THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Beloved, let us grasp the essence of the psalm I am about to explain, through God's grace, which gives us hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Take heart, for the One who promised is faithful to fulfill His word, as He has done in the past. It is not by our own merits that we find assurance in Him, but by His grace. I believe the term "by Himself" refers to Ethan the Israelite, who is credited with this psalm. This reveals the strength of Ethan’s message: in this world, true strength comes solely from the hope found in God's promises. In our own righteousness, we are frail, but in His mercy, we find our strength. The psalmist begins, “I will sing of Your mercies, O Lord, forever; I will make your faithfulness known through all generations” (Psalms 88:1).
He expresses a desire for his members to serve the Lord; he speaks only of what is Thine. With my mouth, I will proclaim Your truth. If I do not heed You, I am not Your servant; if I speak from my own thoughts, I am deceiving. To speak truly is to draw from You, while what comes from myself is merely my own. We should listen closely to the faithfulness he celebrates and the graces he sings about.
For You have declared, “Grace shall be established forever” (Psalm 87:2). This is the truth I proclaim: I sing of it as it comes from You. You declare, “I build, not to destroy,” for there are some You dismantle without rebuilding, and others You restore after destruction. Jeremiah wrote, “Behold, I have appointed you this day to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down” (Jeremiah 1:10). Those who once worshipped false images could not find stability in Christ; without abandoning their past errors, they would perish. If some were not destroyed, they would not be built back up, confirming, “He will destroy them and not rebuild them.”
The psalmist connects mercy with faithfulness saying, “Mercy shall be established forever: Your truth shall be confirmed in the heavens.” Here both mercy and truth are evident, for all ways of the Lord embody mercy and truth—truth in the fulfillment of divine promises cannot surface without the mercy found in forgiveness. Many prophecies were made to the fleshly descendants of Abraham to ensure the promises of God were realized among them. Yet, God did not withhold His goodness from the Gentiles, placing them under the authority of angels while keeping Israel as His chosen people. The apostle affirms this by referring to the mercy and truth of the Lord, indicating these two groups. He calls Christ the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, fulfilling the promises given to the ancestors (Romans 15:8).
Look how God has remained true, how He has not disowned those He foreknew. While the apostle discusses Israel's downfall, he reassures us that God has not rejected His people whom He has always known, stating, “For I also am an Israelite” (Romans 11:1-2). If all of Israel is unworthy, what can we say about the faithful? Truth prevails in those Israelites who believe, as the wall of circumcision connects to the cornerstone. But this cornerstone would not stand without the Gentiles forming another wall, thus distinguishing the first wall as truth and the second as the grace of God.
The apostle asserts that Jesus Christ became the minister of circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made to the ancestors so that the Gentiles can glorify God for His mercy (Romans 15:8-9). It is fittingly added, “Your truth shall be established in the heavens,” as all Israelites called to spread His word have become akin to heaven, declaring God’s glory, as it is written, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.”
Although they were called from here before the Church expanded globally, their words reached to the ends of the earth, affirming that Your truth is anchored in the heavens through them. You declared, “I have made a covenant with My chosen” (Psalm 88:3). What covenant is this but the new covenant that renews us for a fresh inheritance, about which we sing a new song? The psalmist recounts, “I have made a covenant with My elected servant, David.” He speaks with great confidence, for those who understand and whose lips declare the truth. Because You have spoken, I speak without fear; when You grant me boldness, how much more should I be fearless when You have sworn an oath! For God’s oath ensures the promises will be kept. Humans are rightly counseled against swearing (Matthew 5:34), lest they become entangled in the habit of false oaths, for humans can mislead—but God alone can swear safely because He is infallible.
Let us explore what God has sworn. He states, “I have sworn to David My servant; I will establish your seed forever” (Psalm 87:4). But what constitutes David's seed if not that of Abraham? And what of Abraham's seed? “To your seed,” as it was said, “which is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). Surely Christ, the Head of the Church, the Savior of the body (Ephesians 5:23), is the seed of Abraham and thus of David. But are we not also considered Abraham’s seed? Indeed, as the apostle states, “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).
With this understanding, take note, brethren, that when He declares, “I will establish your seed forever,” it speaks not only of Christ’s flesh, born of the Virgin Mary but also includes all believers in Christ. We are all part of this body; the body cannot be separated from its Head. If the Head is eternally in glory, then the members share in that glory as well, ensuring that Christ remains whole eternally. “I will establish your seed forever, and I will establish your throne from generation to generation.” His perpetual kingdom encompasses all generations. It is by repeated affirmations that we notice significant truths across many generations.
We may consider two generations, as we see today the reality of both flesh and blood, and also a future generation in the resurrection of the dead. Here, Christ is preached for belief, and there, He will be awaited for sight. “I will establish your throne from generation to generation.” Christ’s throne is established within us, for if He did not reign in our hearts, we would lose all authority over ourselves. By ruling, He reigns in the present and will reign over His saints for eternity. God has promised it; His declaration guarantees it. Given the credibility of the promise, rooted not in our merits but in His mercy, none should fear to declare what is beyond doubt.
Let this truth ignite our hearts, as Ethan’s name signifies strength of heart. Let us boldly proclaim the truth of God, His promises, and His covenants, and through these, let us glorify God, embodying Heaven itself. “Lord, the heavens will praise Your marvelous works” (Psalm 88:5). They will not laud their own merits, but rather Your wondrous deeds, O Lord. In every merciful act toward the lost and each justification of the unjust, what do we ultimately celebrate but the marvelous works of God? We praise Him for raising the dead; we praise Him even more for redeeming the lost. What grace, what mercy from our Creator! We witness someone once trapped in drunkenness transformed into a model of sobriety; we see one who indulged in excess now displaying temperance; someone who once blasphemed now reverently praises. Those in despair are converted—let them not dwell on their merits but instead become Heaven, celebrating the incredible works of their Maker.
For who can be compared to You among the clouds, O Lord? (Psalm 88:6). Is it the praise of Heaven that will reach their rain? Do preachers truly believe no one among the clouds can be likened to You? It seems a great honor to say the clouds cannot compare to their Creator. But if taken literally and not mystically, this is not the case. Do not the stars above the clouds compare to the Lord? Can the sun, the moon, the angels, and the heavens not be likened to You? Why, then, declare this as if to signify high praise? “For who is He among the clouds?” We find that these clouds, like the heavens, are messengers of truth—prophets, apostles, and proclaimers of Your Word.
If these clouds serve as preachers of truth, we must discern their purpose as clouds. The clouds and heavens are one; the heavens shine with the truth, while the clouds, burdened by the flesh, represent mortality and transience. The obscurity of the flesh, which these clouds denote, evokes what the apostle states: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will reveal the hidden things of darkness” (1 Corinthians 4:5). You perceive but the surface of a person’s speech; the heart remains hidden. What emerges from the clouds is visible, but what roils within is concealed. Who can pierce the cloud to see?
Thus, we are called clouds in the flesh, preaching truth through their rain, yet our flesh is different from His. We too are called sons of God, yet His sonship is unique. His cloud descends from the Virgin; He, the eternal Son, consubstantial with the Father. Who among the clouds is comparable to You, O Lord? And who among the sons of God stands equal with You? Let the Lord affirm if He can find anyone like Himself. Who do people say that I am, the Son of Man? Is it because I appear among you, becoming familiar? When they see the Son of Man, they perceive a cloud. Yet, what do men think of Me? They offer varied opinions, saying, “Some say you are John the Baptist; others, Elijah; or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” Many clouds and sons of God are named, for the righteous and holy—Jeremiah, Elijah, and John—are labeled sons of God due to their faithful preaching.
Ethan records what clouds people perceive Him as, urging, “What do you say I am?” Peter, speaking for all, declares, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-16). Not as the others, who are not Your equal: You came in the flesh, unlike the clouds, beneath which they remain inferior to You.
“God is greatly to be feared in the council of the righteous, and feared by all who surround Him” (Psalm 88:7). God is everywhere; therefore, who encompasses Him but those whom He chooses to dwell among? If He were to be surrounded, it would suggest He is finite; yet His greatness transcends limits. Who is surrounding Him, save that He, being everywhere, chose to embody in the flesh in one location, to live among a particular people, to be crucified in a single place, to rise from there, and to ascend to Heaven? While He performed these acts, Gentiles surrounded Him. Had He remained solely in that place, He would not be proclaimed great, nor would He invoke fear among all; however, He taught in such a way that He extended His name through preachers worldwide, working wonders through His followers, thus becoming great, spreading awe among those who inhabit the earth.
“O Lord God of hosts, who is like You? Your truth, Almighty God, is encompassing” (Psalm 88:8). Your greatness is manifest in creation; You formed the heavens and earth and all therein. Yet, even more profound is Your mercy, revealed by sharing Your truth among all nations. Had Your truth been proclaimed only in the place where You chose to be incarnated, to suffer, to resurrect, and to ascend, then the truth meant for these promises would have been confirmed. But the promise that the Gentiles would glorify God for His mercy (Romans 15:9) would not have come to be unless Your truth had spread from the place of Your ministry. There, You thundered from Your cloud, and to pour rain upon the Gentiles nearby, You sent more clouds. Verily, in Your might, You fulfilled what You proclaimed: “You shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of Heaven” (Matthew 26:64).