Собеседование 38 на псалом 90

Ps.90:1. Fucking song of praise. David A. Not inscribed in Hebrews 1. Other translators leave this psalm without an inscription. Because of this, however, the inscriptions should not be denied, but rather recognized. The seventy have it, who, by mutual agreement, proved that they were under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, by virtue of which they inscribed this psalm: “The song of praise is a fucking song. David.” This song of David should be studied especially carefully, since it speaks of the great and wonderful deeds of God. “You live... by the help of the Most High under the shelter of the God of heaven. shall be established" (Ps. 90:1). The help of the Most High is the law of God, because it is given to us to help us in the fight against invisible enemies. The one who lives in it lives in accordance with its dictates. Such a person “will dwell under the roof of the God of heaven,” i.e. in the future life he will be a cohabitant with God, will live in the same dwelling with the heavenly Creator, will be overshadowed by God himself, and not by some creation. “The Lord will say: You are my intercessor and my refuge, my God, and I trust in Him” (Ps. 90:2). Truly so; whoever lives according to the commandments of God, the one who trusts in God, acts boldly, and will have Him as his intercessor in the spiritual struggle with mental enemies; and if he weakens, it is not because God’s help turns out to be weak, but because he himself has become weaker as a result carelessness, - “The Lord will say: You are my intercessor and my refuge.” You will not be wrong if you say that such boldness comes from his previous life. “For He will deliver you from the snare of fishers and from rebellious words” (Ps. 91:3). Any intention to do evil, which confuses the soul of those carried away by passions and thus punishes them, is called a net of hunters and a rebellious word. God delivers us from it when we resort to Him, because, not finding anything in the world worthy of any comparison with God, we cannot fall into the net of pleasure. “With His shoulders He will protect you, and under His wings you will be safe, His truth will protect you with a shield” (Ps. 90:4). Why does the prophet, who spoke above about himself, now address his speech to another person, if not because he refers further words to the pagans, teaching them how they can defeat the demons that rule over them? What kind of help does God promise them? First, he says, the help of the law and the prophets, because the latter are the arms of God, since through them He communicated the knowledge of Himself; with them He overshadows those who come to Him, preventing him from being burned by the fire of the devil. That is why Paul mentioned the shadow of the law (Heb. 10:1). We should have such hope in God as the law of the Gospel commands us to have, namely, not to rely on God and mammon, but on God alone. By doing this, we will not suffer any harm from either sensual or mental enemies. “His truth will protect you with a shield.” Truth is a powerful weapon for one who knows no lies. In the true sense, however, as we have said many times, the true God is Christ. His weapon is the cross, strengthened by which we boldly entered into every battle and defeated every enemy. This is confirmed by further words: “You will not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow that flies by day” (Ps. 91:5). Fear at night is the fear of carnal passions, since it especially attacks in the dark; an arrow flying during the day is greed, because this time is favorable for greed lovers to fly, i.e. for their activities. Understand both as also an indication of an attack by demons; the latter usually frighten us at night, because darkness helps them to instill fear, and during the day they fly, because they are airy, not remaining inactive, but striking with arrows the unwary and deprived of weapons. “Disasters that come at night, sickness and the noonday demon” (Ps. 90:6). It can be seen that earlier they were talking about demons. Since there are many differences between them (because they deceive in many ways), the prophet says: “the evil that befalls the night,” that is, from the one who walks and does his deeds in darkness. Having said this in a general sense, the prophet mentioned the opposing forces that rejoice in darkness and, due to their malice, have no communication with the light; that is why they must retreat into complete darkness; however, they also attack at midday, since most people usually indulge in rest at this time. Being thieves and robbers, demons are afraid to be constantly in front of people, fearing the dignity of our image, which is why they usually hide near tombs, in unclean and deserted places, and at noon, for the stated reason, they dare to appear and attack us. “A thousand will fall at your side, and ten thousand to your right, but they will not come near you” (Ps. 90:7). The Apostle Paul pointed out to us two types of weapons of righteousness - right and left, honor and dishonor, shame and good glory (2 Cor. 6: 7-8) and under. With these weapons hostile forces are defeated, and fewer of them fall from the left, and more from the right. Therefore, the prophet and says: “beside you” (by which the prophet meant the left side, as can be seen from the fact that he contrasts it with the right) thousands of enemies will fall, and from the right - darkness. And do not be surprised at this, because the suffering of the holy martyrs, as well as those who imitated the martyrdom, serves only as the beginning of the fall of demons. Suffering is counted among the left weapons, which is why the prophet first said about those who fall from the left side. 2. But much more idolatrous powers were overthrown by the later glory of the worshipers of Christ. The defeat and destruction of the enemies, says the prophet, was accomplished without difficulty, so that they are afraid to approach us in order to fight face to face. “You will only look with your eyes and see the reward of sinners” (Ps. 90:8). Although the enemies, he says, attack as if invisible from afar and invisibly, you will see with your own eyes the triumph of victory over them and the retribution that those whom they misled will give them. Those who formerly made idols now destroy idols; those who formerly built churches are now burning churches; those who formerly idolized the works of their own hands now overthrow them with their own hands. Listen to how it happens. Taking on the face of all humanity, the prophet answers: “for (you said): You, the Lord and my hope, ... You have chosen the Most High for your refuge” (Ps. 90:9). With these words, the prophet both thanks God and expresses the truth, because we prevailed in the struggle with the principalities, with the powers and rulers of darkness (Eph. 6:12), thanks to the hope in God, and as the carnal could not otherwise defeat the bodiless. “You have chosen the Most High as your refuge. No evil will come to you, and no plague will come near your dwelling” (Ps. 90:9-10). The prophet represents a beautiful image in the faces. Having recognized that the man who has won the victory attributes the cause to God, he intended to encourage him with these words. Disasters, he says, not only will not overcome him, but will not even approach him at all, due to fear of the dwelling and protection of God, whom man has made his refuge, or, as other translators put it, his abode. This is what a great blessing it is to resort to God. That is why Jeremiah said: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord” (Jer. 17:7). And indeed, how blessed is he not to whom disasters do not come at all, and to whose village, i.e. the body, the scourge does not approach, Paul also called the body Selenium: “we, being in this hut, groan under the burden, because we do not want to be undressed, but to be clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up in life” (2 Cor. 5:4). Why doesn't the "ulcer" come closer? Because it is common for sinners to be punished, but he who resorts to God will not be among the sinners, and naturally will not endure punishment. “For He will command His angels concerning you -...to keep you in all your ways. They will take you in their arms, so that you do not dash your foot against a stone” (Ps. 90:11-12). So, he who resorts to God becomes the son of God; this is the meaning of the real words. The devil applied this expression to Christ when, tempting, he invited Him to throw Himself down from above. Notice how the devil says that God commands not one angel, but many, to guard all the paths of the one who runs to Him, to take him in his arms, i.e. wear it. So, angels not only protect, but also guide believers so that they do not stumble. Thus God commanded that the powers above should serve the abiding realm because of the dignity of the image with which the latter is invested. Also understand by angels are God-bearing men who have a vision of God, protect and guide us in all paths, i.e. in life, so that we do not stumble over the stone of stumbling and the stone of temptation. And that God has appointed for us as angels those who know Him and proclaim Him, listen to this, as Malachi says: “The mouth of the priest shall keep knowledge, and the law shall be sought from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 2:7). “You will tread on the asp and the basilisk, and you will trample the lion and the serpent” (Ps. 90:13). With these words, the prophet points to the evil forces, among which the son of evil dwells, as if among reptiles. Therefore, the Lord said: “Behold, I give you power to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). Therefore, the one who tramples on anger tramples on the lion, because this beast is characterized by rage. That’s why Solomon says: “The king’s thunder is like the roar of a lion” (Proverbs 20:2). In the same way, the one who tramples on pleasure and all other wickedness tramples on the asp, the basilisk and the dragon, because carnal pleasures and all wickedness in life are rightly compared to reptiles that creep on the earth. But in the true sense, the basilisk is trampled by the one who tramples envy, since it reigns (βασιλεύοντα) in wickedness, and also because the basilisk has poison in its eye, as is said about envious people. “Because he trusted in Me, I will deliver him, I will cover him, for he has known My name” (Ps. 90:14). Since the psalmist expressed something great and almost incredible, saying that such evil and powerful forces, even compared to the lion, dragon, adder and basilisk - the most terrible of beasts, will be trampled by us, he now introduces God, who confirms what was said and shows us an irresistible weapon - hope in Him, through which we can get rid of our enemies, if we surrender ourselves to Him, we can hide ourselves, so that we will not suffer any harm from them, if only we know the name of God, that is, if we reverently honor Him in word and deed, with mouth and thought, in thought and deed. Truly, the king is known not by the one who recognized him by hearsay alone, but by the one who submits to him as a good king should submit. “He will call to Me and I will hear him, I am with him in trouble, I will deliver him and glorify him” (Ps. 90:15). Is there greater bliss than to have God as your protector, ready to rise up against your enemies? “I am with him in trouble, I will deliver him and glorify him”; - so sorrow is no longer sorrow, but joy and glory because of the presence and communication of God, since the intention of those who cause sorrow leads to opposite consequences. This happened with Nebuchadnezzar when he threw the youths into a fiery furnace to destroy them, and they not only got rid of the threatened death, but also received honor from the formidable tyrant. “I will fill him with length of days and show him My salvation” (Ps. 90:16), - i.e. life in the next century, because life here, no matter how long it may be, is very short in comparison with the first. “And I will show him My salvation”; By salvation, understand the salvation by which those who believe in God will be saved at the final judgment, and even more understand Christ, Who is the salvation of the Father, because in Him He saved our race. This is the salvation He promised to show us, since the hope of the saints is to see God face to face, as Paul explained this to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 13:12). 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” You might be interested in: