THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
My dear friends, I wish we had been more obedient to our Father, though it is indeed good to follow His commands. Since the one who humbly intercedes for us has instructed us, I will share with you what Jesus Christ has graciously revealed in this psalm that we hold in common as our Lord. This psalm is titled “A Song of Praise by David.” A song of praise embodies both joy, reflected in the song itself, and devotion, as it is an expression of admiration. For what more substantial object of praise exists than that which brings delight to such an extent that discontent is impossible? Thus, when we glorify God, we do so with assurance. The one who offers praise stands secure, untroubled by the fear of shame related to the subject of that praise. Therefore, let us both sing and offer praise; in other words, let our praise be filled with cheer and joy. The purpose of our praise in this psalm is revealed in its subsequent verses.
Let us come together and sing to the Lord (Psalm 94:1). He invites us to partake in a feast of profound joy, not of this earthly life, but a joy found in the Lord. If there were no false joy in this life to differentiate from true, righteous joy, it would merely be sufficient to invite us to rejoice; yet He emphasizes this call. What does it mean to truly rejoice? To rejoice in the Lord. You are called to rejoice in the Lord with godly delight if you wish to navigate this world with safety. But what does the invitation "Come" signify? It calls those who wish to find joy in the Lord from a distance, prompting them to draw near so that, through nearness, they may experience joy. Yet, from where are they distant? Can anyone truly be far from one who is present everywhere? It is not distance of location but rather a lack of resemblance to Him that separates humanity from God.
What does it mean to be unlike Him? It implies living a life filled with wrongdoings; thus, if we draw near to God through virtuous actions, by engaging in sinful habits we create distance from Him. By contrasting our similarity to God, we move closer to Him. What kind of similarity? It is the likeness in which we were initially created, the essence tainted by our sin but renewed within us through His grace. This renewed image, likened to impression on coins, is the image of our God in our souls, which we aspire to restore.
Let us make a joyful noise to God, our Savior. Reflect, beloved, on how those who express joy in ordinary songs let forth exuberance that words cannot fully capture. The excitement they convey indicates feelings that their lips cannot articulate. If they celebrate earthly joy in such a manner, should we not express heavenly joy, which surpasses our ability to articulate it?
We must acknowledge His presence with our confessions (Psalm 94:2). Confession bears dual meanings in scripture: the confession of praise and that of lamentation. The former honors the praised, while the latter acknowledges wrongdoing. Individuals confess when they extol God or when they take responsibility for their actions, and this is indeed a noble use of the tongue. I believe these are the very vows spoken of in another Psalm: I will repay You my vows, which I have uttered with my mouth. There is nothing more profound than discernment, and nothing that is more necessary both in comprehension and action. How then can you discern the vows you make to God? By praising Him and acknowledging your faults, reminded of His mercy that forgives our transgressions. For if He had chosen to treat us according to our deeds, He would find only cause for condemnation. “Oh, come,” He says, “that we may finally turn from our sins, that He may not lay out our past accounts, but instead initiate a new record as if all our debts have been consumed in the fire.” Therefore, the lower your esteem for yourself due to your sins, the more fervently confess your transgressions; for the greater the mercy of the Forgiver, the richer the depth of the penitent's acknowledgment. Thus, do not think that by recognizing confession as a part of praise we have strayed from the song of praise; in fact, confessing our sins is a significant aspect of glorifying God.
And with joyful psalms, let us shout to Him. We have already articulated what it is to make a joyful noise; the repetition serves to reinforce the call to action. It is not that we have forgotten the earlier exhortation, but that we wish to impress upon you the urgency of joyful expression; after all, well-known phrases are often revisited in contexts of strong emotion, not to increase familiarity but to amplify the intensity of the speaker's feelings. “For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods” (Psalm 94:3). The Lord will not forsake His people. Whom does He promise to uphold? We cannot interpret this ourselves, as the Apostle has provided clarification for us. This refers to the Jewish nation, the lineage of prophets, the descendants of Abraham through whom our Savior’s promises were revealed, a community where all divine mysteries were first entrusted.
Does this mean that the entirety of this people is condemned? Certainly not. The Apostle refers to it as the good olive tree, rooted in the patriarchs. This tree, though some branches were pruned, remains alive. If all branches were severed, how could we account for Peter, John, Thomas, Matthew, Andrew, and all the other apostles? And from where did the five hundred brethren who witnessed our Lord after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6) come? From where did the thousands described by Peter emerge, those who, upon hearing the apostles gift of tongues (Acts 2:4), turned zealously towards God? The very ones who first spilled the Lord's blood in fury found salvation upon belief. These thousands sold their possessions and laid the proceeds at the apostles' feet, accomplishing what no rich man could when he heard the Lord's command and walked away lamenting (Matthew 19:21-22). The deeper the wound in their hearts, the greater the urgency in seeking a healer. Thus, as they all originated from that lineage, the psalm states: “For the Lord will not cast away His people.”
What does the psalm further add? “All the corners of the earth are in His hand” (Psalm 94:4). We recognize the cornerstone, which is Christ. A corner cannot exist without the joining of two walls; they meet at a corner but do not oppose one another. Circumcision comes from one side, while uncircumcision comes from another; yet in Christ, these two intersect, as He is the stone penned in scripture: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”
“For the sea belongs to Him, and He created it” (Psalm 94:5). The sea symbolizes this world, yet God also crafted it, and the waves can only surge to the shore where He has set their limits. Thus, no temptation arises without measure. “And His hands have prepared the dry land.” Let the dry land long for the grace of God, that it may rain down upon you sweetly and yield fruitful results. He allows not the waves to overcome what He has sown, and His hands have indeed prepared the dry land. Therefore, let us cry out to the Lord.
“Come, let us worship and bow down; let us weep before the Lord our Maker” (Psalm 94:6). If you find yourself aflame with the awareness of your sins, extinguish that fire with tears of repentance; weep boldly before the Lord, who is your creator. He does not disdain His handiwork within you. Do not assume you can find restoration independently; by your own devices you may fall, but it is He who created you and restores you. Weep before the Lord our Maker; approach Him in confession, allowing His presence to guide your acknowledgment. Who are you, but the one crafted by His hands? A created being possesses a faith in the Creator, a trust that is profound and specific, enshrined in His image and likeness.
“For He is the Lord our God” (Psalm 94:7). And as we kneel before Him unafraid, who are we? We are the flock He shepherds, the people of His care. Notice how beautifully the phrasing is structured; each element reflects the essence of the other. He does not say, “the sheep of His pasture and the people of His hand,” which might imply a greater order of sheep to land, but instead states “the people of His pasture,” suggesting that we, the people, are His sheep. He further cherishes us in the Song of Songs, calling the perfect sheep His spouse, the Holy Church. “Your teeth are like a flock of sheep that have been shorn, coming up from washing; each one bears twins, and none is barren.” What does it mean for “your teeth” to represent? They symbolize those through whom you articulate, for the teeth of the Church are the vessels of her expression. How do your teeth resemble? Like the sheep shorn of their burdens reflecting a carefree existence.
Were not those sheep I described earlier sheared by God's command, when He suggested, “Go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will find treasure in heaven; then come and follow Me?” (Matthew 19:21) They have indeed fulfilled this command, casting off their worldly attachments. And what does it indicate about those believers in Christ who emerge from their baptism? It signifies their coming forth from cleansing, yielding each a twin. What are these twins? They are the two commandments upon which all of God's Law and the Prophets depend (Matthew 22:40).
“So today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Psalm 94:8). O people of God, He speaks not only to His chosen but to all who comprise His flock. God is addressing His people, the ones He will not forsake, as He speaks through the cornerstone of Ephesians 2:20 to every wall. The prophecy speaks in Christ to both the Jews and the Gentiles. For a time, you heard through Moses and allowed your hearts to grow cold. Then, upon that hardening, He spoke through a messenger; now, He expresses Himself directly. Let your hearts be softened. The one who sent messengers now descends to speak in person, conveying the Word as foretold by the prophets.
“In the trepidation and days of trial in the wilderness, where your forebears put Me to the test” (Psalm 94:9). Let not your ancestors serve as your model; do not follow in their path. They were indeed your ancestors, but if you refuse to emulate them, they shall no longer be your lineage. Nonetheless, having been born of them, they were your forebears. If people from the distant ends of the earth, as echoed in Jeremiah’s words, say, “Truly, our forefathers have inherited falsehoods, vanity, and emptiness” (Jeremiah 16:19), forsaking their idols to turn towards the God of Israel, should Israel, who was led out of Egypt through the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22), where God vanquished their enemies and sustained them with manna during their journey (Exodus 16:13-35), abandon their faith? While your ancestors tested Me, they directly witnessed My works.
“For forty years I bore witness to this generation, proclaiming: ‘These are a people whose hearts continually wander; they have not come to know My ways’” (Psalm 94:10). In this, forty years signifies a perpetual state, as that number represents the fullness of ages, suggesting a complete cycle through its repetition. Our Lord fasted for forty days; He was tempted for the same duration in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) and appeared to His disciples for forty days following His resurrection (Acts 1:3). In these first forty days, He illustrated temptation, while in the final forty days, He brought comfort; for certainly, in times of trial, solace is ever-present. The Body, that is, the Church, must endure trials in this world; yet the Comforter assures us, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). His presence remained with that obstinate entity—humanity—up to the conclusion of this age; and throughout these forty years, He intended to signify the eternal duration of this world.