Praise together, O Jerusalem, your God. Psalm 146:12. Even in the time of exile, the citizens observe their community as one flock, joyfully united around their city. They envision the delight of a harvest gathered and secured in the storehouse, free from labor and distress; and amidst their current trials, they express their joyful anticipation, aligning their hearts with the angels and the faithful, who will share eternal joy. What action shall you take, Jerusalem? Labor and sorrow will surely fade. What shall you do? Will you till the soil, sow seeds, plant vineyards, travel, or engage in commerce? What will occupy your time? Is it still your responsibility to perform the tasks before you, regardless of their goodness, stemming from compassion? Reflect carefully on your community; if any are hungry, offer them bread; if anyone thirsts, provide a cup of cold water; if a stranger is in need, welcome them; if someone is ill, pay them a visit; if there is a conflict, seek reconciliation; and if there is a death, attend to their burial. So what remains for you to do? Together, acclaim, O Jerusalem, your God. This is your true vocation. As inscriptions often remind us, "Engage and rejoice."
Be Jerusalem, remember that it is said, "Lord, in Thy city their image shall be destroyed." They who revel in such splendor now include those absent today due to worldly distractions. To whom does this spectacle benefit? Who suffers loss from it? Or why do they gain, and at what cost? The loss is not merely to those who present such displays but to those who partake in their admiration, for the former deplete their treasures, while the latter suffer the loss of spiritual riches. Many of these exhibitors must lament the sale of their lands; how much greater is the despair of those losing their very souls? Was this not why the Lord declared on the Lord’s Day, "Watch, that others may also take heed today"? I implore you, people of Jerusalem, I entreat you for the sake of the peace of Jerusalem, through the Redeemer and the Architect of the holy city, to lift your prayers to God for their sake. Grant them insight so they may realize the triviality of their pursuits, and no matter how captivated they are by their spectacles, let them find dissatisfaction upon self-reflection. For we rejoice in what has already transpired, recalling that we once stood in folly; and how many assume they currently dwell in folly, who will someday not only embrace Christianity but also hold positions of leadership! From past events, we predict future occurrences; from what has been realized, we proclaim what God will accomplish. Let your prayers be vigilant, for they are not in vain. Surely, those already redeemed intercede for those who remain at risk, for they too have faced peril. God will surely lead His people out of Babylonian captivity; He will undoubtedly redeem and rescue them, increasing the assembly of the saints who bear His image. Praise in unity, for you are many: praise because you have become one. The Apostle teaches us that "we, being many, are one body in Christ." 1 Corinthians 10:17. Since we are numerous, we praise in togetherness; since we are unified, we worship. Both many and one are reconciled in Him who is eternally the One.
Therefore, why, O Jerusalem, do I praise the Lord with one heart, as Zion praises my God? Jerusalem is synonymous with Zion. It bears two names for distinct reasons. Jerusalem signifies "visions of peace," while Zion means "to observe." Consider how these definitions relate to sight and understanding; let not the Gentiles presume they hold all spectacles while we possess none. After a theater’s conclusion, as the misguided masses exit their den, they often carry the images of their frivolities, filling their minds with notions that are not only trivial but also detrimental. Deceiving themselves, they find pleasure in these illusions as if they were delightful, while in truth they are perilous; occasionally, they might see the servants of God passing by, recognizing them by their attire or appearance, and express to one another: "These poor souls, how much they forfeit!" Dear brethren, let us respond to their goodwill—formed from their ignorance—with prayers to the Lord. They mean us well, but he who embraces wickedness despises his own soul. If he neglects his soul, how can he genuinely care for mine? Their empty goodwill, if it can be called goodwill, manifests as sorrow for our losses of what they cherish. Let us instead pray that they do not lose our treasures.
Consider what Jerusalem is called to be in praise, or rather, anticipate it will praise. The adoration of this city, when we behold, cherish, and exalt it, will require no encouragement from prophecy; yet the prophets speak now to instill within us, to the best of their ability in this mortal existence, the joys of the blessed to awaken our affection for that city. Let our hearts fervently desire, let us not be sluggish in spirit. Praise your God, Zion. He has fortified your gates. Psalm 146:13. The bolts are not reinforced for open gates but for those that are shut; thus most texts indicate, "He has strengthened the locks on your gates." Observe, dear friends: He calls upon Jerusalem, even when it is closed, to honor the Lord. Praise harmoniously now, even in the midst of trials. Many experience entry where we desire to avoid; many depart against our wishes; hence, offences abound. "And because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold," Matthew 24:12, as men enter who are unrecognizable and leave whom we cannot hold back. Why this? Because perfection has not yet materialized; the bliss that is to come has not yet been realized. This remains a threshing floor, not yet a harvest. What then should we expect? He did not merely state, "He has established," but "He has reinforced the bolts of your gates." Let no individual exit, let no one enter. When we rejoice at their departure, we fear their entrance. And do not harbor such fear, for when you arrive, it shall be said to you, "Only you shall be among the virgins who brought oil with them..."
He has blessed your children within you. Who? He who establishes peace within your borders. How your hearts rejoice! Cultivate peace, brethren. Rejoice abundantly when love for peace wells up within you. It is a profound delight! I offered no explanation, yet just by reading the verse, your voices arose. What stirred within you? The love of peace...children of the kingdom, citizens of Jerusalem, there lies within Jerusalem a vision of peace; all who cherish peace are blessed therein and shall enter when the doors are sealed tight, and the barriers are firmly in place. This intrinsic longing, identified simply by its name, is what you treasure; this pursuit extends beyond into your homes, your work, your partnerships, your offspring, your servants, your acquaintances, and even your adversaries.
What you expressed recently at the mere mention of peace echoed a yearning: your cry was one of thirst, not of fullness; for perfect truth reigns where perfect peace exists. Now we hunger and thirst for righteousness. They shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6 How will they be filled? When we enter into peace. Therefore, upon stating, “He that hath established peace within thy borders,” the psalmist continued, “And with the fat of wheat shall He fill you.” Psalm 146:14.
Who sends His Word upon the earth? Psalm 146:15. Behold, as we toil on earth, weary, weak, sluggish, and cold: when we should have ascended to the wheat that nourishes you, did He not send His Word to earth? It was by His Word that we have been restrained, preventing our ascension. He did not abandon us even in the wilderness; He bestowed manna from heaven. Who sends His Word to the earth; His Word came down to us. What is like His Word? Even beyond swiftness, His Word moves. He did not merely assert, "His Word is fast," but "His Word runs to the utmost swiftness." Let us grasp this, beloved: He could not have chosen a better illustration. He who is heated becomes warm from heat; he who is cold is made cold by coldness; he who is swift becomes quickened by swiftness...To what measure then does it run? Even to swiftness itself. Increase, if you may, the swiftness of the Word and liken it to anything, be it birds, winds, or angels; is any of these comparable to swiftness itself? Swiftness, brethren, encompasses everything; it is not partial. It is inherent to the Word of God, which is to be everywhere, not in part. This Word is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God, 1 Corinthians 1:24, existing even before the incarnation. If we reflect upon God in His divine form, the Word equal with the Father, this is the Wisdom of God of which it is declared, "It stretches with might from one end to the other." Wisdom 8:1 What unparalleled speed! It reaches mightily throughout the universe.
Then we become encumbered by the flaws of this cold body and the shackles of this earthly and decaying life; do we lack hope of receiving the Word that approaches in swiftness? Or has He abandoned us, though we are overwhelmed by our fleshly constraints? Did He not predetermine us even before we took our first breaths in this frail existence? Therefore, He who predestined us provided snow to the earth, and even ourselves. Now let us contemplate these somewhat obscure verses of the psalm and begin to unravel the confusion. Here, we are slow and somewhat frozen in this life. Just as snowflakes freeze and then descend, so too does love grow cold, and human nature falls to this earth, ensnared in a sluggish body akin to snow. Yet among this snow, the sons of God are predestined. For He gives snow as wool. Psalm 146:16. What does "wool" signify? It reflects that from the snow He has granted—that is, from those who are still slow in spirit and weary—He intends to create something. Wool is the fabric of garments; when we encounter wool, we perceive it as fabric awaiting purpose. Thus, as He has predestined those presently cold and creeping on the earth, lacking fervor in love (for He still speaks of predestination), God regards them as wool; garments will emerge from it. Rightly, Christ's garments shone on the mountain like snow. Matthew 17:2 The garments of Christ appeared brilliant as though already crafted from that wool—so that, while still in a state of predestination, He has given them as wool, the garments are forthcoming. For the Church, called the Body of Christ, is also known as the garment of Christ; hence, the apostle states that He will present to Himself a glorious Church, without spot or blemish. Ephesians 5:27 Thus, let Him present to Himself a glorious Church, free of imperfections; let Him construct a garment from that wool which He granted in the snow. While humanity remains in disbelief, cold and lethargic, let Him fashion a garment from that wool. To cleanse from impurities, let faith wash away the stains; that no blemish remains, let Him humble himself upon the cross.
THEOSIS