THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Beloved, take note of this psalm that I am about to explain through God’s grace regarding our hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Take heart, for He who has made promises will faithfully accomplish them. It is not based on our merits but rather on His grace that we trust in Him. The psalm was attributed to Ethan the Israelite, and the significance of the name is profound. True strength is found solely in hope for the promises of God, as in our own capabilities we remain feeble, while in His compassion we gain strength. Thus, the psalmist begins, proclaiming, "I will sing of Your mercies, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known Your truth to all generations," (Psalms 88:1).
He continues, “Let my members serve the Lord,” affirming that any message he delivers is derived from the divine. Speaking God’s truth through one's mouth should align with obedience; speaking from oneself is falsehood. Distinctly, to speak from God is one matter, to speak from oneself is another; the truth belongs to Him, while the utterance belongs to us. Witness the faithfulness displayed and the grace extolled.
“You have declared, ‘Grace shall be established forever’” (Psalm 87:2). This is my song, this is His truth that my lips proclaim. Your declaration is that You build without destruction; for some are destroyed without being restored, yet others are rebuilt after being destroyed. If there were not some who needed to be destroyed for their restoration, Jeremiah would not have written, “Behold, I have appointed you this day to root out and to pull down” (Jeremiah 1:10). Indeed, those who worshiped idols could not find their foundation in Christ without perishing due to their previous error. If some had not faced destruction to allow for restoration, it would not have been said, “He will destroy them and not rebuild them.”
Thus, the connection between mercy and faithfulness is significant: “For You have said, ‘Mercy shall be established forever; Your truth shall be confirmed in the heavens.’” In this, mercy and truth coexist, as all of God's ways are rooted in mercy and truth—truth being the fruit of fulfilled promises, which must begin with mercy through the pardon of sin. Numerous prophecies were promised to Israel, the descendants of Abraham, as this people multiplied, allowing for God’s promises to be fulfilled among them. Yet, God did not withhold His goodness from the Gentiles, for whom He placed under angelic authority, preserving Israel as His own. The apostle acknowledges the mercy and truth of the Lord, specifically highlighting both parties. He refers to Christ as the servant of the circumcision of God’s truth to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs (Romans 15:8).
Observe how God has not misled, nor has He rejected His people, whom He foreknew. In discussing the fall of the Jews, the apostle clarifies that God has not forsaken His anticipated people; indeed, “For I also am an Israelite” (Romans 11:1-2). If all this nation is compared to thorns, how can we address the wheat? The truth of God comes to fruition in those Israelites who believe, thus bringing one wall of circumcision to the cornerstone. Yet this cornerstone would not function as such without the addition of the Gentiles. The first wall pertains especially to truth, while the second pertains to the grace of God.
The apostle states that Jesus Christ is the minister of circumcision for God’s truth, confirming the promises made to the fathers so that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy (Romans 15:8-9). It follows appropriately that “Your truth shall be established in the heavens”: for all Israelites called to be apostles shine forth the glory of God, as it is written, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). While they may have departed from this life before the church could encompass the whole world, their declaration has reached the ends of the earth, aligning with the assertion that “You will establish Your truth in the heavens.”
“You have said: ‘I have made a covenant with My chosen’” (Psalm 88:3). What covenant is this but a new covenant, one that renews us unto a fresh inheritance, echoing our longing and love, which inspire a new song? “I have made a covenant with my elect,” says the psalmist. “I have sworn to David my servant.” How confidently he speaks, possessing understanding; for his lips bear witness to the truth! Without fear, he declares, “If You empower me with confidence through Your word, I am emboldened even more, for Your oath guarantees the promise.”
Humans should avoid swearing (Matthew 5:34) due to the potential of deception, lest they fall into perjury. Only God can swear securely because He alone is infallible. Let us observe the content of God’s oath: “I have sworn to David my servant; I will establish your seed forever” (Psalm 87:4). What is the seed of David but that of Abraham? And who is the seed of Abraham? “To your seed,” it is stated, “which is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). Christ, the Head of the Church and the Savior of the body (Ephesians 5:23), is certainly also Abraham's seed, and we, too, are described as that seed.
As the apostle confirms, “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). Thus, we can understand the declaration about establishing “your seed forever,” not solely referring to the flesh of Christ through the virgin birth but also to all of us who believe in Him. As members of this Head, we cannot be severed from Him. If the Head is eternal in glory, so too shall be the members, ensuring that Christ remains whole for eternity.
“I will establish your seed forever, and your throne from generation to generation.” It is presumed he uses “forever” in reference to generations and kindred—this is evidenced by his previous proclamation, “With my mouth I will always show Your truth to generation and kindred.” But what does “generation to generation” signify, if not every generation? It emphasizes the continuity of multiple generations. Perhaps two generations should be discerned: the present generation of flesh and blood, and the future resurrection of the dead. Christ is proclaimed here and will be acknowledged there.
From generation to generation, Christ now occupies a throne within us; His reign confirms His authority. If He were not enthroned within us, He would not govern us; and if we were not governed by Him, we would fall into ruin. His rule exists both in us and in the coming generation at the resurrection of the dead, wherein He will govern His saints eternally. God has assured this; He has spoken it and sworn it. Hence, the promise stands as credible—not due to our merit but because of His mercy—so no one should hesitate to declare what cannot be doubted.
Allow this strength to inspire our hearts—Ethan’s name signifies “strong in heart”—as we proclaim God’s truth, His declarations, His promises, and His oath. Empowered by these truths on all sides, let us glorify God, becoming as Heaven. “Lord, even the heavens will praise Thy marvelous works” (Psalm 88:5). Heaven does not sing its own praises but extols Your wondrous deeds, O Lord. In all acts of mercy toward the lost and justification of the unrighteous, what else do we celebrate but the marvelous works of God?
Praise Him for raising the dead; praise Him even more for redeeming the lost. What grace! What mercy! Observe a man once caught in a whirlwind of drunkenness, now transformed into an embodiment of sobriety; a soul who was once a shell of opulence, today walking in temperance; or a blasphemer from yesterday, now worshipping God today. Such transformations manifest God’s miraculous power. Let the transformed not focus on their merits, but rather on becoming vessels of heaven that extol the marvelous works of the One who has made them whole.
“For who among the clouds compares with You, O Lord?” (Psalm 88:6). Will those clouds, which represent preachers of truth, question whether anyone equals their Creator? Can the very stars above the clouds, or the sun, moon, or angels, begin to measure against the Lord? This reflects a profound truth: those clouds symbolize the prophets and apostles proclaiming God’s word. If the clouds carry the gospel, we must recognize why they are called clouds—just as heaven denotes the radiance of truth, while clouds represent the obscuristic nature of the flesh, darkened by mortality.
The apostle notes, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes” (1 Corinthians 4:5), for the observed may be enlightening, but the true essence of the heart remains obscured. Who can see through a cloud? So too, these clouds preach the truth while enshrouded in flesh. The Creator, coming in the flesh, imparts this dual identity; we are indeed called clouds due to our mortal state, and also because of the life-giving rain of truth. While we share the title "sons of God," He remains the Son of God in a divine, singular sense—born of the Virgin, existing eternally consubstantial with the Father.
Who among the clouds can be compared to the Lord? When people ponder, “Who do men say that I am?” it is clear that perceptions might range widely. Some may say He is John the Baptist, others might mention Elijah, Jeremiahs, or other prophets—this showcases how various clouds and sons of God are represented. But such righteous preachers bear the name of “sons of God.” In the midst of this discourse, Peter answers on behalf of all, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-16), confirming that Christ stands unparalleled with any lesser “sons of God,” who are merely clouds.
“O God of hosts, who is like You?” (Psalm 88:7). God dwells everywhere, yet who is it that surrounds Him? Such a description implies that He is finite. Yet, if it is said of God, His greatness knows no bounds. The One who is everywhere has, through His choices, limited Himself, being born in flesh, dwelling among a people, crucified, rose, and ascended from one place—whereby He could have made presence known among the Gentiles. Had He remained without sending His name's ambassadors across the nations, He would not have achieved greatness, nor instilled fear among the nations.
“O Lord God of hosts, who is comparable to You, Your truth is all around” (Psalm 88:8). In Your might, You created the heavens and the earth and all that dwells within them. Yet, Your mercy, far greater, has unveiled Your truth to all who are near You. Were You only to have been preached where You chose to appear—suffer, rise, and ascend—the truth of God’s promise would have been limited. Yet, the truth expended to the Gentiles glorifying God for His mercy requires that Truth to be spread beyond the immediate setting. It is from that place You thundered and sent forth other preachers, as the clouds thus fulfilled their mission.
“What did You accomplish within the seas to calm their wrath?” (Psalm 88:10). You humbled the proud, like one who is wounded. A certain proud serpent dwells within the sea, as other scripture reveals, “I will command the serpent, and he shall bite him” (Amos 9:3), a reference to Leviathan, whom You cause to laugh at. You humbled the proud as if he were bruised. You have humbled Yourself, and the haughty are cast down; for the proud only held sway over the proud, yet the Majestic One humbled Himself, prompting humility in those who turn to believe.
As such, the devil has lost dominion over the humble generation. Through humility displayed before them, the populace learned to cast aside their pride. You have inflicted wounds upon the proud, not through flesh but the bite of their proud hearts, as, by Your sacred blood, You have disarmed the debt that upheld their pride. Through Your powerful arm, You have dispelled Your enemies.