands, and feet, yet they cannot bestow sight or hearing, speech or scent, nor movement to those limbs.
THEOSIS