Собеседование 10 на псалом 77

1. Brief inscription, because the psalm is burdened with the length of prophecy. However, that for this reason it is inscribed: “reason,” so that we would beware of the disasters that happened to the Jews due to their madness, is clear from the initial words: “Listen, my people, to my law; incline your ear to the words of my mouth” (Ps. 77:1). Do you see with what dignity the (Holy) Spirit invests the prophet when he wants to warn us with prophecy? He calls the people of God his people and the law of God his law, because what belongs to the master seems to be the property of prudent and faithful servants due to their love for the masters. So God said to Moses: “Hurry up to go [from here], for your people, which you brought out of the land of Egypt, have become corrupt” (Ex. 32:7). What does it mean: “take heed... to my law”? Do not proceed carelessly, but examine carefully, and then incline your ear to listen. Whoever listens to the law of God superficially, or considers it unnecessary or burdensome, his ear will not be able to listen; and whoever studies the law carefully notices that its yoke is easy and its burden is light, and inclines his ear to the words of the prophecy, that is, he listens to the whole prophecy, and, treating his words with love, increases the Spirit, by whom all things are accomplished. “I will open my mouth in parables, I will proclaim the original fortune-telling. What we have heard and learned, and our fathers told us" (Ps. 77: 2-3). Although I, he says, want to tell the parables of former times and ancient fortune-telling, nevertheless, my speech about them deserves faith, because I received them by ear and studied, and it was not the carnal fathers who conveyed them, but the priests and prophets. He points out well that he was not the only one who listened and learned, but together with many others, when he says: “that we heard and learned,” because this knowledge was common to everyone, everyone listened to the prophets, he says, because it connects teaching with history, which is the distinctive property of the parables and fortune-telling contained in the Holy Scriptures, he says, he will open his mouth, so that we also imitate what was said, always offering to God the firstfruits of the mouth, just as we bring the firstfruits of every fruit, and so that we do not move our tongues before. than he will not utter what is pleasing to God. You will say to this that the prophet speaks on behalf of the Lord: His people are the human race, His law is those ancient commandments, Matthew also understands Him when he says: “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, who said: I will open My mouth in parables; I will speak things that have been kept secret since the foundation of the world” (Matthew 13:35). What did the prophet add to this? “What we have heard and known, and our fathers told us.” These words are befitting of humanity. And in order to show that what was conveyed to them is similar and in accordance with what was said by the prophets, he says: “It was not hidden from their children to the next generation, declaring in the praises of the Lord both His power and His wonders... which He had done” (Ps. 77:4). Who are those about whom it was said earlier: “our fathers told us”?... 3. 2. “It was not hidden from their children in the next generation.” The prophet calls the “next” generation the pagans, about whom he speaks in another place: “the generation that is to come will proclaim to the Lord” (Ps. 21:31). But they receive the name children of the true Israel, as those who inherited the reverence of God from the Israelites, which is why Paul said about them: “to whom belong sonship, and glory, and covenants, and laws, and worship, and promises; their fathers also” (Rom.9:4-5). So they proclaimed praises to us as sons of the Lord. We would not even know how to praise God if the prophets had not previously taught us to say: “Bless all the works of the Lord” (Dan. 3:57), and also: “Praise the Lord from heaven, praise Him in the highest” (Ps. 149:1), and also: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts!” (Isa.6:3), and the like. From them we learned the powers of God and the miracles that God performed: the powers that He revealed in relation to Pharaoh, or Nebuchadnezzar, or giants, or other similar people; the miracles that He performed with Job, with David, with Daniel, with the three youths and others crowned in temptation. “He gave a revelation in Jacob, and laid down a law in Israel: what he commanded our fathers, that (they should) hand down to their sons” (Ps. 77:5). What "revelation"? Or when? When God wrestled with him at the flood of Jacob, and there is no doubt that God wrestled in the form of a man and recognized himself defeated by Jacob when he said: “Let me go, for the dawn has risen” (Gen. 32:26) to which Jacob replied: “I will not let you go until you bless me.” This miraculous phenomenon is the testimony that Christ gave as a reminder of His theophany in the flesh. And he laid down the law in Israel: what he commanded our fathers, that (they should) hand over to their sons." For this purpose, he says, he laid down the law in Israel, although he knew that the Israelites would transgress and violate the statutes, in order to make known to their sons (who were converted, as we said, from the pagans) what he commanded our fathers. For our sake, therefore, the Jewish people received the law, because we keep this law in spirit and accordingly with the purpose of the Lawgiver. The following words indicate this even more clearly: “let the other generation know that the sons that are to be born will arise and tell their sons about this” (Ps. 77:6). Do you see what the prophet says about the Gentiles? At that time they were not yet born for true worship of God, but had to be born through baptism, which is why they are rightly called sons who are about to be born. Since they fell through idolatry, the prophet well predicts their rebellion through faith in Christ: “and they will arise and tell their sons about this,” so that they may place their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, and seek His commandments” (Ps. 77:6-7). This is the true knowledge of God—to pass on this knowledge to others and to give birth to sons for oneself through teaching the commandments. This is what those who believe in Christ do, because they do not envy anyone in the knowledge of God, and those who believed earlier do not want to block the path of others, but urge them to have hope in God, not to forget the works of God and to keep His commandments. This is preached every day by the Church to everyone - both our own and strangers; here Paul speaks to everyone without distinction of sex: “My little children, for whom I am again in the throes of birth, until Christ is formed in you!” (Gal.4:19). This is not what the scribes and Pharisees did, who took the key of understanding and did not allow anyone to enter. Christ pointed out this when he announced grief to them (Matthew 23:13; Luke 11:52). The following words express the same thing: “lest they be, like their fathers, a generation that is evil and grieves them, a generation that did not keep uprightness of heart and was not faithful to God in its spirit” (Ps. 77:8). The pagans rightly attribute to themselves fathers who came from Israel, because Christ was born from them. Some of these fathers are righteous, such as the prophets and true priests and all who kept the law, while others are wicked, such as those who bore these titles falsely. And since the prophet intended to speak about the fathers of the wicked and lawless, then, having mentioned the fathers, he necessarily added which fathers he was talking about: “a generation that was evil and grieved them, a generation that did not keep the rightness of the heart and was not faithful before God in its spirit.” All of them confessed faith with only their tongue, and not with all their hearts and not with a pure spirit, they were stubborn and rebellious people and did not strive with our hearts to God, who desires and accepts not what comes from the mouth, but what comes from the dispositions of our souls, so that we do not imitate them, the law they despised was given to us as a reminder and for correction. “The son of the sheep Ephraim, who draws the bow and shoots... turned back in the day of battle.... They did not keep the covenant of God and did not want to walk in His law” (Ps. 77:9-10). By the name of the strongest tribe the prophet named the entire people of Israel, separated from the people of Judah, because Ephraim was the leader among the ten tribes that were under the rule of Jeroboam. The people of Israel and other prophets, for example, Hosea, when he says: “What will I do to you, Ephraim? What will I do to you, Judah?” ( Hos. 6:4 ). He calls the two tribes over which the house of Judah reigned Judah, and the other ten tribes Ephraim, because the tribe of Ephraim received royal power over them. These (ten tribes) are the essence of “stretching the bow and shooting...,” because the latter served as their instrument of worship. However, they fled, precisely on the day of spiritual warfare, showing their rear to hostile demons. What made them take flight and show their rear to the enemies? That they did not keep the covenant with God and did not walk in His law. When did this happen to them? When they bowed to the two like bodies. That is why the prophet, mourning what followed, added: “And they forgot His good deeds and His miracles that He showed them: the wonders that He performed before... their fathers... in the land of Egypt in the field of Thaneos" (Ps. 77:11-12). 3. In a few words the prophet recalled all the miracles performed in Egypt, for which he reproaches them for forgetting. Indeed, they would not have left the Benefactor if, out of great ingratitude, they had not forgotten the benefits and miracles witnessed by their fathers, who saw with their own eyes the signs that, he says, were performed on the field of Thaneos. This land was undoubtedly the most ancient and extensive possession of the pharaoh. That Thaneos was more ancient than the others is evidenced by the Divine Scriptures. Wanting to point out the deep antiquity of Hebron, it compares it with Thaneos, saying: “Hebron was built seven years before Zoan, [the city of] Egypt” (Num. 13:23), that is, the kingdom of Pharaoh. “He divided the sea and led them through...: he stopped the waters as in a bottle” (Ps. 77:13). Here the prophet points to the great power of the Wonderworker. When the sea had to part for the passage of the people, He did not dry it up, but, as if sparing His element, divided it into two parts. This means: “divided”. Then, gathering together both sides of the divided water like a fur, He, in the middle of it, emptied the sea, gave solid land to those walking, and when the people crossed, He returned the sea to its place. “And he led them with a cloud by day and with the light of fire all the night” (Ps. 77:14). Do you see how great the providence of the Wonderworker God is? Since they needed a signpost for a deserted and unknown path, He took care not only of what was necessary, but also of what was useful to those who received the sign. Therefore, He gave them a cloud during the day, which covered them from the heat of the sun, and at night a pillar of fire, which provided light and warmth (because the night is damp and cold). Likewise, we, making our way under God’s guidance, when the heat of passions attacks, we can cover ourselves with a cloud of repentance, and when love cools, we can kindle it again with zeal, as if with a pillar of fire. “He sold a stone in the desert and gave them something to drink from, as it were, a great abyss. And he brought... waters out of the stone and brought the waters... like rivers” (Ps. 77:15-16). Maybe it will seem to someone that the prophet pointed to the same miracle twice; in fact, no, because Moses brought water out of the rock twice, the first time in the desert of Horeb, the other time in Cadiz, where Miriam died and was buried; and in both cases in great abundance, which is why it is said: “from the great abyss,” and the water in its abundance is compared not to one river, but to many. This served as proof that the miracles performed for them were true and not imaginary. “And they continued to sin before Him: they grieved the Most High in the abyss” (Ps. 77:17). The Prophet accuses the Jews of a grave crime, namely that, receiving such miracles, instead of abstaining from old sins, they added new ones to them, and not only sinned, but “before Him,” that is, they sinned against the One Who He worked miracles. That’s why the prophet added: “They upset the Most High in the abyss.” What did they upset him with? Not because they thirsted, not because they demanded water, but because they blasphemed and blamed the Generator. That is why the places of miracles were called: one - Water of Dispute (Num. 20:13), and the other - Temptation and Blasphemy, because here they tempted God, saying: “Is the Lord among us or not?” ( Ex. 17:7 ). This was expressed in the very words of the legislator Moses. The further words of the psalm fully agree with this: “and they tempted God in their hearts, asking for food for their souls” (Ps. 77:18). Do you see, they tested God to see if He could provide them with food in the desert? Their demand, therefore, came more from corruption than from need. That is why it is said not simply: “food,” but: “to their souls,” i.e. they asked because of their lust. and spiritual lust, when they grumbled about the deprivation of cucumbers, melons and onions. “And was it slander against God and they said: Can God really prepare a meal in the desert?” (Ps. 77:19). It is a serious crime to slander an ordinary person, which is why David says: “Whoever secretly slanderes his neighbor, I will drive him out” (Ps. 100:5); it is even harder to slander the master, because punishment will befall the slanderer; but to slander God is the most difficult thing, because God is for us both a father, and a ruler, and a nourisher, who owns everything, no matter what kind of good deed or power you indicate. One must, therefore, either out of fear of His power, or out of love for His benefits, refrain from blasphemy against Him. What, however, did they slander? “And is it slander against God and they said: Can God really prepare a meal in the desert?... Although He struck... a stone and waters flowed and streams flowed, but can He also give bread? Or will He prepare a table for His people?” ( Ps.77:19-20 ) The blinding of slanderers and wrongdoers is hard. On the basis of which one should conclude about the great power of God, and be firmly confident that everything is possible for Him, and nothing is impossible, on the basis of this very reason they despair of His power, saying, as it were, like this: although He gave water, He cannot give food, as if He weakened while performing miracles and spent His generous power on those who had previously received miracles. For this, God is rightly angry, as it goes on to say: “God heard and looked (angrily), and fire kindled in... Jacob and anger arose against Israel” (Ps. 77:21), i.e. “turned to anger,” as Theodotion and the translators of the fifth reading translate. 4. Why did they understand rejection in the sense of anger? Not without reason, but because it often happens to those excited by anger that they throw off their clothes, as if hastening to take revenge, and the prophets have the custom of attributing human traits to God in order to show the image of His every action. And that the prophet really called the rapid movement of anger rejection - listen to the further words: “and fire kindled in... Jacob, and wrath arose against Israel.” Since God was angry, fire came out to punish those who aroused anger. What is the reason for this? “For they did not believe... God and did not trust in His salvation” (Ps. 77:22). Indeed, God is angry when They do not believe in Him, because everyone who does not believe in God does not allow judgment, and blasphemes His law; and if he blasphemes the divine law, then even more so is the human law. Indeed, what do those who do not believe in God and do not trust in the salvation given by Him not dare to say? That is why the prophet accuses them not only of not believing in the Father, but also of not believing in the Son. That is why he says: “they did not trust in His salvation,” meaning Christ, whom many prophets called salvation, and more clearly than others, Simeon, who took Him into his arms. “He commanded the clouds from above and opened the doors of heaven” (Ps. 77:23). The Prophet speaks here about clouds that are higher than those that fly on high, which is why he called them the doors of heaven, as if they were in front of the sky, because there are clouds close to the earth that are even lower than the mountains. “And he sent them manna for food and gave them the bread of heaven: the man ate the bread of the angel. The food he sent... them until they were full” (Ps. 77:24-25). So that they would not think that God was angry due to his powerlessness to fulfill the request, namely, the request of the blasphemers, who did not ask as it should be to ask God, He brought a scorching fire on them, so that the place, in view of the multitude that burned on it people, called “Burning”, and then gave what was requested. The Prophet calls manna the bread of heaven and the bread of angels, since it was not prepared by human hands, but was brought from heaven, where the face of the angels dwells. What kind of food God sent them to satiety, this is clearly evident from the following words: “he lifted up the south wind from heaven and brought ... with his power the southwest wind, and sent it upon them, like dust,... meat, and like the sand of the sea, feathered birds” (Ps. 77:26-27). Good things are ready with God, but they are preserved by Him until the proper time. That is why, wanting to feed the Jewish people, He did not produce some new creation, stirring up the southern and Libyan wind. These winds blow in warm countries, where the Creator ordered quails to be found in abundance, and (taking them) from here, as if from ready-made treasures, he fulfilled his will. We think that the prophet said in no way hyperbolically that “and he sent upon them, like dust, ... meat and, like the sand of the sea, feathered birds.” God’s creations are limitless and unknown to us. So, the birds were so numerous that they had to be caught not with snares, nets, or other devices, but were easily and conveniently picked up with their hands, as is quite clearly seen from what follows: “and they attacked in the midst of their camp, around their tents. And they ate and were full, and he gave them what they desired” (Ps. 77:28-29). So, imagine how such an innumerable multitude of people, and, moreover, such a greedy one, were fed not one day, but thirty days, and you will be able to understand the story of Moses in the book of Numbers (Num. 11:19). “And they ate and were full, and he gave them what they wanted, and they were not deprived of what they wanted. But... food was still in their mouths when the wrath of God came upon them, and killed very many of them and the chosen ones of Israel I cast down" (Ps. 77:29-31). It is not in vain, therefore, that God rejects many of our requests, but for our benefit, because very many desires are disastrous for people, although God often fulfills them for sinners. Why does He fulfill them? So that they do not accuse Him, as we said, in powerlessness. Fulfilling, He punishes those who receive what they want, in order to frighten us, so that we would not bother God with unacceptable requests. So, He satisfied the passionate desire of the Jews to have food; the fat, and smote the elect, those chosen not according to virtue, but according to wickedness, because there are elect who are also wicked. “Even with all this, they... still sinned and did not believe His miracles. And their days passed in vanity and their years passed in haste” (Ps. 77:32-33). 5. The Prophet is surprised at the unbelief and hard-heartedness of the Jews - that they remained insensitive not only to the benefits they received, but also to the punishments, and sinned again, i.e. added sins to sins. They acted this way because they did not believe in the miracles of God, i.e. had neither confidence nor faith. As is usually the case with the wicked, they thought that the signs and wonders that were happening happened by themselves. Therefore, their days were very insufficient. The prophet calls a disadvantage, of course, not short duration, but the absence of virtues, because whoever does not live virtuously, even if he has lived for many years, still dies with a lack of days, i.e. prematurely, without bearing the fruits for which he entered life. That is why Scripture calls the days of Abraham and Job fulfilled, although many lived longer (Gen. 15:8; Job 42:16). “When He killed them, they sought Him and soon turned... to God, and remembered that God is their helper and God Most High... their deliverer” (Ps. 77:34-35). True virtue is to always remember God in order to call on His help in prosperity, because if we remember Him in happiness, then He will remember us in misfortune. To seek God out of need, when He punishes, means to turn to Him not with the heart, but only out of necessity to confess that God is a helper and deliverer; to do this is typical of evil and ungrateful slaves, for whom the master will not know mercy, seeing their forced recognition; much more will God, who knows the hypocrisy of wicked and evil people and clearly foresees what will follow. “And they expressed love to Him with their lips, and with their tongues they lied to Him. But their heart was not right before Him, and they were not faithful to His covenant” (Ps. 77:36-37). The prophet Isaiah also condemned the Jews with similar words: “This people draws near to Me with their lips, and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Is. 29:13). How is this revealed? Even now you can find many people who honor God only with their tongue. This is revealed when, as the prophet says, “they were not faithful to His covenant”; when they do not remain faithful to the commandments of God, they thereby show that they have no good disposition towards the Commanded One and no conscience. Regarding such people, it was Paul who said that they “they say that they know God, but by works they deny” (Titus 1:16). “He was generous and forgave their sins, and did not destroy, and many times turned away His wrath and did not kindle all His anger” (Ps. 77:38). “He forgave their sins” - when? Pointing to the future, the prophet clearly pointed to the incarnation of Christ, because the Father sent Him to cleanse our sins, and He turned out to be so generous that He began His preaching to people with a call to repentance, and Having found the Jewish people worthy of destruction, he did not destroy them, did not completely destroy them, but left them a seed and a remnant in the person of the apostles who believed from among them. Isaiah spoke about them: “If the Lord of hosts had not left us a small remnant, we would have been like Sodom, we would have become like Gomorrah” (Is. 1:9). This is why God increased His mercy and turned away His wrath. How did He turn away? He did not kindle all of His wrath, but only partially, bringing it upon the church and the old city; and if He had set it all on fire, then the people would have perished along with the church, and together with the city the land would have been destroyed, as in Sodom. “And He remembered that they are flesh: a spirit that goes forth and does not return” (Ps. 77:39). How can God forget our nature or our weakness? Obviously, this is said about the Son who became incarnate for our sake, who not only as the Creator knows our nature, but having become incarnate recognized our weakness through experience, which is why Paul says about Him: “even though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by what He suffered” (Heb. 5:8), and also: “For just as He Himself suffered, being tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted” (Heb. 2:18). So, since “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14), He remembered that we are flesh, i.e. I learned from experience the weakness of our flesh. The prophet calls the whole person flesh, which is why he added: the spirit that goes out and does not return.” For us there is no longer a return to real life; Therefore, we must wakefully make our way, to which we cannot return under any circumstances. “How many times did they grieve Him in the desert..., anger Him in the waterless land! Now they turned (to Him), now they tempted God, and... They provoked the Holy One of Israel” (Ps. 77:40–41). The Prophet is surprised at the immensity and depth of the wickedness of the Jews, namely, that they not only grieved God many times, but that they did this in the desert, where they should have lamented most of all and looked to heaven, since here no one could deceive or deceive them, which is possible in cities; that they were arrogant and angered Him in the “waterless”, where they, suffering from thirst, should have been humble. Then, having turned, they turned not to piety, but to another wickedness, because they tempted God (and it was madness to tempt the omniscient) and insulted “the Holy One of Israel,” that is, Christ, about whom Isaiah said: “to whom will you liken Me and with whom will you compare me?” says the Holy One” (Is. 40:25), foreshadowing the cross, because Christ pointed to it in the same way. 6. Why did they not only irritate God in the desert, i.e. Father, but they also insulted the Holy One of Israel, i.e. Son? Because Christ, who was accompanying them, was a rock, and they did not believe whether He could bring water out of the stone and give them water, so Moses also said: “Listen, you disobedient ones, should we bring water out of this rock for you?” (Numbers 20:10) That is why God, angry with them, said: “Because you did not believe Me, to demonstrate My holiness,” etc. (Numbers 20:12). “They did not remember His (blessing) hand on the day in which He delivered them from the oppressor: how He showed His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the field of Thaneos" (Ps. 77:42–43). The prophet again rightly calls the Son by the hand of God, that is, the Father, because “through Him all things began to be, and without Him nothing was made that was made” ( John 1:3), as another prophet says: “the hand of the Lord has done this” (Is. 41:20), So, they did not remember the One who delivered them from the hand of the oppressor - Pharaoh, on the day of the exodus, when He came at midnight and struck the firstborn of Egypt, performed signs in Egypt and miracles in the field of Taneos, which was the domain of Pharaoh. We say this not because we wanted to eliminate the Father’s participation in performing the miracles of that time, but because everything that the Father does, the Son does the same. By signs the prophet means something that happens in accordance with the laws of nature, such as locusts (because by nature they tend to destroy fruits), and by miracles - something that is above nature, such a miracle was, for example, toads, because by nature they do not tend to run and live outside the waters. The same was true for the city combined with fire and the river turned into blood, because both miracles happened contrary to nature. “And he turned their rivers and their streams into blood, so that they could not drink!” (Ps.77:44). By springs the prophet means rainwater, since by the command of God Moses turned all the water into blood, not only in springs and rivers, but also in wooden and stone vessels. And this was done so that they would not think that God, revered by the Jews, is a private power, and not the Creator and Ruler of all nature. The pagans attribute only private powers to their gods. That is why the prophet goes on to list all the types of creation, saying thus: “He sent flies among dogs... and they bitten them, and frogs... (which) destroyed them. And he gave their fruits and... their plants... to the harmful dew... to the locusts. He struck down their vineyards with hail and their fig trees... with ice. And he gave the city of the cattle... them and their property to fire" (Ps. 77:45-48). Moses indicated a different order of miracles performed in Egypt. But here the prophet does not care about it, because his goal is to indicate that all the elements, at God's command, rebelled against Pharaoh. And look how, accordingly, he indicated the effect of each plague. About dog flies he says “they stung them” because they did not attack fruits, but people; and about toads he says: “and the toads... (which) destroyed them”; they did this by crawling not only into houses, but also into ovens, and stealing all their necessary food; in this sense, they truly corrupted. In addition, when dying, the toads contaminated the earth with a stench, and from this stench, destruction was naturally born again. Their labors and their fruits, he says, were given to “harmful dew” and “locusts” , because they harm only the fruits and nothing else. When you hear about the caterpillar, do not be surprised that it is not listed among the plagues of Moses; the prophet means a small and imperfect genus of locust, which is why Aquila, instead of caterpillars, translates: wingless locust. Well, the prophet further says that the grapes were killed by hail, because the latter most of all destroys its fruits and branches, and further that mulberry trees - ice, since this plant does not tolerate cold, which is why it usually grows only in warm countries. Ice is produced by hail. But the prophet also mentioned fire, saying that the cattle were killed by hail, and their possessions by fire, obviously meaning the possessions of the wealth of the earth. Thus, all plants were destroyed and destroyed by hail and fire. What made the miracle so amazing was that the fire was spreading in the water. 7. And you, noticing the power, clarity and brevity of prophetic sayings, marvel at the wisdom of the Spirit - only for her alone is such an excellent way of speaking possible. “He sent furious wrath upon them... His own: rage and anger and sorrow, brought down through the angels (sending) disasters” (Ps. 77:49). He understands evil angels not by nature, nor by the disposition of the will, because God does not use such angels for service; the prophet called them evil because, by God’s command, they brought disasters and misfortunes. That is why the same psalmist calls the day of judgment evil, as full of sorrow and disaster for sinners. “Blessed,” he says, “is he who thinks about the poor [and wretched!] On that day of cruelty the Lord will deliver him” (Ps. 40:2). In these verses, the prophet mentions anger and rage, and then again: “rage and wrath and sorrow.” By this he does not mean something different, although he repeats the same expressions, and it is not in vain that he points out the immensity of God’s wrath. “He paved the way for His wrath, and did not spare their souls from death, and the cattle... gave them over... to the plague” (Ps. 77:50). How? Showing for a long time leniency and long-suffering towards those who were about to undergo this wrath. “He made a way for his wrath” to show that he brings it justly and at the proper time on those who do not want to correct themselves. This is evidenced by further words: “and He did not spare their souls from death” (Ps. 77:50). The Prophet indicates the reason why God did not spare, what their spiritual death was, i.e. sin . “The soul,” they say, “that sins, will die” (Ezek. 18:4), and also: “the death of sinners is cruel” (Ps. 33:22). That is why he did not spare; those who did not spare themselves, but gave up their souls to death, naturally did not receive mercy. So, rightly not sparing the Egyptians, look what God did to them: “and the cattle betrayed them... plague. And he struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, the first fruit of all their labor in the village of Ham” (Ps. 77:50-51). Therefore, He first put the Egyptians' cattle to death, and, finding them insensitive, struck the firstborn, so that if they had come to their senses by the death of the cattle and sobered up, He would not have brought execution on the firstborn. Well the prophet called the firstborn their firstfruits of labor, wanting to remind of the curse uttered over Eve: “in pain you will give birth to children” (Gen. 3:16). The defeat of the firstborn, it is said, occurred “in the village of Ham a.” The land of Egypt is rightly called the house and villages of Ham, not only because Ham was the father of Mestrem, from whom the Egyptians descended; but also because they imitated the wickedness of these ancestors. “And he raised up his people like sheep, and led them like a flock through the wilderness” (Ps. 77:52). In relation to his enemies, He acted as stated above, and He raised His people from their place like sheep and led them into the desert, i.e. He himself led them like a herd, showed them pastures, protected them from animals, gathered them into the crowd with a pipe and brought back those who had gone astray with a staff. The prophet pointed out all this when he mentioned the flock and sheep. “And he led them safely, and they were not afraid, and the sea covered their enemies” (Ps. 77:53). In what hope did He lead them? Obviously in the promise that was given to the fathers. “And the Lord said to Abram: Know that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will enslave them, and will oppress them for four hundred years, but I will execute judgment on the people to whom they will be enslaved; after this they will come out [here] with great wealth” (Gen. 15:13-14). Guided by this hope, they were not afraid to cross on foot the Red Sea, which covered their enemies, and the returning water became a grave for the Egyptians. “And He brought them to the mountain of His holiness, to this mountain, which His right hand had acquired” (Ps. 77:54). Jerusalem is called the Mount of Shrines, not so much because a shrine previously dwelt on it, i.e. ark, how much in view of the second ark - the flesh of the Lord. The latter was truly a shrine, which is why its acquisition is attributed to the right hand of Christ; He acquired it not with weapons, but with miracles and sufferings performed for us. “And he drove out the nations from before them, and divided by lot... them (their land) by boundary line, and... he settled the tribes of Israel in their dwellings” (Ps. 77:55). 8. The prophet blames the Jews for the fact that, having experienced such blessings as receiving someone else's inheritance, they divided it with complete evenness - when God showed that He deals with Israel as a father with his children, which is why he ordered the division to be done along a rope, in order to give the larger part to the larger, and the smaller to the smaller number, so that in this way the stronger tribe would surpass the weaker - they still did not remember either those expelled from the face of their peoples, or God who expelled them, while thanks to the remembrance of this they could remain grateful to God and never imitate the wickedness of the expelled, so as not to suffer the same fate as them. “But they... tempted and grieved the Most High God, and His statutes were not... kept or not" (Ps. 77:56). The Prophet points out the double sin of the Jews. They, he says, not only tempted, but also grieved, and those who grieve are those who, having tempted once, tempt a second time and do this many times. If to do so in relation to a simple person constitutes a grave crime, then even more so in relation to God the highest, who, by His infinity, is not accessible to our testing. For this very reason the Holy Spirit reproached the Jews through the prophet Isaiah: “Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to make trouble for people that you want to make it difficult for my God too?” (Isa.7:13). In addition, the psalmist also points out that they “did not ... keep His statutes.” They even violated what God commanded and confirmed with a threat, and this was a matter of extreme arrogance and unbelief. “And they turned away and retreated ..., like their fathers, they turned into an unfaithful bow. And they provoked Him to anger with their high places, and provoked Him to anger with their graven images" (Ps. 77:57-58). From the generation that was in the wilderness, the prophet moves on to the next, pointing to the customs that their fathers passed on to them. What did they reject? The covenant with God, which they made through Moses on Mount Sinai, and through Joshua in the Promised Land, when they occupied it. They did not abide by it. faithful, but turned into an unfaithful bow; and just as this latter can no longer shoot an arrow correctly, so the corrupted Jewish people were not able to live piously. He angered God with his heights and aroused His jealousy with his idols. This does not mean that God is excited by jealousy in relation to insensitive and soulless idols or demons, but that He, wanting our salvation, is jealous of us, just as a father is jealous of his children, or a groom is jealous of his bride. “God heard and looked (angrily) and greatly humiliated Israel" (Ps. 77:59). But does God ever not hear? And what need of hearing is there for Him who knows our thoughts? But now, it is said, He heard, because He did not leave the matter unattended, but was excited, and thereby showed that He heard. What did He do when He heard? He did not bring execution, but despised; to be despised by God is harder any punishment, because through His eye alone we are saved. Look, in fact, what those despised by God have suffered. “And he greatly despised Israel, and cast away the tabernacle of Shiloh, the habitation... in which He dwelt among the people” (Ps. 77:59-60). If God had not completely despised the people of Israel, He would not have rejected His tabernacle, which was with them, in which He dwelt and which served as a mediator of His communication with them. Perhaps you will ask: why did God, when people sinned, reject his tabernacle? Because He Himself did not need it; when the Israelites sinned, naturally He removed His dwelling place among them. But what was this Shiloh? It was not in vain that the Holy Spirit mentioned him; He wanted to show that just as God rejected Shiloh when Israel sinned and chose another place for himself - Jerusalem, so he will also reject this latter due to the wickedness of its inhabitants, and will give His glory to other places. “And their enemies gave their strength captive and their beauty into the hands” (Ps. 77:61). The discourse continues on the tabernacle; in it was the power and glory of the people, due to the sacred rites. God delivered this tabernacle into captivity, not to people (this did not happen), but into the hands of a mental enemy; That’s why only one enemy is mentioned, and not many, and this shows that by enemy we mean a special enemy. Other translators, wanting to indicate this even more clearly, translated - some: into the hands of the enemy, others: into the hands of the tormentor. He handed over the tabernacle to this enemy because it had been desecrated by the celebrants, had become obscene and no longer had anything worthy of God, but was in it characteristic only of the enemy to whom it was handed over. And don't be surprised at this; So Isaiah prophesied about ancient Jerusalem that God would give it over to demons, sirens and onocentaurs (Is. 13:21). “And he put his people to the sword, and despised his property” (Ps. 77:62). And this is the accusation against the Jews, that God, despite the fact that through their fathers they became the people of God and His property, neglected them and imprisoned them with the sword - not only with the sword of war, but also with the sword of the word of God. “The Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12). That is why the word of God is rightly called a sword. 9. How did God imprison them with the sword, i.e. held, tied? Having prescribed carnal circumcision in the law, and spiritual circumcision in the gospel; there is a sensual Sabbath, here a spiritual one. Bound by these instructions, they cannot enter the kingdom of God. The following words also indicate the same: “The fire ate their young men, and their maidens were not weeping” (Ps. 78:63). The prophet calls young men those who were versed in the law—the scribes and Pharisees who firmly believed in the power of the law. They were eaten by fire—the hatred that they had for us, seeing that we are justified without the yoke of the law. So Isaiah said to them: “They will see and Those who hate Your people will be ashamed; fire will devour Your enemies” (Is. 26:11). Here the prophet made an accusation against the Jewish teachers, because they did not have compassion for the sinful virgins, and did not imitate Jeremiah, who says: “I am sorrowful at the contrition of the daughter of my people, I walk gloomily, horror has seized me” (Jer. 8:21), which is why he continues accordingly: “Oh, who will give my head water and my eyes a source of tears” (Jer. 9:1). Likewise, Paul reproaches the Corinthians for not having compassion on him who fell into adultery among them (2 Cor. 2:7). “Their priests have fallen by the sword, and their widows will not be mourned” (Ps. 77:64). And this serves as an accusation, increasing the severity of the punishment of the Jews, that the priests stumbled over the word of God: this was the fall by the sword. And there was no one to mourn the widows, since the Jewish teachers had no pity not only for virgins, but also for widows. By virgins the prophet means souls who have just begun to sin, and by widows - those who have sinned for a long time and have lost the fear of God, which was the condition for their being in the law. “But the Lord arose as if from sleep..., the Lord, as strong and noisy with wine” (Ps. 77:65). Consequently, it was not the above: sword, fire and deprivation of compassion that were the punishment, but sins for the vengeance of which God rose. He awoke like one who sleeps, i.e. He put an end to His long-suffering, like a sleep that was so great that it was mistaken for intoxication. What kind of intoxication? Intoxication that happens to strong people from wine, due to which they become incapable of activity for a while, but upon awakening from sleep they become even more zealous. Likewise, God, as we believe, after long-suffering will be even more decisive in dealing with those who did not feel His long-suffering. So now what did He do? “And He struck His enemies in the rear, He gave them over to eternal shame” (Ps. 77:66) God strikes some forward; these are those for whom punishment serves in favor, whom the scourge of God encourages to live in truth; those struck back are those who are hardened by punishments, such as Pharaoh; God consigns such to eternal shame, since the punishments of desperate sinners and the indication of their ailments do not cause repentance in them. It may be, however, that with the word “to the rear” the prophet decently indicated the illness of the rear part of the body. “And Joseph rejected the village, and did not choose the tribes of Ephraim” (Ps. 77:67). Thus godly fathers do not benefit ungodly children. “But he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved” (Ps. 77:68). Zion and ancient Jerusalem belonged not to the tribe of Judah, but to the tribe of Benjamin. By Judah is meant one who confesses (God); this is how Judas is interpreted, the tribe of Judah is the Church. In it, through repentance and confession, Mount Zion, which God loved, is preserved. Otherwise, how is the one called Zion who contemplates God? - because Zion means looking from above. If you say that Zion is a region, then Micah and Jeremiah wrote not about it: “Zion will be plowed as a field” (Mic. 3:12; Jer. 26:18), but about our mountain, which God so loved that he entrusted all the sacraments to it. unicorn, His sanctuary, He founded it on the earth forever" (Ps. 77:69). If this is said about ancient Zion, then the prophecy would turn out to be false: how could it be established forever when not a trace of it remained? But (the new Zion) God established it forever and built it like a unicorn, placing a uniform horn at its foundation. There are no different baptisms in it, as among the Jews, nor numerous worries regarding the new moon, purifications and Sabbaths, nor many gods, like the pagans who are in wickedness, but “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 4:5), why “and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18), by which heretics are meant. “And he chose David his servant, and took him from the flock of sheep. From those who milked him he took him to feed Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance” (Ps. 77:70-71). You will certainly ask why the prophet, having mentioned the sacraments of the Church, speaks of David, who lived much earlier than them? This is because David was the father and image of Christ. Therefore, he was taken “from a flock of sheep, and not from a herd, since Christ has many flocks - people, angels, intelligent and visible forces. These flocks are pregnant, that is, they give birth. Truly, Christ does not have a barren flock, but all, due to fear of Him, are pregnant and give birth to salvation. That is why Isaiah said: out of your fear, “Lord, they were pregnant, they were tormented, and they gave birth as if it were wind; salvation was not brought to the earth” (Is. 26:18). This is where Christ was taken from. For what? “to feed Jacob His servant, and Israel His inheritance”, i.e. a people of the Gentiles, because this Jacob, having corrupted the Jews, received their birthright; he is also Israel, because during the sacrament he sees God face to face, just as Jacob saw Him face to face. And that God shepherds, listen to how David speaks about this: “The Lord shepherds me and will not deprive me of anything” (Ps. 22:1). Listen to Christ: “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). “And he shepherded them in the gentleness of his heart, and with understanding he led them in the way with his hands” (Ps. 77:72). Do you see that the prophet is clearly speaking about Christ? Truly there was no malice in His heart: “He committed no sin, neither was flattery in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22; Isaiah 53:9). The power of His hands was so great that it restored sight to the blind, raised up the lame, cleansed lepers, and generally restored the entire lost person. Creations attributed to St. John Chrysostom and in the Patrology of Min, classified as Spuria The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” further words in the manuscript from which the conversation was printed are damaged, so it is difficult to guess their meaning. – EDIT You might be interested in: