THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Beloved, as I delve into this psalm through the grace of God, let us grasp our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ and find courage in the assurance that He who has made promises will bring them to completion. It is not through our own merits, but by His grace that we find our confidence in Him. The psalm is attributed to Ethan the Israelite, whose name holds deep significance. No one in this life is truly strong apart from the hope instilled by God's promises; in our own merits, we are frail, but in His mercy, we find strength. Thus, the psalmist begins, I will sing of Your mercies, O Lord, forever; with my mouth, I will declare Your truth to all generations.
The psalmist expresses, let my being serve the Lord: I speak not only on my own behalf but as Your servant. With my voice, I will proclaim Your truth; if I disobey You, I cease to be Your servant. Speaking from You and from myself are vastly different: Yours is the truth, mine is speech. Let us listen to his faithfulness and the graces he extols.
You have declared: ‘Grace shall endure forever’ (Psalm 87:2). This is the truth I proclaim; this is in service to Your glory. You assert, I build not to destroy; some are destroyed and not rebuilt, while others are torn down and restored. If not for the fallen who are restored, Jeremiah would not have proclaimed, ‘Behold, I have appointed you today to uproot and to build’ (Jeremiah 1:10). Those who previously worshipped idols could not be established in Christ without falling into their former errors. Had some not perished to be rebuilt, it would not be said, ‘He will destroy them, and not build them up.’
The words mercy and faithfulness are linked. You have announced, Mercy shall endure forever, and Your truth shall be established in the heavens. Here, mercy and truth are intertwined, for the manifestation of truth in fulfilling promises is preconditioned by mercy in the forgiveness of sin. Although numerous promises were made in prophecy to the nation of Israel, descended from Abraham, God did not withhold His kindness from the Gentiles either. The apostle makes clear the Lord's mercy and truth apply to both groups, calling Christ the minister of the circumcision to fulfill the promises to the patriarchs (Romans 15:8). God does not mislead; He has not cast aside His people, the ones He foreknew. The apostle wishes to show that despite the fall of the Jews, God has preserved a remnant; he himself is an Israelite (Romans 11:1-2).
Christ represents the culmination of God's promises, where the first wall relates to truth and the other wall pertains to the grace of God. As the apostle states, Jesus Christ was ministered to the circumcision to affirm the truth of God and that the Gentiles would glorify God for His mercy (Romans 15:8-9). Accordingly, we rightly affirm that Your truth shall be established in the heavens; for all the Israelites, called to be messengers, reflect God's glory, as it is written, The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. Though they departed before the Church embraced the world, their words reached the ends of creation, thus we rightly conclude that You will establish Your truth in the heavens filled with them.
You declared: 'I have made a covenant with My chosen' (Psalm 88:3). This covenant signifies a new testament, renewing us for a new inheritance, sparking within us a fresh song of longing and love. The psalmist confidently attests, I have sworn to David My servant. How boldly he speaks who understands; his lips serve to declare truth! I speak without trepidation, for what You have spoken renders me fearless; how much more so when You have sworn! God's oath guarantees the fulfillment of His promises. Men are rightly advised against swearing (Matthew 5:34), lest they succumb to perjury due to deception. God alone swears securely, for He alone is infallible.
Now, let us consider what God has sworn. He says, I have sworn to David My servant; I will establish your offspring forever (Psalm 87:4). The seed of David connects directly back to the seed of Abraham. Similarly, the promise conveyed is directed to your seed, which is Christ (Galatians 3:16). Christ, as the Head of the Church—the Savior of the body (Ephesians 5:23)—is that seed, and we too are the seed of Abraham, as the apostle declares, ‘If you are of Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise’ (Galatians 3:29). Therefore, let us grasp the intent behind, 'I will establish your seed forever', not solely pertaining to the flesh of Christ from the Virgin Mary but inclusive of all who believe in Him. We are united as members of this Head, forever connected.
If the Head reigns in glory eternally, so shall the members also partake in that glory. Thus, Your seed will be established forever, as will Your throne from generation to generation. The repetition of 'forever' implies continuity through generations, as earlier mentioned, With my mouth, I will always declare Your truth to every generation. What is meant by generation to generation? It signifies every lineage and needs emphasis due to the flow of various generations. Perhaps it indicates two generations: one of flesh now and one future during the resurrection of the dead. Christ is declared here and will be fully recognized there; He is believed in here and welcomed in glory there. Your throne will be established forever.
Christ currently reigns within us; His throne is set among us, for if He were not seated within, He would not govern us; without His guidance, we would face ruin. Thus, He reigns within us and in the coming generation sprouted from the resurrection. Christ will reign with His saints in perpetuity. God has guaranteed it; He has declared it; if His promise were insufficient, He has sworn it. Since this promise is trustworthy—not reliant on our merit but wholly dependent on His mercy—none should fear proclaiming what they fervently believe.
Let this assurance inspire our hearts, just as Ethan’s name denotes strength. Let us herald the truth of God, proclaiming His promises and oaths, empowered by these truths, glorifying God and becoming bearers of Heaven.
Lord, even the heavens will declare Your marvelous works (Psalm 88:5). It is not by their merits that the heavens praise but by Your wondrous deeds, O Lord. In every merciful act toward the lost and the justification of the unjust, we celebrate Your marvelous creations. Praise Him for raising the dead, and even more so, for redeeming the lost. What incredible grace and mercy! You witness one man, previously ensnared by drunkenness, transformed into an emblem of sobriety; one man, once engulfed in luxury, now exemplifying temperance; one who blasphemed yesterday now magnifying God today; a former creature beholden to sin is now a worshipper of the Creator. From these desperate states, individuals are transformed; let them not rely on their merits but become vessels of heaven, praising the marvelous works of the One who made them whole.
Who is like You, O Lord, among the clouds? (Psalm 88:6). Is it the heavens that will declare their own glory, or does their power lie in their rain? Do the preachers not recognize that nothing compares to the Lord among those who dwell among the clouds? If taken literally rather than mystically, isn’t it clear that the stars above the clouds could not approach the Lord? Can the sun, moon, angels, or heavens be compared to Him? Hence, he articulates with high praise, ‘For who is He among the clouds?’
Let us understand, my brethren, that these clouds and the heavens are synonymous in their role as proclaimers of truth—prophets, apostles, heralds of God’s word. If the clouds are messengers of truth, then we must discern why they are called clouds. Those in heaven exemplify clarity while the clouds represent obscurity; all clouds are dark due to their mortality, constantly shifting. In this realm of obscurity, the apostle advises: ‘Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord returns, who will reveal the hidden things of darkness’ (1 Corinthians 4:5). You observe the words of a man, but discern his heart you cannot; you see what escapes the cloud, yet not what remains concealed within.
Whose eyes penetrate the cloud? Clouds embody the physical manifestation of truth. The Creator came forth in the flesh. We are likened to clouds by our corporeal nature and conveyers of truth through the rain they produce; yet, our flesh enters this world differently from His. We too are called children of God, but He is the Son of God in a unique sense. His cloud descended from the Virgin; He is the eternal Son, consubstantial with the Father. Who among the clouds bears comparison to the Lord? Who among the children of God can be likened to Him? Let the Lord Himself articulate whether anyone resembles Him. When the people refer to Him as the Son of Man, they do so because He appears, is seen, and walks among them, perhaps now considered common.
When asked, for whom do people recognize Me as the Son of Man? Responses varied: Some declare You are John the Baptist; others say You are Elijah or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Many clouds and sons of God are highlighted, for righteous figures like Jeremiah, Elijah, and John are also termed sons of God. By their role as truth-bearers, they are called clouds. Christ challenges their perception of clouds, urging them to also consider, For whom do you say that I am? Peter replies on behalf of all, declaring, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (Matthew 16:13-16). Unlike those sons of God who fall short in comparison, Christ came in the flesh and transcends them.
God is to be revered greatly in the council of the righteous and by all surrounding Him (Psalm 88:7). For is God not omnipresent? Therefore, who exists around Him? If He indeed was surrounded, it would imply some form of finitude on His part. If the declaration regarding God were genuine, it acknowledges His greatness is boundless. Who can approach Him? He who is everywhere has elected to be born of the flesh in a singular place, to dwell among one people, to be crucified, to rise, and to ascend to Heaven. There, Gentiles were present. Had He remained where these acts occurred, He might not have been deemed great nor feared by those nearby; rather, by preaching in such a manner that dispatched His messengers globally, working wonders through His servants, He became renowned and instilled fear in all around Him.
O Lord God of hosts, who is like You? Your truth, O Almighty God, encompasses all (Psalm 88:8). Great is Your might; You have fashioned heaven and earth and all within them. Yet, even greater still is Your mercy, revealing Your truth to those nearby. Had You only been proclaimed in the location of Your birth, suffering, resurrection, and ascension, the promise to validate the fathers’ assurances would have echoed true. However, the promise that Gentiles would glorify God for His mercy (Romans 15:9) would not have manifested had not that truth radiated outward from the place of Your incarnation. There, from Your cloud, You delivered thunder and then sent forth other clouds to rain truth upon the Gentiles nearby. Indeed, in Your omnipotence, You have fulfilled what You affirmed: ‘From this moment, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven’ (Matthew 26:64).