Chapter 49

Asaph sings this psalm, introducing the person of the lawgiver, and both abolishing the Old Testament sacrifices and introducing the sacrifices of the new covenant - the gift of praise. The leaders among the Jews, neglecting virtue, placed it in reading and proclaiming the Law, as well as making sacrifices. But reading the Law and making sacrifices are only the fruit of virtue in a person. To do this alone without virtue means the same thing as anointing yourself for the struggle, but not caring about the struggle itself, for which the crown is given. Therefore, blessed David denounces those who do this, and imagines how God reproaches such and declares to them that He abhors sacrifices offered without virtue, which He also said through Isaiah: “the wicked... eat the calf, as if killing” the husband, and so on. (Isa. 66:3). David clothed his speech in images, and introduced God coming from heaven, sitting in the judgment seat, and pronouncing judgment on the Jewish rulers. Ps.49:1. The God of gods is the Lord of the verb, and called the earth. With God, saints are gods. “Give thee God to Pharaoh” (Ex. 7:1); and: “Az rekh, bozi este” (Ps. 81:6). When are they called by God? Was it not then that he became human and spoke and called upon the whole earth? What did he say if not this: “Go and teach all languages” (Matthew 28:19); and: “It is fitting... for this Gospel to be preached throughout the whole universe (Mark 13:10)? Ps.49:2. From Zion is the splendor of His beauty. God will come. Saying “from Zion” implies the first coming, and saying “to come” means the second coming. At His first coming and glorious theophany, He was silent, judged by men, and did not openly reveal His Divinity. At His second coming, He will not come hidden, as in the first, but “in reality,” and, as He himself says, like lightning passing “from east to west” (Matthew 24:27). Ps.49:3. Java will come and will not remain silent, but to expose the sin of the world. If God “will come in reality,” and Christ is God, then of course the phrase “will come” points to the flesh. Fire will kindle before Him, to burn those worthy of him for their wickedness. This is similar to what was said: “a river of fire flowed before Him.” For blessed Daniel saw the same thing, who says: “a river of fire flows... before Him... His throne is a flame of fire, His wheels are scorching fire” (Dan. 7:10,9). And fire either means the light emanating from Him, because the knowledge of Christ is preceded by the mental light acquired by faith, the image of which was the pillar of fire that led the Israelites at night, or it means that the Savior kindled us, who had grown cold in all sin, with zeal for all that is good, putting into us, like mental fire, the communion of the Holy Spirit. For he said: “Fire has come to burn upon the earth” (Luke 12:49). And all of us who were granted such grace became alive in spirit. Therefore, with the grace-filled gift of the Holy Spirit, the manifestation of fire is introduced. For, according to the word of John, we are baptized in Christ “with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). One of the prophets said: “He enters like the fire of a furnace, and like the soap of those who feather. And he sits boiling and purifying like silver and like gold" (Mal. 3:2–3), because the power of the Holy Spirit destroys all filth in us. But this did not bring the slightest benefit to the Jewish Synagogue, because those about whom God said in Jeremiah did not accept the grace: “The skin of the fire is empty, the tin is rotten, the forger forges silver in vain, for their wickedness does not wear away” (Jer. 6:29). Ps.49:4. Will call the sky from above. Those who live on earth, as it is said somewhere in the psalms, were formerly “part of the fox” (Ps. 62:11), serving unclean spirits, and in every place honoring as god whatever was presented to whom. But the Savior who appeared illuminated us with the light of true knowledge of God. Like a good shepherd, He converted the lost, bound the sick, drove away the beasts from the sheepfold, sanctified them with the Spirit, protected them with angelic powers, and placed holy secret guides throughout the earth. And therefore it is said that he will call the heavenly angels and the chosen ones on earth for the apostleship, For the Apostles brought those who believed to God, but delivered those who did not believe to Satan, saying almost like this: go to the light of your fire, and into the flame with which you were kindled. To the unbelieving Jews they say: “It is not right for you to speak the word of God first: but since you have rejected it and are unworthy of creating eternal life for yourself, behold, we are turned into tongues” (Acts 13:46). And that the angels assist the mysteries and their disciples, this is explained by Paul, saying: “Are not all souls ministering, sent into service for those who want to inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14)? This was also depicted by the ladder Jacob saw, ascending from earth to heaven, on which the Lord established himself, and along which the Angels ascended and descended (Gen. 28:12). The same is true of what was said: “The Lord **** will fight.” around those who fear Him, and He will deliver them” (Ps. 33:8). And thus the Angels, by the same token that assist people, judge them. that is, he will gather the righteous who are leading a heavenly life to the heavenly abodes. And the earth, let your people judge, that is, sinners. And he will gather all those living on earth to separate the righteous from the unrighteous. Ps.49:5. Gather His venerables to Him. The speech is addressed as if to the Angels, in accordance with what was said: “Their angels will come and gather the righteous from the four winds” of the earth (Matthew 24:31). Those who testify His covenant about sacrifices. This means spiritual sacrifices. Ps.49:6. And the heavens will declare His righteousness. That is, the heavens will glorify God for having honored humans with heavenly abodes. He wants the saints of the people of the first, before the future judgment, to stop the sacrifices consisting of the slaughter of dumb animals, and to accept the sacrifice according to reason and knowledge. Moreover, the heavenly powers sing praises to the Judge for having begun with the monks. “And the heavens declare His righteousness,” rejoicing over their salvation. The earthly home will be left to the rank that has not been worthy of the heavenly title. Here he clearly calls Christ God. For the Father “has given all judgment to the Sons” (John 5:22). And if the Father “has given all judgment to the Sons” and God is the judge, then Christ is God. Ps.49:7. Hear My people, and I will speak to you. Introducing new laws, so that no one would mistake them for a human word or the word of some angelic power, he introduces the words: I am the same one who from the beginning and until now has shown great miracles to your family. From the fact that I now decree different laws, do not conclude that I am different. On the contrary, I am the One who through Moses gave the laws regarding sacrifices. “I testify” to you that you will not be accused of breaking the laws of Moses. For I myself, who commanded my servant there what was useful, now testify that there is no need for you to preserve what was legalized about sacrifices. Even if you don’t make sacrifices, then in this case they have already been made. Ps.49:8–11. I will take your burnt offerings before Me, although they are not brought by you. If, by all means, you try to make a sacrifice to Me, as something worthy and necessary, then listen with all confidence that I “will not accept” anything from you (Ps. 49:9), because all this is unnecessary for Me. And the animals grazing in the fields, and the oxen, and “cattle... and the birds of the air,... and the beauty of the countryside” (Ps. 49:10-11) - all this is Mine, and I have no need for anything. And even if I ever needed food, I would not be so meager as to ask something like that from you. “My universe is mine” (Ps. 49:12). What kind of sacrifices will you offer Me? Praise, chant, theology. When you fulfill this, then, as one who has fulfilled the Divine law, you will receive as reward that you will be heard as soon as you call. And showing to what people he was addressing this speech, he added: Israel, and I will testify to you. Then he points to His own dominion: “God is your God.” I am the God who delivered you from Egyptian slavery, who turned the sea into a path, who dwelt in the desert, who gave you that Law. For do not consider Me to be another lawgiver, seeing the difference in laws. Ps.49:8. I will not reprove you about your sacrifices. “I do not blame you for being careless about the sacrifices,” he says, because you make them constantly, but I command you not to make an excuse for them. Ps.49:16. But God said to the sinner: What kind of excuses will you tell me? Here he calls the interpreter of the divine Scriptures a sinner. And this is similar to what was said: “praise is not beautiful in the mouth of a sinner” (Sir. 15:9). For if he transgresses all the commandments, is given over to every vice, and has made his tongue flattering, then why does he have the divine Scriptures in his mouth? Ps.49:21. You revolted against iniquity, for I will be like you. Before, he says, I was long-suffering, but now I will not do so. For to reprove you I will present your sins, which you thought would no longer appear and would not come to anyone’s memory. But I, as God, will bring them into the light, and they will stand before you. I will not hide them as you hide them, and I will not become like you. But I will bring them out on Wednesday so that, by making them famous, I will cover you with shame. I will reprove you and bring your sins before you. Ps.49:22. Understand this, you who forget God. As one who loves mankind, after reproof he also adds advice, giving room for repentance. Understand that I endure for a long time, not because I rejoice in your deeds, but because I give time for repentance. But if we do not understand, then the wicked or iniquity snatches us away, because there is no one who delivers us. For I deliver those who understand how bad they are, and cease to be bad, and say: “they have sinned, they have sinned, they have committed unrighteousness” (2 Chron. 6:37). It is impossible to confess to someone who does even worse things. Yes, not when he steals, and will not deliver”, that is, so that death does not steal your soul, bring repentance, because there is no deliverer for those held by sins in hell. And the soul is kidnapped as having completely fallen away from God. Ps.49:23. The sacrifice of praise will glorify Me. He repeats what was said before, commanding him to perform verbal service. After a strong accusation, he showed a cure for sin, namely the use of the sacraments. For this is truly a sacrifice of praise, glorifying God, because then we stand, offering praise together with the Angels and with all creation. And there is the way whereby I will show him My salvation, that is, in the sacrifice of praise lies the way of salvation prepared by God. 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