THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Beloved, let us grasp the significance of the psalm I will elucidate through God's grace concerning our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Take heart, for He who has made promises will fulfill them, as He has done before—our confidence rests not in our own merits, but in His grace. The title of this psalm is attributed to Ethan the Israelite, whose name holds great meaning. In this world, no one finds strength apart from the hope embedded in God’s promises; we are weak in ourselves but strong in His mercy. The psalmist wisely begins, "I will sing of Your mercies, O Lord, forever; with my mouth, I will proclaim Your truth to all generations" (Psalms 88:1).
He declares that his entire being should serve the Lord. When I speak, may it be of Your words. With my mouth, I will proclaim Your truth; if I disobey You, I cannot claim to be Your servant. Speaking from You differs greatly from speaking solely from myself; one is mine, the other Yours—Your truth, my tongue. Let us examine the faithfulness He signifies and the graces He extols.
For You have declared, “Grace shall be established forever” (Psalms 87:2). This is the truth I sing: it is this message my lips serve to communicate. Thus, You affirm, “I build not to destroy;” some You bring to ruin without restoration, yet others You rebuild after destruction. If there were not those destroyed to be revived, Jeremiah would not have proclaimed, “Behold, I have appointed you today to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant” (Jeremiah 1:10). Indeed, all who previously worshipped idols could not be rooted in Christ, perishing instead due to their former errors. If some had not faced destruction to avoid building on falsehood, Scripture would not have declared, “He will destroy them, and not build them up.”
He interweaves mercy and faithfulness: “For You have said, ‘Mercy shall be established forever; Your truth shall be affirmed in the heavens’” (Psalms 87:2). In heaven, mercy and truth echo, for the ways of the Lord are characterized by mercy and truth, making evident the truth of fulfilled promises through the mercy of sin’s remission. Moreover, many prophecies were fulfilled among the Israelites, descendants of Abraham, as their increase served to realize God's promises; yet, His fountain of goodness remained open to the Gentiles, who were placed under angelic authority while He preserved the Israelites as His own. The apostle highlights the mercy and truth of the Lord, speaking to both Jewish and Gentile believers.
He refers to Christ as the minister of the circumcision, proclaiming God’s truth and validating the promises made to the patriarchs (Romans 15:8). Observe how God remains faithful; He has not forsaken His people whom He foreknew. The apostle notes the fall of the Jews not to suggest their utter denial of God, for if none could be saved from the field, it would imply that no grain would reach the barn. Yet he declares, “God has not rejected His people, whom He foreknew. For I also am an Israelite” (Romans 11:1-2). If the entirety of Israel is likened to thorns, then what shall we say of the wheat? God’s truth was fulfilled among those Israelites who believed, establishing one wall of circumcision as it related to the cornerstone. This stone, however, would not have been the cornerstone without receiving another wall from the Gentiles. The first wall relates closely to truth, while the second pertains to the grace of God.
The apostle asserts that Jesus Christ served as the minister of circumcision for God’s truth, confirming His promises to the patriarchs and that the Gentiles would glorify God for His mercy (Romans 15:8-9). It is fitting to add that “Your truth shall be established in the heavens,” for all the Israelites tasked with apostleship embodied the heavens, declaring God’s glory, as it is written, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Although they departed before the Church spread wide, their words have traveled to the ends of the earth, making it just to presume what we have read, “You will establish Your truth in the heavens” through them.
You have stated, “I have made a covenant with My chosen one” (Psalms 88:3). What else could this new covenant signify but the renewal for a fresh inheritance, spurring our longing and love, which inspire our new song? The psalmist mentions, “I have sworn to David my servant,” and speaks with bold confidence from an understanding of truth. I speak without fear, for if You cause me to be fearless through Your words, how much more when You have taken an oath! For God’s oath ensures the promise’s fulfillment. Humans are rightly cautioned against swearing (Matthew 5:34) to avoid the pitfalls of deception; only God can swear securely, as He is infallible.
Let us consider what God has sworn: “I have sworn to David my servant; I will establish your lineage forever” (Psalms 87:4). But what is David’s lineage if not Abraham’s? And what is Abraham’s lineage? Scripture states, “To your seed, which is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). Christ, the head of the Church and Savior of the body (Ephesians 5:23), is indeed the seed of Abraham, thus of David. Are we not also the seed of Abraham? We surely are, as the apostle declares, “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). Hence, let us interpret that God affirms, “I will establish your lineage forever,” for not only through the flesh of Christ born of the Virgin Mary, but through all who believe in Christ. We are members of this Head—inevitably, this body cannot be separated from the Head; as the Head reigns in glory eternally, so do the members, ensuring that Christ remains whole forever. “I will establish your lineage eternally, and your throne for every generation.” He suggests “forever” in relation to generation and kinship, as He previously proclaimed, “With my mouth, I will always declare Your truth to every generation.”
What does “generation after generation” mean? It refers to every age; repetition serves to emphasize the continuity of varied generations. Perhaps we can recognize two generations: there is the present generation of flesh and blood, and a future generation in the resurrection of the dead. Christ is proclaimed in both realms; here, He invites faith, and there, He invites sight. “I will establish your throne from generation to generation.” Christ currently reigns within us; as His throne is established in our hearts, were He not to sit on His throne within us, He could not govern us, and were we not ruled by Him, we would fall. So, He reigns within us, presiding over us, and He will also reign in the next generation that arises in the resurrection. Christ will reign over His saints for eternity—a promise from God; it has been spoken and confirmed by His oath. Since this promise is credible—not on our merits but by His mercy—none should hesitate to proclaim what they cannot doubt. Let this strength inspire our hearts, much like Ethan, whose name implies strength; let us preach God’s truth, His promises, and His oath, and through these means, let us glorify God as we carry Him within us, becoming like Heaven.
"O Lord, the heavens themselves testify to Your marvelous works” (Psalms 88:5). They do not celebrate their own merits, but Your magnificent deeds, O Lord. In each act of mercy towards the broken, and in the justification of the unrighteous, what do we honor if not the wondrous works of the Almighty? You praise Him for raising the dead; even more so, praise Him for redeeming the lost. What grace, what mercy of God! Consider a man who yesterday was engulfed in drunkenness, now transformed into a model of sobriety; a man once consumed by luxury now radiates temperance; a blasphemer recast into a worshiper of God. From such desperate situations, individuals are converted—may they not look to their own merits but rather recognize their transformation as originating from Heaven, praising the marvelous acts of the One who has made them Heaven.
For who among the clouds can be compared to You, O Lord? (Psalms 88:6). Will the heavens proclaim their rainfall as praise? Are preachers certain that none among the clouds matches their Creator? Is it truly an elevation to suggest clouds surpass Him? Yet, can the stars beyond the clouds be likened to the Lord? Can the sun, the moon, or even the angels be compared to God? Thus, we must discern the context in which it speaks: “For who is He among the clouds?” Recognize, dear friends, that these clouds are, in fact, preachers of truth; prophets and apostles proclaiming the Word of God. We need to investigate why they are identified as clouds. Just as the heavens are radiant with truth, clouds are obscured by the frailty of flesh, darkened by mortality; they come and go. About these fleshly obscurities, the apostle says, “Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness” (1 Corinthians 4:5). You perceive what is visible, but what lies within a man’s heart remains hidden; what is uttered from the cloud is visible, yet what remains concealed within it is not discerned. Who is capable of piercing through the cloud? Thus, clouds represent the fleshly preachers of truth: the Creator revealed Himself in the flesh.
We are referred to as clouds due to our flesh, echoing the truth as the rain falls. While our flesh comes through one means, His through another. We are called children of God, yet He is the Son of God in a unique sense; His cloud emerged from the Virgin, whereas He has eternally existed as consubstantial with the Father. Who among the clouds can compare to the Lord? Who among the sons of God can equate with Him? Let the Lord reveal if He can find one like Himself. Why do people refer to Me as the Son of Man? They see me visibly and walk among you; perhaps I have become common; tell me, who do people say I am? Indeed, when they observe the Son of Man, they see a cloud yet also inquire, “Who do men think I am?” Their responses reflect human interpretations; some say, “You are John the Baptist;” some, “Elijah;” others, “Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” Many clouds and sons of God are mentioned here; righteous and holy, Jeremiah, Elijah, and John are considered sons of God in virtue of their character as God’s preachers, thus termed clouds. You have stated how the crowds perceive Me; declare also who you perceive Me to be. Peter, speaking on behalf of them all, states, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-16). Not in the same manner as those sons of God, who are not equal to You; You came in flesh yet not like clouds, who equally do not compare with You.
God is greatly to be revered in the council of the righteous and is revered by all surrounding Him (Psalms 88:7). He is omnipresent; thus, who exists around Him? For if He were confined by having anything surrounding Him, He would seem finite in all aspects. Moreover, if such were genuinely stated about God, His greatness would be limitless; those around Him qualify as He who dwells everywhere, having chosen to be born in the flesh in a specific location, to reside among a particular people, to be crucified in one place, to rise in one place, and to ascend to heaven. When He performed these acts, He was surrounded by Gentiles. Had He solely remained in that place, He would not be considered great nor feared by all; yet because He preached with such authority that He dispatched messengers of His name to all nations across the globe, working wonders among His servants, He became exalted, instilling fear everywhere.