Беседа 26 на псалом 115 78

Ps.115:1. Hallelujah. I believed, and therefore I said: I am greatly humbled. The reference of the Psalmist and the Apostle Paul to faith as a necessary condition in order to understand and assimilate divine promises: the wonderful works of God are beyond human reason. – The Old and New Testaments come from the same Spirit of God. – The grace of the Spirit is necessary in order to have faith. – But if the Spirit enlightens, then do those who are not enlightened sin? – Those living in the times of the New Testament need faith much more than those living in the Old Testament. - The painful bewilderment of a person who does not have faith, which is some kind of sacred anchor. – What do the words mean: “in my frenzy and every man is a liar” (Ps. 116:2)? The greatness of divine benefits to man and his expression of gratitude to God. – The Lord cares not only about the life, but also about the death of the righteous, who die not by chance, but by the special permission of God. – The Psalmist’s expression of the greatest devotion and love for God for deliverance from sorrows. – “Sacrifice of praise” (Ps. 116:8) and fulfillment of vows. 1. Referring to this saying, blessed Paul says: “having the same spirit of faith, as it is written: I believed, and therefore I spoke, and we believe, therefore we speak” (2 Cor. 4:13). So, it is necessary first to say how the apostle used these words and what he was talking about: then the prophetic saying will be clear to us. On the other hand, that teaching is the best in which the connections of speech are not interrupted, in which they do not take one part and stop there, but offer an explanation from the very beginning. What did Paul talk about when he mentioned this prophetic saying? About the resurrection and the enjoyment of future blessings, which surpass all word, mind and idea. Since all this is beyond every word and cannot be explained, but must be accepted by faith, so that the Jew does not be embarrassed and does not consider himself deceived, as if fueled by empty hopes, the apostle corrects his foolishness and seems to say this: I do not demand something new, but an ancient good - faith. This is what Paul says. And the prophet, intending to predict about some blessings awaiting the Jews in this life and emerging from the series of human affairs, and wanting that no one remains an unbeliever, begins the psalm like this: “I believed, therefore I spoke.” When Jerusalem fell, the church turned into ruins, and all the Jews, captives and bound, were taken to a foreign country, and foreigners occupied their land in their place and received orders to plant grapes, build houses and marry, then all this plunged the Jews into despair and they reasoned with themselves like this: if we, having a city, weapons, towers, a lot of property, a church, an altar, worship, rituals and all other social structure were betrayed, made captives and taken into slavery - now, being in a foreign country and having lost everything, disarmed and turned into slaves, how can we return our fatherland? Since many of the weaker, reasoning in this way, were confused, worried and did not listen to the prophets who predicted the return, the psalmist said these words, instilling in everyone that they must believe the words of God. Other prophets told them differently, such as Isaiah: “Listen to Me, you who strive for righteousness, who seek the Lord! Look at the rock from which you were hewn, into the depths of the ditch from which you were drawn." And again: “look at Abraham your father, and at Sarah who gave birth to you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and multiplied him” (Is. 51: 1, 2). The meaning of these words is as follows: Was not Abraham a foreigner, childless and elderly? Didn’t he have a wife who, by age and nature, was incapable of bearing children? Wasn't his condition hopeless in all respects? What then? From him alone, childless and elderly, did I not fill the entire universe? Why are you embarrassed? If I could fill the world from one person, how much more from you few will I fill Jerusalem. That is why the prophet says: “look at the rock from which you were hewn”, calling Abraham so, into the depths of the ditch from which you were drawn, calling Sarah so. Just as the “ditch” itself does not have water, but receives it from the upper rains, so Sarah, who did not in herself have the ability to bear children, received this ability from above; and just as a stone never bears fruit, so Abraham was not capable of it; but I brought you forth from it, and from one I filled such countries. That’s why God takes Ezekiel out into the field, shows him a pile of bones, revives them, prophesies and, pointing to the bones, says: if I can raise the dead, how much more will I “bring you out alive” (Ezekiel 37:13). Other prophets said so; how about this one? “I believed, therefore I spoke,” i.e. you need to believe the promises, since I, too, by reasoning about this, imagining it and accepting it by faith, dispelled all doubt. Paul says that faith is also needed in relation to our tangible and visible goods; if it is needed in relation to the sensual, then even more so in relation to the spiritual. If the Jews needed faith to accept that they would return their city, then how much more so for us who are waiting for heaven. When something great happens, surpassing the mind and exceeding reason, then one must be guided by faith, and not examine the matter by ordinary human means, because the wonderful works of God are above all this. Therefore, we must, curbing our thoughts, turn to faith, and thus glorify God. Whoever tries to explore His works with his thoughts does not glorify Him, wanting to subordinate the ineffable works of His economy to his humble mind. 2. That is why Paul, speaking of Abraham, who did not do this, but, holding his thoughts, looked to the power of Him who promised, and showing that by this he especially glorified God, he says: “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but remained steadfast in the faith, giving glory to God, and being fully confident that He was able to do what He had promised” (Rom. 4:20, 21). What does it mean: “having the same spirit of faith, as it is written: I believed, and therefore I spoke, and we believe, therefore we speak”? Here the apostle reveals to us a great mystery. Which? That the Old and New Testaments come from the same Spirit, that the same Spirit who spoke in the first also spoke in the last, that faith is the teacher of everyone and without it you cannot say anything. “And we, he says, believe, that’s why we speak.” If you reject faith, then it is impossible to open your mouth. Why didn’t he say: having the same faith, but: “the same spirit of faith”? In order to explain the subject being presented and to show that the guidance of the Spirit is needed to ascend to the height of faith and expose the weakness of the mind. That is why in another place he says: “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for their benefit. To one is given the word of wisdom by the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; gifts of healing to others through the same Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:7–9). But perhaps someone will say, and rightly so, that he is talking about another faith, through which miracles were performed. And I know that the other is the faith about which the apostles said: “Increase faith in us” (Luke 17:5), and the other is the one by which we are all called faithful, not performing miracles, but having the knowledge of godliness. But here too the help of the Spirit is needed. So Luke writes about a certain woman that (the Lord) “opened her heart to listen to what Paul said” (Acts 16:14). And Christ says: “no one can come to Me unless the Father draws him” (John 6:44). If this is the work of God, then do unbelievers sin when neither the Spirit helps them, nor the Father attracts, nor the Son leads? And about Himself He says: “I am the way” (John 14:6), expressing that to lead to the Father, His guidance is needed. So, if the Father attracts, the Son leads, the Spirit enlightens, then do those who are not attracted, not led, and not enlightened sin? They sin because they themselves have not proven themselves worthy of this enlightenment. So, look, what happened to Cornelius: he did not achieve this on his own, but God called him, because he himself had first made himself worthy of it. Therefore, Paul, talking about faith, says: “and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). God does not leave you without good deeds. Although it depends on Him to attract and lead, He seeks a submissive soul, and then He provides His assistance. This is why Paul says in another place: “to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Indeed, our virtue and salvation are not forced. Although most and almost everything depends on God, He has provided something small for us, so that the purpose of the crowns is consistent with the personal dignity of each. That is why Paul, saying: “having the same spirit of faith..., i.e. who also spoke in the Old Testament added: “And we believe, therefore we speak.” Here faith is needed much more than there, both in the essence of the promises, invisible and spiritual, and in the order of time, because our rewards are not in the present life, but in the future. Even regarding real goods, faith is needed, because spiritual gifts, when they are bestowed, require faith, such as the communication of the sacraments, the gift of baptism. So the power of these blessings surpasses any word. If faith was needed regarding material and sensory objects, then even more so is it needed here. However, the apostolic saying is sufficiently explained; the time is to move on to the prophetic and say what blessed David says. What is he saying? “I believed, therefore I spoke.” Although he has not yet said anything, he expresses what has already been said in his thoughts. What was said? Having thought, he says, about the misfortune and deplorable state of the Jews, about the complete devastation and final destruction, I did not doubt the change for the better, but hoped for it, announced it and “spoke”; and in the previous psalms I spoke a lot about it, but I spoke and proclaimed it according to the inspiration of faith. 3. The other one, who has not learned faith so much, look how limping and embarrassed he is. David himself, in another psalm, but not about himself, but about the suffering of wavering people, says this: “How good is the God of Israel to the upright in heart! But my legs almost shook, my feet almost slipped” (Ps. 72:1, 2), meaning not legs and feet, but limping thoughts. He also adds the following reason: “I said in my frenzy: every man is a liar” (Ps. 116:2), i.e. seeing foreigners prosperous and Jews humiliated. What kind of vibration is he talking about? “And I said: “Was it in vain that I kept my heart in righteousness, and washed my hands among the innocent” (Ps. 73:13)? He also talks about what prompted him to say this: “These sinners prosper forever and have retained wealth” (Ps. 73:12). Then, look how he again turns to himself: “If I had said: I will reason like this... “- he says, “therefore I undertook to understand this; it was difficult for me until I entered the sanctuary of God” (Ps. 72:15-17). The meaning of his words is as follows: I am tired, I am exhausted in thoughts, because such are thoughts; then I decided that I was doing a difficult thing, because, searching in this way, I would not be able to find out anything clearly until I returned to my fatherland. Do you see what an evil it is to leave the objects of faith to reasoning and not to faith? If such a person were firm in faith, he would not have said this, he would not have been embarrassed, he would not have wavered, his legs would not have turned away and his feet would not have turned aside. But it was not so with the prophet; standing on a stone, he was not embarrassed or hesitant, but seeing the Jews in such a pitiful state, and the foreigners in the opposite, he announced his return with a loud voice and with full conviction, often and in many psalms, and was firmly confident in this, looking not at the strength of the foreigners and not at the weakness of the Jews, but at the strength of the promised God. That is why he says: “I believed, and therefore I said: I am greatly humbled.” Another translator (Symmachus) says: “I was very upset” (έκακωθην). “I said in my delirium: every man is a liar” (Ps. 116:2). Another (Symmachus): “and I said in confusion: every man lies” (άδημονων ... διαψεδεται). Here again his bright faith is revealed, because even the great misfortune did not plunge him into despair. This is faith: it is a kind of sacred anchor that strengthens the soul that has it on all sides; It is then especially revealed when, in the midst of difficult circumstances, it convinces those who have it to have good hopes, ending the confusion of thoughts. This is what the prophet expresses with the words: “I was very upset,” - I was upset, but did not despair, did not lose heart. Then, explaining that he was not only upset, but very strongly, he adds: “I said in my frenzy: every man is a liar.” What does it mean: “in my frenzy”? With an excess of misfortune, with the greatness of disasters. So great a multitude has befallen us, he says, that it has led us into frenzy and confusion. “Frenzy” here is what he calls the dulling of the senses that comes from suffering. So, when it is said about Adam that God brought “frenzy” upon him (Gen. 2:21), then a state of some insensitivity is expressed. Frenzy (έκστασις) is the state when a person is beside himself. And then a frenzy was induced on Adam so that he would not feel the rib being taken from him and would not suffer at the same time. Thus, God, wanting to ward off the feeling of pain from him, so that he would not hate what happened to him, like the one who suffered from it, brought a frenzy on him. And in another place it says: “he fell into a frenzy” (έκστασις) (Acts 10:10). Some amazement and being outside oneself are also expressed here. And everywhere the word “frenzy” means this. This state occurs either through the action of God, or as a result of extreme suffering, because misfortune can produce frenzy and confusion. Thus, the prophet speaks here about the frenzy of the great disasters that befell him. But what does it mean: “every man is a liar”? Is there really not a single truthful one? How is it written about Job: “This man was blameless, just and fearful of God, and shunned evil” (Job 1:1)? What shall we say about the prophets? If they are also deceitful and what they say is false, then everything is lost. What shall we say about Abraham? What about all the righteous? Do you see how bad it is to take the sayings (of Scripture) literally and not penetrate into their meaning? What does it mean: “every man is a liar”? What he says in another place: “man is like vanity” (Ps. 143:4); or what another prophet says in the words: “all flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field” (Is. 40:6), i.e. the most unimportant thing, fleeting, like a shadow, a dream, or some kind of ghost. 4. So that you may be convinced that I am not saying this simply, for one comparison, another translator (Aquila) said: “falsehood” (διάψευσμα), the third (Symmachus): “lies” (διάψεύδεται), the fourth (Theodotion): “insufficient” ( ικλείπει ). This last expression is quite different from the first. Lying is a vice of the soul; and to be insufficient, fleeting, changeable, like a dream, color and shadow is an imperfection of nature. It says here too what is said in the words: “I am dust and ashes” (Gen. 18:27); and again: “What is the pride of earth and ashes?” (Sir.10:9); or what the same prophet said: “Such is man that You remember him?” (Ps.8:5) In all these places the decay and insignificance of nature is expressed. This is how we talk about the harvest: the harvest deceived, i.e. did not live up to expectations; or we say: the year deceived, expressing the same thing. Since man is a corruptible and insignificant being, and especially in misfortune we usually philosophize and talk about the weakness of nature, then the prophet, tormented by grief, looking at human nature, worthy of regret, revealing its corruption and insignificance in everything, said: “every man is a liar,” i.e. man is nothing. And in another place he said: “man walks like a ghost” (Ps. 39:7). “What shall I render to the Lord for all that He has given me?” (Ps. 116:3) See how he shows the greatness of the good deed not only by what is done, but also by those to whom it is done, expressing in other words the same thought that he said in the psalm. As he said there: “What is man that You remember him? Or son of man, why do you visit him? (Ps. 8:5), so here. A benefit is doubly important when it is both essentially great and is shown to some insignificant being, which also increases the benefit and mercy. To express this, he says: “what I will render to the Lord,” explaining that God has awarded such a gift to a person who is a lie, a perishable and insignificant being. "For all that He has given me." It is common for a grateful soul to care and look for how to repay a benefactor for the benefits received from him and, having done everything on his part, consider himself to have done nothing worthy. Having first mentioned retribution, he further promises to bring this reward, and expresses double gratitude - both by bringing what he could, and by expressing that, having brought it, he did not bring anything worthy. What does he intend to render to God? Listen: “I will take the cup of salvation,” he continues, “and I will call on the name of the Lord” (Ps. 116:4). Those who take these words in a figurative sense argue that this speaks of communion in the sacraments. But we, sticking to their historical meaning, believe that this is talking about libations, sacrifices and songs of thanks. There were various sacrifices in the old covenant; so there was the sacrifice of praise, the sacrifice of sins, the burnt offering, the sacrifice of salvation, the sacrifice of peace and many others. Thus, the meaning of his words is as follows: I have nothing worthy of bringing, but what I have, that’s what I bring; I will offer a sacrifice of gratitude to God, and I will remember the salvation given to me by Him. “I will fulfill my vows to the Lord before all His people” (Ps. 115:5). “Vows” he calls promises and promises here. During disasters, he resorted to God and recognized himself as His debtor, promising Him to make these sacrifices if he got rid of the disasters. Since, he says, the misfortune has ceased, I will make my vows to the Lord before all His people. “The death of His saints is honorable before the Lord” (Ps. 116:6). Another translator (unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.) says: precious (έντιμος). What is the connection of speech here? What relation do these words have to the previous ones? Whoever examines carefully will find a close connection between them, since those who were Israelis from ancient times, from their ancestors, had some advantage over the proselytes. That is why the prophet says: “Lord! I am Your servant, I am Your servant and the son of Your handmaid. You have broken my bonds” (Ps. 116:7). He did not say: weakened, but: “dissolved,” expressing that they became invalid. He calls “bonds” sorrows, temptations, and dangers. There are good bonds in which it is better to be locked, such as those about which it is said: “in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3), and: “there is a bond of perfection” (Col. 3:14). But there are also opposite bonds, such as, for example, those about which it is said: “He is kept in the bonds of his sin” (Proverbs 5:22). Christ also points to this when he says: “This daughter of Abraham..., so bound by Satan, should not have been freed from her bonds” (Luke 13:16)? And Isaiah says about Christ: “to restore the earth, to return to the heirs the desolate inheritance, to say to the prisoners: “Come out” (Is. 49: 8–9). It was these bonds that God tore apart, but did not resolve; the former is greater than the latter. However, the one who wants to take these words in a figurative sense, meaning here the bonds of sins and the whole old man, will not sin. There are also wonderful bonds that Paul always wore, as he himself says: “I, Paul, became a prisoner of Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:1); and also: “I carry out my mission in chains” (Eph.6:20; Acts 28:20). “I will offer you a sacrifice of praise and call on the name of the Lord” (Ps. 115:8). Look how he is higher, and lower, and everywhere he brings this reward to God. Above he says: “I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord”; and here: “I will offer you a sacrifice of praise,” i.e. I will give thanks, I will sing praises. “And I will call on the name of the Lord.” Do you see what his sacrifice of praise is? “I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem” (Ps. 116:9-10). He does this not out of a desire to show off himself, not out of vanity, but wanting to arouse his own jealousy in everyone and make them partners in gratitude. This is what all the saints do, calling for general praise not only of people, but also of all creation itself when they receive some kind of benefit. Indeed, nothing pleases God more than to be grateful to Him not only in happiness, but also in misfortune. This is especially what sacrifice is; This is the greatest offering! This is how Job became famous, this is how Paul is, this is how Jacob is, this is how each of the righteous became famous, giving thanks and gratitude to God especially in difficult circumstances. Let us do the same, let us always be grateful, in order to receive eternal blessings, which may we all be worthy of, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. The psalms in the text are translated by P. Yungerov - Editorial office of the ABC of Faith You might be interested in: