Psalm 4:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

If one who anticipates receiving an inheritance or attaining great power is infused with hope and enthusiasm even before the moment of realization, imagine the state of someone expecting the everlasting, immortal kingdom and the blessings of those things “which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9). Thus, he states, “Thou hast filled my heart with joy,” showcasing the utmost divine Providence in preparing and sharing such benevolence. Yet, if those who are more accustomed to earthly matters do not recognize this, it is due not to the Promised One but to their own ignorance that sorrow and bewilderment arise. He did not merely say, “Thou hast filled with joy,” but emphasized “my heart,” indicating that his delight did not stem from external sources—neither from servants, nor from gold and silver, nor from fine clothes or lavish feasts, nor from the splendor of dominion, nor from opulent dwellings. It is not the cheerfulness seen by the eyes alone, but rather the joy of the heart. Many who possess such earthly riches often view life as devoid of vitality, harboring within their souls a furnace of anxiety, worn down by an abundance of worries and perpetual fears. However, my joy, he notes, arises not from these external factors, but from a well-ordered heart and a soul contemplating the eternal. Should present blessings bring you pleasure, recognize in them God's Providence; yet, learn even more from those future blessings, for they are of superior quality, perpetual, and immutable. If your enjoyment of wealth and prosperity leads you to acknowledge the existence of God's Providence, then allow the riches of heaven to affirm that understanding. And if you question why those future blessings remain unseen and only hoped for, I assert that we who believe regard these anticipated goods as better known than the tangible. This conviction stems from faith. If you inquire why recompense is not received here, I explain that this is a season for toil and endeavor, while the rewards and crowns await in the eternal and timeless realm. God's Providence determined that labors be assigned to this fleeting life, while rewards would be bestowed in the immortal life that lies ahead. Though many may be weak of spirit, God also grants them sensory comforts. For instance, among the Jewish people, material blessings flowed alongside longevity and health; they experienced victories over foes, profound peace, prosperity, and abundance bestowed upon those who heeded God’s commands. But when our Lord Jesus Christ came, urging us toward heaven and teaching us to scorn worldly riches while instilling love for the treasures above, it is only fitting that present comforts diminish with all true wealth lying in the future rewards, for we have attained completeness in Him. Similarly, just as parents amuse their children with toys and clothing, only to later bestow upon them higher honors and responsibilities, so too does God desire to redirect us from trivial pleasures, promising us heavenly gifts. Therefore, do not cling to ephemeral and transient joys, nor act cowardly. He has not completely stripped you of worldly comforts, for it is impossible for beings formed of flesh to exist without them; He provides abundantly. This is why the prophet, having contemplated wisely about this aspect of divine Providence, states: “Thou hast filled my heart with gladness” as he refers to the abundance of “bread and wine and oil.” With these phrases, he highlights a significant portion of divine Providence manifested in visible forms. Speaking of wheat, wine, and oil and their abundance signifies the rains, the seasonal prosperity, the earth's bounty, the flow of air, the sun's ascent, the moon's cycles, and the harmony of the stars, alongside the seasons and the farmer's skill and tools—without which the harvest could neither emerge nor reach maturity. By mentioning wheat, wine, and oil, he gives the discerning individual an opportunity to draw conclusions about the whole from these parts, unveiling the vast sea of God's Providence observed through the senses. This is why Paul, in one of his discourses, references this Providential care when he states: “giving us rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and joy” (Acts 14:17). The prophet, not wanting to enumerate unnecessarily, refrains from mentioning every fruit of the earth, every kind of tree, plant, seed, herb, meadow, or flower, instead using collective terms for life's necessities, enabling an understanding of the rest through these examples. All these gifts are bestowed upon us not only generously but annually. If at times the gifts are reduced, He demonstrates His Providence, rekindling many from apathy and prompting them to seek these blessings from Him. However, if some claim that rain is not God’s doing but attributed to idols, we ask them, “How is this known?” They may assert, “Poets claim that Zeus gives the rains.” Yet, they also say he is an adulterer, a child abuser, and a patricide—accusations no less severe. Thus, their reasoning is equally flawed. To accept this claim necessitates acceptance of the former; to reject the former calls for rejection of the latter. We who bear witness to God's might typically accept what is said about Him. Therefore, if you accept Zeus as an adulterer and all the other offenses attributed to him, you must also recognize this disregard for God. Even if you resist acknowledging it, such myths crumble under scrutiny, revealing their deception and self-refuting nature. Once they are debunked, your reasoning inevitably loses strength, for even the names of the gods were fabricated by their creators, as one philosopher opined. If we dismiss these, and resort to allegory, I pose this question: What is Zeus? They claim it is the fiery essence, the upper air known as ether, because it burns. This suggests it is not an intelligent, free being but rather an unintelligent force. Air has neither reasoning nor consciousness, as all know—indeed, even the most obtuse among us. In this way, Zeus’s foundation is dismantled. If Zeus is mere air, and air is devoid of reason, then fables lose their impact. If he is air, he cannot have fathered any entity, contrary to how the poets craft tales, such as Apollo son of Zeus, for the sun too lacks consciousness, reason, or intellect, being merely a material creation governed by the laws imposed by God from the beginning. Furthermore, rain does not arise from the ether but from clouds drawing water from the sea or the upper waters, as prophets affirm. If you doubt the prophets, clear and undeniable signs confirm they spoke under divine inspiration, sharing no personal insights but conveying truths from divine grace. Everything they proclaimed has been realized and justified through events, whether derived from Old Testament or New Testament prophecies. All that the prophets stated regarding the Jews has come to fruition, a truth evident to all, as well as what is said of Christ in the New Testament, which particularly attests to the divine nature of the Scriptures. If the Scriptures are divine, then all they declare about God is veritable. Thus, let there be no doubt about God's Providence, but marvel at how He cares for creation, providing the sun and rain to all, despite the presence of both righteous and wicked among humanity. And if He allows some to endure poverty and hardship, it is to refine their souls and cultivate mercy within them. You know well that wealth often serves as a source of vice for the inattentive, while poverty generates wisdom, a truth continually demonstrated by experience. Indeed, how many impoverished individuals exhibit greater prudence and wisdom than the affluent, often leading healthier lives, as poverty cultivates order within them, both in body and spirit?

It is rightly noted about such people, as he continues, ‘Since the time of His grain, wine, and oil, they have multiplied.’ His presence is never in excess; rather, He embodies the grain of God, the living bread who descended from heaven. And the wine of God is as He states, "They shall drink from the abundance of Your house." The oil of God refers to the one about whom it is written, ‘You have anointed my head with oil.’ Those who lament, ‘Who will show us good?’ and do not perceive that the kingdom of heaven dwells within them, have indeed increased since the time of His grain, wine, and oil. However, multiplication does not necessarily indicate abundance, nor does it imply scarcity. When the soul, surrendered to worldly pleasures, endlessly burns with desire without satisfaction, and is tormented by a multitude of troubling thoughts, it finds it impossible to perceive simple goodness. This is the soul described when it is said, “For the corruptible body weighs down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle burdens the mind that meditates on many things.” Such a soul, in its journey through the allure of temporary benefits—that is, from the time of His grain, wine, and oil—plagued by countless frivolous thoughts, becomes so overwhelmed that it neglects what is truly necessary. It is instructed: "Consider the Lord with kindness and seek Him with a pure heart." For this multiplicity stands in stark contrast to true simplicity. Thus, we turn away from those who are numerous, those whose desires are for fleeting things, and who ask, ‘Who will show us good?’ They must be sought not with worldly eyes but with a pure heart within, as the faithful rejoices, declaring, ‘In peace I will lie down and sleep.’ For such individuals rightfully anticipate a release of the mind from temporal concerns and an escape from the tribulations of this world, which is beautifully and prophetically symbolized by the concepts of sleep and rest—a state in which perfect peace is undisturbed by any turmoil. Yet this rests not in our current existence, but is a hope for what lies beyond this life. Even the wording in the future tense illustrates this concept, for it is not stated, “I slept and rested,” nor “I sleep and rest,” but rather, “I will sleep and rest.” Then, this perishable will put on imperishability, and this mortal will put on immortality; thus, death will be swallowed up in victory. Therefore, it is declared, “If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

As the blessed Paul affirms, "God has not left Himself without witness, for He did good, giving us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14:17). Thus, people thrive in wheat, wine, and oil, along with all temporal blessings. The mention of these three elements encompasses other essential and beneficial gifts for humanity, illustrating the folly of those who, despite holding divine blessings and enjoying His generous gifts, still dare to ask, "Who will show us good things?"