Chapter 15

The prophecy that we now have in our hands contains the calling of the Gentiles, the accusation of disobedience on the Israelites, and the very mystery of the resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ common to us all. Therefore, I think, this song is called “the writing of the pillars”; because the Prophet David put it up as if on a pillar for his descendants. The words of the song are sung as if from the person of Christ; for Peter taught us to understand this way. Ps.16:1. Save me, Lord, for I trust in You. Taking upon Himself, as it were, the common face of all humanity, He turns speech to God and the Father, not about Himself, but for us and about us, as one of us according to the economy. Therefore, he calls the Father Lord, as if he had taken upon himself the form of a servant. He asks for His preservation for the sake of the Church, which is His flesh. And since the Church is His flesh, it asks for its own preservation. Why, this preservation can rightly be attributed to His person. Ps.16:2. Reh of the Lord: You are my Lord. Again, this is befitting of a slave’s form, and at the same time it points to justification by confession of faith. As if you don’t demand my good things. Here he refers to the sacrifices made according to the Law as good. For the word of faith speaks: “Do I eat young meat, or drink the blood of goats?” (Ps. 49:13)? Ps.16:3. To the saints who are on His earth, the Lord surprises all His desires in them. He calls those sanctified by the Spirit “saints,” and the Church of Christ “earth.” The word “surprise” means “opened”, and “Own” means “Despair”. Therefore, the meaning of the whole speech is this: to those sanctified by faith He made known the Father’s will “in them,” that is, in those who are on God’s earth, or in the Church, or in those who are on holy earth, because the saints, having residence in heaven, although they are still on this earth, are already on His earth. The “wills” of God are those private virtues that God makes wonderful in His saints, because they have some advantage over other people in the performance of virtue. For the courage of the Apostles and martyrs is not the same as the courage of the valiant in other ways, and the chastity of Joseph is not like the chastity of others. Therefore, being amazed by them, he realizes his own weakness, because he lacks much in comparison with Divine power and Divine greatness. For, as quickly as the infirmities of the righteous increase, they hasten to repent before God. Ps.15:4. Their infirmities increased, - when they served idols. But although they have increased in number, they do not remain with these infirmities. They have weaknesses only until their first consciousness, because “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens them” (Phil. 4:13). Or, it seems, he says this about the Apostles, and about those who believed through the Apostles. The miracles of God became evident in them, because they kept all the Divine commandments. But their weaknesses, or, in other words, their labors, multiplied when many nations, warriors, warriors, and kings rose up against them; and they, having overcome everyone, completed their course. Or the short duration of sorrows indicates an endless age. Although they were weak, having initially been in sins, having heard the sermon, they immediately became obedient. For this is what the words mean: “I hastened them,” that is, they hastened to become obedient to the preaching. I will not gather their councils from bloodshed. Those whom Christ will gather must be clean from murder and bloodshed. When gathering councils from the pagans, I will gather them not through blood, that is, I will make sure that they come to Me, not observing the lawful service, but rather offering praise and bloodless sacrifice. I will not remember their names in My mouth. They will no longer be called idolaters and godless, but called and chosen. And in ancient times they acquired for themselves names worthy of their deeds, being called idolaters, polytheists; now I will no longer remember those names, calling them pious, holy, called and chosen. Ps.15:5. The Lord is part of my wealth and my cup. He calls the kingdom of the pagans a property, and to put it more clearly, he would say: the Father gave me the pagans as a property and inheritance, to whom I was obedient even to death. And My Church, which is My heritage, is part of the Lord Father Himself. He is a part of My cup, that is, death; because the cup means death, according to what was said: “Father... if it is possible... let this cup pass from Me” (Matthew 26:39). And the Church inherited the Father, fulfilling His commandments. And My very death inherited the Father, according to the word who said: “Heirs... to God, heirs... to Christ” (Rom. 8:17). Ps.15:6. The snake has attacked My mighty ones: for My mighty property is mine. This speaks of the bonds of love with which he is united with the Church. She is also “sovereign,” that is, she is pleasing to Him. Ps.15:7. I will bless the Lord who has enlightened me. We find an interpretation of this in the Acts of the Apostles. Even before night, my womb punished me. Inspired Scripture usually calls the innermost and hidden thoughts “wombs”, and “nights” - what is invisible. Ps.15:8. I foresee the Lord before Me, as He is at My right hand, but I will not be moved. This is a clear revelation of the insensitivity of the Jews. For the chief Peter in the Acts of the Apostles interpreted this about Christ (Acts 2:25). Since Christ is God, He Himself affirms and contains everything; and since he became a man, it is fitting for him to say that he has the Lord at his right hand, but is not moved. For in everything he conforms to the standards of humanity, and according to the economy he is not ashamed of what befits exhaustion. And see how our nature has become admirable in Christ. We, rejected for Adam's crime, are brought before the face of the Father himself, and He is our protector, our support. Ps.15:10. Do not forsake My soul. Of Him, Who is life and gives life, according to the economy it is said that He was quickened by the Father. Ps.15:11. He told me you are the paths of the belly. Taking upon Himself the face of humanity, as one who has become like us, He utters words that are more fitting for us than for Him as God. Sweetness is in Your right hand at the end. This means that the saints will be in pleasure and joy after they come to life at the time of resurrection. This same pleasure and joy, which is incorruptibility, they say, we will receive from Christ, who is in us and at the right hand of the Father. And that this word is true is clear from the following passage, which says: “Who will transform the image of our humility, so that he may be conformed to the body of His glory” (Phil. 3:21). You might be interested in: