The title of this psalm is concise yet profound in its enigmatic truths. It is directed toward David, referencing his confrontation with Goliath. This event is a cherished memory from the stories of our ancestors, a tale you, dear friends, likely recall from the Scriptures. David gathered five stones in his pouch, using only one. While five books were designated, it was unity that triumphed. After being bested, he seized the sword of his adversary to deliver a fatal blow to him. Similarly, our David struck down the adversary with his own weapon; those who had been under his influence, who he had previously led to believe, turned against the enemy, thereby severing Goliath's head with his own sword.
Blessed be the Lord my God, who trains my hands for battle and my fingers for warfare. Psalm 143:1. This sentiment resonates with us as members of the body of Christ. The phrases about our hands for battle and fingers for warfare may read as redundant, but is there a distinction between them? Certainly, both hands and fingers are instruments of action. It’s understandable we sometimes confuse the two. Yet, fingers suggest a nuanced division of tasks, while still maintaining unity in purpose. This is where grace comes into play. The apostle illustrates this when he refers to the variety of spiritual gifts, stating that while there are different functions, they are all activated by the same Spirit, who is the essence of unity. Thus, the fingers of the Body of Christ engage in combat for our cause. Through acts of mercy, we vanquish our foe; and without mercy, our acts would be impossible, as it is the Holy Spirit that bestows mercy upon us. He is the one who prepares our hands for warfare and our fingers for conflict. To Him we rightfully assert, “My mercy, from whom we derive the ability to be merciful; for judgment without mercy will be shown to those who have not exercised mercy.” James 2:13.
"My mercy and my fortress, my Sustainer and my Rescuer." Psalm 142:2. This warrior strives diligently, though his flesh rebels against his spirit. Persevere in what you have. You will find what you seek when death is conquered by victory; 1 Corinthians 15:54, when this mortal body is raised and transformed into a celestial form, elevated to a divine quality... In those moments, life exists, and days are serene, where there is no resistance to the spirit, where it is declared, ‘Rejoice, do not fight.’ But who yearns for those days? Naturally, everyone does. Now listen to what follows. I perceive your labors and the trials you are facing; heed this: ... Turn away from evil and do good: do not let the needy suffer under your burden, that the downtrodden may rejoice through your actions. What reward will you receive, as you engage in this struggle? Seek peace and pursue it. Learn to declare, “My mercy and my fortress, my Protector and my Rescuer, my Defender; guard me against falling; rescue me so I do not falter; protect me from harm.” Amidst all my endeavors, in trials, and in tribulations, I place my trust in Him who governs my people. Behold, our Head communes with us.
“Lord, what is man that You have made Yourself known to him?” Psalm 142:3. This inquiry encompasses everything involved in Your revelation to him. Or the son of man, whom You cherish? You attribute such worth to him, assigning him great value; You understand the responsibilities You have laid upon him and the authority You have conferred upon him. Valuation speaks to the worth of a thing. How immensely He esteems humanity when He sacrificed His only begotten Son! For God values mankind not as one human values another: a person may pay more for a horse than for a human when bargaining for a slave. Reflect on how greatly He has esteemed you that you could assert, “If God is for us, who can stand against us?” And how precious you must be when He did not withhold His Son from you! How will He not also graciously provide us all things? Romans 8:31-32. Who sustains the warrior? What rewards does He have in store for the victorious...?
"Man is but a breath; his days fade like a shadow." Psalm 142:4. What is vanity? It is time that slips away and flows by. This vanity is noted in contrast to Truth, which is constant and eternal; for it too is part of God’s creation, albeit in its own manner. As it is written, "The Lord has filled the earth with His goodness." Sirach 16:29. To Him, what does this mean? It represents communion with Him. Yet, all these worldly matters are transient; in comparison to the eternal Truth, which declares, “I am who I am,” Exodus 3:14, all these fleeting things are deemed vanity. For like a puff of air, they evaporate. Need I expound further than what the apostle James has stated, wishing to humble the proud, "What, he asks, is your life?" It is even a vapor that appears momentarily and then vanishes. James 4:14. Therefore, even if only at night, labor diligently with your hands through good deeds and cry out to God before the daylight brings joy, lest the day of sorrow arrives. For observe how securely you toil, for you are not forsaken by the One you seek, that your Father, who sees in secret, may reward you openly. Matthew 6:4.
"O Lord, bend down Your heavens and descend; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke." Psalm 143:5. Send forth Your lightning, and scatter them; let Your arrows fly, and they will be put to shame. Psalm 143:6. Extend Your hand from above and rescue me from the depths of many waters. Psalm 143:7. The Body of Christ, humble David, replete with grace, reliant on God, and grappling with this world, calls for Divine assistance. What does it mean for the heavens to bow? The apostles humbled themselves. For these heavens proclaim God’s glory; and of these heavens it is stated, "There is no speech or language, yet their voices are heard throughout the earth," etc. When these heavens echoed across all lands, they performed miracles, as the Lord shone forth and acted through them in wondrous ways, it was believed that deities had descended from heaven to interact with humanity. Some Gentiles, embracing this notion, even sought to offer sacrifices to them... Yet, they instead offered unto the Lord Jesus Christ, humbling themselves to exalt God, for the heavens were lowered so that God could come down... Touch the mountains, and they will rise in smoke. Unless they are touched, they overestimate their own greatness: they are about to proclaim, "You are great, O Lord; for You alone are the Most High over all the earth."
However, there are some who conspire, who come together against the Lord and His Christ. They conspire in unity. Strike your lightning to scatter them; multiply your signs, and their schemes will be thwarted. Let Your arrows fly, and they shall be shattered. Let the wayward be harmed, that in their suffering they may find healing, and may now affirm within the Church, within the Body of Christ, let them voice, "I am wounded by Love." Extend Your hand from on high. What then? How does the Body of Christ achieve victory? Through heavenly aid. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God. 1 Thess 4:16, and He Himself is the Savior of the body, the Hand of God. What does "out of many waters" signify? It refers to numerous nations. Which nations? Those foreign to the faith, the unbelievers who attack us externally or set snares internally. Bring me forth from these many waters in which You have tested me and rolled over me to cleanse me from my transgressions. These are the waters of contradiction. Numbers 20:13... These adversarial forces. Brethren, listen to whom we belong, among whose number we reside, from whom we wish to be liberated. Whose lips speak deception. Psalm 142:8. If you had not gathered today for these sacred moments of divine revelation and had not been preoccupied with them, what emptiness you would encounter! Whose speech conveys folly: when will those who speak only vanity listen to you, who convey the truth? Their right hand represents iniquity. What business do you have with them, carrying your shepherd's pouch with the five stones? Consider this in another light: the same law denoted by the five stones possesses additional significance. "I will sing a new song unto You, O God." Psalm 143:9. A new song of grace; a song of the new creation; a song from the New Covenant. However, so that you do not think grace is separate from the law, I will sing to You on a ten-stringed lyre. Through the law of the Ten Commandments: in this I can sing to You; in this I can rejoice in You; in this I can declare a new song; for Love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:10. But those devoid of love can carry a psalm but cannot truly sing. Contradiction cannot silence my psalmody.
"He who grants salvation to kings, who rescues David his servant." Psalm 143:10. You know who David is; be yourself as David. From where does He redeem His servant David? What does He save Christ from? What liberation does He provide for the Body of Christ? "Rescue me from the sword of malice." The sword alone is insufficient; he supplements it with “malice.” There is assuredly a sword of good intentions. What does "the sword of good intentions" entail? It is what the Lord declares: "I came not to bring peace to the earth, but a sword." Matthew 10:34. For He intended to divide believers from non-believers, separating sons from their parents, severing all other attachments, as the sword can excise that which is sick yet heal the members of Christ. The sword of good intention, double-edged, is powerful on both sides, encompassing the Old and New Testaments with narratives of the past and promises of the future. This, then, is the sword of good intention; the other wields malice, bringing forth words of vanity, while that sword is marked by good intention as God speaks the truth. For indeed, the sons of men wield their teeth like spears and arrows, their tongues resemble sharp swords. Deliver me from this sword. Psalm 142:11. And rescue me from the hands of those foreign children, whose tongues have uttered falsehood, just as before. Moreover, their right hand is the hand of iniquity, which he earlier illustrated when he referred to them as many waters. To prevent any misunderstanding that these waters might be beneficial, he elucidated their nature through the sword of wickedness.
THEOSIS