Psalm 96 (95):10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

My lord and brother Severus continues to defer the joy we anticipate from his fellowship, for he recognizes that he is indebted to us. Throughout the Churches he's visited, it is evident that the Lord has delighted in his words; thus, the Church that has received his preaching should rejoice even more. What else can we do but yield to his wishes? Yet, beloved, I have stated that his delay has not been a deception. Therefore, let us consider him as owing us, and we shall not release him until he fulfills that obligation. Take heed, dear ones: within the limits the Lord allows, let us reflect on this Psalm, which you are familiar with; for revisiting the truth is delightful. When its title was mentioned, some may have been astonished. It states, "When the house was built after the Captivity." Since this title precedes the text, one might expect to hear about the stones cut from mountains, the stones gathered for the structure, the foundations established, the beams raised, and the columns erected. Yet, His song reveals none of those specifics..... This house is not built in a specific location. It begins with, "Sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the earth" (Psalm 94:1). As the entire earth sings a new song, it simultaneously builds through its song: the act of singing constructs the house, provided it sings a new melody. The fleshly desires produce the old song, while the love of God evokes the new... Listen carefully to the essence of this new song: the Lord commands, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another" (John 15:12). Then, the whole earth delivers this new song: the dwelling of God is established among them. If the whole earth becomes God's house, then he who is detached from it stands as a ruin, not a dwelling—a shadow of that ancient temple. For the old was dismantled to make way for the new..... The apostle unites us within this very structure and connects us in this unity, stating, "Indulging one another with love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:2-3). Where the Spirit's unity is present, there exists a single stone formed from many. How does one stone emerge from many? By humbling ourselves in love. In this manner, the house of our Lord is being constructed; this is the work being accomplished, for these are the words, the readings, and the preaching of the Gospel throughout the world, while this house remains under construction. This house has expanded greatly, enveloping many nations; however, it has not yet subdued all nations; through its growth, it secures many and will ultimately conquer all; this truth is disregarded by those who pridefully claim to belong to this house while asserting it has lost its foundation. It continues to grow, and all those nations yet to believe are destined to do so; no one can definitively state whether this tongue will believe or whether the barbarians will convert. What does the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in fiery tongues signify (Acts 2:3) but that no tongue is too hard to be softened by this fire? We witness that many barbarian nations have embraced Christ; His dominion already extends to territories untouched by the Roman Empire; what is barred to those who wage war with swords is not inaccessible to those who battle with wooden stakes. For the Lord triumphed through the wood. Who fights with wood? Christ. By His cross, He vanquished rulers, adorning their foreheads with that very cross as a mark of their defeat; they take pride in it, as it stands as their salvation. This is the work being done; thus, the house expands and is built. To confirm this, listen to the subsequent verses of the Psalm: observe how they labor and erect the house. "Sing unto the Lord, all the earth" ... "Sing unto the Lord, bless His name: proclaim the good news of His salvation day by day" (Psalm 95:2). How is this building expanded? It is proclaimed that we should announce the good news of His salvation daily. Let it be shared daily; day by day, He commands that His house increase. It is as if the laborers ask, "Where do You intend for this to be built?" Where shall Your house extend? Furnish us with a flat, ample space if You desire a grand house constructed for You. Where do You command us to preach the Gospel daily? He indicates the venue: "Proclaim to the Gentiles His honor." Not your honor but His. O builders, declare His honor to the Gentiles. If you seek to proclaim your own honor, you will fall, yet if you declare His, you shall be built up while building. Therefore, those who endeavor to promote their own glory have renounced dwelling in this house and, as a result, do not join in singing a new song with all the earth. They do not share in this harmony with the entire world; thus, they do not construct a dwelling but rather erect a whitewashed barrier. How sternly does God denounce the whitewashed wall (Ezekiel 13:10)! There are countless testimonies of the prophets where He curses such edifices. What is a whitewashed wall but a facade of hypocrisy? It may appear bright on the surface, yet inside it is filthy..... A certain individual remarked on this whitewashed wall: as if in a solitary wall, a door has been constructed, whoever enters will find themselves outside the house; likewise, those who refuse to sing a new song along with the house and instead build a transient, superficial wall, what use is it for them to have a door? If one enters, they find themselves without. They have not entered through the true door; thus, their door leads them outward. For the Lord states, "I am the door: by Me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved" (John 10:9)... Proclaim His honor to the Gentiles. What are the Gentiles? Are Getulia, Numidia, Mauritania, and Byzacia not nations? Provinces are also nations. Let the word of God strip hypocrisy from the whitewashed wall, constructing a true house throughout the earth. It is not sufficient to say, "Proclaim Him to the Gentiles"; lest one think it limits to certain nations, he adds, "and His miracles to all men." For "great is the Lord and greatly to be praised" (Psalm 95:4). Who but Jesus Christ is great? You know for certain that He appeared as a Man; you know He was conceived within a woman's womb, born from her, cared for, circumcised, and sacrifices were made for Him to mature. Ultimately, you know that He suffered, was spat upon, crowned with thorns, crucified, died, and wounded with a spear; He endured all these things; He is the great one worthy of praise. Do not dismiss the small; understand the profound. He became small because you were so; may He be acknowledged as great, and you, in Him, shall be elevated..... For what can a small tongue proclaim in reverence of the Great One? He says, "Above praise"; He conveys to the mind what is beyond utterance: as if to indicate, "That which I cannot express, ponder it"; and upon reflection, it will still lack. What human words can capture what is unutterable? The Lord is indeed great and beyond all praise. Let Him be exalted and proclaimed; reveal His glory and build His house. ...For the place He intended to build a house is itself a wooded area, as previously mentioned. For He sought that very house when He indicated it was in the woods. And why is this place wooded? Men worshipped idols, which explains their feeding of swine. For that son who abandoned his father and squandered all on loose living, depicted as the prodigal son, tended to swine (Luke 15:12-15), which symbolizes idol worship; and due to the rampant superstition among the Gentiles, the entire earth became like a forest. A builder of a house uproots trees, hence it was said, "While the house was being built, after the captivity." Individuals were in bondage to evil and served idols; however, they were set free from that captivity. They had the ability to sell, but could not redeem themselves. The Redeemer arrived and established the price; He poured out His blood and redeemed the entire world. You may wonder, what did He purchase? Observe what He gave to discover what He acquired. The cost was the blood of Christ. What could be of equal worth? Only the entire world? Only all nations? Those who deem the price trivial, or consider themselves superior, claiming it was solely for them, let them not rejoice, let them not be proud: He offered what He gave to the entire world. He recognized what He purchased due to the knowledge of the price at which He acquired it. Hence, in our redemption, the house is being built after the captivity. And who are these captors? Those who are instructed, "Declare His glory," are the ones who remove the idols, uprooting trees from the earth, liberating it from bondage, constructing and erecting while proclaiming the greatness of the Lord's house. How will the demonic influences be eradicated unless He who reigns above all is proclaimed? All nations once worshipped demons as their gods; those deities they revered were indeed demons, as the Apostle clearly states, "That which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God" (1 Corinthians 10:20). Thus, they were captivated because they offered sacrifices to demons and consequently, the world remained a wilderness; He is declared great and exalted above all praise. ...For when it is proclaimed, "He is to be feared above all gods," it is added, "As for all the gods of the peoples, they are devils." ...For all pagan deities are indeed demons. And does it seem praiseworthy to Him who is undeserving of praise that He is elevated above the deities of the pagans, who are demons? Wait and listen; God created the heavens. Therefore, not merely above all gods, but also above all the heavens He created, the Lord reigns. If He only stated, "above all gods," suggesting that Gentile gods are demons, and if His praise concluded there, he would have said less than we typically attribute to Christ. However, when he added, "But the Lord made the heavens," observe the immense distinction between His creation and the demonic entities; behold the vast divide between heaven and Him who created the heavens. He did not say, "But the Lord sits in the heavens," as it could have implied that someone else created them; instead, He affirmed, "But the Lord made the heavens." If He created the heavens, He also crafted the angels; He Himself fashioned the angels and the apostles. The devils yielded to the Apostles, but the Apostles became the heavens that brought forth the Lord.... O heavens He created, declare His honor to the Gentiles! May His house be established throughout the earth; let the entire world sing a new song. Confession and beauty are before Him (Psalm 95:6). Do you desire beauty? Do you wish to appear beautiful? Then confess it! He stated not beauty followed by confession, but rather confession preceding beauty. If you have acted unjustly, confess to be considered just; if you have sinned, acknowledge your wrongs to be deemed righteous. You can mar your appearance; you cannot create beauty on your own. But how does our Bride, enamored with a man, distort herself to become beautiful? Some might question how He could find beauty in the unlovely. He said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:13). Who does He consider sinners, hoping they will remain such? No, He responds. How will they cease being sinners? Through confession before Him, there will be beauty. They honor Him by confessing their sins, expelling the malice they once devoured greedily; they will not revert to their old ways like a unclean dog (2 Peter 2:22), and hence there will be confession and beauty.