THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Beloved, grasp the essence of this psalm that I am about to unfold, through God’s grace, regarding our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Take heart, for He who has made promises is faithful to fulfill them, just as He has fulfilled so many already. Our confidence rests not in our own merits but in His grace. The reference to “Ethan” in this psalm points to Ethan the Israelite, from whom its title is derived. The name holds significant meaning, illustrating that no one in this life possesses strength apart from hope in the promises of God; our own merits leave us weak, but in His mercy, we find strength. Thus, the psalmist begins: “I will sing of Thy mercies, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will declare Thy truth to all generations” (Psalms 88:1).
The psalmist insists that his members serve the Lord, affirming that his voice only speaks of God's truth. To fail in obedience is to be no servant of His; to speak from one’s own insight is to be deceitful. There is a distinction between speaking from oneself and speaking from God—one reflects our truth, the other, divine truth. Let us consider the faithfulness and graces he extols.
For Thou hast declared, “Grace shall be settled forever” (Psalm 87:2). This is the melody I sing: this truth is what my mouth serves to proclaim. You have proclaimed, “I build not to destroy,” for while some are destroyed, others are rebuilt. Were it not so, Jeremiah would not have recorded, “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, those who once worshipped idols could not find establishment in Christ without facing destruction due to their former errors. If some were not to be destroyed to be rebuilt, it would not be remarked that “He will destroy them, and not build them up.”
He connects mercy and truth: “For Thou hast said, ‘Mercy shall be established forever; Thy truth shall be firmly established in the heavens,’ where mercy and truth are echoed. All the paths of the Lord are marked by mercy and truth, as truth in fulfilling promises comes only after the mercy of sin's remission. Promises made to the people of Israel—descendants of Abraham—were abundant; however, God's fountain of goodness also flowed to the Gentiles, who were under angelic authority, retaining Israel as His treasured possession. The apostle articulates the mercy and truth of the Lord concerning both groups. He refers to Christ as the minister to the circumcision to validate the promises made to the patriarchs (Romans 15:8).
Observe how God has been faithful, not forsaking His people whom He chose beforehand. In discussing the downfall of the Jews, the apostle emphasizes that God has not cast away His people, for “I am an Israelite” (Romans 11:1-2). If all were thorns, what of the wheat? God’s truth is affirmed in those Israelite believers, forming a wall of circumcision brought into alignment with the cornerstone—Christ. This cornerstone is solidified by the Gentiles, resulting in a dual wall: one relating to truth, the other to grace. The apostle asserts that Jesus Christ served as the minister of circumcision for the truth of God, to uphold the promise made to the patriarchs, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy (Romans 15:8-9).
It is correctly stated, “Thy truth shall be established in the heavens,” for all Israelites called to apostleship reflect the glory of God, fulfilling the scripture, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Even if they departed prior to the Church filling the earth, their words heralded the faith until the farthest realms, affirming, “Thou wilt establish Thy truth in the heavens.”
Thou hast declared, “I have made a covenant with My chosen” (Psalm 88:3). This new covenant renews us for a new inheritance, inspiring a new song. “I have sworn to David my servant,” the psalmist proclaims, confidently, for he knows truth and speaks it! Such confidence stems from the assurance of God’s words; when divinely inspired, how much greater is that assurance when God swears! The oath of God guarantees the fulfillment of His promise.
Let us observe what God has sworn: “I have sworn to David my servant; I will establish thy seed forever” (Psalm 87:4). The seed of David is inherently the seed of Abraham: “And to your seed, who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). It is evident that Christ, the Head of the Church and the Savior of the body (Ephesians 5:23), is both David’s and Abraham’s seed. Yet we too are children of Abraham, for “if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). Thus, it is important to grasp this understanding: “I will establish your seed forever” refers not only to the flesh of Christ born of the Virgin Mary but includes all of us who place our faith in Christ. We are members of His body; the Head cannot be severed from His members. If He is eternally glorious, so too shall His members be, leading to a complete Christ for eternity. “I will establish thy seed forever, and I will secure thy throne for generation and generation.” The mention of “forever” suggests continuity for generations, as articulated previously: “With my mouth I will declare Thy truth to all generations.”
What does “generation and generation” signify? It encompasses every generation; the repetition underscores the transient nature of generations. Perhaps we might visualize two generations: this present one of flesh and blood, and the future one in resurrection. Christ is proclaimed here to be believed, and there to be welcomed. “I will establish your throne from generation to generation.” Christ reigns now within us; if He were not on His throne, He would lack authority over us, and we would fail without His governance. Thus, He reigns within, and He will reign also in the next generation that arises from resurrection. Christ will reign with His saints forever, a promise secured by God’s declaration—if that is insufficient, He has confirmed it by oath. Thus, since the promise is reliable, not reliant on our merits but grounded in His mercy, no one ought to hesitate in declaring what they cannot doubt.
Let this assurance encourage us, as Ethan's name suggests strength of heart. Let us proclaim God’s truth and His promises and, fortified by these truths, bring glory to God, transforming ourselves into vessels of heaven. “Lord, even the heavens will praise Thy marvelous works” (Psalm 88:5). Heaven’s praises arise not from its own merits but from the marvelous works of God. In every act of mercy to the lost and in the justification of the unjust, we celebrate but the wondrous works of God. Praise Him for raising the dead; praise Him even more for redeeming the lost. Such grace and mercy of God! One can witness a man, once enveloped in drunkenness, transformed into a beacon of sobriety; a man, once a shell of indulgence, now exemplifying temperance; a former blasphemer now honoring God; a prior slave to sin, now an ardent worshiper of the Creator. From such sins, individuals are converted; let them rely not on their own merits but find their true calling in praising the miraculous works of the One who made them anew.
Who is it among the clouds that compares to You, O Lord? (Psalm 88:6). Will it be the heavens or their rain? Do preachers assert that no entity in the sky is comparable to the Lord? Is it not a profound praise that the clouds cannot match their Creator? If understood literally and not spiritually, this comparison falls short. Can the stars above the clouds be equated to the Lord? Can the sun, moon, angels, or heavens be likened to Him? Thus, when he asks, “Who is He among the clouds?” we recognize that these clouds are preachers of truth; they represent prophets, apostles, or heralds of God's word.
If clouds preach truth, we must first ponder why they are likened to clouds. These beings, the heavens and clouds alike, originate from the brightness of truth and the vague obscurity of the flesh. All clouds bear the shadow of mortality, appearing transient. The apostle reminds us, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness” (1 Corinthians 4:5). You can see superficially what a man says, but his heart’s intent remains unseen. Thus, one perceives the visible escape of the statement from a cloud, while the cloud retains what cannot be seen.
Who among us can penetrate the cloud's cover? Clouds are preachers of truth while clothed in flesh. The Creator Himself took on flesh, and though we are termed clouds by virtue of our mortality, we become proclaimers of truth when inspired by the downpour from those clouds. Our flesh is born of one nature, yet His by another. We too are called sons of God, but He is uniquely the Son of God. His arrival came from the Virgin; He is Son from eternity, consubstantial with the Father. Who among the clouds could possibly compare to the Lord? And which of the sons of God resembles Him? Let the Lord declare if He can find someone like Himself.
“What do people say of Me, the Son of Man?” I am observable; I walk among you and, perhaps in these moments, seem commonplace. Tell me, what do men call Me, the Son of Man? Ever truly visible, when they see the Son of Man, they merely observe a cloud. But when they ponder who I am, they share various human opinions. Some claim, “You are John the Baptist,” others say, “Elijah,” and some, “Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Here, the titles of many righteous figures arise as “sons of God,” praised for their holiness. Their vocation as God’s messengers earns them this title as clouds. “What do people believe regarding these clouds?” As He inquires, “What do you say I am?” Peter answers for all, proclaiming, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-16). Not as those sons of God, who do not equal Him; unlike them, He is incarnate, and no mere cloud can match Him.
God is greatly to be revered among the council of the righteous and feared by all who surround Him (Psalm 88:7). God is omnipresent; who then can encircle Him except that God chooses to be born in the flesh in one location, dwelling among a specific people, being crucified, resurrected, and ascending from that place? At that time, He had Gentiles around Him. Had He remained where He executed these gracious acts, His majesty would not have reached heights of reverence; it is in His preaching that He sent forth His name across every nation, performing wonders by His servants, commanding great awe among those surrounding Him.
“O Lord God of hosts, who is like unto Thee? Thy truth, Almighty God, encompasses all” (Psalm 88:8). Your power is magnificent; You fashioned the heavens and the earth and all within them. Yet, Your mercy shines brighter, revealing Your truth to all around You. If Your message had only been announced where You chose to be born, suffer, rise, and ascend, the promises to the fathers would have been fulfilled merely in that venue. Yet the promise to the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy (Romans 15:9) could not materialize unless Your truth had been disseminated and understood beyond the locality of Your earthly existence. From there, You spoke powerfully and thunderously from Your cloud, dispatching other clouds to rain over the Gentiles nearby. In Your power, You have fulfilled this declaration: “Henceforth you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64).