THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Beloved, let us comprehend this psalm that I am about to interpret by God’s grace, reflecting our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Take courage; He who has made promises is faithful to fulfill them, just as He has done in the past because our confidence in Him is grounded not in our merits, but in His grace. I think that "by Himself" refers to Ethan the Israelite, who is credited with this psalm. This reveals the strong connotation of Ethan’s name: no one in this world stands strong except through the hope offered by God’s promises. In our own abilities, we are weak, but in His mercy, we find strength. Thus, the psalmist begins with a declaration: "I will sing of Your mercies, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will declare Your faithfulness to all generations,” (Psalms 88:1).
Let my being, he proclaims, serve the Lord; what I utter comes not from myself but from You. My tongue will reveal Your truth; if I do not heed You, I am not truly Your servant, and to speak solely on my own is to be untruthful. Speaking from You and from oneself are two distinct matters: what is mine is separate from what is Yours. Let us perceive the faithfulness displayed and the graces celebrated.
For you have declared: "Grace shall be established forever" (Psalm 87:2). This is the truth I sing; it is Your faithfulness that my mouth is eager to proclaim. Thus, You affirm, "I build not to tear down," as there are some whom You destroy without rebuilding and others whom You tear down yet restore. Jeremiah aptly recorded, "Behold, I have appointed you this day to uproot and to tear down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant" (Jeremiah 1:10). Indeed, all those who once worshipped idols could not find a firm foundation in Christ and perished due to their former mistakes. Without the destruction of some, others would not have arisen; thus it is stated, "He will destroy them and not build them up."
He links mercy and faithfulness, saying, "Mercy shall be established forever; Your truth will be confirmed in the heavens" since all the ways of the Lord reflect mercy and faithfulness. The truth of the fulfillment of promises would not shine through if not preceded by mercy, which forgives sins. Many prophecies were promised to the people of Israel, who through the flesh descended from Abraham’s lineage. This people was multiplied to fulfill God’s promises, yet He did not restrict His abundant goodness to them alone, but also extended it to the Gentiles, whom He subjected to the dominion of angels, holding Israel as His chosen people. The apostle explicitly emphasizes the mercy and faithfulness of the Lord, addressing these two groups. He designates Christ as the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, affirming the promises made to the ancestors (Romans 15:8).
See how God has not misled, nor has He abandoned His people whom He foreknew. While the apostle refers to the downfall of the Jews, clarifying that none should assume they are bereft of God, as no grain from this ground ultimately reaches the barn without divine oversight, he proclaims that God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew; for I, too, am of Israel (Romans 11:1-2). If the entirety of this people appears as thorns, what could be said regarding the wheat? The truth of God will be realized among those Israelites who believe, and thus a wall of circumcision will align with the cornerstone in faith. Yet this cornerstone would not hold if it were not joined by another wall from the Gentiles; thus, one wall represents truth while the other denotes God’s grace. The apostle states that Jesus Christ was the minister of circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promise made to the ancestors, so that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy (Romans 15:8-9).
It is rightly said, "Your truth will be established in the heavens," as all those Israelites called to be apostles became as the heavens, proclaiming the glory of God, as it is written, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows the work of His hands." Although they departed before the Church enveloped the world, their words have reached the ends of the earth, allowing us to truly understand that "You will establish Your truth in the heavens filled in them."
"You have said: 'I have made a covenant with My chosen'" (Psalm 88:3). What covenant is this but the new covenant by which we are renewed for a fresh inheritance, in yearning and love, thus we sing a new song. "I have made a covenant with My elect," declares the psalmist, "I have sworn to David My servant." He speaks boldly who comprehends this truth; his lips echo faithfulness! I speak without trepidation; for if You grant me fearlessness by Your words, how much more if You have sworn! God’s oath assures the fulfillment of the divine promise.
Although humanity should rightly refrain from swearing (Matthew 5:34) lest the habit lead to falsehood, God alone swears securely, for He is infallible.
Let us examine what God has sworn. He states, "I have sworn to David, My servant; I will establish your seed forever" (Psalm 87:4). But what is this seed of David but also of Abraham? And so, "To your seed," He declares, referring to Christ (Galatians 3:16). It is indeed plausible that Christ, the Head of the Church, the Savior of the body (Ephesians 5:23), is the descendant of Abraham and by extension of David. Are we not also of Abraham’s lineage? Certainly, as the apostle articulates, "If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:29). Therefore, let us interpret these words: "I will establish your seed forever," not solely by the flesh of Christ born of the Virgin Mary but also by all who place their faith in Him. We are members of this Head; this body cannot separate from the Head. If the Head reigns in glory forever, so shall the members share in that glory, thus Christ remains whole forever. "I will establish your seed forever and your throne for every generation." He mentions "forever" because it pertains to generations and kinship, as previously stated: "With my mouth, I will forever proclaim Your truth to all generations." What does "generation to generation" signify? It encompasses every generation; the repetition underscores the succession of various generations.
Perhaps we should understand this as two generations, as you know, dear friends, which I have already elucidated. For there exists now a generation of flesh and blood; a future generation will arise in the resurrection of the dead. Christ is heralded here; He will be recognized there, presented here for faith, and embraced there for vision. "I will establish your throne from generation to generation." Christ reigns within us now; His throne is established in us. For if He were not enthroned within us, He would not govern us; if we were not under His rule, we would be led to ruin. So He resides within us, exercising dominion; He also reigns in a future age, following the resurrection of the dead. Christ will reign over His saints eternally; God has promised it, He has declared it: and if that should not suffice, God has sworn it. Thus, as the promise stands credible, not through our merit but through His mercy, no one should hesitate to proclaim what they can firmly trust. Therefore, let this power inspire our hearts, as Ethan's name suggests, strong in spirit: let us preach the truth of God, His words, His promises, and His oaths, so that, fortified by these truths on every side, we may glorify God, embodying the heavens.
"O Lord, even the heavens will praise Your marvelous deeds" (Psalm 88:5). The heavens will not boast of their own accolades but of Your marvelous works, O Lord. For in every act of mercy towards the lost and in the justification of the unjust, what we praise are Your marvelous works. Praise Him because the dead have been resurrected; praise Him even more because the lost have been redeemed. What a grace, what mercy of God! You observe a man who yesterday was lost in alcoholism and today stands as a model of sobriety; a man who once indulged in every excess, now embodies temperance; a man who once blasphemed God, now lifts praises towards Him; a man who was once a servant of created things, now worships the Creator. From these desperate states, men are converted; let them not rely on their own merits; let them aspire to become like the heavens and proclaim the marvelous works of Him who has made them so.
"For who among the clouds can compare to You, O Lord?" (Psalm 88:6). Will it be the heavens that sing praise, or their rain? Are preachers certain that none among the clouds can rival the Lord? Does it strike you, dear friends, as an exalted praise that clouds cannot measure up to their Creator? Is it not so that the stars, which are above the clouds, surpass the Lord in glory? Can the sun, the moon, the angels, or the heavens rival the Lord? Why then does He say, as though meaning to convey some great praise, "For who is He among the clouds?" We interpret, beloved, that these clouds signify truth-bearers: prophets, apostles, proclaimers of God’s Word.
If the clouds are indeed heralds of truth, let us discern their essence. The same beings are heavens and clouds: yet heaven radiates truth, while clouds obscure it through their flesh. All clouds possess darkness due to mortality, coming and going. Of these fleshly obscurities, the apostle says, "Therefore do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord comes, who will bring to light what is hidden in darkness" (1 Corinthians 4:5). You see only what flows from the cloud, but the heart's intentions remain unseen; who can pierce the cloud? Thus, clouds serve as truth-bearers encased in flesh.
The very Creator came in the flesh... We are called clouds due to our mortality and serve as truth-bearers through the rains they bring. Yet our flesh comes by one means, and His by another. We too bear the title "sons of God," but He is the Son of God in an unparalleled sense. His cloud is borne from the Virgin, and He is the eternal Son, consubstantial with the Father. Who among the clouds can be likened to the Lord? And who among the sons of God could parallel Him? Let the Lord declare whether He can find one equal to Himself. What do people call Me, the Son of Man? For I am seen among you, perhaps as just one among many; tell me, who do men say I am, the Son of Man? Truly, when they perceive the Son of Man, they see a cloud. But who do people believe I am? In response, they provided Him with reports of popular opinion: "Some say You are John the Baptist; some, Elijah; others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." Many clouds and sons of God are mentioned in this; for Jeremiah, Elijah, and John are also termed sons of God because they acted righteously. By their roles as God’s messengers, they are recognized as clouds. "You have asked, 'What clouds do men characterize Me as?'" You too should say, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter, speaking for all, responded, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:13-16).
Not like those sons of God who fail to equate to You. You have taken on flesh, yet not as clouds, for they cannot match You.
"God is greatly to be feared in the council of the righteous, and feared by all who are around Him" (Psalm 88:7). God’s omnipresence reveals that He is all-encompassing; who surrounds Him if He is indeed everywhere? If He were to have anything around Him, He would appear limited. If this description pertains truly to God, then His magnificence remains infinite; who is it that surrounds Him, unless He, who is omnipresent, chose to be born of flesh in one location, to dwell among one people, to be crucified in a specific place, to rise in one place, and to ascend to heaven?