Chapter 76

Ps.77:1. At the end, about Idithum, a psalm to Asaph Idithum, having heard what was said about the Jewish people, namely: “Thou hast cast off all things God unto the end” (Ps. 73:1)? was extremely sad and embarrassed, mourning the complete rejection of the Jews. After this, Asaph composes a psalm for him, teaching him that in such circumstances he must resort to the only God and seek consolation in Him. So it starts like this: Ps.76:2. With my voice I cried to the Lord, with my voice to God, and give me heed. Beginning with the psalm to Idithum, he teaches that the Lord is close to those who call on Him. Ps.77:3. In the day of my tribulation I sought God with my hand, I lay before Him, and I was not deceived. Such, he says, grief seized my soul that I not only prayed during the day, but spent the entire night time in prayer. However, in doing this, he did not exert his efforts in vain and did not labor in vain; This is what is said: “I was not deceived.” My soul, which has been denied, may be comforted: Ps.77:4. We remembered God and rejoiced. I did not accept any consolation from people; the mere remembrance of God was joy to my heart. I mocked you, and my spirit became fainthearted. When I used human reasoning (for this means: “we mocked”), then I fell into frivolity. Ps.77:5. Anticipate my watches: I am confused and speechless. It is disconcerting that the enemies occupy the places of our guards, that is, the strongholds of the walls. Ps.77:6. I thought about the first days. I thought about this with myself and was confused why God had previously helped the people, but now rejected them. And this aroused in me the fear that God had turned away from them forever. And I remembered those ancient days. Ps.76:11. This is the betrayal of the right hand of Vyshnyago. Indulging, he says, in thoughts about the rejection of the people, I finally realized that the revolution that had taken place with the people and the transition from a better state to a worse one happened not for the sake of anything else, but for the sake of the right hand of the Most High, to put it bluntly - for the sake of what was done with the Savior Christ, Who is the Father’s right hand. Ps.76:12. For I will remember Your miracles from the beginning. I thought about how many blessings God had given them, and what evil the Jews repaid Him with. Ps.76:13. And I will learn from all Your works. So they did; and I will describe from beginning to end all the benefits that You have shown us, that is, I will not leave in oblivion any of the benefits bestowed upon us. Ps.76:14. God, your way is holy. The word “holy” means either the sanctified face of the Apostles, through whom he performed extraordinary Divine signs, or the fact that no one can come to the Father except through Christ, Who is truly holy as God. Ps.76:15. Who is the great God who is our God? You are superior to everyone, Lord; because You alone work miracles whatever You please. Ps.76:16. By Thy arm Thou hast delivered Thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. For they were the first to preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven by the Arm of the Lord, that is, by Christ. Ps.76:17. You saw the water, O God, and you were afraid. When did the waters, seeing Him, be afraid? Was it not when he rebuked the sea and it became silent? Ps.76:18. The voice of the clouds, for Your arrows pass away. “Clouds” in these words refers to the holy Apostles serving the heavenly and gospel word, and “arrows” refers to the action of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, as it were, he says: these actions, revealed in Your holy disciples, became known throughout the entire universe. But you should know that Christ himself is called by the prophet Isaiah “the chosen arrow” (Is. 49:2). Ps.76:19. The voice of Your thunder is in the wheels. “Thunder” refers to the word of the Gospel that announced the heavenly places; That is why the Lord called the Evangelist the son of thunder; and by the name of the wheel he means human life, which can also be seen in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:20). Therefore, the meaning of the speech is as follows: Your gospel word is transmitted to the entire human race. Your lightning illuminates the universe. What kind of lightning is this? Is it not those who showered us with spiritual light, that is, the holy Apostles and Evangelists, to whom the Savior said: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14)? The earth is moving and trembling. This means: the saving sermon became audible to those living throughout the whole earth, and everyone was seized by a chaste fear, according to what was said: “Work for the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling” (Ps. 2:11). Ps.76:20. Thy ways are in the sea, and Thy paths are in many waters. The world is called “sea,” and “many waters” are the various generations of people in it. And since Christ commanded the Apostles: “Go and teach all languages,” and: “Behold, I am with you all the days” (Matthew 28:19-20), and they went all over heaven, preached to all languages, with the invisible presence of the Lord with them, according to His false promise; then the Psalmist added: and Your footprints will not be known, because the procession of the Lord with them was invisible. Moreover, He alone, like God, made a procession across the sensory sea, as the Evangelist speaks about. Ps.76:21. You have taught Your people like sheep. Like sheep who do not know where they are going or where their path lies, You yourself guided us, using Your servants Moses and Aaron to do this. Everything, starting with the words: “I remembered the works of the Lord” (Ps. 76:12), the Psalmist says in connection with what was said above: “I remembered God and rejoiced” (Ps. 77:4), that is, bringing this to memory, I was comforted in thought and rejoiced. For, imagining in my mind how many times and in what cases we used Your help, I became convinced that, having done so much for our salvation and deliverance from the troubles that befell us then, even now You will not tolerate leaving us completely without Your attention in slavery, captivity and misfortune. By the hand of Moses and Aaron. But You, Master, co-existent with the holy Apostles, and of old through Moses brought Your people out of Egypt, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. You might be interested in: