Беседа 30 на псалом 120 83

Ps.120:1. Song of Degrees. 84 I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help will come 85. The beneficial effect of disasters on the Jews during the Babylonian captivity. – “My help comes from the Lord, who created heaven and earth” (Ps. 120:2). – A person’s most outward appearance is turned to the sky; he should not deviate from the path God showed him; He must not indulge in inaction if he wants to receive help from God. – The meaning of the Psalmist’s figurative expressions, depicting the omnipotent divine care always and everywhere. 1. Look at the soul, which, having been exposed to disasters, is at a loss, perplexed, and desires to receive consolation by turning to God. This is again the effect and benefit of temptations; they inspire her, excite her and force her to seek heavenly help, detaching her from everything worldly. If the Jews, rude and tied to the earth, became so prudent from suffering during captivity and turned to heaven, then how much more should we do this during disasters and resort to God; More perfection is required from us than from them. Finding themselves among enemies, having neither a city, nor a wall, nor a tower, nor weapons, nor help from people, nor wealth, nor anything like that, but being in captivity and slavery of their masters and in the place of enemies, being oppressed by such great disasters, they resorted to the invincible right hand, and deprived of human means, they learned to be philosophical by their very helplessness; That’s why they said: “I lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help will come.” Everything human was destroyed, perished, disappeared; There is only one salvation left - from God. “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 120:2). Do you see how they seek God everywhere, on earth, in heaven, on the mountains, and in the desert, presenting Him before them everywhere? Do you see how their souls were elevated, how they preach about Providence, which extends to everything? It was not in vain that the prophet added: “who created heaven and earth,” but secretly expressed the following thought: if He created heaven and earth, then He can help everywhere, in a foreign land, lend a hand in the country of foreigners, save those deprived of their fatherland; if He brought forth such elements with one word, then all the more can He deliver us from foreigners. Do you see how those who were more insensitive than stones and lived in a foreign land philosophize? They no longer remember the church, but heaven and earth. Look how they confess the creativity, wisdom and providence of God. Those who previously said to the tree: “You are my father..., and to the stone: You gave birth to me” (Jer. 2:27), now confess the Creator of the universe. “My help comes from the Lord,” and not from people, not from horses, not from wealth, not from allies, not from fences. “My help is from the Lord.” This help is irresistible, this assistance is invincible, and not only invincible, but also easy and convenient. There is no need to go far, nor bow to the gatekeepers, nor spend money, nor send embassies, but you can, while staying at home, acquire this protection; you just need to renounce everything human, hold on to this hope, have sharp eyesight and look at lofty objects. For this reason, God created from all the animals only one man with a straight waist and installed his eyes in the upper part of his body, in order to teach him by his very appearance that he should look into the heights. Only this one animal is constructed in this way, while all the others look down and face the ground; man is turned to heaven, so that he looks there, philosophizes about this, thinks about this and has a keen vision of the soul. That is why one Wise One said: “The wise man’s eye is in his head” (Eccl. 2:14), i.e. he is alien to everything low, strives for the sky, thinks about the high. “Do not let your foot stumble; He who guards you will not slumber” (Ps. 121:3). Do you see how jealous these words require us to be? Since they mentioned God’s help and called for help from above, the prophet exhorts, offers advice and seems to say: if you want to receive it, then do what is due on your part. What exactly does he advise? “Don’t let your foot stumble,” i.e. do not shy away, do not be tempted, and then God will give you a helping hand: he will not leave you, he will not depart from you. Thus, it is up to us to start the business; it is in our power. If this is in our power, then, wanting to receive something, we must bring something from our side - this is what God wants - although small and insignificant, we must nevertheless bring it in, not remaining inactive, not indulging in slumber and sleep, not despairing, but acting and trying to save ourselves. Therefore, the Lord also rewarded those who worked only from the eleventh hour, although how much could those who came at the eleventh hour have done (Matthew 20:6)? But He did this in order to receive a reason in their work, to have a basis for bestowing crowns. That is why the prophet says: “Do not let your foot stumble: He who guards you will not sleep”; when you do what is due on your part, then what is due to Him will follow. From here it is also revealed that even if we do what is due on our part, we still need His help in order to achieve security, in order to remain steadfast. 2. Who then allows his feet to falter? Anyone who chases after perishable things that do not have a solid foundation, for example, indulges in addiction to wealth, love of worldly things. Therefore, such people often hesitate and fall, exposing themselves to extreme danger. These things are never solid and constant, but always fluctuate and change, wavering worse than waves, passing faster than water streams and crumbling easier than any sand. “Behold, He who guards Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps. 121:4). If you, he says, have arranged yourself this way, then He “will neither slumber nor sleep,” i.e. will not despise, will not betray, will not leave you naked and helpless. Wanting to express this, it was not in vain that he said: “He who guards Israel.” The meaning of these words is as follows: if God has constantly, from ancient times, since the time of your ancestors, acted to bring you safety, then He will not leave His work, will not stop doing as He always did, unless you allow your foot to be shaken, and not only will He not leave you, but will also protect you with great power. “The Lord will protect you, the Lord is your covering at your right hand” (Ps. 121:5). He will be, he says, your patron, assistant, protector. Do you see how here too he wants to make you active? As happens with warriors standing in line, He will stand at your right hand, so that you will be invincible, active, firm, strong, so that you can erect a trophy and win, because with this hand we primarily do everything. He will not only be with you and not only be your helper, but also your cover. I repeat again: with objects close to us, the prophet means God’s help; “by hand” and “cover” depicts the complete protection and immediate assistance of God. “During the day, the sun does not burn you, and the moon at night (does not harm you)” (Ps. 121:6). This was when they came out of Egypt and wandered in the desert. Here he expresses great security. However, perhaps even then, upon returning (from Babylon), they were rewarded with a similar miracle in some other way. Therefore, wanting to show the special providence of God, the prophet adds that God will not only deliver them from disasters, but also from what usually happens to people - because His mercy is generous, His love for mankind is inexpressible, He does not give us His help according to our needs, but with His gifts He exceeds our very requests. “The Lord will keep you from all evil; the Lord will preserve your soul” (Ps. 120:7). The One who does not allow you to be exposed to even small troubles and extends His care and providence to such an extent will, of course, protect you even more from everything else. Great sadness recedes and passes away at the beck of God, which is something that people cannot have. A person often delivered from one evil, but could not from another, or he could, but did not want to; and the almighty and all-powerful right hand of God, no matter what disaster happens, can stop it, can deliver and free you from everything. “The Lord will preserve your coming in and your going out from now and forever” (Ps. 120:8). Another translator (unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.) says: “your coming” (πρσέλευσιν). Do you see constant help everywhere, both at the entrance and at the exit? What can compare with such love, with such philanthropy? With these words, the prophet means all life, because all life is made up of this, from entrances and exits. Expressing this more clearly, he adds: “from now until forever.” Not for one day, he says, not for two, three, ten, twenty, or a hundred, but constantly, which does not happen with people; They have great inconstancy, frequent changes, sudden upheavals, today a friend, tomorrow an enemy, today he helps, tomorrow he leaves, and often not only leaves, but also begins to quarrel and plot more evilly than any enemy. The works of God are unchanging, constant, eternal, solid, endless. In order for us to be worthy of them, let us fulfill our duty on our part, and thus achieve great security and future blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. The psalms in the text are translated by P. Yungerov - Editorial office of the ABC of Faith Another translator (Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion) says: "singing for the ascent" (ἀσμα εὶς τὰς ἀναβάσεις). Another (unknown translator, see Orig. 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