THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Dear friends, as members of the Church and students of Christ, you are likely aware, having been instructed by the writings of our early Church fathers who articulated God's word and His mighty acts. Their purpose was to guide our generation, the believers in Christ, who first encountered Him in His humble incarnation and are awaiting His glorious return. As it is written in the Psalms, "Truth shall spring up from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven." Hence, our aim is to discern Christ in the Psalms, the Prophets, and the Law, all composed before our Lord took on flesh. Therefore, beloved, let us engage with this Psalm and search for Christ within it; indeed, He will reveal Himself to those who seek Him, as He first appeared to those who did not pursue Him. He will not abandon those who yearn for Him and redeems those who may have turned away. The psalm opens by proclaiming, "The Lord reigns; the people rage" (Psalm 98:1). Our Lord Jesus Christ began His reign and proclamation after His resurrection and ascension, filling His disciples with the hope of the Holy Spirit so that they would not fear the death He had already overcome. Consequently, Jesus began to be proclaimed, that those longing for salvation might believe in Him, while the nations that worshiped idols grew indignant. Those who revered their own creations felt anger when the Creator Himself was announced. He revealed Himself to the nations through His disciples, urging them to turn from their idols and seek Him, their true Creator. Their fury was misdirected at the Lord due to their idolatry, for even a servant is more valuable than an idol; God's servant was created by Him, while their idols were mere products of human craft. Their rage against the true Lord was unfounded, yet even their anger serves as prophecy, as it is written, "The Lord reigns; let the people be angry." There can be positive outcomes even from anger: let them be angry, as in their rage the martyrs are crowned.
When Jeremiah was read prior to the Apostle, if you were attentive, you could perceive in him the times we live in. He stated, "The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens" (Jeremiah 10:11). Notably, he did not declare that they would vanish from heaven, as they had never belonged there; instead, he repeated the phrase about the earth to emphasize that those idols must be eliminated from the earth and from their temples. Consider whether this is occurring now; if it has not entirely come to pass, how much remains? The true idols linger more within the hearts of the Gentiles than in their temples.
"He who sits above the cherubim" demonstrates that He is the King; let Him stir up the earth. The cherubim symbolize God’s majestic throne in heaven, as Scripture reveals, a throne we cannot perceive. Yet, the Word of God knows this throne as His own, and the Word and Spirit have disclosed to God's servants where He reigns. God is not seated like a man; rather, if you desire God to dwell within you, be virtuous, and you will become His throne. It is written, "The soul of the righteous is the home of wisdom" (Proverbs 12:23). In Hebrew, the term referring to cherubim has been interpreted as "fullness of knowledge." Since God transcends all understanding, He is portrayed as seated above this fullness. Therefore, possess the fullness of knowledge, and you will be the throne of God. He knows all things; even the hairs on our heads are counted before Him (Matthew 10:30). However, the fullness of knowledge He intends for humanity differs from His complete knowledge; it pertains to the law of God. You may ask, who can fully know the law to become the throne of God? Do not worry; the Apostle succinctly states that "Love is the fulfillment of the Law" (Romans 13:10). What follows if you lack love? Turn inward and see whether your heart harbors love. If love abides, then the Law is already fulfilled within you; God dwells in you, and you have become His throne. Let the angry ones be angry; what harm can they do to one who is a throne of God? Pay attention not to those who express anger towards you, but to Him who sits within you. You have become heaven, so why fear the earth? Another Scripture states, "Heaven is My throne" (Isaiah 66:1). Therefore, if you, filled with love and knowledge, are a throne of God, you are indeed heaven. This visible heaven holds little value before God; it is holy souls and angelic minds that constitute the true heaven of God.
"Great is the Lord in Zion and high above all peoples" (Psalm 98:2). The cherubim, of whom I spoke, are great in Zion. What is Zion? We know it to be the city of God. Jerusalem is called Zion, as the name signifies "watching" or "contemplation." Every soul striving to perceive the light to be seen is a Zion. For if one's own light is observed, it is dim; but looking upon Him brings illumination. Now that it is clear that Zion is the city of God, what is the true city of God, if not the Holy Church? It is the loving community of believers who love one another and God within them that forms the city of God. The city operates under a law defined by love, which is God, for "God is Love" (1 John 4:8). Thus, one filled with love is filled with God, and many filled with love create a city rich with God's presence. This city of God is called Zion; therefore, the Church is Zion, and within her, God reigns mightily.
Do you think, dear friends, that those who made music yesterday are unbothered by our fasts? Let us not respond with anger towards them, but instead, let us fast for their sake. Our Lord, who resides within us, commanded us to pray for our enemies and those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). When the Church engages in such prayer, the persecutors often cease to rage. A drunken person does not harm themselves, but brings offense to the sober. Observe a man truly content in God, living earnestly and desiring the eternal peace promised by God; witness how he feels more sorrow for another’s foolish revelry than for an ill man consumed by fever. Therefore, knowing the faults of others, we who have also been freed from similar evils ought to lament for them; and through our grief, we shall pray and fast for them to be heard. We do not keep our fasts during our celebrations. Our fasting during the approach of Easter differs from the various days designated for Christ. Yet, we fast during their celebrations so that when they rejoice, we might mourn for them. Their joy intensifies our sorrow as it reminds us of their continued misery. But even if we have witnessed many set free where we have been, we must not lose hope for them. If they remain angry, let us continue to pray; if another part of the earth opposes us, let us weep for them, asking that God grant them understanding, so together we may rejoice in the same joyful message.
"All the people over whom You are greatly exalted in Zion shall tell of Your Name" (Psalm 98:3). Your Name was once disregarded amid their wrath, but it now magnifies; let them now confess it. What does it mean that the Name of Christ was small before it grew so widely recognized? It implies that His report was entwined with His Name. His Name may have seemed insignificant, but now it has become great. What nation has not heard of Christ's Name? Let people now proclaim confession before Your great Name, those who were once angered by Your humble Name. Why confess? Because it is marvelous and sanctified. His Name is proclaimed as that of One who was crucified, humble, maligned, destined to come again in glory, to judge with power. He presently grants space for those who blaspheme, leading them towards repentance (Romans 2:4). However, He who shows mercy will not do so eternally, and the One they now fear will inevitably come to judge. He will indeed come; let us live in reverence so that we may stand at His right hand. For when He comes to judge, He will place some at His left and others at His right (Matthew 25:31-33). He does not err, ensuring that those deemed worthy of the right hand will not be mistakenly placed on the left, nor vice versa. Since He cannot err, we err if we lack fear; yet if we have feared in this life, we have nothing further to fear. For the honor of the King yearns for righteousness.
"You have prepared equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob" (Psalm 98:4). We too must seek justice and righteousness; however, it is God who instills justice and righteousness within us, who created us for this purpose. How can we achieve justice and righteousness? You discern justice when you distinguish between good and evil, and righteousness when you follow good and bypass evil. In making these distinctions, you achieve justice; in actions, you achieve righteousness. Refrain from evil and pursue good; seek peace and strive for it. You must first attain justice and then righteousness. What is justice? It is the ability to judge what is good from what is evil. And righteousness is the practice of forsaking evil for good. Yet, these are not to be achieved through your own strength; He is the one who taught us that “You have performed justice and righteousness in Jacob.”
"Exalt the Lord our God" (Psalm 98:5). Truly extol Him; let us praise the One who has created the very truth we possess, who has instilled righteousness within us. For who is it that justifies the ungodly but Christ? (Romans 4:5). "And bow before His footstool, for He is holy." What does it signify to fall before His footstool? In Greek, the word for footstool is "hypopodion," in Latin "Scabellum" or "Suppedaneum." Consider what it means to prostrate ourselves before Him. In another passage, it is stated, "Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool" (Isaiah 66:1). Thus, does He require us to worship the earth, since it serves as the footstool to His feet? How can we revere the earth when Scripture explicitly directs us to worship the Lord our God? (Deuteronomy 6:13). Scripture instructs us to bow before His footstool, clarifying that "the earth is My footstool." I hesitate—fearing to worship the earth lest He condemn me; yet I feel no trepidation in honoring the footstool of my Lord, for the Psalm directs me to fall before it. What, then, is His footstool? The earth is a footstool for my Lord's feet. As I ponder this, I turn towards Christ seeking understanding; He reveals how we can worship the earth with sincerity, and affirm that neglecting to do so can lead to sin. But does the flesh impart life? Our Lord Himself praised His own creation, stating that "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing" (John 6:63). Yet, when He spoke of this earthly matter, He was referring specifically to His flesh, declaring, "Unless one eats My Flesh, he has no life in him" (John 6:54). Many of His disciples—around seventy—were tempted by these hard truths, stating, "These are difficult words; who can accept them?" They turned back, having misjudged His intent, assuming He spoke of cannibalism rather than the deeper spiritual nourishment He offered. They should have recognized that there must be a profound mystery beneath His words. If they had been humble, they could have gleaned from His teachings rich revelations that were imparted to those who remained with Him. When the twelve disciples stayed despite the others' departure, they intimated their own offense at His words. He reassured them, stating, "The Spirit gives life, but the flesh counts for nothing; the words I speak to you are spirit and life" (John 6:63). Understand these words spiritually, for it is not merely the physical body you are to consume, nor the blood that will be shed by those who crucify Him, but rather a divine mystery understood through faith, a mystery celebrated visibly yet grasped spiritually.