Беседа 59 на псалом 149 125

Ps.149:1 Alleluia. Sing a new song to the Lord: praise be to Him in the assembly of the saints. “The new song” in the figurative sense is the song of the New Testament, in the historical sense it is a solemn song. - “Praise be to Him in the assembly of the saints.” Gratitude to God combined with joy and unanimity. – Why were the ancients allowed to use musical instruments when praising God? – “To take vengeance on the nations... To execute on them the judgment that has been written” (Ps. 149:7, 9). 1. In a figurative sense, the song of the new covenant is called “new” here, because then everything was renewed - and the covenant: “I will make..., said God, a new covenant” (Jer. 31:31), and the creation: “if anyone is in Christ, says the apostle, he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17), and man: “having been put off, he says, the old man with his deeds and having put on the new one, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created him” ( Col. 3:9, 10 ). So, because of the new life and everything else, the present covenant is called new, and the prophet now commands to sing a new song of this covenant. And in the historical sense, here of course there is a glorious and solemn song that the Jews had to sing for victories, for successful deeds, for trophies. "Praise be to Him in the assembly of the saints". Do you see how the prophet, before verbal gratitude, demands gratitude through life and deeds, and calls such people into the choir of singers? It is not enough to give thanks only with words if they are not accompanied by a virtuous life. "Praise be to Him in the assembly of the saints". And he suggests something else here, namely, he shows that one must offer praises with perfect agreement, because “church” is a union, an assembly. “Let Israel rejoice in Him who created them, and let the children of Zion rejoice in their King” (Ps. 149:2). Before private benefits, he points to the general and with the words given below he suggests the following: thank God for the fact that He produced you, who did not exist, and breathed a soul into you. Truly, this type of benefit is also important. But here he suggests something even more. With this expression he points not simply to creation, but to the closeness of Israel to God, and commands gratitude not only for the fact that God created them, but also for making them His people. Do you see how he brings and cleaves the people to God, wanting them not just to give thanks, but with joy, with joy and a fiery soul? He expressed all this with the word: “let him rejoice.” He demands from the person giving thanks such a disposition that he is inflamed with love, that he is excited by zeal, that he is completely devoted to the glorified God. He expresses the same thing in another place when he says: “As a deer strives for springs of water, so does my soul strive for You, O God.” And again: “my soul thirsted for the mighty, living God” (Ps. 42:2, 3). And again: “My soul thirsted for You and how much my flesh (strived) for You in a land empty, and impenetrable, and waterless” (Ps. 62:2), or, as another translator says (Symmachus): “in a thirsty land” (διψάδι). Wanting to express the disposition and desire of his soul, he compares it with a thirsty land, with a thirsty deer. And in another place, expressing this desire in words, he says: “When will I come and appear to the face of God?” (Ps. 41:3) Such are the souls of the saints, like, for example, the soul of Paul, who sighed because her departure from here was slow. “And let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.” Do you see that the prophet, as I said above, points here to intimacy, to the fact that they were the chosen people of God? That’s why he adds: “about his King.” God was their king not only in creation, but also in assimilation. “Let them praise His name in chorus, with the timbrel and psalter, and sing to Him” (Ps. 142:3). Look how there is agreement here too. The “choir” is formed so that everyone can sing praises together and unanimously. Paul also inspires when he says: “Let us not forsake assembling ourselves together” (Heb. 10:25). The prayer itself, which is offered by everyone together, means the same: “Our Father who art in heaven!.. and forgive us our debts...: and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:9, 12, 13; Luke 11:2, 4), and in which the plural is used. So in ancient times people were taught to sing and praise God in harmony, so that in all ways they would be disposed towards love and unanimity. “Let them sing to Him with the tympanum and the psalter.” 2. Some, taking the names of these instruments in a figurative sense, say that the tympanum requires the mortification of our flesh, and the psalter an appeal to heaven, because this last instrument is driven from above, and not from below, like the harp. But I would say that the ancients were guided by these instruments because of the coarseness of their souls and because they had recently abandoned idols. Just as sacrifices, so God allowed them to do this out of condescension for their weakness. So, the prophet commands here to sing with joy. This means the words: “let them praise His name in chorus,” with consent, with pure life. Further, wishing to arouse even greater zeal in them, the prophet speaks of the goodwill towards them of the One Whom they sing. “For,” he continues, “the Lord delights in His people and exalts the meek to salvation” (Ps. 149:4). What can compare with such prosperity when God favors someone? “And he will lift up the meek to salvation.” Look again how he represents both what belongs to God and what belongs to people. As above, demanding gratitude from them, he also pointed to what belongs to God, saying: “for the Lord delights in His people,” so here, proclaiming what belongs to God, he also demands what depends on people: “and he will lift up, he says, the meek to salvation.” To lift up is God’s work; and to be meek is the work of men; God does not appear if there is no human in advance. And look at the greatness of the gift. He did not simply say: he will save, but: “he will exalt... to salvation,” i.e. not only will he deliver from disasters, but will also make them known and famous, and will bring them glory along with salvation. Explaining this, the prophet continues: “the saints will be praised in glory and rejoice on their beds” (Ps. 149:5). Just as he calls “the meek” there, so here he calls “the venerable.” God always reveals all His works miraculously. This is how He freed the Jews from Egypt, this is how He brought them out of Babylon, making them glorious not only by deliverance from disasters, but also by the miracles that happened at the same time. “And they will rejoice on their beds.” With this addition the prophet expresses great security, great peace, great joy, great pleasure. He says this so that they know that everything was done not with their own weapons, not with their own strength, but with the assistance of God, which must be acquired through humility and meekness. “The praises of God are in their mouth, and two-edged swords are in their hands, to bring vengeance on the nations, punishment on the nations” (Ps. 149:6-7). Here he describes the war with glee and says that if they sing and praise God, they will be victorious. He calls praises, hymns, and thanksgiving “greatnesses.” Therefore, another translator (unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.), instead of “magnification,” said: “doxology” (ύμνολογίας). “To bring vengeance on the nations, punishment on the nations.” What does this mean? Since the enemies who defeated the Jews insulted them all the time (captivity), he promises to expose the enemies with deeds and to show through deeds that it was not the lack of power in God, but the sins of the Jews that brought victory to their enemies. When they were sufficiently punished, the philanthropic God with one wave brought about a wonderful change in their circumstances. And look at the superiority of victory. The Prophet continues: “to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with hand-made iron shackles” (Ps. 149:8). Do you see the greatness of power? They not only drove out and defeated the enemies, but also returned with captives, showing everyone the power of God. “The pre-written judgment has been carried out on them. This glory will be upon all His saints” (Ps. 149:9). What does it mean: “judgment has been written”? Explicit, recognized by everyone, one that cannot be forgotten. Such are the works of God: both in the greatness of the events and in the extraordinary nature of the miracles, they extend to all (future) time. Such, he says, there will be a victory, such a trophy, it will be so known to everyone and so obvious, as if it were inscribed on a pillar, and will never be erased, “This glory will be on all His saints.” What glory? The glory of victory, or - better - not just victory, but such a victory, with the assistance of God, with help from above. See how the prophet again mentions “the reverends,” arousing in his listeners zeal for virtue and holy life. However, it seems to me that by the name of glory he means not only victory, but also praise, hymns, doxologies, teaching with all this that those who glorify God will acquire great glory for themselves and will appear brighter, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. The psalms in the text are translated by P. Yungerov - Editorial office of the ABC of Faith You might be interested in: