THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
When the disciples came to believe in Him this way, they were empowered by the Holy Spirit, receiving the gift of God's grace. They were no longer part of those who, lacking an understanding of God's righteousness, sought to create their own and thus failed to yield to the righteousness that comes from God (cf. Rom. 10:3). They also no longer belonged to those who preferred the esteem of men over the glory of God (Jn. 12:42), aligning with the prophecy that appears to have found fulfillment in them: ‘Lord! They shall walk in the light of Your face, and in Your name they shall find joy all the day long, in Your righteousness they shall be exalted, for You are the glory of their strength’ (cf. Ps. 88:16-18).
Beloved, I urge you to comprehend the psalm I am about to unfold through the grace bestowed upon us, as we hold our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Take courage, for He who has promised will accomplish everything as He has done before: it is not by our own merit that we find assurance, but through His grace. It seems to me that "Ethan the Israelite," who lent his name to this psalm, is referenced here. Thus, the identity of Ethan is made evident and carries profound significance. No individual in this world possesses true strength apart from the hope found in God’s promises, as in our own merits we remain weak, yet we find strength in His mercy. Weak as we are, we begin with the psalmist's declaration: I will sing of Your mercies, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
He further declares, Let my members serve the Lord: when I speak, it is Your words I utter. With my mouth, I will proclaim Your truth; if I fail to obey You, I cannot be Your servant. Speaking from You is separate from speaking on my own: the one conveys my thoughts, while the other reveals Your truth. Observe the faithfulness He demonstrates and the graces He extols.
For You have declared: 'Your grace shall be established forever.' This is what I sing: this is Your truth which my voice proclaims. Thus, You proclaim, "I will build and not destroy"; for some You bring low and do not restore; yet others whom You humble, You will rebuild. If it were not for those being brought low to rise again, Jeremiah would not have inscribed, "Behold, I have appointed you today to root out and to build." Indeed, all who previously worshipped idols and stones found no foundation in Christ, perishing by their former errors. Had there not been destruction for the purpose of restoration, it would not have been stated, "He will tear down and will not restore."
He joins the terms mercy and faithfulness: For You have said, Mercy shall be established forever; Your truth shall be confirmed in the heavens, where mercy and truth coexist, for all the ways of the Lord are characterized by mercy and truth. If truth in the fulfillment of promises is not preceded by mercy and forgiveness, it cannot come to light. Moreover, though numerous promises came through prophecy to the fleshly descendants of Abraham, God did not withhold His goodness from the Gentiles, whom He entrusted to angels, again keeping Israel as His chosen people.
The apostle points specifically to the mercy and truth of the Lord, addressing both groups. For he identifies Christ as the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the ancestors. Observe how God has remained faithful; He has not abandoned His people whom He foreknew. While discussing the fall of the Jews, the apostle warns against believing that they had entirely denied God, implying that no grain of wheat could possibly be lost. He asserts that God has not rejected His people, for I too am an Israelite. If this entire people are like thorns, what hope do I have concerning the wheat? Here, God’s truth is fulfilled in the believing Israelites, and thus the wall of circumcision is connected to the cornerstone. This cornerstone would not stand without the addition from the Gentiles; thus, the first wall signifies truth, while the second relates to the grace of God. The apostle states that Jesus Christ came as the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promise made to the ancestors, so that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.
It is rightly said, Your faithfulness shall be established in the heavens; for all the Israelites called to be apostles became as the heavens, declaring the glory of God, as it is recorded: The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. Even though they departed this life before the Church filled the world, their words reached the ends of the earth. We can rightly conclude that, as it is written, You will affirm Your truth in the heavens that were filled through them.
You have declared, ‘I have made a covenant with My chosen one.’ What covenant is this but the new covenant by which we are renewed towards a new inheritance, a new song birthed from longing and love? The psalmist claims, I have sworn to David My servant. How boldly he speaks—one who comprehends, whose lips proclaim the truth! I speak confidently; for You have declared this. If You embolden me because You have spoken, how much more shall You empower me when You have sworn! For God's oath is the surety of promise fulfillment. Humans are rightly cautioned against swearing; for in swearing, there is a tendency toward deception and possible perjury. Only God can securely swear because He alone is infallible.
Let us consider what God has sworn. He has said, I have sworn to David My servant; I will establish your seed forever. But what is David’s seed other than Abraham's seed? And what is the seed of Abraham? To your seed, He says, which is Christ. Yet, Christ, the Head of the Church and the Savior of the body, is certainly Abraham’s offspring, as we too are heirs of Abraham. As the apostle expresses, If you belong to Christ, you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. Thus, it is vital to grasp the meaning of the words, I will establish your lineage forever—not solely through the physical lineage of Christ born from the Virgin Mary, but also through all who believe in Christ, for we are members of His body. This body cannot be severed from the Head; if the Head remains in glory eternally, so too will the body, ensuring that Christ endures forever.
I will establish your seed forever and your throne through all generations. We perceive the aim of ‘forever’ to suggest continuity through generations, as previously stated: With my mouth, I will continually proclaim Your truth to every generation. What then is this generation? It represents every generation, signifying a call for awareness through repetition. Perhaps we should conceive it as two generations—one of flesh and blood, and one in the resurrection from the dead. Christ is presented here; He will be proclaimed there, believed in here, and welcomed there to be seen. I will establish your throne from generation to generation. Christ presently reigns within us, establishing His throne among us. For if He were not sovereign in our hearts, we would be overthrown; since He rules within, He reigns over us, also presiding with His saints. This is a promise from God; it has been spoken, and indeed, if that is insufficient, God has sworn it.
Thus, in light of this credible promise—not founded upon our merit but grounded in His mercy—nobody should hesitate to proclaim what cannot be doubted. Let this divine strength embolden our hearts, as Ethan signifies strength of heart. Let us proclaim the truth of God, His words, His promises, and His oaths while glorifying God, and let us carry Him with us, becoming Heaven.
O Lord, even the heavens will commend Your marvelous deeds. Not by their own merit do the heavens praise, but by Your wondrous works, O Lord. In every act of mercy toward the lost and the justification of the ungodly, we honor the marvels of God. You praise Him for raising the dead; even more so for redeeming the lost. What grace, what mercy from God! Observe how a man, once engulfed in the whirlpool of drunkenness, transforms into a model of temperance; one once indulged in luxury becomes a bastion of moderation; yesterday a blasphemer, today a worshipper; yesterday enslaved by creation, now a servant of the Creator. From all these desperate conditions, individuals are transformed; may they not rely on their merits but rather become Heaven, praising the marvelous works of Him who has created them such.
For who among the clouds can be compared to You, O Lord? Will the praise of the heavens be their own, or will it be their rainfall? Are the preachers confident that no one among the clouds can rival the Lord? Does it appear, dear brethren, as an elevation of praise that the clouds cannot compare to their Creator? If we consider this literally and not mystically, it is not so; can the stars above the clouds be compared to the Lord? Can the sun, moon, angels, or heavens be equated with Him? Why then does he ask who among the clouds might be compared to the Lord?
We understand, dear brethren, that these clouds, like the heavens, serve as proclaimers of truth; prophets and apostles speak forth the Word of God. If the clouds are indeed heralds of truth, let us examine why they are termed clouds. The same beings are referred to as both heaven and clouds: the heavens illustrate the brilliance of truth, while clouds are cloaked in the shadows of flesh. All clouds are darkened by mortality, appearing and disappearing. Regarding the obscurities of flesh—these clouds—the apostle remarked: Therefore discern nothing before the time, until the Lord return, who will reveal the hidden things of darkness.
You perceive the words of a man, but the intentions of his heart remain unseen: you witness what emerges from the cloud, yet cannot discern what stays within. For whose sight can pierce the cloud? Likewise, clouds symbolize the preachers of truth within physical existence. The Creator of all came in the flesh, and we are called clouds due to our humanity, serving as vessels of truth through the showers of revelation; our flesh arrives one way, His by another. We too are called sons of God, yet He is the Son of God in a unique sense—born from flesh through the Virgin and eternally consubstantial with the Father.
Who among the clouds can be on par with the Lord? And who among the sons of God is comparable to Him? Let the Lord Himself declare whether He finds anyone like Himself. Why do people address Me as the Son of Man? Because I manifest in your midst—because I am visible, walking among you, perhaps appearing ordinary at this moment. Tell me, for whom do men designate Me, the Son of Man? Truly, when people behold the Son of Man, they witness a cloud; but in response to their inquiries, they present their speculations. Some say, "You are John the Baptist"; others, "Elijah"; or even "Jeremiah," or one of the prophets. Many clouds and sons of God are mentioned here. Those righteous and holy individuals—Jeremiah, Elijah, and John—are also deemed sons of God, honored as preachers of His word, hence called clouds.
You have posited, What clouds do men compare Me to? Do you too not query, For whom do you say that I am? Peter, in answering on behalf of all, declared, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Not like those sons of God who are not equal to You: You came in flesh, but not as clouds who are not Your equals.