Approved for publication by the Publications Board of the Russian Orthodox Church PB 11-116-1697
С 95
Priest Daniel Sysoev Explanation of Selected Psalms. In Four Parts. Part 2: Beneath the Shelter of the Most High. — New Jersey, Daniel Sysoev Inc, 2018. — 128 pp.
ISBN 978-5-4279-0070-9
Explanation of psalms 90 and 103. This book examines the issues of trust in God and of His protection, the struggle against fear and despondency, and the creation and rule of the universe. “The Psalter is suitable for any good work. If you wish to rejoice and praise God, here too you will find the right words in the Psalter. if you are in confusion and do not know what to do, the Psalter will teach you understanding.” —Saint Basil the Great
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© Daniel Sysoev Inc, 2018 © Yulia Sysoeva, 2018
CONTENTS BENEATH THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH Explanation of Psalm 90. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Life as a Song. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 God is our Intercessor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 How to Trust God Completely. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Our Greatest Weapon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Fear, Panic, and Sudden Misfortune. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 The Spirit of Despondency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Defense from the Invisible World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 THE CREATION AND RULING OF THE WORLD Explanation of Psalm 103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Interrogating Nature by Torture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 The Image of a True Christian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Beauty Combined with Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 The Architecture of the Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Another Dimension. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 The Nature of Spiritual Beings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Where is the Center of the Universe? . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 God’s Care for the Earth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 The Wondrous Gifts of Nature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Time, Day and Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Wisdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 The Sea of our Heart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 The Great Hope of Renewal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
BENEATH THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH
Explanation of Psalm 90 Let us begin our study of Psalm 90. This psalm is widely known but poorly understood. It is usually read without attention, like a sort of incantation. There exists a completely unfounded belief that mechanically reading the 90th psalm protects a person from the devil. Let me remind you that in the Gospel Lucifer quotes this very psalm to Christ on the Mount of Temptation, attempting to entice Him to depart from God by performing false miracles. Psalm 90 does have a certain protective effect, but this stems from its content. A person who keeps the commandments described in Psalm 90 is protected against the attacks of all the powers of evil, and becomes the strongest being in this world. For what do the powers of darkness employ? Why are they able to influence a person? A person’s body may be influenced by many different factors. This is through divine providence, which employs various outward circumstances for a person’s benefit and the salvation of his soul. We know that sicknesses, joys, sorrows, and successes are sent by God 4
Beneath the Shelter of the Most High
so that a person might be changed, cleansed, transfigured, and become a godlike being. In this lies the meaning of both sorrows and joys. However, that which matters most in a person (his soul and his spiritual life) is determined by the state of his will. We cannot will ourselves to be sick or not, but we can will ourselves to fall into despondency or not, to get drunk or to be sober, to be joyful or sorrowful. And the fiercest attacks of the devil are those launched against the emotional and spiritual sphere. Illness is far less grievous that despondency. The loss of a loved one is far less grievous than the anguish or despair that beset us afterward. For this reason it is more important to defend our spiritual world from attack by the powers of darkness, and this defense is naturally possible only beneath the protection of God, as it is written in Psalm 90. When a person abides beneath the protection of God, living in the help of God, his body also is defended. As we know, the Lord defends and preserves our bodies. Even ordinary formal logic tells us that our chances of living as long as we have were remarkably slim. When a baby is born he first begins to crawl. I imagine any attentive mother or father has noticed the vast array of lethal objects surrounding their 5
Priest Daniel Sysoev
Explanation of Selected Psalms In Four Parts Part 2 Beneath the Shelter of the Most High
Translator Priest Nathan Williams Layout Olga Bochkova Cover and Design Igor Ermolaev
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